Viewing page 38 of 73

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Ca. 1979 

Esther McCoy 1. Career -1
1. Career:

I worked as an engineering draftsman at Douglas Aircraft (1942-1944) detailing ribs and lightening holes on the C-74, and then as I could not get in USC as an architecture student I went to work as an architectural draftsman for R.M. Schindler (1944-47). I worked on the interiors of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, then on the Roth, Presburger, Toole, Gold, Kallis, Lechner and Tischler houses, and the Laurelwood Apartments. At the same time I was publishing fiction in The New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar and university quarterlies. I began writing on architecture first with a piece on Schindler in Direction (Darien, Fall, 1945).

After five years as a draftsman I could have worked two more while studying for my exams, and then applied for my license. Instead, I went back to writing, although I returned two or three times to the Schindler office to help out. 

In 1951, Arts & Architecture published a full issue I prepared on Mexican domestic architecture, followed by a full issue in 1953 on Mexico's National University. I wrote many articles for the magazine, on Schindler and other subjects; I wrote full issues of Times Home Magazine on early California modern; I wrote the text of a film, "Architecture West" (1947). 

Consultant for the 100 Years of AIA show (1957). Consultant for the California Arts Commission (1965). 

Exhibition catalogs for traveling architectural shows for Los Angeles Municipal Art. Dept. ("Roots of California Contemporary Architecture," 1956); USC ("Felix Candela," 1957); Los Angeles Country Museum of Art ("Irving Gill," 1958 , "Ten Italian Architects," 1967). 

To Italy five times to write about arts and crafts for Times, and on architecture for Arts & Architecture. Decorated by the Italian Republic with Stella della Solidarieta (1960). Contributing editor to three Italian journals (Zodiac, Lotus, Arredamento). 

Part-time lecturer UCLA (School of Architecture and Urban Planning) 1965-86; lectured full time two quarters at UC Santa Barbara (1969-70). Regents Lecturer UC Santa Cruz (1974).

Member of Society of Architectural Historian since 1958; on the Board of Directors 1971-1975. 
 
On Southern California committee to select buildings for documentation by Historic American Buildings Survey; wrote the reports on fully two-thirds of the buildings of the area now on the National Register of Historic Places. Documented San Francisco and San Diego customs houses for General Services Administration, 1973.