Resources
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Neutra Archives
Information on Richard, Dione, and Dion Neutra can be found in a variety of archives here are their links.
Neutra (Richard and Dion) Papers 1925-1970 at UCLA Library Special Collections.
The collection consists of travel sketches, papers, drawings, rolled plans, blueprints, audio recordings, and photographs related to Richard Neutra's career as an architect. The largest and most comprehensive collection of his projects.
Neutra Notebook Collection, C. 1950 (bulk circa 1950) at Special Collections California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Collection contains a bound volume with holographic notes, probably in the hand of noted architect Richard Neutra's son, Dion, relating to the proposed relocation of the family's architectural practice to Glendale, California, circa 1950.
Neutra (Richard) Drawings 1928-1949, Architecture and Design Collection, University of California, Santa Barbara
The collection consists of two flat file folders of drawings in the form of reprographic copies documenting the Dr. P. M. Lovell house (Los Angeles, Calif.) and the Charles C. Chase house (Santa Barbara, Calif.).
Thomas Hines Interviews regarding Richard J. Neutra, 1972-1980 at UCLA Library Special Collections
A collection of sound recordings of interviews conducted by architectural historian Thomas S. Hines between 1972 and 1980 in preparation for his book and exhibition about Richard J. Neutra, published in 1982. Interviewees include Neutra's family, friends, business associates, clients, and Los Angeles architects.
Shulman (Julius) Photography Archive at Special Collections, Getty Research Institute.
Photographs by the renowned architectural photographer Julius Schulman including 25 separate projects by Richard J. Neutra.
Special Collections California Polytechnic State University- Pomona, Department of Architecture, College of Environmental Design
ENV Archive-Special Collection consists largely of correspondence by Richard J. Neutra and his wife Dione Neutra. In addition there are family photographs,family correspondence and Diones diaries and yearly letters.No detailed finding aid is currently available.
Robert Evans Alexander papers, 1935-2002
Collection includes architectural plans and drawings, reports, correspondence, legal papers, agenda and minutes of meetings, printed material and photographs from the firm of Neutra and Alexander. Thus the majority of his non-residential projects such as schools, university buildings, libraries, community centers etc.
Esther McCoy Papers, Smithsonian Institution
The papers of Southern California architectural historian, critic, and writer Esther McCoy. Holdings include correspondence with the Lovells, her work on Case Study houses by Neutra, her “What I Believe” article for the Los Angeles Times, and more. All materials have been digitized and are available online. The finding aid can be found here.
Walter Gropius Papers in the Bauhaus-Archive, Houghton Library, Harvard University
A small collection of letters between Neutra and architect and educator, Walter Gropius dated between 1892 and 1936.
Harvard Office of News and Public Affairs: Photographs
Photographs of Richard J. Neutra while visiting the Harvard Graduate School of design in 1965. Images are not currently digitized.
Erich and Luise Mendelsohn Papers, 1894-1992 at Special Collections, Getty Research Institute
The archive, from the estate of Luise Mendelsohn, comprises the personal correspondence and documents of the Mendelsohn family. Contains correspondence with Richard and Dione Neutra.
Roger Ginsburger Papers at Special Collections, Getty Research Institute
Architect and French Communist Party member Pierre Villon was born Roger Ginsburger in Soultz-Haut-Rhin, France, in 1901. Villon studied architecture and executed a small number of architectural projects in France. His most significant contribution to the discipline of architecture through his writings as an architectural critic.He was responsible for the book on French Modernism in 1930 that corresponded to Neutra’s book “Amerika” which was part of the same series. Ginsburger was married to Dione Neutra’s sister. Collection includes clippings of articles by and about architect Richard Neutra.
Thomas Hines Papers at Special Collections, Getty Research Institute
The papers of architectural historian Thomas S. Hines consist of the research files, site photographs, recorded interviews of Neutra co-workers and clients, correspondence and published articles of a professor and scholar widely known for his detailed investigations of key figures including Richard J. Neutra created between 1970 and 2010.
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Museum archives contain various materials related to Richard J. Neutra’s appearance in exhibitions, educational events, sound recordings, and other materials.
Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau / Archiv
A small collection of photographs, books, and correspondence relating to Richard and Dione Neutra. Also some video/film of Dione playing music.
Barbara Morgan Wight Collection, 1938-1967 at UCLA Special Collections
Includes photographs by Barbara Morgan Wight’s husband Willard Morgan, who with Richard J. Neutra had proposed a book project on the construction of the Lovell Health House. Many Morgan photographs in this collection are not yet digitized. Correspondence related to Neutra’s book “Mysteries and Realities of the Site” and graphic layouts. Willard Morgan published this book.
Jan De Graaff Residence Architectural Drawings and Photographs, 1940s at Columbia University Library
This small collection includes drawings and photographs of Neutra’s Jan De Graaff Residence from the 1940s. No digital images are currently available.
Frank Lloyd Wright Correspondence, 1900-1959 in Special Collections at the Getty Research Institute
Microfiche copies of 103,071 documents in the Archives of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona. Documents include letters, occasional specifications and printed ephemera. Correspondence includes exchanges with Richard J. Neutra.
USC Digital Library Architectural Teaching Slide Collection
Fritz Block (1889-1955) was a German-trained architect, who moved to Los Angeles in 1938. He started his own color slide company in Hollywood. Collection includes color images of Reunion House, VDL Research House, Lovell Health House, Barsha Residence, Tremaine Residence, Northwestern Mutual Fire Insurance Building, Channel Heights Housing Project, Plywood House and others. Collection is digitized. Better quality images may be obtained from the owners of the master slides, the Fritz Block Estate Archive (Gustav Levy-Hüneberg, Enskede, Sweden, and, Ingrid Levy-Hüneberg, Bromma, Sweden; ingrid@iglo.se).
Prints & Photographs Division at the Library of Congress
Collection includes renderings of Pennsylvania projects as well as HABS documentation drawings and photos for various Neutra projects across the U.S. All materials are digitized.
Palm Springs Art Museum
The library contains a few materials relating to the work of Richard Neutra including renderings for the Emerson Jr. High Library, Kronish, Maslon, Oxley, and Tremaine (Scottsdale) residences. Plans for the Painted Desert Concession Building and Fred Harvey Co. in Arizona.
John Blanton papers, 1956-2012 at UCLA Special Collections
John Blanton was an architect that worked predominantly in Southern California. Early in his career, he worked under architect Richard Neutra. Holdings mostly cover projects Blanton completed in private practice after work with Neutra, however, philosophical writings will be of interest to Neutra scholars.
Thaddeus Longstreth Collection , Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania
Thaddeus Longstreth worked with Neutra in the late 1940’s on such buildings as the Kaufmann Desert House. He later was project architect for many of Neutra’s east coast buildings, and had a distinguished career of his own. He was the father of architectural historian Richard Longstreth.
Syracuse University Richard J. Neutra Papers
Biographical material, correspondence, drawings, memorabilia, recordings including the Mymensinch University Convocation Hall and for the Orange County Court House. There is also a 16mm film of an interview with Neutra and audio recordings of Neutra's lectures, speeches, talks, and presentations.
Local German Governments
Plans and information on Richard Neutra’s work in Germany are often held by local city government. Check with the local offices for particular projects. Inquiries are best written in
German.
Neutra Books and Articles
Neutra Books
Many books by and about the Neutras are available on Amazon for purchase
Neutra Bibliography
Here is a link to the list of books by Neutra and about Neutra
Neutra Movies and Videos
The Oyler House: Richard Neutra's Desert Retreat
Now owned by the actress Kelly Lynch and her writer-producer husband Mitch Glazer, the post & beam-style home and its exotic surroundings shine through beautiful cinematography, and the story comes to life through interviews with Richard Oyler, Kelly Lynch, Neutra's sons, and well-known Los Angeles real estate agent Crosby Doe, who has represented homes by some of history's greatest modern architects.
Windshield: A Vanished Vision
John Nicholas Brown and his wife Anne select the young and ambitious Richard Neutra to build them a house that they name “Windshield.” Through an enormously detailed correspondence, patron and architect discuss every detail of the house’s design and together pursue cutting-edge technology, much of which has only previously been used in commercial architecture. Then, just weeks after the Browns move in, tragedy strikes.
Neutra Survival Through Design
A comprehensive documentary into the 125 year life, work, and times of Austrian/American Architect Richard Neutra (1892-1970) – the legacy which continues to this day through the work of son Dion Neutra.
Information on the Internet
Social History of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences
The Cal Poly Pomona department of history prepared a website about the way the Neutra Family, he architects and he visitors used the compound.
Early modernism in Los Angeles from John Crosse
Our friend John Crosse has been researching early modernism in Los Angeles with invaluable documentation of the network of Southern California artists, thinkers and architects that provided the matrix for the early opportunities for Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler.
Neutra Furniture Collection - by VS
Items of furniture from the Neutra Furniture Collection by VS are made individually by experienced craftsmen, a process in which only exceptionally fine materials are used and perfectly coordinated on the basis of a harmonious range of specifications. The result: top-quality, customized furniture. Just as Richard J. Neutra would have wished.
USModernist
USModernist® is a nonprofit 501C3 educational archive for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of residential Modernist architecture. With four major sections, USModernist is America’s largest open digital archive of residential Modernist houses and their architects.
The History of Neutra's 1958 Arthur Connell House from USModernist
USModernist provides an extensive history of the Connell House in Pebble Beach , CA.
Huntington Beach Public Library
Designed by the Neutra firm (1975) providing library and cultural services to the people of Southern California since 1909.
Neutra Architecture on Pinterest
There are so many superb images on Pinterest of Neutra projects. There were even a few photos that we hadn't seen before.
VDL I and II Research House
includes a compilation of history, images, documentation and scheduled tours. Sponsored by the College of Environmental Design, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Eichler Network
Eichler Network provides useful information for those restoring Mid-Century Modern homes.
Other Organizations
The Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter
Dedicated to providing its members with opportunities to learn about and experience the rich architectural heritage of Southern California and beyond.
Iconic Houses
ICONIC HOUSES is the international network connecting architecturally significant houses and artists’ homes and studios from the 20th century that are open to the public as house museums.
Getty Conservation Institute
The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts—broadly interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, and sites.
DoCoMoMo International
The International Commitee for the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the Modern Mouvement
Neutra Office Alumni
Joseph Stein - Steinabad and the American Heart of Delhi
Stein worked in the Neutra office in the late 1930s
Family Memoirs
Transcript of Dione Neutra's 14 Hour Oral History - To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth made available to read, listen, and download through archive.org
The external links in this section contain hypertext pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. Please be aware that we do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of pointers to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered by the the reference or the organization operating the site on which the reference is maintained.