Dressy Easter!

Vintage Photo Friday

Ahhh...the old days....when everyone REALLY dressed up for Easter!

All photos courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library Photo Archives.

Beautiful Palm Springs

Palm Springs Art Museum

To cap off our Idyllwild adventure, we drove down the hill to Palm Springs for our last vacation day.  We stopped at the Living Desert nursery to check on the succulents and cactus.  Yes, Larry bought a few.  Then, we headed over to the Palm Springs Art Museum.  I do love that museum.  It's large enough to be interesting, but small enough to see everything in a few hours.

We were very lucky that the Rauschenberg at Gemini Studio exhibit was on view!

After the Museum, we cruised down Palm Canyon...just like many of my Easter week vacations when I was a youth.  We stopped at the P.S. Visitors Center which is the converted Tramway gas station designed by Albert Frey.  Inside, we perused a few of the exhibits and purchased a P.S. Mod-Com tour map.  Every year we want to attend Palm Springs Modernism Week, but we've never been able to make it.  Maybe 2014!

Finally, we drove back across town and checked into the Caliente Tropics for the night.  This is one of those old 1950's motels that has been updated to reflect an old 1950's motel.  It's fine.  Many of the renovations are kinda' cheesy, but it was comfortable and clean.

Since we were in a retro mode, we wanted to experience one of the vintage P.S. restaurants for dinner.  We decided to go to the very 1970's Melvyn's at the 1920's Ingleside Inn for dinner. 

The decor at Melvyn's is very '70's Rococo!

WOW!  Great service, lush atmosphere and excellent food.  Larry had Steak Diane which was prepared tableside.

Steak Diane, prepared tableside

We took a little walk after dinner.  Just up the block from Melvyn's is the Coachella Valley Savings (currently a Chase Bank) building.  It was all lit up in the perfect desert sky.  It's a positively gorgeous building.  

 

Coachella Valley Savings & Loan, 1960. E. Stewart Williams, Architect

Mid-Century Architectural Souvenirs

A block further is the Union Bank building.  There are fantastic ceramic, sculpted murals at the entrance.  The murals depict historical events in Palm Springs history.  We were amazed at the detail.

Larry, photographing mural detail

The next morning we left Palm Springs and returned to Los Angeles.  It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

Good Friends

Back Row, L-R: Bruce, Emma, Ellen and Buzz.  Front Row, L-R: Melissa, Ruth, Larry

Thanks once again to Ruth and Mark for hosting our ISOMATA mini-reunion this past Friday.  It's always great having dinner with excellent friends!  The friends that you've known for years and years are the golden ones!

We had a wonderful dinner and dessert in Ruth's and Mark's home.  Their house is amazing.  It's a beautiful modern, rustic home perched on a hillside with many indoor and outdoor entertaining areas.

 

Bruce and Mark

Many of our group was absent due to colds and flu.  We missed you!!  I think I've known Bruce for the longest time...since I was about 13 or 14 years old.  We were art campers together at ISOMATA.

Larry and I are very interested in mid-20th century modern architecture.  I did a bit of research and found out about two architecturally significant homes in Idyllwild.  On Saturday, Larry, Melissa, Ruth, Mark and I set out to locate these homes.

Futuro House, viewed from the road below

The first journey was to the Futuro House.  WOW!  This place really does look like a spaceship nestled in the pines.  The home was not easy to get to.  There was not a clear path or driveway, so we scrambled up the hillside to view this alien home a bit better.  You can read about the history of other Futuro Houses here.

Futuro House, Idyllwild

Our next mid-century discovery was the Pearlman Mountain Cabin, designed by John Lautner in 1957.  Apparently, Mrs. Pearlman played the piano and Lautner designed the major room in this home to provide excellent acoustics.  The view from the back of the house is entirely of the forest.  In fact, tree trunks support the rear of this home.  Sadly, the plaster has many breaks, the roof leaks and the house supports look in need of shoring up.  I'm sure, at one time, this was a lovely mountain perch.

Pearlman Cabin, designed by John Lautner, 1957

Entrance to Pearlman Cabin

Funny coincidence, when we were at the Palm Springs Art Museum the very next day, we found a book in the gift shop called "Pre-Fab Houses" with a picture of a Futuro House on the cover!

 

Lo and behold, when we went downstairs at the Museum to view a photo collection, there stood two models of Lautner houses, one of which was the Pearlman Cabin in Idyllwild!!

Model, Pearlman Cabin

The model is in waaaaaay better condition than the actual cabin!  More mid-20th century architectural masterpieces in Palm Springs......tomorrow.

Idyllwild

vintage potholder at antique mall

On Friday morning we set off for Mile-High Idyllwild.  On the way, we stopped at one of the many antique malls in Beaumont.  In recent years, I've decided to take photos of items I probably would have purchased in my younger days.  I did buy a darling little deviled egg dish though!

We arrived in Idyllwild around 2pm.  After getting settled at the Idyllwild Inn, we walked around the town. The weather was perfect.  In the 60's during the day....high 40's at night.  There was a bit of snow on the ground in the shaded areas.  I must say, I am attracted to cute, mountain-town-Alpine architecture!

Downtown Idyllwild

Later that evening, we drove up to Ruth's and Mark's home for a reunion of our Idyllwild Arts friends.  More, tomorrow.

Passover 2013

Oh!  We had such a good time up in Idyllwild and then in Palm Springs this past weekend.  Just rolled into L.A.....in time for Passover!  I will relate all of our weekend adventures later this week.  Time to prepare for Seder!

Matzah House with chocolate and fruit candies

Chag Pesach Sameach and Good Yontif!

In Idyllwild

VINTAGE PHOTO FRIDAY

Snowing in Idyllwild, 1965

Today, we're driving up the hill to beautiful Mile-High Idyllwild.  I spent a good deal of my teen summers at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts.  I made many life-long friends there.  We had a mini-reunion a few years back.  We're reuniting once again.  I hope it doesn't snow!

Bowman Auditorium on the Idyllwild Arts Campus - 1960's

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sterling Beauty Supply

Sterling Beauty Supply, 5810 West Adams Blvd., L.A.

I often frequent Sterling Beauty Supply in Los Angeles.  It's just off Fairfax Avenue, hidden near the Santa Monica Freeway underpass.  I always find what I'm looking for and more in this funky shrine to beauty. 

In addition to hair supplies and cosmetics, Sterling houses a wealth of costume jewelry, hats, scarves and WIGS, of course!

Everyone is welcome at Sterling....even Martians (center)

Nothing has changed much architecturally on this stretch of Adams in 50 years.  Just around the corner from the beauty supply shop there is an old metal Quonset hut and a Signal Oil Gas sign. One block east of Sterling is J & J Burger & BBQ....excellent!

Seen Around Town

Wall Art, South Spring Street, L.A.'s Historic Core

On one of our downtown L.A. excursions a few weeks ago, I managed to snap a few interesting shots. 

Lobby, Old Bank Building...now artists' lofts

Another "Tormenta" - Gronk's Studio, Downtown L.A.

Rooftop, Downtown L.A.

Larry is the star of my blog.  But you knew that!

Art Show - Santa Monica

Margaret Garcia's "The Still Life"

On Saturday night, Larry and I attended a wonderful art opening at the bG Gallery in  Santa Monica.  Our friend, artist Stuart Rapeport curated this group show called "The Still Life." The gallery is on Ocean Avenue, across from Palisades Park at Broadway...right in the thick of Santa Monica.  Luckily, there was validated parking in the building.

The still life set-up

Many artists were represented in this group show, including a few friends....Anna Stump, Margaret Garcia, Barry Markowitz, Stuart Rapeport and more.  It seems that everyone painted from a still-life set-up in the center of the gallery.  Each artist chose his or her own objects to place in their work.  

Anna Stump's "The Still Life"

Larry, Nancy, Amy and Joan were at the gallery

Larry, holding Stuart Rapeport's artwork

It was a fascinating show.  If you have a chance, go by the bG Gallery and check out the artwork.

Ellen and Margaret Garcia

Show Duration:  March 16th – March 22nd
Location: bG GALLERY (Bleicher/Golightly Gallery)
1431 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: 310 451 9983
Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 12-6 pm, Thursday-Saturday 12-10 pm
Parking: Parking is available under the gallery building, free with validation from gallery for the reception. Free by appointment during gallery hours.