George Washington Smith: Lobero Theater (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

adc_176_ff_259_003-k.jpg
adc_176_ff_263_002-k.jpg

Description

The Lobero Theater on Canon Perdido and Anacapa Streets in downtown Santa Barbara, got its start in the 1870s as a vaudeville house. By the early 1920s, it had fallen into disrepair and Smith was asked to design and build a new theater in the Spanish Colonial style he was best known for. With it's white stucco walls and red tile roof, the theater was a pre-cursor to the architectural style that has dominated downtown Santa Barbara since the earthquake of 1925. Smith's associate, Lutah Maria Riggs, was one of the first women to receive her architectural license in the state of California, and she worked for Smith until his death in 1930. She was a skilled renderer, and many of Smiths' works were rendered by Riggs.

Creator

George Washington Smith, architect
Lutah Maria Riggs, renderer

Source

George Washington Smith papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.

Date

1923

Rights

Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.

Citation

George Washington Smith, architect Lutah Maria Riggs, renderer, “George Washington Smith: Lobero Theater (Santa Barbara, Calif.),” UCSB ADC Omeka, accessed December 12, 2024, http://www.adc-exhibits.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/244.