The Music Center is…both highly accessible and highly visible, giving Los Angeles a new visual axis….the center is recognized as a milestone in the city’s cultural aspirations….[making the city] a new center of culture that has passed Chicago and is getting ready to challenge New York. [1] - Time Magazine, 1964 Los Angeles…is a center of … Continue reading The L.A. Music Center Turns 50!
The L.A. Convention Center in Elysian Park? The Importance of Studying ‘Never Built’ Projects
This week's post was written for a guest blog post on American Planning Association-L.A. section's blog, found here. What if the L.A. City Council had followed through with a plan to build a convention center in Elysian Park? What would the park look like today? How would it have affected traffic, especially during baseball season? And what … Continue reading The L.A. Convention Center in Elysian Park? The Importance of Studying ‘Never Built’ Projects
The best photography collection in Los Angeles?
I was doing a little research on L.A.'s cultural history and came across a blog post about Dorothy Chandler's cultural leadership. The highlight? The fantastic photos--all from Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) photo collection. LAPL's Central Library in downtown began collecting photographs prior to World War II, and since then has amassed millions--yes millions--of photographs that emphasize the history … Continue reading The best photography collection in Los Angeles?
The Messy World of Historic Preservation: the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
What constitutes a building worth saving? Curbed LA recently featured an article about the likely conversion of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater into a five-story mixed-use building project.[1] As the article notes, the sixty-one year old building in downtown Los Angeles has faced a number of threats in the last six years, including a near-foreclosure, and official … Continue reading The Messy World of Historic Preservation: the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
L.A.’s Inferiority Complex
For over 50 years, scholars, educators, historians, and enthusiasts of the North American West gather annually to share the latest findings and approaches to understanding the diverse history of the west as "both a frontier and a region." I had the honor of presenting at the Western History Association 2014 conference in Newport Beach last week, and although … Continue reading L.A.’s Inferiority Complex
Castro, Kennedy, and Chandler – How the Cuban Missile Crisis stole L.A.’s Big Moment
The L.A. Music Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season with a number of commemorative events--including a rededication ceremony on October 1st to "celebrate the transformative role of the performing arts center in Los Angeles." [1] So what does this have to do with the Cuban Missile Crisis? Few people, if any, know that President Kennedy … Continue reading Castro, Kennedy, and Chandler – How the Cuban Missile Crisis stole L.A.’s Big Moment
The L.A. Dodgers and Elysian Park
On Wednesday night, I was among the sold-out crowd of 58,000+ Angelenos who watched the Los Angeles Dodgers clinch the NL West title with a 9-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. It was an exciting game that featured a high-scoring sixth inning and a few fancy tricks by Dodgers standout pitcher Clayton Kershaw. As you … Continue reading The L.A. Dodgers and Elysian Park
‘Where Summer Plays’…
Nothing says summer in Los Angeles like the Hollywood Bowl. As the most recent advertising campaign puts it, it is "where summer plays." As the summer--and the 2014 Bowl season--draw to a close, I thought it fitting to feature one of the most entertaining finds from the Music Center archives. This photograph shows Hollywood Bowl savior … Continue reading ‘Where Summer Plays’…
Beyond the Archives
This past week, I had lunch with a friend of a friend who is currently President of the Symphonians, a volunteer docent organization affiliated with the L.A. Music Center. Their primary responsibility is to give free tours of all four Music Center venues--the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Ahmanson Theater, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Walt … Continue reading Beyond the Archives
Remaking Los Angeles 