Christopher Long
Central European Modernists and the Varieties of
Southern California Design
In the period from around 1914 to 1932, a sizeable number
of Central European architects and designers immigrated to the United States and settled in Southern California.
In the period from around 1914 to 1932, a sizeable number of Central European architects and designers
immigrated to the United States and settled in Southern California. Some of these figures, such as Richard Neutra and R. M.
Schindler, are well known, others, like Kem Weber and Jock Peters, less so, but all contributed to what became a very lively
and variegated design scene. This lecture will examine the varieties of Southern California modernism, posing questions about
what the different currents meant and how they represented either competing or interrelated directions.
Christopher Long is University Distinguished Teaching Professor and Director of the Architectural History Program in the
School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. His many publications include include Josef Frank: Life and Work
(2002), Paul T. Frankl and Modern American Design (2007), The Looshaus (2011), and Kem Weber: Designer and Architect (2014).
