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Finding Aid for the Julius Ralph Davidson papers, 1904-1977
0000127
0000127
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Title: Julius Ralph Davidson papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0000127
Contributing Institution:
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
23.0 Linear feet
(6 half record storage boxes, 2 oversize boxes and 6 flat file drawers)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1924-1977
Date (inclusive): 1904-1977, bulk 1924-1977
Location note: Boxes 1a-b, 2a-b, 3, 5, 6 /ADC - regular Box 4*/ADC - oversize* Box 7*/ADC - oversize* 6 Flat File Drawers/ADC - flat files
Furniture - Mosher Lamp (1998.82) chrome plated metal, parchment shade ( 14 x 15 1/2 x 6) Night Stand (1998.83) natural birch
with Tufflex glass (24 1/2 x 14 x 18) 2 Chairs (added 2013)
creator:
Davidson, Julius Ralph, 1889-1977 -- Archives
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Gift of J. R. Davidson, 1972 and 1975. Addition materials gifted by Barnaby Davidson, 2004.
Julius Ralph Davidson papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Julius Ralph Davidson was born in 1889 in Berlin. Beginning at the age of 18, J.R. Davidson worked in architectural offices
in Berlin, London at the office of Frank Stuart Murray, and Paris. During the years 1919 to 1923, Davidson had his own practice
in Berlin before relocating to Los Angeles in 1923, at the age of 34. In Los Angeles, Davidson went to work for the office
of David Farquhar, then worked as a set designer under contract with Cecil B. De Mille, and then begun remodeling houses for
a firm of builders. In 1927, Davidson opened up his own office in Los Angeles, though he never became a licensed architect.
His commercial buildings of the 1920s, for which he often designed the interiors, fixtures and furniture, were widely published,
including those for the popular Coconut Grove restaurant/nightclub and the High Hat restaurants. Davidson’s house designs
date primarily from the late 1930s through the 1940s. Invited by John Entenza, editor of
Arts and Architecture magazine, Davidson designed Case Study House 1, which was finally realized in 1948. He also designed Case Study House 11,
the first of the Case Study houses to be built, and Case Study House 15. Although many of Davidson's designs were published
during his lifetime, Esther McCoy helped bring international attention to his work when she included him in her book,
The Second Generation. Davidson died at his home in Ojai, California on May 2, 1977.
The Julius Ralph Davidson papers span 23 linear feet and date from 1904 to 1977. The collection is comprised of correspondence,
clippings, scrapbooks, ephemera, black-and-white photographs, architectural drawings and reprographic copies, sketches of
furniture designs, awards, administrative records such as client lists and specification reports, two flat file drawers filled
with presentation boards, and Davidson’s student work from the early 1900s. The majority of Davidson’s architectural drawings
and reprographic copies are of both residential and commercial remodeling designs.
Related Archival Materials note
David Gebhard papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Esther McCoy research papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Davidson, Julius Ralph, 1889-1977
Architect-designed furniture -- United States -- 20th century
Architects -- California
Architectural drawings
Architectural photographs
Architecture -- California
Architecture -- California -- 20th century
Architecture -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th Century
Architecture -- United States -- 20th century -- Sources
Architecture, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- Los Angeles
Case Study House No. 1 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Case Study House No. 11 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Case Study House No. 15 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Correspondence
Los Angeles (Calif.) Buildings, structures, etc.
Modern movement (Architecture) -- California
Photographic prints
Sketches