THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPH JULIUS SHULMAN CAPTURED THE MYTH AND REALITY OF MIDCENTURY CALIFORNIA ARCHITECTURE.

Byline: Steven Rosen/Correspondent and Diana McKeon Charkalis Staff Writer

Julius Shulman's photograph ``Case Study House #22'' captures a classic midcentury modern home that seems to float on the edge of a hillside. Its floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic vista of Los Angeles at night. But breathtaking as it is, that alone isn't what makes this image so memorable.

Inside the living room of the Pierre Koenig-designed home, two stylish women face each other, chatting, seemingly oblivious to the million-dollar view. More than just capturing a home, this photo, as well as Shulman's body of work, captures a way of life.

``He likes to shoot people in the space so that the architecture becomes a living, breathing thing,'' says Craig Krull, who represents Shulman and has shown his work in his Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica for 15 years. ``That photo, shot the year Kennedy was nominated for president here in L.A., represents the pinnacle of belief in the future - the feeling that so many things were possible.''

``Case Study #22,'' which Shulman refers to as ``Two Girls,'' is just one image from ``Julius Shulman: Modernity and Metropolis,'' an exhibition of 83 photographs and other objects at the Getty Center now through Jan. 22. Included in the exhibit are several photographs of homes and buildings in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.

``We're celebrating his 95th birthday and acquiring the public archive of his work,'' says Christopher J. Alexander, co-curator of the exhibit. ``We're highlighting some of his greatest hits, like 'Case Study #22,' as well as some surprises. It's remarkable to see and to realize he was documenting such an incredible period of change.''

Shulman, who turned 95 earlier this week, recently gave his archives of 260,000 prints, negatives and color transparencies to the Getty Research Institute, prompting this exhibit. His photographs of homes designed by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Charles and Ray Eames, William S. Beckett and others helped make those homes - and architects - famous. Shulman himself lives in Hollywood, in a home designed by architect Raphael Soriano, with whom he worked frequently.

``He always said his job was to sell architecture,'' says Krull. ``In many cases, we're only familiar with the great architects he worked with as seen through his eyes. When we think of Neutra or Eames, it's his interpretation of their vision that we have.''

His take on the work invites viewers to reflect and imagine, says Eric Bricker, a Valley Village filmmaker who is making a documentary about Shulman.

``His work has a lot of sensuality and even sex appeal,'' Bricker says. ``You look at the photos, and you can imagine yourself with friends having a martini and listening to the hi-fi. He interjects a huge breath of humanity into his photos. They're still photos that have movement.''

Although Shulman's photos were originally taken to promote the work of architects, they're now looked on as much more, Krull says. ``He really elevated the commercial photography genre to the fine-art level. People think of architectural photography differently today because of him.''

Shulman, Brooklyn-born and Connecticut-raised until moving to Los Angeles at age 10, began taking architectural photographs in 1936. His first ones were of another classic Hollywood Hills home, Neutra's Kun House. That led to a commission by an impressed Neutra, and his career was launched.

Although Shulman had a good rapport with the architects, he also had a firm point of view, says Krull. For example, when shooting the Neutra house in Palm Springs, Neutra wanted him in one place, but Shulman thought the shot was better from another angle. They did it both ways, and in the end, Shulman won. ``He likes to point that out,'' says Krull with a chuckle. ``Julius did it his way.''

In fact, Shulman is known for getting what he wants in a single shot, says Alexander. ``When we go down in the vault and pull projects, there are 10 negatives and 10 views. It's no myth. He's known for saying if you can't get it in one take, then you shouldn't be a photographer.''

In 1938, Shulman contributed his first photograph to a small design magazine called California Arts & Architecture, published by John Entenza. That started a relationship that led to Shulman being the primary photographer when Entenza started his Case Study project after World War II.

Seeking to promote modernism in new home construction in the fast-growing state, and by extension in a nation that looked to California for new ideas, Entenza commissioned architects to build houses with daring, open designs. Builders donated materials in exchange for the publicity. All told, 28 architects designed 36 homes into the 1960s.

This show contains many of Shulman's photos of those Case Study homes. There's also a kiosk with a recorded interview of Shulman explaining how he took his famous shot of the Koenig-designed home.

However, Shulman has other interests, which are reflected in the exhibit. One section features offices and commercial buildings in Los Angeles and elsewhere. ``As he will always point out, he photographs around the world,'' Krull says. ``He's not just a chronicler of Southern California.''

In fact, Shulman continues to practice his craft, shooting recently in Mexico and Germany. His boundless passion is perhaps the key to his longevity, says Bricker. ``It's never a dull moment with Julius. If you want to know the secret of eternal life, I think it's curiosity and creativity. He loves to keep clicking that shutter.''

Alexander says Shulman's photos in the research center's public archive are now being used by many people, including architects and homeowners who are working on or living in homes Shulman shot years ago. It's just one small piece of the treasure that Shulman continues to offer, he says.

``His ultimate legacy is being one of a kind, a real innovator, and leaving us a wonderful collection of images to appreciate and learn from.''

JULIUS SHULMAN: MODERNITY AND METROPOLIS

Where: The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles.

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Tickets: Free; parking is $7. [phone]; www.getty.edu.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover) ``Pierre Koening, Case Study House #22, Los Angeles,'' 1960.

(2 -- 3) Left: ``Richard Neutra, Kauffman House, Palm Springs,'' 1947. Above: ``Albert Frey, Frey Residence, Palm Springs (date of residence: 1947-1953),'' 1953.

(4) ``Richard Neutra, Chuey House, Los Angeles (date of residence: 1956),'' 1958.

Copyright J. Paul Getty Trust. Used with permission. Julius Shulman Photography Archive, Research Library at the Getty Research Institute

(5) Julius Shulman shows a print of one of the Neutra shots that helped launch his architectural-photography career. In the other hand, he holds the Kodak Pocket Vest camera he used to take the picture in 1936.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer