Gertrude Comfort Morrow facts for kids

Gertrude Comfort Morrow (born February 13, 1888 – died October 10, 1983) was an American architect. She often worked with her husband, Irving Morrow, on many building projects.

Early Life and Schooling

Gertrude E. Comfort was born in San Francisco, California. She went to Alameda High School in the East Bay area. After high school, she studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree in 1913 and her master's degree a year later.

While she was still a student, Gertrude showed her talent. She helped design a poster for a performance called "The Awakening of Everymaid" in 1913. She also won a contest to create a special design for the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Her design is still used by the sorority today!

Starting Her Architecture Career

After finishing university, Gertrude worked for an architect named Henry Gutterson. In 1916, she received her Architectural License from California. This meant she could officially design buildings on her own.

In 1917, Gertrude opened her own office in San Francisco. She worked under her maiden name, Gertrude Comfort. When her former boss, Henry Gutterson, had to leave for war service, he asked Gertrude to take over his work. She became the main architect for a new neighborhood called St. Francis Wood.

Designing Homes in St. Francis Wood

Gertrude designed about ten homes in the St. Francis Wood area. These houses had a traditional style. This neighborhood was for middle-class families. Another woman architect, Ida McCain, also built some houses there.

Gertrude also worked on other important buildings. She helped design the Women's Athletic Club in Oakland, California. She also worked on the music building at the Monrovian Seminary and College for Women in Pennsylvania.

Working with Irving Morrow

In 1920, Gertrude married architect Irving F. Morrow. After their marriage, she started using her professional name, Gertrude Comfort Morrow. Their daughter was born in 1922. Around this time, Gertrude and Irving started their own architecture firm called Morrow & Morrow.

They worked together on many projects between 1925 and 1940. These projects were in both San Francisco and the East Bay.

Designing the Golden Gate Bridge

One of their most famous projects was the Golden Gate Bridge. Between 1930 and 1937, they helped design many parts of the bridge. This included the stylish Art Deco towers, the walkways, railings, and the lighting. They also chose the bridge's famous International Orange paint color.

Even though Irving Morrow often gets all the credit for these designs, Gertrude's daughter said her mother played a big part. There are also letters from Irving Morrow where he uses words like 'we', 'us', and 'our' when talking about their design ideas for the bridge. This shows they worked on it together.

Other Joint Projects

Another project they worked on was the modern Alameda-Contra Costa County Building. This building was for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island.

In the early 1930s, the Morrows designed a very modern house in San Francisco. This house was for a professor named Olive Cowell. It is known as the first truly modern house in San Francisco. However, most of the houses Morrow & Morrow built were more traditional in style.

Later Life and Legacy

Gertrude closed Morrow & Morrow and stopped working as an architect when Irving died in 1952. After that, she found new hobbies. She became an award-winning ballroom dancer. She also enjoyed painting landscapes using watercolors.

Gertrude Comfort Morrow passed away in Tucson, Arizona, when she was 95 years old. Her important papers, including photos and drawings of her work, are kept at UC Berkeley. They are part of the Irving F. and Gertrude Comfort Morrow Collection.

Buildings Designed by Gertrude Comfort Morrow

• 70 Santa Monica, San Francisco
• 30 San Leandro Way, San Francisco
• 1651 Portola, San Francisco (this building was later torn down)