Ruth Shellhorn Explained

Ruth Patricia Shellhorn, FASLA (1909–2006) was among the most important Southern California landscape architects of the post-war era. Shellhorn designed more than four hundred projects over the course of six decades. The most influential of these were the landscape designs she created for the new Bullock's department stores and Fashion Square shopping centers.These were modernist landscape designs, evoking a sun-soaked, leisurely lifestyle that came to epitomize the "Southern California look."[1] [2]

With a focus on indoor/outdoor living, she incorporated topography and nature into urban settings to create landscapes in her designs for residences, retail, city and regional parks, universities, and colleges.[3] [4] The Los Angeles Times named her Woman of the Year for 1955.[5]

Her work on the Shoreline Development Study became a precedent for development along the California Coast.[6] [7] [3] She designed Bullock's department store,[8] the Fashion Square shopping centers at Santa Ana, Sherman Oaks, La Habra and Del Amo in Torrance.[9] In 1955, she was hired by Walt Disney to create a comprehensive pedestrian circulation system for Disneyland, establishing central landscaping elements of the park.[6]

Early life and education

Shellhorn was born on September 21, 1909, and grew up in Pasadena. Her father was a dentist and her mother volunteered at numerous civic and city beautifying organization. Her parents encouraged her to pursue a profession that used both her mathematical skills and her artistic mind.[10] Her neighbor, landscape architect Florence Yoch inspired her and recommended that she study landscape architecture.

After high school, Shellhorn attended the School of Landscape Architecture at Oregon Agricultural State College from 1927 to 1930. While she was there, she was the first woman to win the Alpha Zeta Scholarship Cup. She also won an award in a national Beaux-Arts design competition.[10]

In 1930, she transferred to Cornell University, where she took engineering and architecture classes. She was the only woman in her class of six in the Department of Landscape Architecture. She originally did not receive her degree, she was considered 4 units short. However, in 2005, Shellhorn's records were reviewed by Cornell and, she was awarded degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture.[11]

When she returned to Southern California in 1933, she was one of the rare designers to be professionally trained, which distinguished her from most male practitioners.[12]

Works

NameCityUS State/CountryCompletedOther InformationImage
Bullock's[13] PasadenaCalifornia1947Landscape Architect
Disneyland[14] AnaheimCalifornia1955Designed pedestrian circulation
University of California RiversideRiversideCalifornia1956Designed expansion of campus
Western Home Office,Prudential Insurance Company[15] Los AngelesCalifornia1948Landscape Architect
Shellhorn was also a major advocate for Land Studies. She spent two years working with the Shoreline Development Study for the Greater Los Angeles Citizen's Committee. She focused on bringing restrictions on oil drilling in Santa Monica Bay, a precedent for the goals of the later-enacted California Coastal Act, an advocate for the use of public funding for recreation and parkland acquisition. The study also set precedent for Los Angeles's first sewage treatment plant.[10]

[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

References

  1. Book: Comras, Kelly . Women, Modernity, and Landscape Architecture . Routledge . 2015 . 978-0-415-74587-1 . London and New York . 165-184 . Ruth Patricia Shellhorn: Mid-century living in the Southern California landscape.
  2. Book: Comras, Kelly . Shaping the American Landscape . University of Virginia Press . 2009 . 978-0-8139-2789-3 . 317-320 . Shellhorn, Ruth Patricia.
  3. Book: Comras. Kelly. Ruth Shellhorn. April 1, 2016. University of Georgia Press; Library of American Landscape History. Athens, GA. 978-0820349633. Masters of Modern Landscape Design Series.
  4. Book: Kaplan, Wendy. Introduction: Living a Modern Way. The MIT Press. 2012. Cambridge. 33.
  5. Web site: Kelly Comras Lecture on Ruth Shellhorn. www.robinsongardens.org. en. 2018-04-01.
  6. Web site: Ruth Shellhorn. The Cultural Landscape Foundation. 2 April 2018.
  7. Book: Dümpelmann. Sonja. Beardsley. John. Women, Modernity, and Landscape Architecture. April 2, 2015. Routledge. 978-0415745871. 172.
  8. News: Ruth Shellhorn: Midcentury Landscape Design in Southern California. Library of American Landscape History. 2018-04-01. en-US.
  9. News: Ruth Shellhorn, 97; landscape architect for Bullock's, Disneyland. Noland. Claire. 2006-11-12. Los Angeles Times. 2018-04-01. en-US. 0458-3035.
  10. Web site: Ruth Shellhorn The Cultural Landscape Foundation. tclf.org. 2020-04-25.
  11. Web site: Shellhorn, Ruth Patricia – BWAF Dynamic National Archive. dna.bwaf.org. 2020-04-25.
  12. News: Motika. Libby. Shellhorn Pioneered Landscape Ideas. 2 April 2018. Palisades News. May 18, 2016. "she counted on her excellent and elite education (most practitioners had come up through apprenticeships at nurseries)".
  13. Web site: Macy's Los Angeles Conservancy. www.laconservancy.org. en. 2018-04-06.
  14. News: The Book of Ruth - Part 1 - Disney History Institute. 2012-12-04. Disney History Institute. 2018-04-06. en-US.
  15. Web site: PCAD - Prudential Insurance Company of America, Prudential Square Building, Los Angeles, CA. pcad.lib.washington.edu. en. 2018-04-06.
  16. Williams. Edward A.. 1967. Urban Design and the Landscape Architect. Journal of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architects. 31. 1. 2–5. 10.5632/jila1934.31.2. 2185-3053. free.
  17. Rome. R. C.. 2002-01-01. Pioneers of American Landscape Design edited by Charles A. Birnbaum and Robin Karson. 2000. New York: McGraw-Hill. xxiii + 474 pages, 450 illustrations, appendices, $59.95 hardbound. ISBN 0-07-134420-9. Landscape Journal. 21. 1. 225–227. 10.3368/lj.21.1.225. 109135846. 0277-2426.
  18. Bruer. Jennifer. 1998-11-01. Conference preview: IUI '99: 1999 intelligent user interfaces, Redondo Beach California, USA, January 5--8, 1999. Interactions. 5. 6. 55. 10.1145/287821.287830. 37266798. 1072-5520.
  19. Fletcher. Ralph Carr. September 1952. Statistical Methods for Social Workers. Wayne Mcmillen. Social Service Review. 26. 3. 368–370. 10.1086/638949. 0037-7961.
  20. Book: Shellhorn, Ruth, 1909-2006.. Pasadena Heritage oral history project : interview with Ruth Patricia Shellhorn. 2002. Pasadena Heritage Oral History Project. 67148166.
  21. Duval. Joseph S.. Fukumoto. Lauren E.. Fukumoto. Joseph M.. Snyder. Stephen L.. 2004. Geology and Indoor Radon in Schools of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. Open-File Report. 10.3133/ofr20041050. 2331-1258.
  22. Book: Greater Los Angeles Citizens Committee, inc.. Shoreline development study; Playa del Rey to Palos Verdes, a portion of a proposed master recreation plan for the greater Los Angeles region, April, 1944.. 1944. [Greater Los Angeles citizens committee]. 42243699.
  23. Hays. David L.. 2015-05-04. Landscript 3: Topology: Topical Thoughts on the Contemporary Landscape. Journal of Landscape Architecture. 10. 2. 92–94. 10.1080/18626033.2015.1058579. 127428566. 1862-6033.
  24. Dorsett. Lyle W.. September 1968. Los Angeles: Portrait of an Extraordianry City Editors of Sunset Books Sunset Magazine Los Angeles: Structure of a City. 2nd rev. ed. League of Women Voters of Los Angeles. Southern California Quarterly. 50. 3. 352. 10.2307/41170196. 41170196. 0038-3929.

Bibliography

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ruth Shellhorn".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.