Mid-century enthusiasts

[buffster]

My friend Heather David recently published this cool book of mid century architecture in the Bay Area. Enjoy.

From the book jacket...

Mid-Century by the Bay is a celebration of some of the places that made the San Francisco Bay Area a special region in which to live, work, and play in the years following World War II. From the Bay Area’s post-war suburbs, with their modern ranch homes, schools and shopping centers, to its futuristic commercial architecture and once numerous roadside attractions, author Heather David invites the reader to enter a visual time machine and to experience our recent past.

With over 200 images, including rare vintage ephemera and the author’s own photographs, Mid-Century by the Bay documents a unique geographic area at a particularly hopeful time in United States history.

Motel California

 

[paulg]

I'm a mid-centurier

I love the works of Morris Lapidus and everything in Palm Springs..
I may just ask for this as a Christmas gift. Thanks for the tip...

 

[verizonbear]

thank you for sharing

I love MCM design in both architecture and interior design. It was time when possibilities seemed endless for us all.

 

[firedome]

Wonderful book...

modern design peaked then and has never again reached that level. The airport terminals by Eero Saarinen at Kennedy and Dulles and the Brazilia buildings by Oskar Niemeier are the apotheosis of Modern Design in architecture.

 

[rp2813]

Hey Mike

I've seen this book in various museum shops and book stores in the area. I noticed the Paul Masson tasting room and champagne cellars that I had as my avatar for a while is on the cover. That entire complex got pushed over for exclusive homes and a new freeway.

Thanks for posting this. I may have just decided what I'm going to get myself for Xmas!

 

[buffster]

a little more on Heather David

Heather is wonderfully authentic, geniune and passionate about mid-century architecture here in Northern California. She also has a Facebook page with the same title as her book if you want to follow what she's doing or chat with her. She's super cool.

 

[twintubdexter]

Ralph, say it isn't so

I remember when that Paul Masson Champagne Cellars building went up in Saratoga...so futuristic, such dramatic water features and the night lighting was beautiful. How sad to hear that it was bulldozed to make room for luxury housing but somewhat understandable considering the sky-high real estate prices in anything close to Saratoga proper. At the time of construction that was pretty much a ho-hum area, just down the street from the Westgate Shopping Center.

Here in the Desert anything Mid Century is hot. The old Tramway gas station was turned into the Palm Springs Visitor Center.

 

[ronhic]

Here's the Australian Academy of Science 'Shine Dome in Canberra. Built in 1959, it is 710 tonnes of self supporting concrete structure (no internal supporting walls). Renovated in 2000, it's an iconic Canberra structure.

http://science.org.au/dome/story.html

 

[petek]

Not too many mid century anything left in our town...
Here was the Sahara Inn out on the "golden mile" strip before the 402 was built and many of the motels closed down.
The big glass front part was a restaurant and I remember it having this tall tall palm tree growing in there.

 

[petek]

What's left of it today.. part of the motel to the left renamed Willies Inn,, a right flea pit.
We now have a TSC yay

 

[davey7]

That book looks GREAT! Thanks for posting it. I also recommend "Little Boxes"
about Westlake, a mid-century suburb (which may well be heavily mentioned in the book) - more kitschy 50's than high-concept Eichler style.

Don't forget the Gobbler in Wisconsin is for sale!

In Chicago we have a group dedicated to Modernism called "Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond" - lots of fun tours, etc.

http://www.littleboxesbook.com/

 

[retropia]

I thought the Gobbler was torn down?

 

[paulg]

Help!

My dear hubby went to buy the book but cannot find it.

Ideas?

 

[retropia]

It's for sale at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Mid-Century-Bay-Celebration-Francisco-1950s/dp/0615316565/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355810054&sr=1-1&keywords=mid-century+by+the+bay

 

[davey7]

Nope, the Gobbler is alive and not-so-well. The motel portion was torn down a few years back. I have a relic, a bit of pink mosaic tile on concrete from the motel and I donated the light fixture to a friends front door.

It's a steal and near a lot of job possibilities (Trek bikes are like a town over, for instance) in a scenic area.

Avoid the commercial on youTube, you'll be singing along the rest of the day...

http://www.buythegobbler.com/

 

[petek]

When I saw that Gobbler pic above it reminded me of the old Esso service centers along the 400's. Can't find too many pics but found this old tv ad.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[davey7]

Here's the architect of the Gobbler's site; his stuff is very much of that ilk, funky shapes and materials.

http://www.helmutajango.com/

 

[buffster]

Where to find the book...

@ PaulG

You can order the book directly through the link at the top of this thread.

Motel California

 

[davey7]

Is your friend self-publishing the book? If she is, very cool!