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Over 1,300 Photos Of Los Angeles' Finest Modern Architecture Released By USC
A newly unveiled collection of digitized photographs reveal a beautifully hazy look at some of the most iconic 20th-century architecture of Los Angeles and beyond.
USC Digital Libraries has just made available over 1,300 photos of private homes and other notable buildings taken by Modernist architect Pierre Koenig and Fritz Block, a German-trained architect who owned a color slide company. The compelling images offer a unique look at historically significant design, often from an unexpected angles or with a casual feel not often found in more formal photographs of the buildings.
The photos feature buildings around L.A., as well as Palm Springs, Northern California, Arizona and Oregon, which were designed by many of the biggest names in Modernist architecture, including John Lautner, Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Albert Frey, and even Koenig himself. There's also a few shots of recognizable works by Frank Lloyd Wright, including the Ennis House seen in numerous films including Blade Runner.
For design nerds, vintage enthusiasts and movie buffs—as several of the homes have made onscreen appearances—the collection is a treasure trove of history, and as Diana Budds of Fast Company Design points out, it looks like "an architecturally inclined Instagram feed from the 1950s and 1960s would look like." We'd follow that feed.
Explore the entire collection in detail here.
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