November 5th, 2013, was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a transformational achievement that allowed for the growth of Southern California as we know it today. To mark the occasion, local artist Lauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio walked the length of the aqueduct with the animals that made its…
Category: L.A. is a Big Place
Seen in L.A.: Spooky and Colorful Festiveness
Overly done and “composed” Halloween decorations are just not my thing . . . I can appreciate other folks’ expense and hard work, but my eyes are always drawn to the more “perfectly imperfect.” So while out and about in the days leading up to tonight’s All Hallow’s Eve festivities and the upcoming Day of the…
California Bungalows in the Mail: When Pacific Ready-Cut Homes Ruled the L.A. Burbs
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…
Rolling L.A.’s Helms Bakeries Trucks Out of the Past
“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…
PICTURE THIS: It’s Football Season and Surf Meets Turf on Santa Monica Beach
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…