Kesling Modern Structures: Popularizing Modern Design in Southern California 1934-1962 [Paperback]

Patrick Pascal (Author), David Gebhard (Author), Julius Shulman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

Practically unknown today, William Kesling and his design/build firm, Kesling Modern Structures, played a unique and important role in the development and acceptance of modern architecture in Southern California. For one year, beginning in November 1935, William Kesling was by far and away Los Angeles' most prolific and successful practitioner of Streamline Moderne design, breaking ground on more than twenty projects. His better-known peers, Schindler, Neutra, and other modernists could not so easily desert the principles of economy and austerity. The unschooled Kesling was not bound by such dogma but nevertheless was driven by the noble goal of bringing high quality modern design within reach of the everyday home-buying public. Today his houses and small apartment buildings are considered collector's items for L.A. cognoscenti and while many have been ruthlessly remodeled many others are being carefully restored to their original elegance. Kesling was one of Julius Shulman's first clients. These never-before-published images were taken with Shulman's first vest-pocket camera.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Balcony Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189044913X
• ISBN-13: 978-1890449131
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moderne for the masses., September 11, 2003

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kesling Modern Structures: Popularizing Modern Design in Southern California 1934-1962 (Paperback)

An interesting overview of a minor Southern California architect who saw an opening in the market for inexpensive streamline homes. The author examines eight of these buildings in detail and when I saw the black and white photos it is obvious that Kesling had the good sense not to make them as simple or austere as the houses designed by Schindler, Neutra, Breuer, Keck and the other big names of thirties architecture. Houses designed by this elite group always ending up costing plenty.

Apart from the eight houses covered (which all have ridiculously small floor plans in the book) David Gebhard writes an excellent introduction about Moderne/Streamline design. There are plenty of exterior and interior photos and the author provides an interesting chronology of projects that Kesling was involved with from 1935 thru 1948.

I love any Streamline houses and a book I have always enjoyed is Classic Modern Homes of the Thirties: 64 Designs by Neutra, Gropius, Breuer, Stone and Others (Modern House in America) by James and Katherine Ford, a reprint of a 1940 book with 194 photos and 128 floor plans. Also worth a look is The Modern House Today by Nick Dawe, stunning color photos of sixty-three still standing in England.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kesling takes another beating., March 9, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kesling Modern Structures: Popularizing Modern Design in Southern California 1934-1962 (Paperback)

Although not without errors this book is well illustrated and quite interesting. The fact that Kesling may or may not have been a bit of a scoundrel only makes it more interesting. So let's just say this is the best book on Kesling, ok?

Seriously, the other reviews suggest the same snobbery that Kesling had to deal with when he was alive. I'm not an architect and therefore can only appreciate things that look good. But I must tell you, compared to the houses they build today, Kesling's look mighty fine to me. So lighten up, folks. Who knows, maybe Neutra or Schindler wrote a bad check or two!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kesling Modern Structures, January 1, 2003

By 

Michael Webb (London, England > Los Angeles, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kesling Modern Structures: Popularizing Modern Design in Southern California 1934-1962 (Paperback)

William Kesling was as good at architecture (despite a lack of formal training) as he was bad at business. In the middle of the Depression, he popularized moderne-style houses, but his career in LA was destroyed by a vindictive client. He re-established himself in La Jolla as a builder of rational, low cost housing. This elegant study, with its bw photographs by Julius Shulman and David Sadofski, and its preface by the late David Gebhard, restores a lost reputation.