Schultze & Weaver: Architects of the Resort

Cover Image: Lloyd Morgan, Buildings Designed by Schultze and Weaver, Architects, 1936

Schultze & Weaver Dinner Wednesday, January 29, 2020 7pm Cocktails 8pm Dinner & Lecture The Circle Room The Breakers, Palm Beach

Special Thanks To:

The William H. Pitt Foundation

All images in this program are from the collection of The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, unless otherwise noted.

This evening is dedicated to the stewards of historic places who commit their resources to preserve and maintain our irreplaceable cultural heritage so that it may be shared from generation to generation.

Early development of Palm Beach occurred on the lakeside of the barrier island due to the accessibility to fresh water, food, and transportation. The harsh wilderness and primitive life of the early pioneers gave way to a small community of frame vernacular buildings on Lake Worth that included a church, a school, general store, mail route, scheduled transportation, and hotels. During his first visit in 1892, Henry Flagler recognized the potential for the lush, tropical environment as a tourist destination. His first hotel, The Royal Poinciana, was situated on the lakeside ushered in the winter resort era for the Gilded-Age Society.

When the oceanfront Breakers hotel was built in 1896 by Flagler as a wood-framed structure named the Palm Beach Inn, it was instantly popular with guests who wanted to stay “down by the breakers.” After catching aflame twice, it was determined the third iteration not only needed to be fire resistant, but also present a higher form of luxury for its annual guests. In 1925, William R. Kenan, Jr. of the Florida East Coast Hotel Company commissioned Schultze & Weaver to design a hotel to complement the Mediterranean Revival estates that were popular at the time. Taking inspiration from Italy, Schultze modeled the hotel after the Villa Medici in Rome. Opening in time for the New Year’s Celebration of 1926, the Gilded-Age luxury created by Schultze & Weaver continues to resonate with guests today and its legacy helps defines Palm Beach’s unique sense of place.

The Breakers II, Courtesy of the Preservation Foundation Archives

At 8PM, National Trust for Historic Preservation Chief Preservation Officer Katherine Malone-France will discuss the architectural influence and works of Schultze & Weaver with Grand Hotels of Jazz Age authors Marianne Lamonaca and Jonathan Mogul. Lamonaca and Mogul will examine selections from The Wolfsonian’s Schultze & Weaver Architectural Collection exploring its acquisition and curation.

In coordination with the dinner, The Preservation Foundation will showcase selections of the Schultze & Weaver Architectural Collection from The Wolfsonian at its headquarters from January 27th to April 9th.

The Breakers after 1929, Courtesy of the Preservation Foundation Archives

About the Speakers

Marianne Lamonaca is associate gallery director and chief curator at Bard Graduate Center, New York. She has also served as associate director for curatorial affairs and education at The Wolfsonian-Florida International University, Miami Beach, and as assistant curator of decorative arts at the Brooklyn Museum. She has published on twentieth-century decorative arts and design, with a focus on Italy and the US, and has taught courses in decorative arts, design history, and curatorial practice.

Lamonaca is Board President of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and AAMC Foundation.

Jonathan Mogul is associate director for curatorial and educational affairs at The Wolfsonian–FIU. In that position, he oversees the museum’s exhibition program, publications, fellowship program, and its youth and adult educational programs.

He has curated or co-curated more than a dozen exhibitions. From 2011 to 2017, Mogul served as chair of the Association of Research Institutes in Art History (ARIAH), a consortium of twenty-seven North American museums and research centers dedicated to promoting advanced research in art history and visual culture. He earned a PhD (1996) and MA (1993) in History from the University of Michigan, and holds a BS (1985) in Biology from Grinnell College.

Katherine Malone-France is the Chief Preservation Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In this capacity, she leads the organization’s programmatic work in field services, government relations, state and local policy, research, trainings, grantmaking, and the stewardship and interpretation of the National Trust’s portfolio of 28 historic sites.

Throughout her almost 20 years in the for-profit and non-profit sectors of historic preservation, Katherine has made a concerted effort to work across the field—serving as the executive director of a local preservation organization in North Carolina, as the curator and deputy director at Decatur House, a National Trust Historic Site, and as the Senior Project Manager at a highly-respected preservation contracting firm in the mid-Atlantic. Most recently, Katherine served as the Senior Vice President for Historic Sites at the National Trust, where her tenure included significant increases in visitation across these properties, as well as the creation of a dedicated fund to support historic gardens and landscapes at National Trust Historic Sites and the successful completion of a $21 million campaign to address critical capital projects. She also led the development of as a diverse range of collaborations with contemporary artists to create new works inspired by National Trust Historic Sites and the implementation of a new shared use operating model that blends commerce and storytelling at Cooper Molera Adobe in Monterey, California.

Katherine is a graduate of Wofford College with a B.A. in History and holds a Masters in Historic Preservation from the College of Environment & Design at the University of Georgia. Katherine is a native of Alabama and resides in Washington, DC.

About the Topic

Leonard Schultze

&

S. Fullerton Weaver

Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., 2019

Wolfsonian–FIU storage annex

Threatening Shadow, Alfsono Iannelli, The Threatening Shadow, c. 1938

Tamiami Trail, George Snow Hill, Building the Tamiami Trail, 1938

Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, Courtesy Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles

Ballroom, Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Courtesy Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles

Main lobby, Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel

Nautilus Hotel, Northwest elevation. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Lounge, Nautilus Hotel, Courtesy HistoryMiami

Sevilla-Biltmore Hotel, elevation of main faรงade (addition) Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Sevilla-Biltmore Hotel and the Paseo del Prado

Fountain in patio, Sevilla-Biltmore Hotel, Courtesy Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries

Atlanta Biltmore Hotel

Ballroom, Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, Courtesy Kyushu University Design Library

Park Lane Hotel Courtesy Otto G. Richter Library, University of Miami

Ballroom, Park Lane Hotel, Courtesy Otto G. Richter Library, University of Miami

Miami Biltmore Hotel

Swimming pool and clubhouse, Miami Biltmore Hotel

Dining room, Miami Biltmore Hotel

Roney Plaza Hotel, 23rd Street elevation. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Roney Plaza Hotel

Breakers Hotel. Presentation drawing by Chester Price

Breakers Hotel, plan of approach to hotel. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Breakers Hotel, main floor plan. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

South Lounge, Breakers Hotel

Montauk Manor, South elevation. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Lobby, Montauk Manor, Courtesy Montauk Library

General Oglethorpe Hotel, elevation. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

General Oglethorpe Hotel

Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Presentation drawing by Chester Price Detail of the main lobby, Sherry-Netherland Hotel. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Dining room, Sherry-Netherland Hotel, Courtesy Otto G. Richter Library, University of Miami

Hotel Lexington. Presentation drawing by Schultze & Weaver Hotel Lexington, view from Lexington Avenue Lobby, Hotel Lexington Courtesy, New York Public Library

Hotel Pierre.

Presentation drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Detail of the ballroom ceiling, Hotel Pierre. Design drawing by Schultze & Weaver

Ballroom, Hotel Pierre Courtesy Kyushu University Design Library

WaldorfAstoria Hotel.

Presentation drawing by Lloyd Morgan

Main foyer, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Living room in tower suite, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage and the unique scenic quality of the Town of Palm Beach. Through advocacy initiatives, educational programs, architectural resources, and cultural events, the Foundation’s goal is to encourage the community to learn about and save the historic sites that make Palm Beach special.

Over the past 40 years, the Preservation Foundation has undertaken numerous projects throughout the island that protect the heritage and enhance the beauty of Palm Beach. Millions of dollars have been raised to preserve and restore historic resources like Sea Gull Cottage and Town Hall. Projects such as Pan’s Garden have fostered a deeper appreciation for the island’s botanical heritage. Most recently, the beautification project at Bradley Park transformed a 4.4-acre public park located on the town’s historic main street.

Along with special exhibitions and publications that advance scholarship in the history of Palm Beach, the Preservation Foundation offers educational programs that serve 6,000 students annually. Heritage Education outreach programs teach the concept of learning about the history and culture of the community through the medium of local architecture. Field trips to Pan’s Garden and the Little Red Schoolhouse create immersive experiences that engage the next generation of stewards.

Chartered by Congress in 1949, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that works to preserve the places that represent the American experience by taking direct action and inspiring broad public support.

Together, alongside millions of members and allies from across the United States, the National Trust is working to make it possible for more Americans to see their stories reflected in the places that surround them and spend their lives rooted in the places they love.

This evening’s event was sponsored, in part, through the remarkable generosity of members from the National Trust Council, the National Trust’s premier annual giving society, the members of which are proud to join in tonight’s celebration marking 40 years of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Left to right: Hope Crew, Hinchliffe Stadium. Photo Credit: Duncan Kendall National Mall Tidal Basin. Photo Credit: Sam Kittner Farnsworth. Photo Credit: Mike Crews Lyndhurst.

Photo Credit: Clifford Pickett Villa Lewaro. Photo Credit: David Bohl. Eureka Springs, May Festival. Federal Hall. Photo Credit: Donnelley Marks. Natatorium. Photo Credit: Donna L. Ching Miami Marine Stadium.

The Wolfsonian–FIU is rooted in the greatest century of growth and change humanity has ever known, 1850 to 1950. Through exhibitions, programs, and research, the museum traces the odyssey from agrarian to urban, colonial empires to Cold War superpowers, the first spike of the Transcontinental Railroad to the advent of television.

With a collection comprising more than 200,000 works, The Wolfsonian contains a vast universe of ideas as expressed through paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, household appliances, books, propaganda, and industrial design from around the world, with a focus on material from Europe and the United States. Founder Mitchell “Micky� Wolfson, Jr. (b. 1939, Miami) established the institution in the spirit of his international upbringing, varied collecting taste, and keen interest in the profound storytelling power of objects.