Fig 1Tischler house front and north sideFig 2 The house while it still had all the furniture made by my Dad and attached to the walls. Very spacious and minimal room. NOTE: Upper 2/3 of alsynite roof has been covered up by Adolph Schindler by the time of this photo.Fig 3Duo place setting designed by Adolph Tischler and manufactured in black vinyl and stainless steel.Fig 4Nth table setting designed by Adolph Tischler and produced in stainless steel.Fig 5ADRA place setting designed by Adolph Tischler and produced in sterling silver and rosewoodFig 6Covered serving platter in hammered aluminum with rosewood handles. Designed and made by Adolph Tischler.Fig 7Hammered brass candle holder designed and made by Adolph TischlerFig 8Sterling silver table setting designed and made by Adolph Tischler
Steve Wallet: Many people find Schindler’s buildings, particularly his later buildings like your house (Fig 1), to be unpleasantly strange. Do you understand that view, or has the house always looked beautiful to you? Has living in the house affected your view of other non-mainstream, unconventional art and architecture?
Diane Garver: I never found the house unpleasantly strange, different but it is what I knew and was used to. I found normal houses strange, dark, flat, exposed to the streets and the public. My friends didn’t know it was raining unless the sky had opened up. When I moved in with people who liked to move furniture around in the house I was utterly conflicted.
Fig 1 The living room with the original gloss black painted walls and aluminum trim between the panels. Fireplace is complete but this is a temporary furniture setup, probably late 1952. NOTE Walls were later painted beige by Adolph Tischler.Fig 2Living level floor plan Arrows with numbers indicate positions where photos were takenFig 3View from the front showing two stories of entry stairs from street to the living levelFig 4View of front from north “Studio” room is one floor above the garage/studio and one floor below the living level. It is entered over a short bridge from the exterior flight of stairs shown in Fig 3 Fig 5View from loft out the exterior door, from the southern bedroom. Open folding doors between the two back bedrooms are visible in lower right corner. The loft ladder hardware, built from wood scraps, is visible at top center and right cornerFig 6View from the dining area towards the kitchen, entry and living roomFig 7 The circles were coral, almost cantaloupe orange, striking against the blue ceiling panels. The panels were totally open then, all blue for many years. The disks were there at the beginning as I recall and since I can remember standing on the table with my sister and pushing them to swing and try and collide they must have been up for at least 7 years. I would guess that pic might be from about 1955. Walls were black and the fireplace seems so shinny and new. Disks were designed and built by Adolph Tischler, to provide shade to the interior. Fig 8 Me standing near the framed house but I can’t for sure say where I am, in the back I am sure because I recognize the neighbor’s house through the framing. Probably circa 1949. (I was a great help) In front of the south wall, at the rear of the house. The angled ceiling opening at the two rear bedrooms, visible in Fig 5, can also be seen here at the top, middle of the photo.Fig 9View from living to dining. Furnace is under a shelf added by Adolph Tischler NOTE The high glass above the blue-green painting lets light and space into the master bedroom. The play of light in this space makes this glass look like a mirror that reflects the front living room windows.
Fig 1 Me, my grandparents and mom.This shows that they weren’t totally insane, there was some child protection around the edge of the yard.It is totally open now. 1951 NOTES .Fiberglass roof is entirely open at this time, plywood to screen top 2/3 of alsynite hasn’t yet been installed by Tischler . Low sill on window at dining room, requested by Mrs. Tischler over Schindler’s objections, is visible to the left. This was later covered up by Tischler to match Schindler’s design. See Talking to Mr. Tischler, part 3Fig 2 Living level floor plan Arrows with numbers indicate positions where photos were takenFig 3 Me, my Mom and sister, Dad’s father and step mother. Time is early 1951, as you can see the fireplace is not there yet, some of the ceiling structure is hanging. NOTE Fiberglass roof is completely exposed.Fig 4 Me and the yard in approx. 1952 looking at the north end of the yard w/ dog house and swing set way in corner. Now there are huge eucalyptus trees here and you would never know a wall and house are even there. I assume that Adolph Tischler was the family photographer and that’s why he isn’t in any of these photographs. That must be his shadow at the bottom of this photo.Fig 5View up to loft from bedroom closest to yard. Through open door is hallway and living room Wood ladder drops down to access loft, it is rotated to a horizontal position when stored. Folding doors between bedrooms are on the left of this photo, shown in the open position. They slide on the horizontal beam to the left of the ladder .Fig 6 The yard again before landscaping. Now this is the back of the yard that has bamboo that hides any view of a wall or another home.
My childhood in the Tischlers’ Schindler house
Many, many thanks to Diane Garver, daughter of Adolph Tischler. Like her father, she generously shared her story of her life in their Schindler house.
Special thanks for Diane’s wonderful photographs of her family in their house. All her photographs are copyright Diane Garver, all rights reserved. They are used here with her kind permission.
This interview was conducted by email, starting 11/10/2012
Diane Garver: I now am working part time in a home office for an 85 year old. My introduction to this man came through his wife who I met at the park pool water aerobics class. I had heard her talking about Westwood and so finally asked her where she had lived. It turns out she and her husband lived 8 houses up Cashmere from our (Schindler) house. I never met them in LA, their children were younger, but it really is a small world.
My passions for the last part of my life are building friendships, living with others and WATER AEROBICS.
The house and you on a personal level
I grew up in a suburban tract house and all my friends lived in tract houses. What was it like to grow up in your house? Were you or your friends aware of it as different? Was that fun or strange or both? Continue reading Growing up Modern, part 1 of 3→
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