Résumé

Curatorial Assistant, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Modern Art Section, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1962.

Curator, City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Park, Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles, CA, 1970-1978.

Historic Site Curator, City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, 1978- c. 1990. In regard to her work at Hollyhock House, the Los Angeles Times stated: "Her contributions included spearheading the renovation and restoration of this famous 1920's Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. Her biggest achievement was overseeing the complete recreation of the furnishings in the living room and the very elaborate 'T' shaped living room carpet, custom made to spread into adjoining rooms. In 2002, she received the FLWBC's highest honor, the Wright Spirit Award, for her work in preserving Hollyhock House. In 2019, Hollyhock House was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. (See Los Angeles Times.com, "Virginia Ernst Kazor," published 09/19/2021, accessed 09/20/2021.)

Curator, City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, Watts Towers, Watts, Los Angeles, CA, 1991-2010.

Teaching

instructor, UCLA Extension, teaching a course on Frank Lloyd Wright, Westwood, Los Angeles, CA, 1987-1994.

Professional Activities

Member, Architectural Foundation of Los Angeles, Board of Directors.

Member, Taliesin Fellows, Board of Directors.

Founding Member, Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.

Member, Society of Architectural Historians, Southern California Chapter, Board of Directors.

Member, Los Angeles Conservancy, Neighborhood Conservation Committee.

Founding Member, Ridgewood Wilton Neighborhood Association, Ridgewood Wilton, Los Angeles, CA. She was active in her own neighborhood's historic preservation. Her Los Angeles obituary stated: "In her community, she was responsible for the creation of the Wilton Historic District in the late 70's, (stopping the demolition of many early 20th century homes in the District). The Wilton Historic District was created when the City attempted to remove the curve at 2nd street and widen the street to a throughway as wide as the Pasadena freeway. The creation of the Wilton Historic district dried up all the federal funds for the project and saved the neighborhood and five 1910-1920s homes. Ginny founded and was very active in the Ridgewood Wilton Neighborhood Association. She never stopped volunteering and was still on the board at the time of her death" (See Los Angeles Times.com, "Virginia Ernst Kazor," published 09/19/2021, accessed 09/20/2021.)

High School / College

Graduate, Marymount High School, Bal Air, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1958. This was an exclusive, all-girls high school located at 10643 Sunset Boulevard, across from the street from the UCLA Campus.

B.A., Art History, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, c. 1962.

Relocation

Born Virgina M. Ernst in Detroit, MI, she was named for her mother, Wanda Virginia Coskey. In 1940, the Ernsts lived at 19174 Pinehurst Street in Detroit, MI. The family was prosperous, as their residence had an approximate value of $9,000, well above the 1940 median house price in MI of $2,863. (See US Census.gov, "Median Home Values: Unadjusted," accessed 09/20/2021 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: m-t0627-01871; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 84-1053, accessed 09/20/2021.)

Her family relocated to Southern California in either the late-1940s or early-1950s. Her father took a position with his father-in-law's business, P.J. Fobert and Company, an automobile-parts manufacturer, that operated an office in Santa Monica, CA, at 1720 Cloverfield Boulevard, by at least 1952. In 1955-1956, the Ernsts lived at 215 North Saltair Avenue in the Brentwood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. (See Westwood, California, City Directory, 1955, p. 69 and Westwood, California, City Directory, 1956, p. 63.) Voter records indicated that she continued to live at this address in 1962. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 09/27/2021.)

She graduated from Marymount High School, located nearby to her North Saltair Avenue house on Sunset Boulevard, and later USC, where she took courses in art and architectural history.

Virgina Ernst would spend the rest of her life working in both art history and as a curator supervising the preservation of Los Angeles landmarks, most notably the Hollyhock House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1995, she continued to work for another 15 years.

As Virginia Kazor, she lived for over fifty years at 221 South Wilton Place in Los Angeles, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020, accessed 09/20/2021.)

Virgina Kazor passed away from complications from this disease on 09/08/2021.

Parents

She was born to Frederic William Ernst (born 8/24/1916 in Norwalk, OH-d. 11/15/2003 in Oceanside, CA) and Marjorie Fobert (born 06/17/1918 in MI-d. 05/06/1992 in San Diego County, CA). Her parents married on 06/27/1939 in Detroit, MI. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 295; Film Title: 82 Wayne 210470-213799; Film Description: Wayne, accessed 09/20/2021.)

According to the 1940 US Census, Frederic Ernst (born 05/07/1878 in Akron, OH-d. 07/07/1963 in Detroit, MI)was a college graduate who worked as a methods engineer for a Detroit hardware company. (Later in 1940, he worked for the General Motors' Ternstedt Manufacturing Company division. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Michigan, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 343, accessed 09/20/2021.) As per the census, Frederic had resided in Norwalk, OH, in 1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: m-t0627-01871; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 84-1053, accessed 09/20/2021.) His father William Martin Ernst (born 05/07/1878 in Akron, OH-d. 07/07/1963 in Detroit, MI), whose parents were Swiss immigrants, managed an auto carpet factory in Norwalk in 1930. His mother was Mary Wilhelmina "Mayme" Fisher (born 06/04/1884 in Norwalk, OH-d. 01/16/1969 in Fort Lauderdale, FL), whose father was an Ohioan and mother had come from Germany. The Ernst Family was quite prosperous in 1930, living in dwelling at 185 West Main Street valued at $25,000. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Norwalk, Huron, Ohio; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0021; FHL microfilm: 2341557, accessed 09/20/2021.) By 1955, he worked as a partner in the firm of P.J. Fobert and Company, a relatively large auto-parts business owned by his father-in-law, P.J. Fobert. (See Westwood, California, City Directory, 1955, p. 69.) A year later, Frederic was employed by a company that manufactured dolls in Los Angeles. (See Westwood, California, City Directory, 1956, p. 63.)

Marjorie Fobert was the middle of three children of Philip Joseph Fobert (born 04/01/1894-d. 03/30/1967 in CA) and Wanda Virginia Slachcikowski(named shortened to "Coskey," born 09/28/1896 in MI-d. 05/25/1978 in CA). Philip Fobert was a founder of the Detroit Aluminum and Brass Corporation in 06/1925. (See "Incorporation," The Metal Industry, vol 23, no. 6, p. 262.) He worked as a manager in a auto parts factory in 1930, and made a comfortable living. The Fobert House at 17331 Lilac Street in Detroit had an estimated value of $17,000 in 1930, and they could afford a live-in servant, Frieda Doley (born c. 1901 in IN). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Page: 31A; Enumeration District: 0543; FHL microfilm: 2340790, accessed 09/20/2021.) He founded P.J. Fobert and Company, a firm that produced connecting rods and other autombile components.

The 1940 US Census indicated that Marjorie had attended one year of college, before getting married. She worked in the home raising five children.

Virginia's four siblings included: Margaret Ernst Mowrer Norton, Patricia Ernst Lynch, Fred Ernst and William Ernst.

Spouse

She wed twice. Her first marriage was to Eugene L. Kazor (d. 1994) on 11/27/1970 in Riverside County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 09/20/2021.)

In 2003, she married Thomas R. Koester (born 03/1942), a film-maker.