Ever heard of a “kit house?” (NOT talking cats here.) Well, in the first half of the 20th Century, buying a DIY mail-order bungalow was not uncommon, especially in Southern California. The concept actually originated in the Midwest with a highly successful company called Aladdin Homes, of Bay City, Michigan. Aladdin is credited with introducing…
“Daily at your door” . . . that was the Culver City-based Helms Bakeries motto. Long-time Angelenos of a certain age will certainly recall the signature blue-and-creamy yellow Helms Bakeries trucks, their merry double-toot whistle that could be heard a few neighborhood blocks away, and the stylish uniformed delivery drivers. And the anticipation that awaited the…
She’s big, blonde, beautiful, and boldly sculpted in that iconic white-dress-flying-up moment from The Seven Year Itch (1955). She’s “Forever Marilyn,” the dramatic creation of 80-year-old American artist Seward Johnson (Johnson and Johnson Company heir). This Marilyn is 26 feet tall and poses at the corner of “Main and Main” (Palm Canyon & Tahquitz Canyon…
Check out this fun retro image . . . featuring a bevy of 1930’s bathing beauties kicking off a huge football on the sands of Santa Monica beach! To me, this photo perfectly captures how our Southern California seasons (and, yes, we do have them, folks . . . subtle as they may seem) crazily overlap. This time…
So it’s one of those “dog days,” and it’s crazy hot here in L.A. The whole country has been roasting this summer, and now we here are heading into our 4th (or is it 5th?) week of unrelenting 90+ degree heat. Seems like all I can think about is water, beaches, and cool air-conditioned spaces….
