Julius Shulman

Julius Shulman (1910–2009) was an American photographer whose masterful images defined mid‑century modern architecture and elevated commercial architectural photography to an art form. Born in Brooklyn, he moved with his family to Los Angeles at age ten and—though he audited courses at UCLA and Berkeley—never pursued a formal degree, instead teaching himself through practical experience and a keen observational eye.

In 1936, a chance trip to Richard Neutra’s under‑construction Kun House yielded six photographs that Neutra purchased—and which launched Shulman’s career. Over the next seven decades, he forged close collaborations with architects such as Neutra, Raphael Soriano, R.M. Schindler, John Lautner, and Pierre Koenig, translating their structural innovations into iconic images. His 1954 photograph of the Stahl House (Case Study House #22)—a glass‑walled pavilion perched above the glittering lights of L.A.—remains one of the most celebrated architectural photographs ever made.

Shulman produced over 260,000 photographs, balancing precise composition, dramatic light, and human presence to convey both form and atmosphere. Even after announcing his “retirement” in 1989, he continued exhibiting globally, publishing monographs with Taschen and Nazraeli Press, and collaborating from 2000 onward with German photographer Juergen Nogai to revisit classic sites and document contemporary architecture. In 2005 the Getty Research Institute acquired his comprehensive archive, yet Shulman remained active behind the lens until age 98. He passed away on July 15, 2009, leaving a legacy that forever shaped how we see the built environment.