Julius Shulman’s Los Angeles At Los Angeles Central Library At the age of 96, living legend Julius Shulman is one of the few individuals to have witnessed and documented the growth of Los Angeles during the past century. More than mere works of art or images for commercial promotion, Shulman’s captivating photographs now serve as critical visual records of this metropolis’ dramatic evolution. ‘Julius Shulman’s Los Angeles,’ at the Central Library’s Getty Gallery from October 6 through January 20, kicks off the celebration of the Getty Center’s 10th anniversary and includes 150 rarely seen photographs from the Julius Shulman photography archive at the Getty Research Institute (GRI). Acquired by the Getty Research Institute in 2005, the archive, containing over 260,000 color and black-and-white negatives, prints, and transparencies, greatly enhances the architecture-related holdings in the Getty Research Library, which has become home to one of the world’s largest collections devoted to art and architecture. The compelling presentation features seven photographic narratives: the competing urban developments of Bunker Hill and Century City; the exotic architectural expressions of Los Angeles, such as Watts Towers, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre; the growth of Wilshire Boulevard; the industrial engines at the Port of Los Angeles and LAX that powered the city’s rapid growth; the city’s diverse residential fabric from Echo Park to South L.A.; and Shulman’s critical role in capturing and promoting innovative, sleek Case Study Houses, as well as cookie-cutter tract housing developments. The exhibition will also include renderings and photos of current urban developments underway, so that visitors can compare Shulman’s historic photographic perspectives with images of Los Angeles’ future. In addition to the photographs themselves, the presentation will include a host of related events and educational programming.
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