Julia Morgan An intimate biography of the trailblazing architect

Best known as the architect of Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan was born in Oakland, California in 1872, where she was a classmate of Gertrude Stein. Morgan was the first woman to receive an architecture degree from Paris' École des Beaux-Arts. Both prolific and hugely talented, Morgan ran her own office, mentored male and female employees, and was instrumental in the rebuilding of downtown San Francisco after the earthquake of 1906. Author Kastner, a former archivist at Hearst Castle, peppers her detailed narrative with quotes, anecdotes, excerpts from personal correspondence, period newspaper clippings, family photos, sketches, and architectural renderings. Her subject emerges as soft spoken and driven, an independent woman completely dedicated to her profession. Roughly the last half of the book addresses the construction of Hearst Castle, a project that lasted 28 years. Many of Morgan's other structures still stand, as documented in numerous full-color, full-page photographs. This is an intimate portrait of a true trailblazer, and a fitting tribute to the first female recipient of the American Institute of Architects' prestigious Gold Medal.