The Patricia and David Gebhard research papers contain research, art works, and decorative objects. The research papers include notes and manuscripts, printed materials, photographs and slides related to David and Patricia Gebhard's research projects, including David Gebhard's research on Purcell and Elmslie, collected materials on Prairie School architecture, and the architecture and history of Santa Barbara and California. Patricia and David Gebhard each collected materials on the Santa Barbara architect, George Washington Smith. Also included are papers and photographs relating to research that the Gebhards conducted on Turkish vernacular architecture, but never published. Art works include works on paper given to and collected by the Gebhards, as well as posters and a few photographs. One box contains household decorative objects, such as cups produced by Swid Powell. Four decorative objects in the collection relate to the work on Purcell and Elmslie.

Patricia Gebhard was born in Minneapolis Minnesota in 1926. She attended Oberline College, Mills College and the University of Minnesota earning degrees in Art History and Library Science. She began working for IBM after finishing school. She married David Gebhard, an architectural historian. The two moved to Roswell, New Mexico where David Gebhard was the director of the Roswell Museum & Art Center, until 1961. In 1960, the Gebhard’s moved to Berkeley, California before relocating to Santa Barbara, California a year later. Patricia and David Gebhard both found employment at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Patricia Gebhard worked as an art and then reference librarian and David was the founder and first curator of the Architecture and Design Collection. The two were avid researchers and writers. David Gebhard died in 1996 and Patricia Gebhard died in 2011.

40.0 Linear feet (29 boxes and 4 decorative objects)

Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.