Having embedded myself as a photographer of midcentury modern architecture and design in Palm Springs for more than 15 years, I have met a fraternity of highly passionate homeowners. Their stewardship has contributed to the preservation of countless residences, many of which feature a staple of the quintessential midcentury modern home — the carport. Naturally, such a space mandates as its occupant a glorious, fully restored classic car. The two are synonymous. A symbiotic dance of architecture and automotive design. This project began when I was commissioned to photograph a home in the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. To my great surprise and satisfaction, a beautiful silver 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL was parked in the carport. I immediately felt drawn to the way the post-and-beam architecture complemented the car. Or was it the other way around? And so began a photographic series that aims to capture the dynamic midcentury modern tableau of car and home. — Dan Chavkin
A Study in Curves
FEATURED PHOTO, ABOVE: In 1960, the last Edsel Rangers rolled off Ford’s production line. That same year, 29-year-old architect Hugh Kaptur completed this residence in the Indian Canyons neighborhood of Palm Springs. “The home’s carport, with its dramatic curvature and knotty pine wood walls, was the perfect backdrop to the streamlined Edsel,” photographer Dan Chavkin says.
creating Contrast
“This photo was made from a home commission by the owners, Jill and TK Smith,” Chavkin says of the 1961 Yucca Valley residence originally designed by Arthur Edward Gerpheide. Chavkin sourced a bright red, 1964 Corvette Sting Ray “as a great contrast to the desert environment and neutral colors of the home.”
Primary School
“Blue, the predominant color of the cars I’ve photographed, mirrors the desert sky and, thus, creates a wonderful contrast to desert modernist architecture. I thought pairing two strong primary colors would enhance both car and architecture for a compelling photograph.” The yellow of the corrugated fiberglass fencing, an Albert Frey signature, picks up on the color of Encelia flowers that bloom in the desert each spring. The image shows a 1967 Simca 1000 Coupé parked at the 1955 Cree House.
Finding Neutrality
Chavkin happened upon this 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado at Country Club Estates, a condominium complex designed by A. Quincy Jones circa 1965. “Since there are many shades of neutral colors here in the desert, the Oldsmobile seemed to blend in nicely with its architectural environment. The shadows from the beams echoed the horizontal lines of the grill of the car.”
Cobalt Blue
The James Logan Abernathy Residence, designed by William F. Cody, was built in 1962. “Being familiar with the house, I remembered there being a rather extended dramatic carport. When I arrived, I had the great fortune of having my choice of nine cars to photograph. The 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, with its intense cobalt blue color, became the strongest focal point in the photo.”
classic Carports
“The carports at Canyon View Estates are my favorite of all carports,” Chavkin says of the South Palm Springs subdivision conceptualized by Dan Palmer and William Krisel. “They represent the quintessential midcentury repository for vintage automobiles.” In this case, a 1962 home hosts a 1959 Dodge Royal Lancer — only 5,019 four-doors were made during that final production year.
Point of Order
“I’ve also admired the carports of the Royal Hawaiian Estates,” Chavkin says. The Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison design, circa 1960, brought a touch of Polynesia to Palm Springs. With its iconic tail fins and matching colorway, a 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 appears to fit right in. “I thought it was a perfect marriage — from the light pink of the car and the interior walls of the carport to the brown top of the Super 88 and the brown outrigger beams of this truly original, Tiki-infused architecture.”
The Beginning
A 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL finds shade in the carport of a 1959 Alexander home designed by the architectural firm of Palmer & Krisel. “This was the first photograph I made in the series. It was presented to me like a beautifully aspirational tableau.”
The Flat Top
A 1963 Mercury Park Lane finds shelter under the carport at the 1956 Twin Palms residence of Chris Menrad designed by architect William Krisel.
