Hello Gary,
I am the grandson of Gustav Dietz and have inherited the trial paintings which supposedly were to be painted onto the walls of the Cliff House in either 1896 or 1897. I have not been able to find out much more info other than from a 95 year old aunt who lived near him during her childhood. If you would send me your mailing address, I will forward photos of the paintings along with the dimensions. Gustav is listed in "California Artists" by Hughes but the bio is not correct. He was born in Berlin and for a while worked for his father who painted the ceilings and walls of the Catholic churches in Berlin and had a monopoly on that business. He also had many inventions and patents and from 1924 until he died 18 May 1946 in Los Angeles, in the manufacture of aircraft landing lights. The factory was run by his youngest son Raymond and was "Dietz Landing Lights" located at 2310 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles. Any thing which you may come across including any of his art, I would certainly be interested in knowing about. Most of his paintings were done in San Francisco and I understand most all his mural work was lost in the great fire in 1906.

Sincerely,
Raymond A. Dietz
Martinsville, Virginia

From: "raymond dietz"
To:: Gary Stark
Subject: Re: Cliff House Paintings by Gustav F. Dietz
Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 16:12:07

Hello Gary,
Thanks for the address and I will get copies of the photos out to you tomorrow by mail (5/22/07). One of the photos which you sent via e-mail shows a young lady as (cupid?) with a bow and arrow, performing on the ballroom floor. As you look at the photos which I will forward, there is some connection to that same theme. I have no idea where in the Cliff House these murals were supposedly painted other than one of them must have been painted in an archway. Gustav Dietz also did ceiling murals as did his father. However, these four paintings dated 1896 are the only ones I have that were mural size. Hope they will lead to some clue.

Ray Dietz

5-20-07

Gary,
     These are the four paintings which supposedly were commission trials for wall murals at the cliff house.

Ray Dietz (grandson)