Description
John Corneby Wilson Austin (1870-1963) was a 20th century Los Angeles architect. He designed and supervised the construction
of the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, California State Building, St. Vincent's Hospital, Griffith Observatory,
and St. Paul's Church. In conjunction with two other firms, Austin helped design and supervise the building of Los Angeles
City Hall. The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, memorabilia, and printed material.
Background
John Corneley Wilson Austin (1870-1963) was born in Bodicote near Oxfordshire, England on February 13, 1870. He arrived in
the United States in 1890 and settled in San Francisco. In 1895, Austin moved to Los Angeles where he became a renowned architect
and member of the Los Angeles civic community. Austin served as a senior member of the architectural and engineering firm
of Austin, Field & Fry. The collection contains photographs, ephemera, and documents relating to his work as an architect
and his participation in Los Angeles civic organizations. Austin's civic and professional duties included the following:
Board of Directors
First Methodist Church; President Roosevelt's Labor Mediation Board
State Legislative Advisory Committee on Defense and Employment
Trustee of County Art Institute President of Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles
Organizer of Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce construction industries department
Jonathan Club member; joined in 1903
President of club (1916-17)
President and member of the Scribes
President and member of the Historical Society of Southern California
Member of the Lincoln Club and Town Hall
32nd Degree Mason
Member of Al Malaikah Shrine (Shrine Auditorium)
Extent
7 boxes (3.5 linear feet)
8 oversize boxes
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.