Frederick Monhoff
Encyclopedia
Frederick Monhoff was an American architect, artist, and illustrator. His architectural style ranged from art deco
to mid-century modern
, while his etchings of the 1920s-30s documented scenes of Native American and Mexican life in the American Southwest.
On June 29, 1926, Monhoff married Hildegarde Flanner
and they settled in Altadena, California. Monhoff illustrated several of Flanner's books of poetry and essays with his drawings and etchings. The couple had one child, John, born March 15, 1941. Hildegarde's sister was Janet Flanner
, a long time Paris correspondent for The New Yorker
, (writing under the pen name Genet). In 1962, Monhoff and his family moved north to Calistoga
, California, in the Napa Valley and he died there in 1975.
, Palm Springs
, Orange County
, and in Northern California in the Napa Valley.
The International Printmakers Society of California awarded Monhoff a bronze medal for Best Print or Best Series of Prints in 1924 and he was listed in Who's Who in California, 1942-1943. The Frederick Monhoff Memorial Prize and The Frederick Monhoff Printing Lab at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California are named in his honor. In early 2000, Monhoff's work was featured in the Sweet Briar College gallery exhibition, "White to Blue: American Art as Reflection of Social Class in the 20th Century." Collections of his papers, architectural plans, and art work are held at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
to mid-century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
, while his etchings of the 1920s-30s documented scenes of Native American and Mexican life in the American Southwest.
Early life and Family
Frederick Monhoff was born in New York City to Emil Monhoff (1865-1922) and Maria Therese Kremer Monhoff (1864-1951). As a boy, Monhoff moved to Los Angeles with his family and then attended the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, he was on the literary staff of The Occident and he received his M.A. from the school.On June 29, 1926, Monhoff married Hildegarde Flanner
Hildegarde Flanner
Hildegarde Flanner was an American poet, essayist, playwright and conservationist.-Early years:June Hildegarde Flanner Monhoff was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Frank Flanner and Mary Ellen Hockett Buchanan. She had two older sisters, noted journalist Janet Flanner and Marie Flanner, a...
and they settled in Altadena, California. Monhoff illustrated several of Flanner's books of poetry and essays with his drawings and etchings. The couple had one child, John, born March 15, 1941. Hildegarde's sister was Janet Flanner
Janet Flanner
Janet Flanner was an American writer and journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of The New Yorker magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975. She wrote under the pen name "Genêt"...
, a long time Paris correspondent for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, (writing under the pen name Genet). In 1962, Monhoff and his family moved north to Calistoga
Calistoga
Calistoga may refer to:* Calistoga, California* Calistoga AVA, an American Viticultural Area that partly overlaps the town of Calistoga* Calistoga Water Company, bottled water brand sourced in Calistoga, California...
, California, in the Napa Valley and he died there in 1975.
Career
Monhoff taught design at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles (1926-1950) and at the Pasadena Art Institute (1959). During the 1940s, he also taught architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He served as a design architect for the Los Angeles County Architectural Divisions and designed numerous public buildings and private residences in Southern California in the Los Angeles area, Malibu, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, and in Northern California in the Napa Valley.
The International Printmakers Society of California awarded Monhoff a bronze medal for Best Print or Best Series of Prints in 1924 and he was listed in Who's Who in California, 1942-1943. The Frederick Monhoff Memorial Prize and The Frederick Monhoff Printing Lab at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California are named in his honor. In early 2000, Monhoff's work was featured in the Sweet Briar College gallery exhibition, "White to Blue: American Art as Reflection of Social Class in the 20th Century." Collections of his papers, architectural plans, and art work are held at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
Buildings
- 3450 Ben Lomond Place Los Feliz Knolls, Los Angeles, California (1927)
- Biltmore Hotel Palm Springs, California (1948; demolished in 2003)
- 110 Anita Drive, Pasadena, California (1948)
- 1975 Micheltorena Street Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California (1950)
- 630 Georgina Ave., Santa Monica, California (1950)
- 420 7th St. Santa Monica, California (1950)
- 3101 Clarmeya Lane Pasadena, California (1951)
Etchings
- Indian and Mexican Traders, Santa Cruz, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
- Marriage Ceremony, Santa Clara, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
- Old Church, Zuni, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
- Penitente Ceremony, Nambe, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
- Procession of St. Mary, Santa Fe, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
- Worshippers at Cathedral, Santa Fe, New Mexico, the de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
Illustrations
- Time's Profile. By Hildegarde Flanner with illustrations by Frederick Monhoff. Published by Macmillan Company (1929)
- In Native Light. By Hildegarde Flanner with illustrations by Frederick Monhoff. Published by James E. Beard (1970)
- Vanishing Land. By Hildegarde Flanner with illustrations by Frederick Monhoff. Published by No Dead Lines (1980)
- Brief Cherishing: A Napa Valley Harvest. By Hildegarde Flanner with illustrations by Frederick Monhoff. Published by John Daniel and Co. (1985)