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Finding Aid for the Smith and Williams records, circa 1936-circa 1987 0000175
0000175  
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Collection Details
 
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  • Access
  • Custodial History note
  • Preferred Citation note
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Scope and Content note
  • Related Archival Materials note

  • Title: Smith and Williams records
    Identifier/Call Number: 0000175
    Contributing Institution: Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 236.0 Linear feet (105 boxes, 40 rolls, 25 flat file drawers, 1 presentation board, and 2 models)
    Date (inclusive): circa 1936-circa 1987
    Location note: Box 1-40/ADC - regular Box 41/ADC - oversize* Box 42-103/ADC - regular Tube 103-152/Mosher - rolls Box 153-154/ADC - oversize* 25 Flat File Drawers/ADC - flat files 1 presentation board (Calif. Expo and Fair)/Mosher - pres. board 2 Models Anaheim Professional Center/Mosher - model Japanese Pavillion/Mosher - model
    creator: Smith and Williams.
    creator: Smith, Whitney Rowland, 1911-2002
    creator: Williams, Wayne, 1919-2007

    Access

    Partially processed collection, open for use by qualified researchers.

    Custodial History note

    Gift of Whitney R. Smith, 1982 and 1996. Additional material gifted by Ms. Paula Williams, 2011.

    Preferred Citation note

    Smith & Williams records, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

    Biographical/Historical note

    The firm Smith & Williams was founded in 1949 by Whitney Rowland Smith (1911-2002) and Wayne Richard Williams (1919-2007). Whitney Smith was born on January 16, 1911 in Pasadena. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) and graduated in 1934 with his bachelor’s degree in architecture. After receiving his degree Smith went on to work as a designer for notable architects in the Los Angeles area: Lawrence Test, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Kem Weber, and William L. Pereira. From 1941 to 1942, Whitney Smith taught at USC. One of Smith’s students was Wayne Williams (1919-2007), who started working for Smith in the early 1940s. Wayne Williams was born in Los Angeles on October 17, 1919. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in architecture from USC in 1947. By 1949, Whitney Smith and Wayne Williams officially became partners. Some of their most notable early projects include Crestwood Hills (1950) and Griffith Park Girl’s Camp (1951). During the firm’s 24 years, Smith and Williams produced numerous award-winning architectural projects, including private residences, educational buildings, religious buildings, community buildings, recreational facilities, commercial buildings, and parks. The Smith & Williams’ partnership dissolved in 1973, although both Whitney Smith and Wayne Williams continued to practice. Whitney Smith died in 2002 and Wayne Williams died in 2007.

    Scope and Content note

    The Smith & Williams records span 236 linear feet and date from circa 1936 to circa 1987. The documents that compose the collection include architectural drawings and reprographic copies, specifications, photographs, presentation boards, models, both Smith and William’s student work, press releases, magazine and newspapers clippings, office memoranda, building material samples, and awards. The collection primarily contains the work of the firm Smith & Williams but also includes Whitney R. Smith’s work prior to the Smith & Williams’s partnership.

    Related Archival Materials note

    David Gebhard papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    Wayne Williams 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.
    Models of Case Study Houses 5 and 12, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
    Papers regarding the Daniel Siegel house designed by Smith and Williams, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Smith and Williams.
    Smith and Williams.
    Smith, Whitney Rowland, 1911-2002
    Williams, Wayne, 1919-2007
    Architects -- California
    Architectural drawings
    Architectural firms -- California
    Architectural photographs
    Architecture -- California
    Architecture -- California -- 20th century
    Architecture, Modern -- 20th century -- California
    Blueprints
    Case Study House No. 12 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Case Study House No. 5 (Los Angeles, Calif.)
    Correspondence
    Modern movement (Architecture) -- California
    Photographic prints
    Specifications