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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query gerald mccabe. Sort by date Show all posts

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Gerald McCabe

Gerald McCabe (1927-2010) was born in Long Beach, California. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and then served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He received a bachelor's degree from UCLA and a master's from California State University Long Beach, both in fine art.

McCabe opened a custom furniture business in the mid-1950s. He designed furniture for companies such as Brown Saltman and Glenn of California. In the 1960s and 1970s, he designed and produced his own lines under the names Erin Furniture and Orange Crate Modern. McCabe's design is known for its modern lines, precision joinery and the combining of wood, glass and steel.

His designs were included in the Case Study House #21 by architect Pierre Koenig. A famous photograph by Julius Shulman shows Koenig standing by a stereo cabinet designed by McCabe.

McCabe's first wife was a folk singer, and as a result of McCabe's reputation as a master woodworker, his wife's friends started bring guitars to him for repair. This side business evolved into McCabe's Guitar Shop, a music institution in Santa Monica, which became a gathering spot for music fans and musicians.

McCabe, known as a free spirit, also restored and sailed a tugboat, taught design at area universities and art schools, was a yoga instructor, repaired Citroen automobiles, raced cars and built his own home in Santa Monica Canyon.

From latimes.com
Photo by Julius Shulman of Case Study House #21
pichaus.com
Flip table (used as a coffee table or dining table)
latimes.com
Armchairs
1stdibs.com
3-drawer desk
reformgallery.1stdibs.com
Clamp table
vandm.com
Steel frame sofa
latimes.com
Chrome and glass table
Convertible side table
reformgallery.1stdibs.com
Coffee table
wright20.com
Dining table and chair
reformgallery.1stdibs.com

Monday, September 19, 2011

Pierre Koenig's Case Study House #21 comes full circle

In 1945, architect and editor of Arts & Architecture magazine John Entenza announced the Case Study House Program, which encouraged architects to create low-cost modern housing prototypes that could be duplicated to meet the impending housing shortage after World War II. Along with architects like Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood, Charles Eames, Eero Saarinen and Raphael Soriano, Pierre Koenig was chosen to take part in the program.

In early 1957, Dr. Walter Bailey and his wife Mary commissioned Koenig to design the 1300 square foot Case Study House 21, now popularly known as the Bailey House, in the Hollywood Hills canyon. The house was completed in 1959.

The next year, Julius Shulman was invited to photograph the home, and along with photographs of another of Koenig's designs (Case Study House #22, the Stahl House), these images became icons of California Modernism.

The Baileys relocated to the East Coast in 1969 and sold the house. Over the next thirty years, the structure suffered many alterations which destroyed much of Koenig's design. However, in 1997, film producer Dan Cracchiolo (of Matrix, Lethal Weapon and Conspiracy Theory fame) saw Shulman's photographs and bought the Bailey House. He commissioned Pierre Koenig to oversee restoration of the home to its original beauty. Of the previous alterations, Koenig said, “Even though I knew what had been going on in this house, it was a great shock to see it. My houses are like children to me.”

In addition to restoring architectural elements, Cracchiolo even commissioned replicas of some of the original furnishings from the original manufacturers, including Gerald McCabe's long Formica cabinet and the black Naugahyde sofa in the entryway, which were made famous in Shulman's photos. In 2006, Shulman, at age 95, was again invited to photograph the Bailey House.

Cracchiolo’s restoration was featured in the July 1999 issue of Architectural Digest, and in 2001, Koenig was honored with the Preservation 2000 award from the City of Los Angeles for the Bailey House restoration.

In 2000, the house was purchased by film producer and famous-house collector Michael LaFetra. Reportedly, Koenig called LaFetra and said, " “Hello, this is Pierre, your architect, and I want to talk.” LaFetra was told by Koenig that “he ought not to have to change anything in the house but, if he needed to, he should get in touch with him.” A friendship developed between the two, and Koenig designed a Malibu beach house for LaFetra, his last project.

LaFetra made sure he got the Bailey House listed as a Historic-Cultural Monument before selling it in 2002. Pierre Koenig passed away from leukemia in April 2004 at the age of 78 knowing that his work was appreciated by a new generation of architecture lovers.

From jetsetmodern.com, wikipedia.org




Shulman photo of entryway, 1960
jetsetmodern.com
Shulman photo of entryway, 2006
dailyicon.com

Famous Shulman entryway photo
pichaus.com

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recreate
 the famous Shulman entryway photo
jetsetmoderist.tumblr.com

Kitchen, 1960
jetsetmodern.com

Kitchen, 2006
dailyicon.com
Looking out kitchen into carport, 1960
wikiarquitectura.com

Looking out kitchen into carport, 2006
dailyicon.com

Living area with deck area in rear, 1960
jetsetmodern.com

Living area, looking in from deck, 2006
dailyicon.com

Exterior, 1960
jetsetmodern.com

Exterior, 2006
dailyicon.com