Description
The records of William and Catherine Wurster span the years 1914 to 1979. The majority of the collection contains Personal
Papers of the couple, particularly their photos and slides from various trips abroad, starting with William's 1922 trip to
Europe and ending with the couple's world tours in 1957 and 1959. Accompanying these photographs are written descriptions
of the trips, including William's travel journals and their joint notes and publications regarding their experiences.
The Professional Papers houses a variety of material that the couple accumulated regarding architecture or city planning over
the course of their careers including several hundred lantern slides (and negatives), which were most likely collected by
Catherine for use in a lecture or for her book,
Modern Housing.
Background
William Wilson Wurster, born in California in 1895, earned his degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1919. After
obtaining his license in 1922, he worked briefly for firms in Sacramento and with Delano & Aldrich in New York, then opened
the firm William W. Wurster in California in 1924. He gained national recognition early in his career with an award-winning
design for the Gregory farmhouse (Scotts Valley, 1927), and became the most well-known modernist architect in the Bay Area.
Extent
11.5 Linear Feet:
23 document boxes
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the
Curator.
Availability
Collection is open for research.