Greene & Greene architectural drawings and records, 1896-1931

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Creator:

Greene, Charles Sumner, 1868-1957, Greene, Henry Mather, 1870-1954, Bangs, Jean Murrary, 1894-1985, and Greene & Greene

Abstract:

The American architectural firm Greene & Greene was a partnership between the brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870-1954). The firm, established in 1894, was officially dissolved in 1922, after which the two practiced independently. They were active in Southern California and were part of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. During the years 1907-1909 the Greenes created some of their most renowned residences, including the Blacker, Gamble, Pratt, and Thorsen houses. They also designed interiors, creating furniture, lighting, carpets, and stained glass for their clients. Greene & Greene architectural drawings and records spans the years circa 1896 to circa 1963. The collection chiefly consists of architectural drawings (approximately 4,800) and also includes photographs, personal papers, and other manuscript material. Access to digital images of all the architectural drawings and to selected photographs are provided in the finding aid.

Extent:

4,800 drawings, 3 manuscript box, 5 print boxes, and 1 box card-box

Language:

English .

Scope and content:

The collection includes architectural drawings for approximately 240 projects located primarily in Southern California, particularly Pasadena, including the Earle C. Anthony house, Los Angeles, 1909, and additions, 1913, 1917; the R. R. Blacker house, Oak Knoll, California, 1907-1909, and additions; work for the Culbertson family of Pasadena, specifically additions to the grounds of the Cordelia A. Culbertson house, 1914-1915, and additions for her to the William T. Bolton house, 1918, 1926, and the James A. Culbertson house, 1902, and garage, 1906, and later additions, 1907, 1910; the Herbert Fleishhacker house in San Francisco, outbuildings, 1911, and alterations, 1915; the Freeman A. Ford house, Pasadena, 1907-1909; the David B. Gamble house, Pasadena, California, 1913; the Sidney D. Gamble house, Escondido, California; and the Robert Pitcairn, Jr. house, Pasadena, 1906. Photographs and specifications for some projects are also included in this collection.

Biographical / historical:

Biographical Timeline:

1868: Charles Sumner Greene born, Brighton, Ohio

1870: Henry Mather Greene born, Brighton, Ohio

1874: Greene family moves to St. Louis, Missouri

1884: Charles enrolls in Calvin Milton Woodward's Manual Training School of Washington University, St. Louis

1885: Henry enrolls in MTS

1888: Greene brothers enroll in the architectural curriculum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston

1890-1893: Charles and Henry serve apprenticeships with Boston architectural firms

1891: The brothers receive Certificates of Partial Course in Architecture from MIT

1892: Charles' and Henry's parents, Lelia Ariana and Thomas Sumner Greene, move to Pasadena, Calif.

1893: Greene brothers travel to Pasadena, visiting the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago enroute

1894: Greenes open an architectural office in Pasadena

1899: Henry marries Emeline Augusta Dart

1901: Charles marries Alice Gordon White

1902: James A. Culbertson house designed

1903: Bandini and first Van Rossem house designed

1904: Camp, Garfield and Tichenor houses designed

1906: Major article on the Greenes appears in Oct. issue of Architectural Record

1907-1909: Greene & Greene create some of their most renowned residences, including the Blacker, Gamble, Pratt, and Thorsen houses

1911: Cordelia A. Culbertson and Fleishhacker houses designed

1912: Number of commissions begins to decrease

1916: Charles Greene family moves to Carmel

1918: D.L. James commissions Charles to build a house in Carmel

1921: Henry designs a house for Kate A. Kelly

1922: Official dissolution of the firm; Henry reorganizes under his own name, Charles continues to practice out of his Carmel studio

1923: Charles designs a game room addition for the Fleishhackers

1925: Henry designs the William Thum house

1927: Charles designs a water garden for the Fleishhacker estate

1929: Henry designs the Strasburg and Richardson houses

1933: Henry closes his office and moves the practice to his home

1935: Emeline Greene, Henry's wife, dies

1944: Charles ceases work on his last architectural commission, the D.L. James library addition

1948: Southern California Chapter, American Institute of Architects, awards the Greenes a Certificate of Merit

1951: Henry designs a concrete block residence for the McElwains, his daughter and son-in-law

1952: American Institute of Architects honors the Greenes with a special citation

1954: Henry dies in Pasadena

1957: Charles dies in Carmel

Acquisition information:

The Greene Greene Collection at Avery is comprised of two accessions. The first, accession number 1960.001, was made possible by Jean Murray Bangs (1894-1985), while the second accession, 1987.003, was received from her husband, the architect Harwell Hamilton Harris (1903-1990).

Processing information:

The collection was processed by Roberta Blitz and drawings were catalogued by Project AVIADOR staff with grant funding from the Getty Foundation. Shelley Hayreh, Avery Archivist, edited and published the ArchivesSpace finding aid in 2020.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related material:

Greene & Greene Virtual Archives: The GGVA provides a searchable database of over 4,000 images selected from the four major Greene & Greene collections: the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University in the City of New York; the Environmental Design Archives at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB); The Gamble House, University of Southern California (USC), in Pasadena, California; and the Greene and Greene Archives, USC at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California.

Charles Sumner Greene collection (1959-1): Environmental Design Archives, College of Environmental Design. University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California.

Gamble House, Pasadena, California): The Gamble House, designed and built by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908-9, is now an historic museum. It is owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by the University of Southern California.

Greene and Greene Archives: University of Southern California, housed at the Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Harwell Hamilton Harris papers, 1906-1990: Alexander Architectural Library, University of Texas at Austin.

Other finding aids:

Digitized images from Avery's Greene & Greene Collection

Access and use

Restrictions:: This collection is available for use by appointment in the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University. For further information, please email avery-drawings@library.columbia.edu.

Preferred citation:: Greene & Greene architectural drawings and records, Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.

Location of this collection:: Avery Drawings & Archives

Avery Home Page
300 Avery Hall
1172 Amsterdam Ave.
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:: Researchers are encouraged to request materials at least one month in advance. You will receive an email from the department within 2-3 business days confirming your request and currently available appointment times. Requests are limited to 8 boxes per day (or equivalent), with a maximum of 5 boxes for off-site materials, 5 folders of drawings, or 5 rolls or tube boxes.

Contact:: avery-drawings@columbia.edu

Collection