Getty Research Institute Stewards Harry Gesner Archive, Preserving Southern California Modernist Legacy
The Facts
The Getty Research Institute holds the archive of architect Harry Gesner (1925–2022), whose homes—including the Scantlin House on the Getty Center property—define a distinctly Southern Californian modernism. Gesner, a self-taught architect and surfer, designed roughly 100 structures from the 1950s through the 1990s, often on steep, “unbuildable” terrain. His best-known works include the Wave House (1959), the Boathouses in the Hollywood Hills (1959), and Sandcastle (1974), built with 99 percent reclaimed materials. The Getty Conservation Institute is developing a conservation management plan for the Scantlin House, which was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Trust in 1986 and once housed architect Richard Meier during the Getty Center’s construction.
The Signal
The Getty’s commitment to processing Gesner’s archive—plans, sketches, and photographs—ensures that future generations can study his integration of architecture with the natural environment. Gesner’s work, which rejected mass housing in favor of organic forms and reclaimed materials, resonates with contemporary ecological design movements. For collectors and preservationists, the Getty’s stewardship signals the institutional recognition of Gesner’s contribution to modernist architecture, elevating his legacy beyond the cult status he has long held among architecture enthusiasts.
- Artists: Harry Gesner
- People: Gary Riichirō Fox, Chandler McCoy, Zen Gesner, Jane Maki, Julia Sherman
- Museums: Getty Research Institute, Getty Conservation Institute, J. Paul Getty Trust
- Locations: Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Monica, Hollywood Hills, Oxnard
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