Thomas S. Hines, the exhibition's curator notes "While the world's greatest architects have necessarily possessed imagination and skill in planning and conceiving buildings and environments, not all have been great artists and drafters. Richard Neutra was all of those. In the days before computer-aided design, he was supremely gifted in putting pen, pencil, and the watercolor brush to paper."

Some of the architectural drawings on display feature such famous Neutra projects as his Berlin houses, designed with Erich Mendelsohn in 1922-1923; his visionary model houses of the 1930s; his iconic Lovell "Health" House and the von Sternberg house; his own residence and studio in Silverlake, the VDL House; and his designs for the Case Study House program in the 1940s.

Among the exhibition's extensive travel sketches are drawings that record Neutra's journeys through Europe, his 1930 trip to Japan, and his visit to a Mayan pyramid with Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, as well as his travels through the United States including such California sites as Mount Palomar, Twenty-Nine Palms, and Death Valley.

An audio tour that includes discussions with a range of experts whose insights into the artistry and importance of Neutra are part of a free audio tour. The audio tour provides the visitor with a different perspective on Neutra as an architect and an artist, and offers a unique point-of-view for experiencing the drawings in the exhibition. Interviews include:

• Ray Kappe – internationally recognized architect, urban planner, and educator
• Kelly Lynch – actress and owner of a Neutra house
• Sarah Lorenzen, architect and resident director of the VDL House
• Leo Marmol – architect whose firm, Marmol Radziner and Associates has been involved in restoring several Neutra houses
• Dion Neutra – architect and business partner of his father, Richard Neutra
• Victoria Steele – former head of the Department of Special Collections where the Neutra archive is housed

The audio tour is available in the gallery via cell phone or by downloading to an MP3 player here in advance of a visit to the exhibition.

Richard Neutra, Architect: Sketches and Drawings is produced by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Public Library in cooperation with the Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library at UCLA. Exhibits at the Central Library are made possible in part through a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. The audio tour is produced by Sandpail Productions.

Karsh made a career photographing the world's most distinguished statesmen, artists, literary figures, musicians, scientists, actors, and actresses. Traveling the globe, he gained access to virtually every great figure of his time. Among his most famous iconic images are the ones he made of Winston Churchill (1941), Albert Einstein (1948), Pablo Picasso (1954), Ernest Hemingway (1957), Jacqueline Kennedy (1957) and Sophia Loren (1981).

This exhibition explores the eminent photographer's celebrated works alongside his lesser-known images. Included are photographs from his early years as he was developing his photographic style as well as works he made on assignment in the 1950s after he became widely known - views of Canada for Maclean's Magazine and images of industry for Ford of Canada and Atlas Steel. Archival material revealing Karsh's personality, his approach to his work, and the friendships he forged with sitters is also included, as well as prints from his large format camera.

This exhibit is sponsored by Helen and Peter Bing and Farmers Insurance Group. Funding made possible by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.