Foothill Moderns
A Proposal
To: The Little Landers Historical Society
From: Bridget Murnane, Marsha Perloff, Steve Saute

Mid-century Modern is a design term applied most frequently to architecture, interior design and furniture. Related to the Space Age, the International style and Googie, mid-century modern translated the ideology of Modernism into a sleek, cool, yet accessible lifestyle. Mid-century modernism was somewhat organic in form, with a style characterized by simplicity, democratic design and organic shapes. Mid-century modernism has become popular in recent times, and has influenced contemporary modern design profoundly.

The “post-and-beam” style of residential architecture is perhaps the period’s most distinctive style. These homes are characterized by strong horizontal planes – low-slung and featuring flat-roofs, exposed structural members, and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass. The effect created was a blurring of any distinction between indoors and outdoors. This casual yet sophisticated style was tailor-made for the mild climate and adventurous lifestyle of post-war Southern Californians and risk-taking architects, who took advantage of the area’s breathtaking natural beauty and wide-open spaces.
The foothills were perfectly suited to this style of architecture. Internationally renowned architects such as Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, and Eugene Weston are represented here, along with other lesser-known speculative builders such as Victor Sease who built several tracts of modernist housing.

In this exhibit we would like to feature the history, photos, and plans of a sampling of these houses as well as the personal experiences of their residents. Our purpose in assembling this exhibit is to create an awareness of this architecture and support its continued preservation in our area.
We are submitting examples of the types of elements we would like to include in the exhibit, although we will be doing additional research. We would also like to create a catalog to accompany the exhibit.