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Photo, Print, Drawing J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA

View 40 images in sequence.
[ Photos from Survey HABS CA-2723-A  ]

More Resources

[ Data Pages from Survey HABS CA-2723-A  ]
[ Photo Captions from Survey HABS CA-2723-A  ]

About this Item

Title

  • J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA

Names

  • Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
  • Getty, J Paul
  • Positive Image Photographic Services, contractor
  • PCR Services Corporation, contractor
  • Maul, David, transmitter
  • Olmos, Tavo, photographer
  • Ostashay, Janet, historian

Created / Published

  • Documentation compiled after 1933

Headings

  • -  ranch houses
  • -  historic house museums
  • -  California -- Los Angeles County -- Malibu

Latitude / Longitude

  • 34.04614,-118.56352

Notes

  • -  Significance: The Getty property, including the Ranch House, was originally part of an early nineteenth century Spanish land grant. In the 1920s, Claude I. Parker, a Los Angeles attorney, purchased a portion of the property from Perfecto Marquez, a descendent of one of the area's original settlers. Parker constructed a house, the core of the extant Ranch House, and several outbuildings. In 1945, Parker sold the property to J. Paul Getty, a successful American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist. Getty made additions and major alterations to the Ranch House, creating the house that stands on the property today. In 1953, he established the Getty Museum and opened the gallery spaces at the eastern end of the house to the public. Getty added a new gallery wing adjacent the courtyard in 1957 to house his expanding collection. The eastern end of the house continued to function as the museum until 1974, when the Villa opened as the primary repository for Getty's art collection. With the Villa acting as the new museum quarters, portions of the Ranch House were altered to accommodate museum administration and conservation laboratories. Major modifications to the interior of the Ranch House and the construction of new buildings in the courtyard were carried out during the mid-1980s. The significance of the Ranch House lies in its association with J. Paul Getty, an important figure of national recognition, and specifically with his establishment of the Getty Museum within the house. The period of significance for the property is from 1954, when the museum first opened to the public, to 1974 when the Getty collection was relocated into the newly completed Villa. J. Paul Getty is significant as a successful American businessman and as an art collector, and philanthropist. It was his interest in providing public access to his art collection that resulted in the creation of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Since Getty's death in 1976, the Museum and its affiliates have developed into one of the leading art institutions in the world, significant not only for the collection of art works, but also for contributions to art history, art education, and conservation research. The Ranch House has undergone many changes in the last twenty years. Most occurred during the 1980s renovations when the conservation laboratories were built in the original gallery spaces. However, the overall character of the building's exterior, as it appeared during the period of significance, remains intact. The property appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, for its association with the establishment of the "original" Getty Museum, and Criterion B for its direct association with J. Paul Getty.
  • -  Survey number: HABS CA-2723-A
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1922 Initial Construction
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1948 Subsequent Work
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1957 Subsequent Work
  • -  Building/structure dates: ca. 1985 Subsequent Work

Medium

  • Photo(s): 40
  • Data Page(s): 27
  • Photo Caption Page(s): 3

Call Number/Physical Location

  • HABS CAL,19-MALI,1A-

Source Collection

  • Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Repository

Control Number

  • ca3096

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image
  • pdf

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  • Call Number: HABS CAL,19-MALI,1A-
  • Access Advisory: ---

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, J Paul Getty, Contractor Positive Image Photographic Services, Contractor Pcr Services Corporation, and Janet Ostashay, Olmos, Tavo, photographer. J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 5 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA. Malibu California Los Angeles County, 1933. translateds by Maul, Davidmitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/ca3096/.

APA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, C., Getty, J. P., Positive Image Photographic Services, C., Pcr Services Corporation, C. & Ostashay, J., Olmos, T., photographer. (1933) J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 5 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA. Malibu California Los Angeles County, 1933. Maul, D., trans Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/ca3096/.

MLA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, et al., photographer by Olmos, Tavo. J. Paul Getty Museum, Ranch House, 5 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, Los Angeles County, CA. trans by Maul, Davidmitter Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/ca3096/>.