George Washington Smith: Architect of the Spanish Colonial Revival

George Washington Smith

Gibbs Smith, 2005 - Architecture - 178 pages

Massive white stucco walls, rolling red-tile roofs, dark wrought-iron window grilles, and lush vegetation are hallmarks of George Washington Smith's work and have come to represent the essence of Southern California architecture. Author Patricia Gebhard accessed the notes of her late husband, architectural historian David Gebhard (author of An Architectural Guide to Los Angeles), and continued researching the archives at the Architecture and Design Collection of the Art Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which houses almost all of Smith's drawings and sketches, correspondence, and original photographs. The result is a groundbreaking volume that brings George Washington Smith and his work to a wide audience for the first time. Handsomely illustrated with color photographs and detailed drawings, the book contains a complete catalog of Smith's work and an extensive bibliography.
Patricia Gebhard grew up in Minneapolis and has lived in New York, New Mexico, and California. She obtained degrees in Art History and Library Science from Oberlin College, Mills College and the University of Minnesota. She worked in the Reference Department of the University of California Library, and has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. She has coauthored a book on Santa Barbara County.

What people are saying

User Review -

This is the "go to" book for a synopsis of a GWS house or public building and is a great resource for real estate agents and their clients who want to understand why his buildings work so well and last so long in Santa Barbara and Montecito. Great general reference book for anyone doing a restoration. GWS homes are treasures! 

User Review -

Mrs. Gebhard has done an exemplary job of giving us the biography of this important 20th century architect who was the creator and master of Spanish Revival architecture. It is an essential book for anyone interested in Spanish Revival architecture in Southern California, and especially informative for anyone living in Santa Barbara who wishes to understand the history and characteristics of the built community around him. The biography and the project descriptions are crucial in understanding the beginnings and philosophy of the architectural style that gained momentum in the 1920s and serves as a benchmark for quality design today.
A must-read for architectural historians and all who wonder about the origins of Southern California's special architectural heritage. 

Contents

• The Early Years: 1
• 19181919: 9
• Santa Barbara Architecture in the 1920s: 29
• 19201921: 41
• Smith Builds His Architectural Practice: 63
• 1922: 73
• 19231924: 95
• 19251926: 115
• 19271930: 131
• Notes: 150
• Catalog of Works: 153
• Exhibitions of Works by George Washington Smith: 172
• Bibliography: 173
• lndex 8 lllustration Credits: 176

About the author

Patricia Gebhard obtained degrees in Art History and Library Science from Oberlin College, Mills College, and the University of Minnesota. Her previous books include George Washington Smith: Architect of the Spanish Colonial Revival.

Bibliographic information

• Title: George Washington Smith: Architect of the Spanish Colonial Revival
• Author: George Washington Smith
• Editor: Patricia Gebhard
• Contributor: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith, 2005
• ISBN: 1586855107, 9781586855109
• Length: 178 pages
• Subjects: Architecture / Buildings / Residential; Architecture / History / General; Architecture / Individual Architects & Firms / General; House & Home / Design & Construction