Pierluigi Serraino

The 20th Century's leading photographers have shaped our perception of the era's iconic modernists.

In 1958, the Institute of Personality Assessment and Research (IPAR) at the University of California, Berkeley, embarked on an ambitious endeavor to closely study 40 of the most creative architects living in the U.S. or working in the country at the time.

That Richard Neutra was exceptionally driven to self-affirmation is part and parcel of the mythology he created around himself. The interview and creativity measurements provide an insight into that drive.

Of the 40 architects in the creativity experiment in 1958–59, Johnson was the most challenging to interview.

Saarinen was dyslexic. As a coping mechanism, he sketched his thoughts and ideas during his interview with psychologist William Smelser, who noted Eero’s quest for enduring acknowledgement for his work.