Step through the doors of the USC Fisher Museum of Art, and the quiet calm of the gallery hits immediately.
Rows of framed, light-yellow paper glow under soft spotlights in the main room. Up close, faint pencil lines, tiny eraser marks and handwritten notes left behind nearly a century ago remain visible.
These hand-drawn building plans belong to Paul Revere Williams, the legendary designer whose work helped shape modern Los Angeles.
Most know Williams as the go-to designer for Hollywood stars, building homes for legends like Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Cary Grant. But the museum’s four-room layout makes clear that his work extended far beyond celebrity estates.
By bringing decades of private sketches out of storage, the museum highlights a different side of his life: his dedication to designing affordable apartments, public housing projects and community centers for everyday Black families.
The museum displays historical drawings alongside new artworks, films and sculptures created by contemporary Black artists and architects inspired by Williams. Artist Edgar Arceneaux’s “Williams Ghosts,” a collection of three abstract paintings inspired by Williams, serves as one of many pieces emphasizing his lasting legacy.
Breaking down barriers
Williams’ personal journey was as impactful as his drawings. Born in Los Angeles in 1894 and orphaned at a young age, he pursued architecture at a time when Black Americans were routinely turned away from professional careers.
He studied architectural engineering at the University of Southern California and became the first licensed Black architect west of the Mississippi River.
“Why do you want to be an architect — why don’t you study to be a doctor or a lawyer? This was the first question the student advisor asked me when I entered high school,” reads a quote from Williams’ 1963 interview with Ebony magazine, displayed on an oversized pink backdrop. “I think I told him that I had heard of only one Negro architect in America and I was sure this country could use at least one more.”
In a biographical article, the Los Angeles Conservancy wrote that Williams became the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923 and eventually designed more than 3,000 structures.
Because many white clients in the 1920s were uncomfortable sitting next to a Black man, Williams taught himself to draft building plans upside down. This allowed him to sit across the table and sketch in real time while clients watched, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.
“Seeing his original blueprints and sketches in person gives you an intimate look at how he worked,” said Brian Dunagan, a fifth-year architecture student at USC. “It gives you a much deeper appreciation for the skill behind these iconic buildings.”
Saving a historic treasure
The original plans hanging inside the museum were almost lost. For years, many assumed most of Williams’ office files were destroyed in a fire during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest.
In reality, thousands of his original drawings were safely stored in private care by his granddaughter, according to Karen Elyse Hudson.
In mid-2020, the USC School of Architecture partnered with the Getty Research Institute to purchase the archive directly from his family. The joint purchase saved more than 35,000 building plans, 10,000 sketches, and rare historical photos. By keeping the materials together in Los Angeles, both institutions ensured that students, researchers and the public could view his life’s work firsthand.
Later this year, the Getty Center will open an exhibition called “Paul R. Williams: Architecture Across the Color Line.” The Los Angeles County Museum of Art will open a third show, this one called “Architect for Living.” The USC Fisher showcase runs through March 13.
Dignified neighborhoods for real families
During the middle of the 20th century, hundreds of thousands of Black Americans moved to Southern California during the Second Great Migration. As Los Angeles’ population surged, housing grew scarce, and discriminatory real estate practices prevented Black families from living in many parts of the city, according to PBS SoCal.
Williams responded with practical, affordable solutions. He experimented with low-cost construction materials, prefabricated parts and open courtyard layouts that offered families fresh air, privacy and shared outdoor space.
Much of his work is not far from USC. The exhibition spotlights his major public housing developments such as Pueblo del Rio and Nickerson Gardens in South Los Angeles, alongside community centers stretching to Las Vegas and Washington.
To link his midcentury designs with current civic issues, modern artists contributed new pieces to the display, including a recreated vintage sign featuring one of Williams’ personal mottos: “Fortunately, there is no rule that says good taste is governed by income.”
“Williams’ engagement with affordable and public housing is especially relevant today because questions of race, access and equity have fundamentally shaped the contemporary city,” said Valery Augustin, a professor at the USC School of Architecture and a co-curator of the exhibit. “His work suggests that housing for lower-income communities should be approached with the same level of care and architectural ambition as any other project.”
Surrounded by his hand-drawn sketches in the center of the USC Fisher Museum gallery, visitors see that Williams used his pencil to give everyday people dignified places to live.
Isiah Greene, a Los Angeles native who was visiting the exhibition with his wife, said that in light of today’s housing crisis, “honoring Paul Williams’ legacy means inspiring future architects to advocate for the vulnerable.”
Edited by Natalie Cerna and Zayane El Solh