Description
The collection primarily consists of project records containing specifications and plans, and photographs of completed projects.
These records document the work done by Meyer in a number of partnerships, and contain a wide range of building types throughout
the state. Projects include office buildings such as San Francisco's Humboldt Bank and Monadnock Buildings; club buildings
such as the Elks Lodge in Bakersfield, and California Hall and the YMCA in San Francisco; Lagunda Honda and San Francisco
General, and Sutter Hospital in Sacramento; numerous Pacific Gas & Electric substations, breweries, banks, hotels, schools,
industrial structures, commercial buildings, firehouses, and a few residences. There are drawings for most projects and specifications
for some.
The Environmental Design Library houses his library of 165 books and 90 magazines. The bulk of the collection was donated
in 1976.
Background
Frederick H. Meyer (1876-1961)
Frederick H. Meyer was born in San Francisco. His father was a cabinet maker and Frederick attended pubic and private schools.
He began his career in the early 1890s as a draftsman for a planing mill and worked in a number of architectural offices prior
to beginning his own practice. He is listed in the San Francisco City Directory under Newsom & Meyer in 1899-1900, under his
own name in 1901 and as Meyer & O'Brien beginning in 1902.
Meyer was a prolific designer, responsible for many of the buildings designed in the San Francisco area after the 1906 earthquake
and fire. In 1913, Under Jim Rolph's Mayoral administration, Meyer was appointed to serve as one of the three members of the
San Francisco Civic Center Commission, whose tasks included the evolution and supervision of the City's Civic Center plan.
A fellow of the AIA, Meyer's practice consisted primarily of public, commercial and industrial projects, including public
libraries, breweries, hospitals, and public schools. Among his most notable buildings are the Humboldt Bank and the Monadnock
Building, tall buildings for their time and recognized for their innovative use of large glass areas and their incorporation
of fire-safety designs and equipment. An avid sailor, Meyer was active in numerous professional, civic and recreational organizations.
He practiced with a variety of firms including: Meyer & O'Brien (Smith); Meyer & Johnson (Albin R.); Meyer & Evers (Albert
J.); Howard (John G.), Meyer & Reid (John Jr.); Riedy (Dodge A.) & Meyer; Meyer, Peugh (W.D.), Rist (Martin) and Pflueger
(Timothy L.); Meyer & Associates - Jorgenson (Mark T.), Keyser (Lawrence H); The successor firms to Meyer's practice were
Ashley (George Fred), Keyser & Runge; Johnson (Alfred W.) & Runge; Runge (Chris W.) (1906-1972).
Sources:
Extent
30 Linear Feet:
11 boxes, 8 flat file drawers
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