Southern California architect and historian Alan Hess has spent decades researching and documenting the many facets of modernism across his home state. A deep focus on Palm Springs, in particular, comes to life in his new book The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934–1975 (Rizzoli, February 2025), as well as in insights shared in a sold-out Modernism Week panel discussion sponsored by Marvin.
Joined by acclaimed photographer Douglas Friedman, real estate agent and author Chris Menrad, and moderator Paul Makovsky, editor-in-chief of ARCHITECT magazine, the panel unpacked how architectural photography shapes our understanding of modernism—not just in terms of design, but as a lifestyle, cultural touchstone, and preservation challenge.
Capturing a movement: From Shulman to today
From early architectural photographers such as Viroque Baker to the iconic Julius Shulman, Hess emphasized that photography was never neutral: “There was this back and forth between architects and what they were trying to get across, and the photographers and what their medium was all about.”
That dialogue between medium and message, Hess noted, was foundational in elevating architecture from construction to cultural touchpoint. Julius Shulman’s case study house photos, for instance, weren’t just about buildings, he said. “Shulman was big at creating lifestyles, narratives, stories. What is this building about? It’s not just an abstract piece of architecture. It is a way of life.”
Hess also highlighted the underappreciated roles of women and minority photographers. “They were there and they didn’t get attention—they weren’t written about and they weren’t promoted in the way that Julius Shulman was,” he said, referencing Asian-American architect Helen Fong and early female photographers such as Alma Lavenson as examples. “This is an area we need to look into a lot more.”
The editorial eye: Architecture as narrative
Friedman, best known for his work in Architectural Digest and other leading publications, brought a contemporary and deeply visual perspective. Originally a fashion photographer for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Friedman transitioned into architectural photography as a “sneaky way” into the design world,” he laughed.
By mixing fashion and interior photography, he could create a hybrid of portraiture and the environment. Now, “everywhere I go, I see every room as a picture,” he said.
Friedman also highlighted the importance of architectural photography in documenting structures that may be lost or altered, including a home he shared that, unfortunately, had been destroyed in the recent Los Angeles wildfires. He emphasized that in such cases, photographs often serve as the only remaining records of these significant architectural works.
Selling the dream: Preservation through marketing
Menrad offered the pragmatic viewpoint of someone who sells—and saves—modern architecture. A longtime preservationist and member of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, he discussed how his work straddles marketing and mystique. “Every real estate photo I take is trying to answer a question: Why would someone want to live here?” he said. “You’re not just showing the house. You’re selling a lifestyle.”
Menrad’s photographs often feature vintage cars or focus on vignettes such as the interplay of sunlight and shadow through a breeze block wall. “It’s about the feeling of the house, what you’re going to experience with Palm Springs architecture,” he said. “People love breeze blocks. They’re always like, ‘What’s behind there?’”
Reframing the future
Throughout the discussion, the group often returned to a recurring theme: Photography is not passive documentation, but active interpretation. In the case of iconic homes like Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House, photography has been both an artistic celebration and a vital preservation tool.
Such preservation approaches are often still debated, Hess said. He described how the Kaufmann House, restored in the 1990s, was denied National Register designation because it lacked original materials—despite the fact that its new elements had been precisely re-created. “This is a controversy in historic preservation about modern architecture and the challenges that we had,” he said, noting that modern architectural elements were always intended to be replicated at scale.
Friedman pointed to the Kaufmann House as an example of photography as cultural record. Citing photographer Slim Aarons’ famous image Poolside Gossip, he noted that images like these don't just showcase architecture—they embed it in memory and myth. “His compositions, his ideas were so inspiring,” Friedman said. “They work so well.”
Makovsky reminded the audience that the tens of thousands of archived architectural photographs of Southern California Modernism—at institutions like the Getty and the Huntington Library—are more than aesthetic records. “It all adds up to the visual history of California Modernism, which is really important,” he said.
