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Male, US, born 1876-01-07, died 1969-04-23
Associated with the firms network
Brown and Lansburgh, Associated Architects; Krafft, Julius, Architect; Lansburgh and Joseph, Architects; Lansburgh, G. Albert, Architect
Résumé
Lansburgh spent vacations from the University of California working as a draftsman for the UC instructor and Berkeley, CA architect, Bernard R. Maybeck (1862-1957). Maybeck, an early American graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, (particularly on the West Coast) undoubtedly assisted him in attending the prestigious Parisian institution.
Draftsman, Julius E. Krafft, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1895.
Partner, Lansburgh and [Bernard Julius] Joseph, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1906-1909.
Principal, G. Albert Lansburgh, Architect, San Francisco, CA. From at least 1910 until 1922, his office was located at 709 Mission Street. The office moved to 140 Montgomery Street by 1923 and the firm continued to operate here in 1934. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1934. p. 634.) In 1927, the office was located on the fourth floor. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1927, p. 1282.) No office address was listed in the San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1935, (p. 665 or 1747).
Lansburgh became important for the more than 50 theatres he designed during his association with the Orpheum Theatre circuit, led by Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., (1855-1935), Martin Lehman, (1851-1917), and Martin Beck, (1868-1940)
Lansburgh operated a busy practice in San Francisco between 1908-c. 1942, specializing in movie theatres, a lucrative business for many designers of the period in California; at his height of production, Lansburgh operated offices in San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY, and designed more than fifty motion picture theatres. In 1930, Lansburgh's office in Los Angeles was located at 607 South Hill Street, Room #937. (See Los Angeles Directory Company’s Los Angeles City Directory, 1930, p. 2463.)
Professional Activities
Member, Society of Beaux-Arts Architects, New York, NY. Member,Diplôme Society, New York, NY.
Member, American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter, San Francisco, CA.
Gustave Albert Lansburgh was born January 7, 1876 in Panama, the eldest son of Polish-born Simon Lazarus Lansburgh and his wife Rebecca. Tragically, Albert's father died in 1879 while his mother was carrying his younger brother, who was named Simon, after his father. She relocated to San Francisco with her two young sons, taking rooms at 195 Hyde Street. Rebecca died of tuberculosis in 1888 and the Lansburgh brothers were raised by Celia Goldman under the guardianship of Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger of Temple Emanu-El. Graduating from Boys High School in 1894, Albert enrolled at U. C. Berkeley, the year Julia Morgan graduated. Bernard Maybeck had recently been hired to teach descriptive geometry there and Albert worked as a draftsman for Maybeck during his vacations and later for architect Julius E. Krafft for a year. Maybeck was a positive influence on Albert and others, encouraging them to attend the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Albert first went to Paris in 1898 as a tutoring companion to the son of real estate developer Harvey M. Toy. Keen to enrol in the famous architectural school, Albert found a San Francisco sponsor in Moses A. Gunst and passed his entrance exams in 1901.
High School/College
Lansburgh attended grammar schools in San Francisco from 1884 until 1892. He spent one year at the Cogswell College at its original campus in San Francisco (it moved to San Jose, CA, following the 1906 Earthquake).
Lansburgh attended Boys High School, San Francisco, CA, graduating in 1894. (Boys High School was renamed "Lowell High School" in 1894, to honor the American Romantic poet, James Russell Lowell, [1819-1891].)
A.B., University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1894-1896. He graduated in the same class as the noted San Francisco architect Arthur Brown, Jr., (1874-1957).
Dipl., Architecte Diplôme par le Gouvernement, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, 1906. Lansburgh attended the prestigious architectural academy, the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France, from either 1899 or 1900 until 1906; According to architectural historian, David Parry: "Albert first went to Paris in 1898 as a tutoring companion to the son of real estate developer Harvey M. Toy. Keen to enrol [sic] in the famous architectural school, Albert found a San Francisco sponsor in Moses A. Gunst and passed his entrance exams in 1901." (See David Parry, Encyclopedia of San Francisco, "Lansburgh, Gustave Albert," a
College Awards
A design project for a new temple (to replace the one lost in the Great Earthquake and Fire of 04/18-19/1906) for the influential Temple Emanu-El congregation won him a Medaille Salon from the Societé des Artistes Français in 07/1906. Despite his earlier connection with the temple's Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger (1852-1908), Lansburgh's project was never completed, due to the Sutter and Van Ness site's increasingly commercial nature.
Relocation
Born in Panama, Gustave Albert Lansburgh spent his first five years in this Central American country, before moving to San Francisco, CA, in 1881. His father died in 1879, possibly necessitating that the family relocate from Panama. He attended city seconday schools before 1894 and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), between 1894 and 1896. According to San Francisco Voter Registration records from 1898, he lived at 2002 Pine Street in San Francisco. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 115; FHL Roll Number: 977276, accessed 06/14/2017.)
He spent much of the period 1899-1906 in Paris, studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts where he finished the demanding curriculum and returned to San Francisco in 05/1906. On arrival, he opened his own architectural office, doing work for family friends and acquaintances, many of whom were prominent in San Francisco's business and Jewish-American communities.
In 1907, he made his home at 1947 Pine Street in the city. According to voter records of that time, he was a registered Republican in 1907 and 1918. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1900-1968, accessed 06/14/2017.)
From at least 1916 until 1923, Lansburgh resided at 2122 Pacific Avenue in San Francisco. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1923, p. 1018.)
In 1925, he lived and worked near his brother, Simon. Gustave worked at 140 Montgomery Street, while Simon had an office at 220 Montgomery. The former lived at 3052 Pacific Avenue in 1925, while the later dwelled at 3030 Pacific. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1925, p. 1108) Gustave and his family continued to live here in 1934. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1934. p. 634.)
He lived at 649 Creston Road in San Francisco with his wife and daughter according to the US Census of 1940. The Lansburgh's owned the house at the time which had a value of approximately $12,500. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Berkeley, Alameda, California; Roll: T627_190; Page: 62A; Enumeration District: 1-152, accessed 06/14/2017.)
From at least 1943, he and Irene lived at 28 West 4th Street in San Mateo, CA. (See Burlingame-San Mateo, California, City Directory, 1943, p. 108.)
From at least 1951 until 1969, Gustave and Irene managed the Casa Robles Apartment complex at 28 West 4th Avenue in San Mateo, CA. He and Irene lived in Apartment #8. (See San Mateo, California, City Directory, 1951, p. 151.) They continued to live here in 1968. (See San Mateo, California, City Directory, 1968, p. 291.) Gustave Lansburgh died the next year at the age of 93.
Parents
His parents were Simon Lazarus Lansburgh, Sr., (born in Poland-d. 1879 in Panama) and Rebecca Pyke Lansburgh (born c. 1855 in Germany-d. 08/12/1888 in San Francisco, CA).
His maternal grandmother, Rachel Peixotto Pyke, wrote "Pyke's Catechism," (formally titled Scriptural Questions for the Use of Sunday Schools for the Instruction of Israelites), (1843), a twenty-page religious primer "...devoted to teaching young children to control emotions and behavior while adopting an idea of God as a parent." (See Dianne Ashton, Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America, [Detroit, MI : Wayne State University Press, 1997] p. 159.)
Following their mother's death from complications of tuberculosis, Albert and his younger brother, Simon Lazarus Lansburgh, Jr., (born 11/09/1879 in Panama -died 01/13/1954) were raised by others in the Jewish-American community of San Francisco, including Celia Goldman and Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger of the prosperous Temple Emanu-El.
His brother Simon would become a lawyer, working for the Orpheum Theatre circuit among others. In 1918, his office was located at 135 O'Farrell Street, near the Orpheum Theatre #3. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: California; Registration County: San Francisco; Roll: 1544245; Draft Board: 11, accessed 06/14/2017.)
Spouse
He married Irene Muzzy in 06/1908.
Children
He and Irene had two daughter, Carol (born c. 1918 in CA) and Ruth, and two sons, Laurence and Edwin.
Biographical Notes
Various spellings of his first name--"Gustav" or "Gustave"--have been used. His US Passport Application of 07/24/1899, written in his own hand, indicated that he spelled it at age 23 as "Gustav." He was naturalized an American citizen, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC, on 07/24/1899. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 531; Volume #: Roll 531 - 12 Jul 1899-31 Jul 1899, accessed 06/14/2017.) In 1918, his World War I Draft Registration Card, also in his own hand, indicated that he was spelling it in the French manner, "Gustave." To avoid confusion about the spelling, he often went professionally as "G. Albert Lansburgh."
San Francisco Voter Registration records from 1898 indicated that Lansburgh stood 5-feet, 6 and 1/2-inches tall, with a darker white complexion, brown eyes and black hair. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 115; FHL Roll Number: 977276, accessed 06/14/2017.)
Member, Olympic Club, San Francisco, CA, c. 1913; member, Concordia Club, San Francisco, CA, c. 1913; member, Argonaut Club, San Francisco, CA, c. 1913.
SSN: 559-26-9711.
PCAD id: 123
