Inventory of the A.A. and A.M. Cantin Collection, 1933-1977

Miranda Hambro

Environmental Design Archives

College of Environmental Design

230 Wurster Hall #1820

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California, 94720-1820

Phone: (510) 642-5124

Fax: (510) 642-2824

Email: designarchives@berkeley.edu

http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/

Inventory of the A.A. and A.M. Cantin Collection, 1933-1977

Collection number: 2006-3

Environmental Design Archives

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Processed by:: Miranda Hambro
Date Completed:: June 2007
Encoded by:: Devan McGirr, April 2010
Funding:: Arrangement and description of this collection was funded by the donor.

Descriptive Summary

Title: A.A. and A.M. Cantin collection

Dates: 1933-1977

Collection number: 2006-3

Creator: Cantin, Alexander A., 1874-1964?

Creator: Cantin, A. Mackenzie, 1909/12?-1972?

Collector: Environmental Design Archives

Collection Size: 1 manuscript box, 2 flat file drawers

Repository: Environmental Design Archives

College of Environmental Design

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Physical location: Environmental Design Archives

University of California, Berekeley

Berkeley, California 94720-1820

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the Curator.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], A.A. and A.M. Cantin Collection, 2006-3, Environmental Design Archives. College of Environmental Design. University of California, Berkeley.

Biographical Note

A.A. (Alexander Aimwell) Cantin was born March 4, 1874 and died ca. 1964. He built a number of building on the campus of the College of Marin, including the Science Building, the first permanent building on campus ( http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/lrc/photos/archive2.html) . He is possibly best know for being the lead architect (while working at the firm of Miller and Pflueger) on the twenty-six-story, Coast Division Building of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company at 140 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA. He is also known for the number of movie theaters he designed in the 1920s and 1930s. He was received his architectural license in 1901, and was a member of the AIA, with over forty-eight years of active practice. Of lifelong interest to him was the design of decorative columns. He was awarded patents for several of his column designs.

A.M. (Alexander Mackenzie) Cantin, A.A.'s son, was born ca. January 21, 1909/1912 and died ca. 1972. He attended UC Berkeley's School of Architecture, and was granted an architectural license in 1945. He entered into practice with his father in 1948, in the firm Cantin, Cantin, and Edward B. Page. Collaborating after WWII, they designed schools, military housing and hospitals, and other primarily commercial structures throughout the California Bay Area.

Scope and Content of Collection

The A.A. and A.M. Cantin collection documents approximately fifty-six projects through textual records, drawings and photographs. The collection is arranged in two series: Office Records and Project Records. The office records include biographical information, notable projects, and letters of recommendation.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of project records. Arranged alphabetically, they consist of correspondence, clippings, photographs, and drawings. Also included in the project records are sketches of column designs by A.A. Cantin. He was interested in column design throughout his career, and some of the sketches are noted as pending patents.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

College of Marin.

Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company

Architects--California.

Architecture--California.

Motion picture theaters.

Genres and Forms of Material

Architectural records.

Architectural drawings.

Architectural photographs.

Project Index

The following is a list of architectural projects from the A.A. and A.M. Cantin collection. For instructions on interpreting the Project Index, see The Guide to the Project Index at http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/pindex/guide.htm .

The Project Index list is arranged alphabetically by Project/Client Name and contains information, where available, about the location, date, project type, architect, collaborators, photographers, and formats for each project in the collection.

Project/Client Name (location, date, project type, architect) Collaborator (role), Photographer [Format - Ms=Manuscripts, Dr=Drawings, Ph=Photographs]

Aaron Theater Corp. (Vacaville Theater) (Vacaville, CA; 1965; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Alhambra Theater (San Francisco, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) Collaborator: Pflueger [Dr]
Alhambra Union High School (Martinez, CA; n.d.; educational; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
American Trust Company (Orinda, CA; 1947; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Berkeley Board of Realtors (Berkeley, CA; 1973; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Campen Theater (Mountain View, CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Cantin, A.M. (Berkeley, CA; 1965; residential; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Cantin, A.M. (summer home) (Lake Tahoe, CA; 1941; residential; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Carmel Theater (Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA; 1936; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Claremont Theater (Oakland, CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Clorox Company (CA; c. 1958; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
College of Marin (Kentfield, CA; c. 1927; educational; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Column Designs, 1910-1919 (CA; 1910-1919; commercial; A.A. Cantin)
Column Designs, 1920-1929 (CA; 1920-1929; commercial; A.A. Cantin)
Column Designs, 1930-1939 (CA; 1930-1939; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Column Designs, 1940-1949 (CA; 1940-1949; commercial; A.A. Cantin)
Column Designs, 1950-1959 (CA; 1950-1959; commercial/religious; A.A. Cantin)
Column Designs, undated (CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Coronet Theater (CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Crest Theater (Sacramento, CA; 1949; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Del Mar Theater (CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Design: unidentified bank (n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified garage (n.d.; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified Masonic hall (n.d.; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified Masonic hall or theater (n.d.; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified residences (1934; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified schools (n.d.; educational; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified theater (n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Design: unidentified theater for West Coast Theaters, Inc. (CA; 1924; commercial; A.A. Cantin) Collaborator: L. A. Smith (engineer) [Dr]
Dimond Theater (Oakland, CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Dos Palos Joint Union High School (CA; 1911; educational; A.A. Cantin) [Ms, Dr]
Douglas Elementary School (San Francisco, CA; n.d.; educational) [Dr]
Elks Building (San Francisco, CA; 1909; recreational; A.A. Cantin) Photographer: Perry [Ph]
Elks Lodge (Alameda, CA; 1961; recreational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Elks Lodge (Pittsburg, CA; 1962; recreational; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Emmick Memorial (San Francisco, CA; 1940; funerary; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Ph]
Flat Iron Building ( San Francisco, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Ford & Lincoln Agency (Alameda, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms, Ph]
Fox Theater (CA; 1961-62; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Glenwood Elementary School (San Rafael, CA; 1962?; educational; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Golden State Theater & Realty Corp. (commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Grand Lake Theater (Oakland, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms, Dr]
Heights Elementary School (Pittsburg, CA; 1954; educational; A.M. Cantin) [Dr]
Huff Residence (Cupertino, CA; n.d.; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Joslin Residence (San Francisco, CA; 1925; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Lagunitas School (CA; 1927; educational; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Longfellow Elementary School (Oakland, CA; 1958; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Dr, Ph]
Madera Theater (Madera, CA; 1941; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Mandarin Theater (San Francisco, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Martinez Hospital Association (Martinez, CA; n.d.; medical; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Masonic hall (Martinez, CA; 1925; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
McAlister residence (Santa Clara, CA; n.d.; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Merced County General Hospital (Merced, CA; 1950; medical; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Mergenthaler Linotype Co. (see Ford & Lincoln Agency) (Alameda, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms, Ph]
Merced Unified School District (Merced, CA; 1952; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Mill Valley Theater (Mill Valley, CA; c. 1947; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Mill Valley Town & Country Club Clubhouse (Mill Valley, CA; n.d.; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Moraga Center (Contra Costa County, CA; c. 1953 ; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Dr]
National Bank (Martinez, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
New Filmore Theater (CA; 1934; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Oakland T & D Theater (Oakland, CA; 1925; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Oakland Technical High School (auditorium and library) (Oakland, CA; 1960; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Oakland Theater (Oakland, CA; 1925; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Ocean View Heights School (San Francisco, CA; 1950; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Oliver P. Hartzell School (San Rafael, CA; 1956?; educational; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Orinda Theater (Orinda, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Ph]
Oroville Theater (CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (misc.) (n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (main office) (San Francisco, CA; 1904; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (West office) (San Francisco, CA; 1906; commercial; A.A. Cantin) Collaborator: J. R. Miller [Dr, Ph]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (San Francisco, CA; 1895-1908; commercial; A.A. Cantin) Collaborator: J. R. Miller [Ms, Ph]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (San Francisco, CA; 1923-26; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ms]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (San Jose, CA; 1905; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. (Seattle, WA; 1896; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Piedmont Theater (CA; c. 1934; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Pittsburg Senior High School (Creative Arts Building) (Pittsburg, CA; 1956; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
Rheem Center (see Moraga Center)
Rheem Insurance Company (Contra Costa County, CA; c. 1957; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Rheem Theater (Contra Costa County, CA; 1957; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Roosevelt Theater (Oakland, CA; 1925; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Sabin, John, "Betsy's Tavern" (Los Altos, CA; n.d.; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Santa Venetia Jr. High School (CA; c. 1959; educational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Senator Theater (CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr, Ph]
Spreckels Residence (San Francisco, CA; 1902; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Stoutenburgh Cemetery Gates (Hyde Park-on-Hudson, NY; 1936; funerary; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Sunset Telephone & Telegraph (Los Angeles, CA; c. 1900; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Tamalpais Center Women's Club (Kentfield, CA; n.d.; recreational; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Theater at Menlo Park (Menlo Park, CA; 1926; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Thomas (n.d.; residential; A.A. Cantin) [Dr]
Unidentified (Nanking Fook Woh Co., Chinatown) (San Francisco, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified city hall (municipal; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified commercial buildings (n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified Masonic hall (n.d.; recreational; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified medical buildings (n.d.; commercial; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified residences (n.d.; residential; A.A. & A.M. Cantin) [Ph]
Unidentified theaters (CA; n.d.; commercial; A.A. Cantin) Collaborator: J. W. Rowell [Dr, Ph]
United California Bank (Livermore, CA; 1968; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Van Scharck Residence (San Francisco (Forest Hills), CA; n.d.; residential; A.A. Cantin) Photographer: Walter A. Scott [Ph]
Wells Fargo Bank (Modesto, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Wells Fargo Bank, American Trust Company (San Francisco, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]
Wells Fargo Bank, American Trust Company (Stockton, CA; n.d.; commercial; A.M. Cantin) [Ms, Dr]
Whisman School (Mountain View, CA; n.d.; educational; A.A. Cantin) [Ph]
Woodacre School (Lagunitas, CA; 1957; educational; A.M. Cantin) [Ms]

Series Description and Container List

I. Office Records 1903-1957

Series Scope and Content Summary

This consists of one file with biographical information and list of notable projects for both A.A. and A.M. Cantin. There is also a file containing letters of reference from various clients.

Box 1, Folder 2

Letters of Recommendation n.d.

Box 1, Folder 3

Office Portrait n.d.

Box 1, Folder 4

Office Publicity Drawings n.d.

Box 1, Folder 5

Patent Applications 1926-1929

Box 1, Folder 6

Reference Photographs, France c. 1909-1912

Box 1, Folder 7

Reference Photographs, Italy c. 1909-1912

Box 1, Folder 8

Miscellaneous Reference Images n.d.

II. Project Records 1909-1973

Series Scope and Content Summary

Box 1 contains project files with photographs and clippings. Drawings are housed in flat files, as are a few oversized photographs. Some drawings and photos are mounted.

A. Project Files

Scope and Content Note

**See Project Index

B. Photographs

Scope and Content Note

**See Project Index

C. Drawings

Scope and Content Note

**See Project Index

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