Description
This collection contains the professional papers of American
landscape architect Florence Yoch (1890-1972) relating to her work designing landscapes and
gardens primarily in Southern California, but also in Northern California, Mexico, and other
locales, chiefly with her partner Lucile Council (1898-1964) and their firm Yoch and
Council. The collection contains photographs and drawings documenting approximately 100
projects, as well as professional papers, research files, and office records, with the bulk
of the material dating from 1918 to 1971. The collection also includes papers and
photographs documenting James Yoch's research and work on Florence Yoch.
Background
Landscape architect Florence Theresa Yoch (1890-1972) was born July 15, 1890, in Laguna
Beach, California, and died in Carmel, California, on January 31, 1972. The youngest of six
daughters of Joseph Yoch, an entrepreneur, and Catherine Elizabeth Isch Yoch, a former
teacher, Florence Yoch grew up in Santa Ana and Laguna Beach, where the family had a summer
home and built the Laguna Beach Hotel, which hosted art exhibits and became a gathering spot
for a growing cultural scene. Yoch’s interest in gardening and landscape design was likely
sparked during visits to Arden, the Orange County estate and gardens of Polish American
actress and family friend Helena Modjeska, where Theodore Payne, later known as a specialist
in California native plants, served as a gardener from 1893 to 1896.Landscape architect Lucile Council (1898-1964; name variously spelled "Lucille Council") was
born in 1898 in Illinois to parents William H. Council and Francis Bloomfield and died
January 21, 1964, in Monterey, California. Council studied at Oxford University and at the
Cambridge School of Domestic and Landscape Architecture in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where
she earned a Master’s degree. In 1921, Council joined the landscape architectural firm of
Florence Yoch (1890-1972) as an apprentice. Yoch and Council became partners in life and in
business, and in 1925, they formed their partnership, Yoch and Council (known variously as
Yoch & Council), working initially in a studio at the home of Council’s parents in South
Pasadena. Their partnerships continued until Council’s death in 1964 in Carmel,
California.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department.
For more information, contact Reader Services. Objects (Boxes 42-45) do not circulate. Please contact Reader Services for
more information.