Austin Val Verde

"Austin Val Verde, situated on seventeen and a half acres, is one of the few great early twentieth-century Southern California estates to have been preserved. It is a pivotal work in the career of the famous American architect Bertram Goodhue (1869-1924). Its celebrated and extensive gardens are the masterpiece of Lockwood de Forest Jr. (1896-1949), one of the most important landscape architects to have worked in Southern California. For three decades, Austin Val Verde housed one of the finest private collections of Greek and Roman sculpture, and for many years a number of celebrities from the worlds of film, stage, music, literature, and art visited or stayed at the estate. Although Austin Val Verde has been included in a number of survey publications on major estates and gardens, this is the first book that focuses on its beautiful mansion and grounds."--BOOK JACKET.

June: Tempered Steel, the second volume of author June Holroyd’s memoirs, continues where the first volume, Roots of Steel, finished. This volume picks up in the 1950s, including recollections of her career and her family life over the years. Holroyd describes her intriguing life in intimate and amusing detail, tracing her path through the present day. Praise for the June: Roots of Steel “A great story, and a wonderful evocation of recent history. I found the story of a pioneering woman architect fascinating. Her story of life in England during WWII is engrossing and made even better by the inclusion of letters, which the author wrote at that time. The author projects a feisty temperament, which, along with her obvious talent, must have been a big help in opening career doors and achieving such a fulfilling life. Her observations of the relationships between England and the US are thought-provoking.” —A reader of June: Roots of Steel