Livestream, exhibit and book celebrate Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan’s 150th birthday
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The 150th birthday of Julia Morgan, California’s first licensed architect whose resume includes Hearst Castle, will be honored by State Parks, Cal Poly and a notable author’s new book, all within a month.
It’s all very timely: Jan. 20 is Morgan’s birthday.
She designed more than 700 projects throughout her career, including the Castle, the Monday Club in San Luis Obispo and other notable buildings throughout this county and the state.
Morgan was the Castle’s sole architect, landscape architect and interior designer.
Livestream
On Thursday at 1 p.m., the staff at Hearst Castle and Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds (another Morgan-designed facility) will offer a free, digital celebration of the famed architect’s birthday.
Pre-registration at bit.ly/3qIcEHr is required for the program that’s estimated to take up to an hour.
According to information released Tuesday by State Parks, teachers and students who wish to participate must register individually.
Cal Poly exhibit
Through Friday, Feb. 11, the Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design is presenting an exhibit of curated artifacts called “Julia Morgan, Architect: Challenging Convention.”
The exhibit includes original drawings, photographs and correspondences from Morgan’s personal and professional papers.
The exhibit is located at Cal Poly’s University Art Gallery in the Dexter Building (No. 34), Room 171, and will remain open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An interactive virtual tour mirrors the exhibition online and will be open to the public through April 30. It’s at bit.ly/357z50z.
New biography
The long-awaited new book about Morgan by former Castle historian Victoria Kastner, “Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect,” is set to go on sale March 1.
Global shipping issues delayed the book’s publication date several times, Kastner told The Tribune in early January.
The book draws on new interviews as well as Julia Morgan’s personal correspondence and handwritten diaries. It also features over 150 archival images and new color photographs of many Julia Morgan buildings throughout the book.
For details or to preorder, go to https://amzn.to/3AeFCln. The price on Amazon ranges from $9.99 for the Kindle version to $24.95 for the hardcover book.
