The genius of Julia Morgan, America's first woman architect is visible in the beauty of her Neptune water pools and mirror worlds. What amazes me is that with mortar, brick, linear pathways and blueprints she created ephemeral retreats and watery dream worlds. I can no more explain how she did this than explain how, Helene Grimaud or Yundi Li create moon and dream with a percussive instrument. ..In the hands of a great genius extreme beauty is conjured.
Julia Morgan created 700 fabulous buildings in her lifetime including schools, mausoleums, office buildings, bell towers, pools, academic institutions and intimate homes. Most of her buildings are located in the San Francisco Bay area and many of them I have walked past, or visited on a regular basis. I had no idea that one singular woman, had created so many of the fine environments that have enrichened my life.
Chedwick the Cat inspired me to write this post. Purr. Thanks so much Ched and you can read more about Julia Morgan here and here.
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12 comments:
WOW! Being a water woman, I am in awe!!! I have been to San Fran twice and taken a number of tours (my FAVORITE city) and didn't hear a single mention of this amazing woman. Thanks for this!
Wikipekia helped me and I found Julia Morgan’s dates : 1872-1957
How wonderful shapes, colours and surrounding of these buildings. I can imagine how it is to be there so relaxing and not for common people. For me they are like fairy’s mansions, belonging at the same time to past and future
Hi Princess,
Very interesting post. Loved the pictures and the story behind them.
BTW - You've been tagged... Your challenge is to write a six word memoir. Read mine and check out the rules at Supernatural Fairy Tales.
I hope you will join in the fun.
Dorlana
Thank you, Princess Haiku (and Chedwick the Cat) - what a marvelously unrecognized achievement - seven hundred buildings! Thanks to your post I also just discovered that Julia Morgan is the architect for beautiful Asilomar, in Pacific Grove, where I once attended a conference that played a role in changing my life. Places can do that, as you so finely describe.
I agree with you, Cergie. They are otherworldly.
What superbly aqueous architecture. I'd not heard of Julia Morgan before but her work is truly inspired, as you say, otherworldly in its creation.
Thanks for sharing, Princess Haiku!
Beautiful. The fact that you get to see this is beautiful, too.
oooh...swimming in these would really be lapping in luxury; gorgeous.
wow--we'll have to feature her in one of our educational programs! Thank you for the links!
Those photos look like Hearst Castle in San Simeon. I visited there as a teenager, but wasn't aware they were designed by a female architect. Maybe it was noted by the tour guide, but I don't remember, it was so long ago. After reading your blog post I looked up their designer. Thanks for enlightening me about the creator of some of my favorite fantastical structures. I haven't spent any time in San Francisco, but this information makes me want to.
How are you princess? Long time no see. Best wishes.
Thank you for bringing Julia Morgan to my attention. I've never heard of her before and look forward to learning more. These photographs of her work are superb. She was a beautiful woman too!
xo
C
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