Morgan had a real eye for detail and an admiration for true craftsmanship, making for some lovely places and spaces. There are plenty of photographs to accompany the textual descriptions of Morgan's designs, and I found myself dreaming about living in quite a few of them. This book leans more toward Morgan's architecture than towards her as a person, but I still found it quite interesting, even as a non-architect.
I was curious to get to know more about Morgan, who was one of the earliest female professional architects, among the first women to go through the engineering school at UC Berkeley, and the first woman accepted to the architecture program at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
I grew up just a bit down the coast from San Simeon, so visits to Hearst Castle and the nearby town of Cambria were frequent parts of my childhood. I was curious to get to know more about Morgan, who was one of the earliest female professional architects, among the first women to go through the engineering school at UC Berkeley, and the first woman accepted to the architecture program at If you have heard of Julia Morgan, it is most likely for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. If you have heard of Julia Morgan, it is most likely for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. This is a remarkable book celebrating the achievements of a remarkable woman. Painstakingly researched for more than a decade by Sarah Holmes Boutelle, founder of the Julia Morgan Association, this handsome volume lovingly document's Morgan's life and work. Given the sweep of Morgan's accomplishments, it is astonishing that this is the first substantial book ever devoted to her career. Yet the Hearst commissions, notable as they are, are not Morgan's only claim to fame. For more than thirty years she worked with Hearst in a rare collaboration, creating not only his art-filled hilltop palace but also a fairytale Bavarian "village" known as Wyntoon and many other commercial and domestic structures.
For more than thirty years she worked with Hearst in a rare collaboration, creating not only his art-filled hilltop palace but also a fairytale Bavarian "village" known as Wyntoon and many other commercia William Randolph Hearst's dazzling "castle" at San Simeon, California, is famous world round, yet only the aficionado can name Julia Morgan as the architect who built it. William Randolph Hearst's dazzling "castle" at San Simeon, California, is famous world round, yet only the aficionado can name Julia Morgan as the architect who built it.