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Male, Austria/US, born 1889-02-07, died 1977-05-02
Associated with the firms network
Davidson, J.R., Architect; Farquhar, Robert D., Architect
Résumé
Architectural Apprentice, Moritz Hirschler, Architect, Berlin, Germany, c. 1908-1909.
Draftsman, Frank Stuart Murray, Architect, London, UK, 1910-1912;
Architectural work, Paris, France, c. 1913.
German military service, 1914-1918.
Principal, J.R. Davidson, Architect, Berlin, Germany, 1919-1923.
Designer, Robert D. Farquhar, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1923-1924.
Assistant to the Art Director, Cedric Gibbons, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, 1924-1925.
Principal, J.R. Davidson, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1926-1932; 1936-1972.
Principal, J.R. Davidson, Architect, Chicago, IL, 1932-1935.
Archival documents on J.R. Davidson housed at the Architecture and Design Collection of the University Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).
High School
The 1940 US Census indicated that both Davidson and his wife Margarethe had high school educations. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00407; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 60-222, accessed 01/13/2025.) According to architectural historian Thomas S. Hines, "Davidson had a traditional German secondary education, but no formal architectural training, learning his trade as a delineator in a firm committed to the British and continental Arts and Crafts movement of Ruskin and Morris. He then served a draftsman apprenticeship in London in an office that specialized in the cabinetry of ship interiors...." (See "Architecture of the Sun: Los Angeles Modernism 1900-1970," [New York: Rizzoli, 2010], p. 517.)
Relocation
Born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, on 02/07/1889, Julius Ralph Davidson grew up in the north of the country.
He apprenticed in architectural offices in Berlin and London, England, and Paris, France, before Davidson opened his own practice in Berlin just after his World War I service in the German military. He last lived in Berlin while in Germany.
The designer and his wife ventured to the US aboard the Hamburg-Amerika Linie's steamship Albert Ballin, sailing from Hamburg, Germany, on 12/22/1924 and arriving in New York, NY, on 01/01/1924. There were a number of German-Jewish merchants and their families on the ship, as well as the Hungarian painter and printmaker, Róbert Lénárd (aka Robert Levy-Leonhard, 1879-1936). As per the ship's manifest, the Davidsons final destination in 1924 was Chicago, IL. He was listed as possessing $300 on him when he entered the US and he (or his wife) had an uncle, Daniel Goldberg, who resided in Chicago. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715; RG Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; RG: 85, accessed 01/13/2025.)
They left the turmoil of Weimar Era Germany and migrated to Los Angeles, CA, in 1924. In 1930, the Davidsons resided at 349 North Windsor Bouelvard in the Larchmont neighborhood of Los Angeles. They owned their residence that had an estimated value of $11,000. The US Census of 1930 listed his profession as "architect interiors." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Page: 18A; Enumeration District: 0171; FHL microfilm: 2339874, accessed 01/13/2025.)
where they lived until 1932, when they temporarily relocated to Chicago, IL. Davidson began the US naturalization process in Los Angeles on 02/25/1924 and completed his application on 07/18/1933, while he resided at the Shoreland Hotel in Chicago. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; ARC Title: Petitions For Naturalization, 1906-1991; NAI Number: M1285; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Rg 21, accessed 01/13/2025.)
He came back to Los Angeles c. 1936. In 1940, Davidson and his family rented a house at 1417 Rochester Street in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. They paid $65 per month for this rental. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: m-t0627-00407; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 60-222, accessed 01/13/2025.)
Julius and Margarethe owned a dwelling at 548 Barrington Avenue (in the Brentwood neighborhood) in 1950. The couple had a lodger living with them at the time, Robert Lewis (born c. 1927 in MI), likely to add monthly income. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 5055; Page: 30; Enumeration District: 66-799, accessed 01/13/2025.)
His last residence was in the 93023 zip code of Ojai, CA.
Parents
His father was David Davidson, his mother Emilie Davidson.
He had a sister, Frieda Davidson.
Spouse
Davidson married the German fashion designer, Margarethe "Greta" Wollstein (born 01/26/1888 in Berlin, Germany-d. 07/03/1978 in Ventura County, CA) on 12/25/1913 in Berlin, Germany. The Landesarchiv in Berlin recorded their marriage as occurring on 12/24/1914. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Landesarchiv Berlin; Berlin, Deutschland; Personenstandsregister Heiratsregister Source Information Ancestry.com. Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 01/13/2025.)
Her father was Max Wollstein, her mother Ernestine Wollstein.
Children
He and Grete had a son Thomas Ralph Davidson (born 07/09/1926 in Los Angeles County, CA-d. 12/24/1981 in Los Angeles County, CA).
Biographical Notes
In 1933, US naturalization paperwork described Davidson as Caucasian with with a fair complexion, brown hair and blue eyes. He stood 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighed 150 pounds. Other documents listed Davidson as standing 5-feet, 8-inches tall. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; ARC Title: Petitions For Naturalization, 1906-1991; NAI Number: M1285; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Rg 21, accessed 01/13/2025.)
SSN: 545-30-4136.
PCAD id: 253
