Esther McCoy papers, 1876-1990, (bulk 1938-1989)

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A Finding Aid to the Esther McCoy Papers, 1896-1989, bulk 1920-1989, in the Archives of American Art, by by Barbara J. Dawson, Olivia M. Evans, Maggie Nelson, and Stephanie Ashley

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Table of Contents:

• Biographical Information
• Overview of the Collection
• How to Use the Collection
• Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Biographical Information

Esther McCoy is remembered best for her pioneering work as an architectural historian, critic, and proponent of Southern California modern architecture of the early to mid-twentieth century. Although her professional interests ranged from writing fiction to studying the folk architecture and crafts of Mexico, McCoy achieved her most notable success for her numerous articles, books, and exhibitions about Southern California architecture and the architects associated with the modernist movement.

Born in Arkansas in 1904, Esther McCoy grew up in Kansas and attended various schools in the Midwest. In 1926 she left the University of Michigan to launch a writing career in New York, where she moved in avant-garde literary circles and conducted research for Theodore Dreiser. She began writing fiction in New York and continued to write after moving to Los Angeles in 1932, working on short stories, novels, and screenplays. She published numerous short stories between 1929 and 1962, with works appearing in the New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar, and university quarterlies. Her short story, “The Cape,” was reprinted in Best Short Stories of 1950. Many of the novels that she wrote from the mid-1960s through the 1980s were related thematically to architects and architecture.

During the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, McCoy participated in the politically radical movements of the period and began writing for leftist publications. Her interest in the lowcost housing projects of modern architects was prompted by one of her articles about slums for Epic News. During World War II she entered a training program for engineering draftsmen at Douglas Aircraft and in 1944 was hired as an architectural draftsman for the architect R.M. Schindler. As she became increasingly interested in modern architecture and design, she combined her two major career interests and began to focus her energies on architectural research, writing, and criticism. Her first article on architecture, “Schindler: Space Architect,” was published in 1945 in the journal Direction.

McCoy began writing about architecture in earnest in 1950 as a free-lance contributor to the Los Angeles Times. From then until her death in 1989, she wrote prolifically for Arts & Architecture magazine, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Architectural Record, L'Architectura, Zodiac (Italy), Progressive Architecture, Lotus (Italy), and Architectural Forum. In addition to her numerous articles, McCoy wrote several books on Southern California modern architecture and architects. Her first major work, Five California Architects, published in 1960, is now recognized as a classic work in modern architectural history. It promoted a serious study of modern architecture in Southern California and introduced to the world several leading California architects and their work: Bernard Maybeck, Irving Gill, Charles and Henry Greene, and R.M. Schindler. That same year, she published another important book focusing on the work of the California architect Richard Neutra. Other books by McCoy include Modern California Houses: Case Study Houses (1962), Craig Ellwood (1968), Vienna to Los Angeles: Two Journeys (1979), and The Second Generation (1984).

In addition to these books, McCoy organized and wrote catalogs for several significant exhibitions focusing on contemporary architects. Her first was the R.M. Schindler Retrospective, a 1954 exhibition at the Landau Art Gallery in Los Angeles. Her other exhibitions and accompanying catalogs include Roots of California Contemporary Architecture , 1956, Los Angeles Municipal Art Department; Felix Candela, 1957, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Irving Gill, 1958, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Juan O'Gorman, 1964, San Fernando Valley State College; and Ten Italian Architects, 1967, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Moreover, McCoy contributed numerous essays to other exhibition catalogs and publications, lectured at the University of Southern California, participated in preservation projects, organized tours for the Society of Architectural Historians, and contributed to a number of documentary films. Her energy and interests also led her to catalog and transcribe Richard Neutra's papers at the University of California Los Angeles Archives.

McCoy received national recognition from the American Institute of Architects for her seminal and prolific work in the field of Southern California modern architectural history and criticism. Her interests, however, were not exclusively bound to California. She traveled the world and was interested in both Italian and Mexican architecture as well as the folk art and crafts of Mexico and South America. She made five extended trips to Italy during the 1950s and 1960s, publishing regularly about the architecture there and curating the exhibition Ten Italian Architects. She was a contributing editor to two Italian journals, Zodiac and Lotus, and was awarded the Star of Order of Solidarity in 1960 by the Republic of Italy for her research and writing.

Esther McCoy died of emphysema on December 30, 1989, at the age of eighty-five. Her last contribution was an essay for the exhibition catalog Blueprints for Modern Living: History and Legacy of the Case Study House. The show opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles one month before her death.

Date

Event

1904

Born November 18 in Horatio, Arkansas. Raised in Kansas.

1920

Attended preparatory school at Central College for Women, Lexington, Missouri.

1922-1925

College education: Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; University of Michigan.

1924

Visited Theodore Dreiser in Michigan

1926-1938

Began writing in New York City.

1926-1938

Researched and read for Theodore Dreiser.

1926-1938

Worked for editorial offices and publishers.

1926-1938

Traveled to write in Paris (1928), Key West, Florida (1930), and Los Angeles, California (1932-1935)

1938

Moved to Santa Monica, California.

1941

Married Berkeley Greene Tobey.

1942-1944

Employed as engineering draftsman at Douglas Aircraft.

1944-1947

Worked as architectural draftsman for R.M. Schindler.

1945

Began architectural writing career.

1950

Wrote script for film Architecture West.

1950

Joined editorial board of Arts & Architecture.

1950-1968

Worked as free-lance writer for the Los Angeles Times.

1951-1955

Traveled to, researched, and wrote about Mexico and Mexican art and architecture.

1954

R.M. Schindler Retrospective exhibition at the Landau Art Gallery, Los Angeles.

1956

Roots of California Contemporary Architecture exhibition, Los Angeles Municipal Art Department.

1957

Felix Candela exhibition, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

1958

Irving Gill exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Traveled to Italy.

1959-1968

Contributing editor to Italian periodicals Zodiac and Lotus.

1960

Five California Architects (New York: Reinhold).

1960

Richard Neutra, New York: G. Braziller).

1960

Awarded Star of Order of Solidarity by the Republic of Italy for reporting on arts and crafts in Italy.

1962

Death of Berkeley Greene Tobey.

1962

Modern California Houses: Case Study Houses (New York: Reinhold) (reprinted as Case Study Houses, Los Angeles: Hennessey and Ingalls, 1978).

1963

Resident Fellow at Huntington Hartford Foundation.

1964

Juan O'Gorman exhibition, San Fernando Valley State College, Northridge, Calif.

1965

Consultant for the California Arts Commission.

1965-1966

Wrote and produced the film Dodge House

1965-1968

Lecturer at University of California at Los Angeles, School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

1966

Resident Fellow at MacDowell Colony, New Hampshire.

1967

Ten Italian Architects exhibition, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

1967

Honorary Associate of the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

1967

Regents' Lecturer at University of California, Santa Barbara.

1968

Craig Ellwood (New York: Walker).

1968

Distinguished Service Citation from the California Council of AIA.

1969-1970

Lecturer at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

1969-1989

Contributing editor of Progressive Architecture.

1971-1978

Graham Foundation Grants.

1974

Regents' Lecturer at the University of California,Santa Cruz.

1979

Vienna to Los Angeles: Two Journeys (Santa Monica, Calif.: Arts & Architecture Press).

1979

Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.

1981

Los Angeles Chapter Women's Architectural League Honorary Member.

1982

Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Modern and Contemporary Art Council Award for Distinguished Achievement.

1983

Home Sweet Home: The California Ranch House exhibition at California State University.

1984

The Second Generation (Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books).

1985

American Institute of Architects, Institute Honor.

1986

High Styles exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

1987

Vesta Award for outstanding scholarship.

1989

Award from the Historical Society of SouthernCalifornia.

1989

Award from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

1989

Blueprints for Modern Living: History and Legacy of the Case Study House exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Died in Santa Monica, California, December 30.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The personal papers of architectural historian and fiction writer, Esther McCoy (1904-1989), measure 42.8 linear feet and date from 1896 to 1989 (bulk 1920-1989). The collection documents McCoy's careers in writing and architectural history and criticism, as well as her family and personal life through extensive correspondence, writings, taped interviews, research notes, lectures, clippings, photographs, slides, and ephemera.

The collection is valuable for its in-depth documentation of McCoy's pioneering study of the modernist work of twentieth-century architects in Southern California. The bulk of this material coincides with the dates in which she completed most of her research and writing, 1945 through the late 1980s.

Because many of the architects about whom McCoy wrote were her contemporaries, she developed personal relationships with several as her research and writing progressed. Researchers will find a substantial amount of original correspondence with architects practicing in Southern California between 1945 through the late 1980s. The majority of this correspondence and most documents within the collection relating to specific architects and their projects have been arranged in the Architect Files series.

The collection houses completed copies of McCoy's published articles and essays for journals, books, exhibition catalogs, and newspapers, as well as her background materials, research notes, photographs, and manuscripts for her six published books about the architecture of Southern California. Researchers will also find papers and photographs documenting her other projects related to architectural history, such as lectures, preservation projects with the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and other groups, juries, films, tours, and her cataloging and transcribing of Richard Neutra's papers at the University of California. Documentation concerning her interest in Italian and Mexican architecture and the folk art of South America, including copies of articles and photographs, are found in the collection. Miscellaneous correspondence with architectural critics, researchers, historians, professors, and associations is arranged in the subseries General Correspondence.

In addition to papers documenting Esther McCoy's career as an architectural historian, writer, and critic, researchers will find valuable family and personal information within the collection. Biographical files and correspondence with her father James L., her mother Katie Mae, her sister Ruth McCoy Hahn, and her brother Clarence are arranged in Series 1 and 2. Photographs of family and friends and of McCoy at different times in her life abound in the collection. The collection also contains approximately three linear feet of personal correspondence with friends, lovers, and colleagues dating from 1923 through 1989, including correspondence with Theodore Dreiser, her husband Berkeley Tobey, and lovers Geoff Eaton, John Mitchell, Albert (Tim) Robert, and Gordon Kahn de Morelos.

McCoy's personal correspondence primarily concerns her early struggles as a writer, the literary world, and her personal and love relationships. The correspondence files are valuable to researchers who are interested in McCoy's personal life and the way in which her family, friends, lovers, mentors, and colleagues helped to shape her work and careers. McCoy's life, as documented in this correspondence, is interesting because it offers a glimpse into twentieth-century American social and political history, especially the radical leftist movements of the 1920s and 1930s. Researchers interested in the roots of feminism in the United States should also find these papers useful in documenting the life of a creative and productive woman who was successful in a field then almost entirely dominated by men.

The collection contains many photographs and slides taken by McCoy and used in her writings, exhibitions and catalogs, lectures, and other projects, as well as her travel photographs of Mexico, Italy, Brazil, Israel, and France. Many of her travel photographs focus on the traditional folk arts and crafts of Mexico and South America and the vernacular and modern architecture of these countries.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into eleven series based roughly on type of document:

• Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1898-1990, undated (box 1, OV 50; 0.75 linear ft.)
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1896-1990, undated (boxes 1-5, 4.25 linear ft.)
• Series 3: Writings, 1930-1989, undated (boxes 6-21; 16.0 linear ft.)
• Series 4: Architect Files, 1945-1989 (boxes 22-23; 2.0 linear ft.)
• Series 5: Taped Interviews, 1964-1977 (box 24; 1.0 linear ft.)
• Series 6: Architectural Projects (boxes 25-27; 2.5 linear ft.)
• Series 7: Lectures, 1954-1985 (boxes 27-28; 1.0 linear ft.)
• Series 8: Notebooks, circa 1950-early 1980s (boxes 28-30; 2.5 linear ft.)
• Series 9: Photographs and Slides (boxes 31-38, 42-48; 10.1 linear ft.)
• Series 10: Printed Materials, circa 1920s-1980s (boxes 39-40, 49; 2.3 linear ft.)
• Series 11: Works of Art, undated (box 41; 0.4 linear ft.)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

The collection was given to the Archives of American Art by Esther McCoy in 1986. Before her death in 1989, McCoy assisted in the organization and identification of the papers.

Separated and Related Materials

Also in the Archives of American Art are eight sound cassettes of a transcribed interview with Esther McCoy, June 8-November 14, 1987.

How the Collection was Processed

A generous grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation supported the organization and description of the papers. The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Barbara J. Dawson, Olivia M. Evans, and Maggie Nelson in 1993. Processing and description of Series 1-3 was refined by Stephanie Ashley during conversion of the finding aid to EAD in 2002.

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How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The collection is open for research. Use of unmicrofilmed material in the holdings of the Archives of American Art requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C., research facility.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Esther McCoy papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

How to Cite this Collection

Esther McCoy papers, 1920-1989, bulk 1920-1989. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Biographical and Family Material, circa 1898-1990, undated (box 1, OV 50; 0.75 linear ft.)

Material found in this series includes diaries, resumes, wills, awards, address books, passports and other official identification, and printed material. McCoy's "Sophomore Days" volumes contain journal entries and mementos from her 1919 school year; other scattered diaries record her time in New York in the 1920s. One folder contains biographical statements, publication lists, and resumes for McCoy with related notes and correspondence. The series also contains a notebook of a writers group and correspondence and legal documentation relating to a dispute over McCoy's property in Santa Monica, California. News clippings include obituaries and appreciations written for McCoy following her death in 1989.

The series also contains material relating to McCoy's family, such as accounts of trips taken by McCoy's mother, Katie Mae McCoy; and miscellaneous family memorabilia.

The two folders of material relating to Theodore Dreiser include a transcript of proceedings for his funeral in 1945, Dreiser's pen knife, and two newspaper articles written by McCoy. A wallet that presumably belonged to R.M. Schindler and contains Schindler's business cards and fragments from a 1918 calendar with notes, can also be found in this series.

Unless the name of another family member is mentioned in the folder title it can be assumed that material found here relates specifically to Esther McCoy, with the exception of a folder of wills, which contains a 1948 letter relating to James L. McCoy's will, and family genealogy notes. Autobiographical and family-related memoirs can be found in subseries 3.1: Fiction and Memoirs.

Records are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

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Series 2: Correspondence, 1896-1989, undated (boxes 1-5, 4.25 linear ft.)

This series contains copies of McCoy's outgoing letters and incoming letters focusing on her personal relationships with family, friends, and lovers, and general correspondence relating primarily to her work.

The series is organized into three subseries:

• 2.1: Family Correspondence, 1896-1988, undated
• 2.2: Personal Correspondence, 1908-1990, undated
• 2.3: General Correspondence, 1922-1989, undated

2.1: Family Correspondence, 1896-1988, undated

This subseries contains correspondence between McCoy and her parents, James L. and Katie Mae McCoy, and between her brothers Clarence and Frank, sister Ruth McCoy Hahn, and various other family members. Files for some of the family members represented here, including James L. McCoy, also contain business papers documenting activities such as the family lumber business. Material found with Katie Mae McCoy's letters to Esther McCoy include two passport sized photographs of Esther McCoy. Letters from Julia Stephens to Frank McCoy include a photograph of Frank. The folder of correspondence between various family members includes personal letters from McCoy.

Folders are arranged alphabetically by the primary sender; within folders, material is chronological. If only the sender's name appears as the folder title it can be assumed that there are incoming and outgoing letters contained therein and several individuals may be represented in the files. If letters are strictly from the sender to a particular person, that is indicated in the folder title e.g. Katie Mae McCoy to Esther McCoy.

2.2: Personal Correspondence, 1908-1990, undated

This subseries contains personal correspondence between McCoy and her friends, lovers, and colleagues. The letters concern McCoy's personal and love relationships, her views on politics, culture, and the literary world, and her struggles as a writer.

Correspondence between McCoy and lovers, such as Geoffrey Eaton and Albert Robert (also known as "Timmie"), is especially well represented. There is also significant correspondence with Theodore Dreiser, Helen Dreiser, Ray Bradbury, Kathryn (Kay) Metz, and McCoy's husband, Berkeley Tobey. Correspondence with Ray Bradbury includes discussions of theater, art and architecture. Letters from Helen Dreiser include Dresier's opinions on manuscripts written by McCoy. Theodore Dreiser's letters provide insight into the research assignments McCoy carried out for Dreiser and his opinions of her writing. The letters include the typescript of a poem, possibly written by Dresier. William A. Swanberg, who wrote a book on Dreiser, sought McCoy's opinions and impressions of the author, and their correspondence includes many observations and theories concerning Dresiser's personal life.

In the relatively large group of correspondence from Albert Robert to McCoy, letters from McCoy can occasionally be found. These have been left in place so that adjacent letters may provide a context for them. The letters include photographs of McCoy, Robert, and unidentified people. One folder of Robert's personal and business correspondence includes a 1940 letter from Theodore Dreiser.

In general, when just one name appears on the folder title it is an indication that the folder contains letters both to and from McCoy. If letters are only either to or from McCoy, this is indicated in the folder title e.g. Babb, Dorothy to Esther McCoy. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of major correspondent.

2.3: General Correspondence, 1922-1989, undated

This subseries primarily contains letters concerning McCoy's career in architectural history and criticism. Her career in fiction writing is covered to a lesser degree. Among the correspondents are researchers, writers, professors, architects, art professionals, and professional associations. Topics covered include research and writing projects, Los Angeles area preservation and restoration projects, and grant projects. Note that the bulk of McCoy's correspondence with architects is arranged in Series 4: Architect Files. Correspondence in this series complements the Architect Files, and the two should be consulted together for a better understanding of McCoy's projects in architectural history.

Major correspondents in this series include the American Institute of Architects, Architectural Forum, Architectural Record, Charm magazine, the Graham Foundation, architect Hans Hollein, Houghton Mifflin Company, Los Angeles Conservancy, Mainstream, A Literary Quarterly, Bill Murphy, the New Yorker, Progressive Architecture, the Society of Architectural Historians, the University of California, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, and the Women's Architectural League.

The folder of undated material includes one letter each from Sherwood Anderson and William Maxwell. The 1959 folder contains a letter from Albert Camus requesting McCoy's assistance with helping Spanish refugees. One letter from C. P. Snow can be found in folders for 1960 and 1961 and a letter from Aldous Huxley can be found in 1960. Correspondence for July 1975 contains a letter from James Wong Howe. Correspondence for 1989 contains photographs of Esther McCoy and others at the Athenaeum at Caltech for the third annual gala of the Historical Society of Southern California.

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Series 3: Writings, 1908-1990, undated (boxes 6-21; 16.0 linear ft.)

This series contains fiction and memoirs written by McCoy, McCoy's architectural writings, including books, articles and exhibition catalogs, and writings by others.

The series is organized into three subseries:

• 3.1: Fiction and Memoirs, circa 1929-1988, undated
• 3.2: Architectural Writing, 1908-1990, undated
• 3.3: Writing by Others, 1918-1950, undated

3.1: Fiction and Memoirs, circa 1929-1988, undated

Subjects covered in McCoy's memoirs, some of which were published, include her life in New York in the 1920s, and the people with whom she associated, among them prominent figures in the literary and art worlds. Memoirs relating to family members can also be found here. The folder “Untitled, Fragments and Notes,” includes some fragments concerning family history and several letters which are possibly related to them. McCoy's memoir about her mother also includes notes on family genealogy.

Fictional works found in this subseries include notes for, and typescripts and drafts of, novels and short stories. A folder of stories submitted to H.L. Mencken (Mother Lies in the Baggage Coach, Luke, Work for the Night is Coming, The Print, A Poem About War Ending, My Summer in the Museum of Modern Art, and The Sin of Puppchen Graff) includes introductions endorsing the stories by Theodore Dresier and Edgar Lee Masters with related correspondence. A folder of manuscripts primarily about Theodore Dreiser contains drafts of three manuscripts relating to Helen and Theodore Dreiser and other literary figures McCoy knew in New York during the 1920s and 1930s. One titled manuscript about Dreiser, Outward Journey (1946-1947), can also be found in this subseries.

The life of a California architect forms the basis for drafts of three novels, L.A. L.A., The Vickery Job, and Ward and Associates. These three manuscripts appear to be closely connected, although it is not clear if they were stages in the development of a single novel.

Date spans for folders may indicate the date writing began and/or the date of publication and sale. Where possible, these dates have been taken from notations on the manuscripts or from information provided on publication lists.

Numbers were assigned to drafts to facilitate research and do not necessarily indicate that the drafts were written sequentially according to the numbers. Though an effort has been made to ensure that related papers are filed together, most of the drafts are undated, and it is impossible to be sure when, and in what order, they were written.

The few miscellaneous and source materials in the subseries, as well as untitled manuscripts and notes, are filed at the beginning of the series and are arranged alphabetically by folder title. Following these are undated individual works of fiction or memoirs arranged alphabetically by title, followed by dated works of fiction or memoirs arranged alphabetically by title. In some cases McCoy used more than one title for a developing story. Alternative titles are provided in parentheses.

3.2: Architectural Writing, 1908-1990, undated

McCoy published numerous articles, essays, books, and exhibition catalogs about the modern architecture of Southern California, Italy, South America, and Mexico. This subseries contains records of her research for, and publication of, these writings including correspondence relating to her research; drafts; financial records; printed material including publicity for, and reviews of, her work; and research material.

Correspondence found in this suberies may include original correspondence between McCoy and the architects who were the subject of her work; correspondence with publishers and others relating to her work; and copies of correspondence that McCoy used for research. For example, files for her book Vienna To Los Angeles: Two Journeys include copies of correspondence between Richard Neutra and R.M. Schindler and between Frank Lloyd Wright and Aline Barnsdall. Research material consists primarily of notes made by McCoy in the course of her research. This material documents the formation of her ideas and may include notes made during tours of buildings and exhibitions, and interview notes. Photographs, printed material, and excerpts from sources relating to her research, including previous writings about the subjects by McCoy and others, may also be included.

Records relating to exhibition catalog material includes details of the exhibitions, such as schedules and general arrangements, and lists of exhibited works. Also included is scattered correspondence with the subjects of some of the exhibitions.

There are also records on various other architectural writing projects in which McCoy was involved. These include a chapter McCoy wrote on Juan O'Gorman for a book on mosaics by Joseph L. Young; an essay she wrote on Richard Neutra for Collier's Encyclopedia; a guide co-written with Robert Winter on significant buildings and houses in Los Angeles that was printed in Architectural Digest; entries written on various architects for Contemporary Architects and Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects; and an article on R.M. Schindler and Richard Neutra for the Society of Architectural Historians Journal.

The records which document McCoy's work for other journals, magazines, and newspapers, include writings for two publications, Arts and Architecture and Progressive Architecture, for which McCoy was contribution and associate editor for a period of time.

Material is arranged by form into four main groups: "Books"; "Exhibition Catalogs"; "Other Projects"; and "Journals, Magazines and Newspapers." Records for "Books" and "Exhibition Catalogs" are arranged chronologically. In cases where there were several editions of a publication, the earliest date of publication is used to determine arrangement. Records for "Other Projects" and “Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers,” are arranged alphabetically by title. The series ends with miscellaneous articles and six folders documenting projects by others.

3.3: Writing by Others, 1918-1950, undated

This subseries contains writings by some of McCoy's friends and lovers and includes short stories and studies. Titled works by John Mitchell are: A Cure for Happines, Democracy on Wheels, Divorce--1931, Hard Guy Close-Up, I Don't Know, Man Alone, No More Gigolos, Rackets: The Illiterati, Revenge Left Hand, and T'Would Make a Man Real Mean. There are also some literary publications in which McCoy is not featured but which were part of her personal collection.

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Series 4: Architect Files, 1945-1989 (boxes 22-23; 2.0 linear ft.)

This series contains McCoy's research files on individual architects and their projects, as well as several additional architectural subjects. Included are correspondence, photographs, writings, interviews, blueprints, and printed material. Additional information concerning architects about which McCoy wrote is also found in the Writings series; researchers should consult both series.

The files are arranged alphabetically by name of architect. Subject files are arranged alphabetically by subject at the end of the series.

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Series 5: Taped Interviews, 1964-1977 (box 24; 1.0 linear ft.)

This series includes taped, untranscribed interviews with architects, people associated with architectural projects, and artists. All interviews were conducted by Esther McCoy unless otherwise noted. Also included is a fourteen-page transcript of an interview of McCoy conducted by Makoto Watanabe and McCoy's notes taken during interviews with architects and planners from Gruen Associates, California, in 1969.

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Series 6: Architectural Projects (boxes 25-27; 2.5 linear ft.)

This series contains McCoy's files on miscellaneous architecture-related projects such as preservation projects, juries, tours, grant projects, and research.

• 6.1: Historical American Buildings Surveys (HABS)
• 6.2: Preservation Projects, 1973-1989
• 6.3: Juries, 1976-1981
• 6.4: Tours, 1973-1989
• 6.5: Films, 1950-1989
• 6.6: Grants, circa 1950-1984
• 6.7: Cataloging and Transcribing Richard Neutra's Papers at the UCLA Archives
• 6.8: UCLA Slide Library

6.1: Historical American Buildings Surveys (HABS)

McCoy participated in HABS as a committee member responsible for documenting significant Southern California architecture. Included in the series are correspondence, meeting minutes, newsletters, and specific project files. Files concerning her role as a committee member are arranged in rough chronological order. Specific project files follow for these buildings and architects:

6.2: Preservation Projects, 1973-1989

This group relates to McCoy's architectural preservation and restoration projects independent of HABS. The files include correspondence, photographs, essays, printed material, and blueprints. They pertain to the following projects

6.3: Juries, 1976-1981

This subseries contains files of relating to McCoy's participation in award juries for architectural design. Files relate to the following competitions:

6.4: Tours, 1973-1989

This small group of files contains papers, printed materials, and itineraries for architectural tours organized and/or led by McCoy.

6.5: Films, 1950-1989

This subseries contains McCoy's files regarding film projects on which she worked. The files include correspondence, photographs, research notes, scripts, videos, and motion picture film. Files pertain to the following films:

6.6: Grants, circa 1950-1984

This group of files contains primarily correspondence regarding McCoy's various grant proposals, applications, and projects with the following foundations and agencies:

6.7: Cataloging and Transcribing Richard Neutra's Papers at the UCLA Archives

For several years, McCoy cataloged and edited Richard Neutra's papers at the UCLA Archives. The project resulted in journal articles as well as a book documenting the correspondence between Neutra and R.M. Schindler. McCoy received a grant from the Graham Foundation to complete the research and writing. Included in these files are correspondence, notes, financial records, and collection descriptions.

6.8: UCLA Slide Library

These files contain miscellaneous documents and meeting minutes in relation to McCoy's membership on the Slide Library Committee of UCLA.

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Series 7: Lectures, 1954-1985 (boxes 27-28; 1.0 linear ft.)

This series contains many of the lectures given by McCoy at museums, galleries, universities, colleges, and preservation societies. Some of the lectures are for classes that McCoy taught at the University of California (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz) between 1965 and 1975. Others are exhibition and gallery lectures for the shows that she curated. Also included are lectures and talks she gave regarding her publications and tours. The lectures are arranged in chronological order.

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Series 8: Notebooks, circa 1950s-early 1980s (boxes 28-30; 2.5 linear ft.)

This series contains approximately three linear feet of notebooks kept by McCoy throughout her professional career. The notebooks consist of travel itineraries, travel notes, notes about architecture and folk art seen during trips, notes on interviews with architects, notes about architects and buildings, notes for articles, and other miscellaneous jottings and writings. The notebooks are difficult to decipher, as most were handwritten in pencil. Moreover, most are not dated or labeled and do not appear to have subject headings.

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Series 9: Photographs and Slides (boxes 31-38, 42-48; 10.1 linear ft.)

Most of the photographs arranged in this series are of architects and their projects and were taken by McCoy and others in support of her numerous articles, books, and exhibitions. Also included are McCoy's personal and travel photographs. In addition, there are approximately 3,500 slides used by McCoy in her numerous lectures and talks.

• 9.1: Personal and Family Photographs
• 9.2: Southern California Architects
• 9.3: Southern California Architecture, General
• 9.4: "The Youngs," Contemporary California Architects
• 9.5: "Case Study Houses"
• 9.6: Other Architects
• 9.7: Ten Italian Architects
• 9.8: Mexican Architecture
• 9.9: Travel Photographs
• 9.10: Miscellaneous Photographs for Arts & Architecture Magazine
• 9.11: Slides

9.1: Personal and Family Photographs

Personal photographs taken by McCoy and others including a family album, photographs of family and friends, her husband Berkeley Tobey, some travel snapshots, negatives, and slides. Also included are photograph albums of McCoy's eightieth birthday celebration and the 1987 Vesta Award ceremony.

9.2: Southern California Architects

Photographs taken by McCoy and others of architectural projects for use in her books, exhibitions, and articles on Southern California modern architecture. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by name of architect and then chronologically by architect's project.

9.3: Southern California Architecture, General

Photographs taken by McCoy and others relating to the general development of architecture in Southern California. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject or topic.

9.4: “The Youngs,” Contemporary California Architects

Photographs taken by McCoy and others of projects by the most contemporary California architects. These photographs were taken to support McCoy's articles about “The Youngs,” as she called these architects, and are arranged according to journal, magazine, or newspaper title.

9.5: “Case Study Houses”

Photographs taken by McCoy and others of the "case study house" project, which was the topic of both an exhibition and book written by McCoy. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by architect and then by date of project.

9.6: Other Architects

Photographs taken by McCoy and others of projects and architects working outside of Southern California. The photographs are arranged by architect's name or magazine or journal title.

9.7: Ten Italian Architects

Photographs taken by McCoy for use in the exhibition and book Ten Italian Architects, 1967. The photographs are arranged by architect's name and include architects not featured in either the book or exhibition.

9.8: Mexican Architecture

Photographs taken by McCoy and others relating to Mexican architects and architecture and arranged by name of architect.

9.9: Travel Photographs

Photographs taken by McCoy and others to accompany her series of travel articles written for the Los Angeles Times. The photographs are arranged by country.

9.10: Miscellaneous Photographs for Arts & Architecture Magazine

Photographs taken by others and submitted to John Entenza, editor of Arts & Architecture.

9.11: Slides

Approximately 3,500 slides of examples of architects' works arranged either by architect's name and project or by geographic area or country.

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Series 10: Printed Materials, circa 1920s-1980s (boxes 39-40, 49; 2.3 linear ft.)

This series contains miscellaneous printed materials, such as articles, clippings, and journals of interest to and collected by McCoy. The printed material includes articles about architecture written by others as well as articles and journals published by leftist political organizations of the 1930s and 1940s, including issues of New Masses. The series also includes miscellaneous printed materials, such as books and literary magazines.

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Series 11: Artwork, undated (box 41; 0.4 linear ft.)

This series contains several minor prints and drawings collected by McCoy and donated as a part of her papers. Most of McCoy's artwork was bequeathed to family and friends.

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