Hearst Castle, San Simeon

Description:

Hearst Castle at San Simeon is probably the most famous private residence ever built in America. This magnificent book presents it in all its fabled splendor, a unique synthesis of art, architecture, landscape, and legend. Planning of the Enchanted Hill began in 1919, when William Randolph Hearst asked architect Julia Morgan to plan something more substantial than the tents long used for camping trips near the family ranch. San Simeon-perfectly situated halfway between San Francisco, the base of his publishing empire, and Los Angeles, where he was determined to make Marion Davies into the greatest of movie stars-took more than 30 years, and many millions of dollars, to complete. The estate finally encompassed the Castle (La Casa Grande), three guest houses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and the largest grounds of any private dwelling in the United States. Long the favored playground of the powerful and glamorous figures of Hollywood, government, finance, and industry, the estate was given to the State of California after Hearst's death and has since become the state's greatest tourist attraction, second only to Disneyland. Here is the complete story of Hearst Castle, Author Thomas R. Aidala-himself an architect-tells the life stories of Hearst and his influential architect Julia Morgan. He gives the full history of the planning and construction of all the buildings, the landscaping, and the swimming pools-and gives, for the first time, an accurate estimate of the cost of the complex, based on newly available archival material. He discusses Hearst the collector, in the fascinating context of the heroic collectors of the period. Most uniquely, he conveys the experience of visiting San Simeon-not only for today's tourist, but for the privileged few who were there as Hearst's guests. Every aspect of the book is illustrated with Curtis Bruce's extraordinary photographs, combined with rare historical documents. Here are all the buildings, in full views and in fascinating architectural details. Here are the overwhelming interiors and furnishings-ranging from such magnificent rooms as the Assembly Room and Refectory to the intimate bedrooms, duplex suites, pantry, and a surprising Art Deco bathroom. Here are the art objects, including the notable collections of Greek vases, tapestries, silver, sarcophagi, Oriental rugs, garden sculpture, Old Master paintings, carved ceilings, and woodwork. Here are the magnificent garden and terraces, the breathtaking vistas of California coast and mountains, and, surpassing all else, the Venetian-tiled indoor swimming pool and truly spectacular Neptune Pool. About 150 color plates plus more than 75 photographs reproduced in rich duotone (including architect's renderings and floor plans) capture all of Hearst Castle-including not only every highlight of the three tours available to the public, but also the great portion of the buildings and grounds that closed to tourists, and the myriad details that no tourist can possibly notice-much less appreciate-even on repeated visits. Here then is a book as splendid, as fascinating, as warm, and as rich in historical overtones as the Castle itself.

subjects: Hearst Castle (Calif.),  Hearst-San Simeon State Historical Monument (Calif.)