Historic Roots

Origins of the Eichlers and other mid-century modern homes

Echoes of 'Little Boxes'
On its 60th anniversary—the provocative 1960s folk song that tainted the suburban way of life
It Takes Two
Cultured couples of California's mid-century who doubled down as partners in love and lifework
It Starts with a Spark
How psychologists of the 1950s probed the minds and creative core of Eichler Homes' two chief architects
Lords of the Lens
8 great architectural photographers—mid-century California was their domain
If Glass Walls Could Talk
Behind a new book, author steers us back to the 1960s and her life filled with magic, mayhem and Eichlers
Downtown in Style
As times were a-changing, San Francisco's department stores played a starring role in mid-century fashion design
Life on the Line
When Joe Eichler swayed starry-eyed Los Altos owners with a 'promise' of the national spotlight
Diamonds of the West
How modernist architecture of the mid-century impacted the look, openness and siting of California's big-league ballparks
City of Noir
Behind the fog-shrouded mystique—why so many classic mid-century film noirs aimed their cameras toward Baghdad by the Bay
Splash!
America's recreational oasis—the swimming pool comes of age in mid-century California
Type that Talks
From Helvetica to Futura to Neutraface— the expressive aura of modern lettering
Not Long for This World?
Teardown threats loom for these twelve special California modern sites that hang on for dear life
At Home with the Eichlers
Tracing the revealing story behind Joe and Lillian’s 50 years living in 14 different places around the Bay
Blocks of Beauty
When stylish concrete walls of myriad patterns exploded into the mid-century’s popular culture
Showtime in the Ozone
After thousands of its kind have fallen away, the drive-in theater yearns for a renaissance
8 Great Modern Masters
Mid-century architects of Southern California who pioneered an international movement
When God Went Mod
Once despised, modern churches have thrived—designed by many of the same architects who shaped mid-century suburbia
Something in the Air
How the Eichlers of San Jose transformed an impromptu art-filled happening into the ambitious Fairglen Art Festival
Vinyl's Final Fling
Music lovers celebrate as old-school phonograph records continue their surprising comeback
Painting the Town
When mosaic master Alfonso Pardiñas lit up the Bay Area with his colored glass and lively personality