Historic Roots

Origins of the Eichlers and other mid-century modern homes

Roaring Back
Once lost, then found—how mid-century modern caught fire and raged on as today’s red-hot revival
8 Great Modern Masters
Mid-century architects whose efforts gave Northern California its characteristic look and meaning
Lauan's Lost Love
Eichler Homes' original walls of mahogany paneling—once glowing in every home—are hopelessly fading out of sight
Grand Guru of Clay
Once one of Los Angeles' top mid-century artists—and then forgotten—Raul Angulo Coronel looks back with newfound fame
Once Upon a Dream
Affordable housing on the edge of Palo Alto—behind the 'utopian vision' of architect Joe Stein
Experiment in Innovation
The late, great Eichler designs of architect Claude Oakland
How BART Got Art
What's become of the Bay Area Rapid Transit's 'museum' of modern art—born of 1960s dreams yet largely forgotten today?
Fierceness Within
Immersed in nature—the art of Northern California sculptor Mary Fuller McChesney
That Magic Glow
Once loved, then reviled, the world of neon art is back in lights—from Los Angeles to San Francisco
Clay Artist Thinks Big
Once Fresno's best-kept secret, visionary Stan Bitters finds newfound popularity with dazzling grand-scale art he calls 'environmental ceramics'
Dance of a Lifetime
From her legendary open-air deck, dance pioneer Anna Halprin carried on a free-flowing connection between inside and outside
Pioneers of Outdoor Living
Tommy Church and his brood—creators of the 'California School' of modern landscape design
Sacred Art
Prolific yet unsung, Northern California artist Ray Rice put creative expression at the center of his life
On the Threshold of Discovery
When the aluminum sliding glass door made its groundbreaking debut—then ushered in the classic look of mid-century modern
Melting the Mystique
Anshen and Allen's 1950s modern designs for an Eichler competitor unlock the mystery at Sunnyvale's Gavello Glen
What's Become of the Holy Grail?
The first architect-designed Eichlers, Sunnyvale Manor Addition languishes today with no historic plaque or neighborhood connection
Fielder's Choice
When San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays ran into the 'color barrier'—then turned to Eichler for a stylish new home
Mogie Modern
Exploring the hidden San Mateo cul-de-sac where creative but unheralded architect Mogens Mogensen left a lasting mark
How Ad Men Found Freud
Nostalgic and even laughable in retrospect, print ads of the mid-century underscore the era's genuine desires and anxieties
Jewelry of Our Times
San Francisco artist Margaret De Patta turned ornament into wearable modern sculpture