Beginnings Max Maltzman was born in Nickolayev, Russia on May 12, 1899. He was one of six children of Esther Maltzman and Abraham Maltzman, a carpenter. The family immigrated to Montreal, Canada in 1909, but Maltzman settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1910.
After military service in World War I, Max returned to Boston where, by 1921, he was an architecture student. He married Sadye Seltzer (1906-1966) later that year. Sadye was only fifteen years old at the time and was a native of Russia. They had three children: Elliott (born 1923), Muriel (born 1924) and Donald (born 1938). Mr. Maltzman became an American citizen in 1923.
Max and Sadye moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s with endless bounds of determination and ability. They lived for many years on Buckingham Road. Maltzman established an office at 169 North La Brea . He later worked at 704 South Spring Street , Room 605. He demonstrated masterful versatility in the types of buildings he designed, and he was well-versed in a number of styles.