Little Boxes: The Architecture Of A Classic Midcentury Suburb

LITTLE BOXES: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suburb is a fascinating visual journey through the Westlake District of Daly City, California, one of America's first and most iconic postwar suburbs. Located just south of San Francisco, Westlake has frequently been compared to Levittown, New York, the first major postwar suburb in the United States. Developed by Henry Doelger, once the largest home builder in the nation, Westlake has long been the subject of adoration as well as ridicule. Perhaps Westlake's greatest claim to fame is that it inspired Malvina Reynolds 1962 anti-suburban folk song, Little Boxes. Although the neighborhood's quirky architecture has been featured in books, newspapers, and national magazines, this is the first book exclusively about Westlake. Little Boxes features over 100 new color and historic black-and-white photographs, as well as floor plans, maps, and vintage ads. Based on years of research and new interviews with architects and others who shaped Westlake during the 1950s, Little Boxes documents this important suburb's meticulous development process and celebrates its classic midcentury style. Little Boxes was awarded the American Graphic Design Award by Graphic Design USA Magazine, and was named one of the best books for the holiday season by the San Francisco Chronicle.