Do You Know Esther McCoy?

Source: aaa.si.edu.com

Do You Know Esther McCoy?

by SweisKloss
October 15, 2020

If you have a passion for architecture, then the name Esther McCoy would be well known to you. For those who can’t quite place her, then allow us to share how meaningful she was to the architecture community of Southern California, especially during the mid-twentieth century. We all can agree that there were—and still are—some influential architects who put Southern California on the map, so to speak, of highly respected architectural design. And there are those who penned articles and books about these architects, allowing a glimpse into their world of forward-thinking creativity. One such writer was Esther McCoy whose career was as prolific as the architects she wrote about. Esther McCoy began her career writing short stories, award-winning by the way, but her love of architecture was what guided her to do pioneering work as an architectural historian and critic of the Southern California modernist movement. Her book Five California Architects, a study of Bernard Maybeck, Irving Gill, the Green brothers, and R.M. Schindler, is regarded as an indispensable classic on American architecture. After being discouraged from applying to USC Architecture school due to her age and gender, McCoy was undeterred and still pursued architecture by becoming a draftsman at R.M. Schindler’s firm. She purchased a bungalow in Ocean Park, a neighborhood in Santa Monica, and remodeled it with the help of Schindler. She lived and worked there until her passing in 1989. Through her six-decade career, McCoy helped shape the history of California architecture. Her wit and astute observations made her writings unparalleled; the collection of works has been sought after by museums, universities, and architectural organizations. Her love of architecture is clearly depicted in each chronicled piece. There has been a keen interest by many in following the life of Esther McCoy. Curated exhibits have taken place, and books have been written documenting her work. She will be forever remembered to us as someone who helped paved the way for other women in the field of architecture.