The making of an icon
Case Study Houses. An interview with Julius Shulman, Pierre Koenig, Buck and Carlotta Stahl, Cynthia Tindle and Ann Lightbody
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KOENIG: l found the guy. He had driven from San Diego to L.A. via Kansas City to visit his mother. l actually got him on the phone, and l said, "You haul your ass out here." l was using real army language. He drove all night and got here. While Julius is setting up, the guys are moving the furniture in. l went home and got my Architectural Pottery, which you see in the photo, and l brought outdoor chairs up. l had my assistant, Jim Jennings up there. You don't see it in the picture-it all looks serene-but in the background all hell is breaking loose. People are running around, and junk and trash is piled up. If l had a proclivity for an ulcer, I'd certainly have had one.
JULIUS SHULMAN: l wanted to breathe some air into the house, not to pose them with their faces in the camera necessarily, but to get a feeling of natural activity, as well as using them for scale. After all, architecture is for people. That's when I said to Pierre, "Tell the students to bring their girlfriends." l always use people.
JIM JENNINGS: Ann came up after school-we were engaged-and she was dressed in teacher's school clothes. l thought it would be interesting for her to see. It was all new to her. She brought Cynthia with her.
CYNTHIA TINDLE: They said, "Wear a dress-you might be in a picture." We all went together, like we were on a date. Nobody was living in the house. The kitchen was empty. It was pretty wonderful-you step out of your bedroom and you're in a pool. It was just a casual evening of fun.
ANN LIGHTBODY: I was just shocked that there was plaster dust everywhere. We came up because Don and Jim were so in love with Pierre's work. We were milling around because it wasn't finished. The kitchen wasn't a kitchen yet. There was no food. Did the guys take us out for dinner afterward? Probably not.
SHULMAN: It was a warm night, and I was inside photographing the house with Pierre. I happened to step outside and saw the view, and here the girls were sitting through the glass, just having a conversation. My assistant was setting some lights for me-we were doing an interior photograph-and then when I saw what was going on, I quickly came back in the house and told everyone, "We're changing the composition," brought the camera outside, and readjusted the lights.
TINDLE: I think Julius was taking some pictures with nobody in them. Then he said, "Why don't you girls sit over there?" They didn't come and pose us. They said, "Cynthia, you look out the window. Ann, you look at Cynthia. Just pretend you're having a conversation."
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KOENIG: l found the guy. He had driven from San Diego to L.A. via Kansas City to visit his mother. l actually got him on the phone, and l said, "You haul your ass out here." l was using real army language. He drove all night and got here. While Julius is setting up, the guys are moving the furniture in. l went home and got my Architectural Pottery, which you see in the photo, and l brought outdoor chairs up. l had my assistant, Jim Jennings up there. You don't see it in the picture-it all looks serene-but in the background all hell is breaking loose. People are running around, and junk and trash is piled up. If l had a proclivity for an ulcer, I'd certainly have had one.
JULIUS SHULMAN: l wanted to breathe some air into the house, not to pose them with their faces in the camera necessarily, but to get a feeling of natural activity, as well as using them for scale. After all, architecture is for people. That's when I said to Pierre, "Tell the students to bring their girlfriends." l always use people.
JIM JENNINGS: Ann came up after school-we were engaged-and she was dressed in teacher's school clothes. l thought it would be interesting for her to see. It was all new to her. She brought Cynthia with her.
CYNTHIA TINDLE: They said, "Wear a dress-you might be in a picture." We all went together, like we were on a date. Nobody was living in the house. The kitchen was empty. It was pretty wonderful-you step out of your bedroom and you're in a pool. It was just a casual evening of fun.
ANN LIGHTBODY: I was just shocked that there was plaster dust everywhere. We came up because Don and Jim were so in love with Pierre's work. We were milling around because it wasn't finished. The kitchen wasn't a kitchen yet. There was no food. Did the guys take us out for dinner afterward? Probably not.
SHULMAN: It was a warm night, and I was inside photographing the house with Pierre. I happened to step outside and saw the view, and here the girls were sitting through the glass, just having a conversation. My assistant was setting some lights for me-we were doing an interior photograph-and then when I saw what was going on, I quickly came back in the house and told everyone, "We're changing the composition," brought the camera outside, and readjusted the lights.
TINDLE: I think Julius was taking some pictures with nobody in them. Then he said, "Why don't you girls sit over there?" They didn't come and pose us. They said, "Cynthia, you look out the window. Ann, you look at Cynthia. Just pretend you're having a conversation."
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C.Buff, C.Straub, D.Hensman: Case Study House #20, Altadena, California