Canopy on Stair Tower for Mr. W. R. Hearst, San Simeon

Full-scale blueprint titled "Canopy on Stair Tower". Based on correspondence between Morgan and Hearst, and based on design and construction methods at Hearst Castle, historian Victoria Kastner shared the following information with the library: The Canopy was most likely designed for the northwest stair tower of Casa Grande, which was undergoing alterations at the time the drawing was made. The Gothic architectural element, which was never built, would have been made of cast stone. Consistent with other examples at Hearst Castle, it would have featured original statuary. Pictured here is St. Barbara whose attributes include a tower. The drawing and lettering style may be attributed to Thaddeus Joy who worked in Julia Morgan's San Francisco office.