Madge Robinson & the Hillside Problem

Going to the “Big Game”

Few living Berkeleyans have heard of Margaret (“Madge”) Robinson, yet she was an influential person in her day, having been one of the original founders of the Berkeley Hillside Club. For 15 years or so, she also was Oscar Maurer’s wife.

Madge had strong opinions on all matters esthetic. In June 1899—five years before Charle Keeler would publish The Simple Home and seven years before Bernard Maybeck would come out with Hillside Building—Madge Robinson’s illustrated article, espousing what would become known as the Hillside Club’s principles, appeared in The House Beautiful.

Find out a little more about Madge and read her article offering solutions to the problem of hillside building.