Curate Your Own Adventure

Although it has been just over a month since returning from America, I still have a couple of blog posts to write. The first is all about Santa Monica Pier. I had to spend quite a bit of time researching its heritage status. From what I’ve discovered, the Pier itself and its historic entrance sign are yet to be registered on the National Register or California Heritage Register. They have, however, been acknowledged by the Santa Monica Conservancy and appear on the City of Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory as Santa Monica Historic Landmarks.

On the Pier, however, there is a National Heritage listed building and a historic monument – the hippodrome and the original end of Route 66 roadsign respectively. The Route 66 sign has been added to the World Monuments Fund, a private nonprofit organisation promoting the ongoing conservation of cultural heritage sites. The Hippodrome building, originally housing the Pier’s Carousel, was the first building in Santa Monica to be registered as a National Historic Landmark. It was listed for its eclectic architectural style and cutlural memory.

History of Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier opened to the public on 9 September 1909. Originally, the Pier was built to cater to the sanitation needs of Santa Monica. Within only a few years, however, the purpose of the Pier was set to transform. Firstly, it attracted members of the fishing community who would regularly fish off the Pier. Secondly, it sparked the imagination of those wishing to build an amusement park in the area. In 1916, Charles Looff purchased land south of the Municipal Pier turning it into a place for entertainment and family fun. Looff died in 1918. His family continued to run the Pier which included overseeing the construction of the famous Carousel in 1922. The amuseument park was eventually sold to the Santa Monica Amusement Company who expanded the Pier’s ‘thrill rides’ and added the La Monica Ballroom.

Sidenote – it was also during this time, the 1930s, that ‘Muscle Beach’ was formed, cementing Santa Monica as the birthplace of the physical fitness boom.

Before selling the Looff Amusement Pier to Walter Newcomb in 1943, the Santa Monica Businessmen’s Association installed the famous neon entrance sign. Newcomb owned the pier until the 1970s when it was sold to the City of Santa Monica.

Unfortuantely for the Pier, the allure of theme parks such as Disneyland meant visitation numbers were slowly falling from about the mid-1950s. As with so many other tales of heritage, the original idea was to demolish the Pier in 1973 and create an island resort. This is where the story really begins to warm my heart. When citizens of Santa Monica discovered the fate of their Pier, there was a huge outcry. After a huge amount of publicity and a successful petition, the Council had no option but to cancel all island resort plans. Three councilmen who voted for the island were defeated in their run for re-election, replaced by individuals who wanted the Pier to prosper.

The passion to save the Pier never dwindled. Even after a few destructive storms that wiped out over one-third of the Pier in 1983, the Pier Restoration and Development Task Force oversaw its reconstruction. By the 1990s, it had been fully reconstructed and was open to the public. The Pier that was going to be demolished to make way for an island resort now welcomes over four million visitors annually.

Santa Monica Historic Landmark Listing

The City of Santa Monica was recognised in 1982 by the State Office of Historic Preservation. Part of this means they must keep an inventory of their historic buildings – the Historic Resources Inventory.

The Santa Monica Pier and its sign were two of the first landmarks to be listed in the Historic Resources Inventory. Their next step is to get them listed on the National Register for continuing assurance of preservation and protection.

My Experience of the Pier

I wish I knew all this history before visiting the Pier. Still, we had a really enjoyable time seeing the amusement park and posing with the Route 66 sign. We spent most of the morning just walking up and down the Pier. Around lunchtime, it became unbelievably busy and we decided to leave.

It’s worth mentioning that not only was the Pier bustling with tourists, but also, those who had come to fish and families from Santa Monica who were bringing their kids to the amusement park for the day. Its purpose in the 1920s and 1930s has perservered. Despite almost being closed numerous times, it was amazing to actually experience the living heritage of the site.

If you are looking for a historic day out then look no further than Santa Monica Pier. Especially if you are wanting to see a more traditional amusement park. You can even still ride the carousel (not the original that was sold, but, still one that is pretty old) for $1. The cheapest day out in Los Angeles!

It is quite easy to get to the Pier. Options include the Expo Line Metro that will take you right to the beach and to the Pier. There are also a series of buses that run from areas around Los Angeles.

I just want to say researching for this blog entry has been intense. I really did not expect to find such a rich history of Santa Monica Pier. The people of Santa Monica are just continually fighting for their heritage. So much so, they were awarded the Preserve America award in 2005 for their commitment to preservation. This blog has encouraged me to research a bit more before visiting places to see what stories I can uncover and keep in mind when walking around.

Information for this post was sourced from:

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-santa-monica-pier-history-pictures-photogallery.html

http://www.smconservancy.org/preservation-resources/santa-monica-preservation-policies/historic-resources-inventory/

Yesterday was our final day exploring Los Angeles. We have had an amazing time enjoying some of the museums and heritage places on offer. This morning, we joined Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tours for an Art Deco tour of Downtown LA. In total, we visited 12 stunning examples of this architectural style. Our guide, Janis Ashley, was so knowledgeable and presented such a fascinating tour. It was less about the niche architectural features and more on the stories of the buildings and their owners.

We started, however, with a quick refresher on what makes a building Art Deco. This style was popular from circa 1925 to the start of World War II. It was named after the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs held in Paris in 1925. There aren’t any hard and fast rules for what makes a building Art Deco. Some constant features include vertical lines that draw the eyes up and ornamental features.

On the tour, we saw many different types of Art Deco. We were also able to enter a few of the buildings and view the interiors. Here are the buildings that featured on the tour!

1. Title Guarantee Building, 1930

The first stop on our tour was the Title Guarantee Building. Once an office building, it has now been adapted into loft apartments. There were a few features highlighted including Gothic elements such as flying buttresses and a huge tower.

2. One Bunker Hill, 1931

If you have ever seen a film from the 1920s or 1930s, it probably had a scene or two set in Bunker Hill. Today, the street is filled with modern high rise buildings. In the past, however, old Victorian terrace houses lined either side of the road. Allison & Allison, added the Edison Company Building, pictured below, in 1931. It stands opposite the Los Angeles Central Library and has been able to retain most of its original features.

This was the first Building we were able to look inside. As you can see, the interior architectural features are absolutely stunning. Everything from the elevators to the large oil painting of ‘power’ in the lobby is original Art Deco.

3. Site of the Richfield Building, 1928-1968

This one breaks my heart a little. Forty years after the most impressive Art Deco structure was built in Los Angeles, it was torn down. The building was primarily black with gold features including gold angels that ran around the top edge. It has been replaced by an extremely tall modern high rise.

4. Los Angeles Central Library, 1926

This is a happier story of a building saved from demolition. Scheduled to be torn down in the 1970s, the Los Angeles Conservancy fought for the survival of the original Los Angeles Central Library building. The reason for its proposed removal was that the building was too small. After negotiations, it was decided that an extension would be built and floors added beneath ground level. The library has a beautiful mosaic pyramid on the top supporting the torch of knowledge.

5. Pacmutal Center, 1936

The Pacmutal Center was originally built to resemble a Greek temple. In an attempt to create retail space at the base of the building, the facade was re-designed in 1936 to appear more Art Deco.

6. James Oviatt Building, 1928

This was my absolute favourite building. Originally, it was a high-end fashion department store built in 1928 and owned by James Oviatt. It was filled with Lalique glass, however, much was sold in order to pay tax due on the building. Today, it is a restaurant called Cicada.

We weren’t allowed to enter the building, however, we could peek through the door. Inside there are two stories filled with old glass display cases and store furniture. Some of this furniture included large cabinets filled with tiny drawers for keeping ties and sock garters. In the middle of the room are three beautiful chandeliers that were actually used in American Horror Story, Hotel. Mixing the old with the new!

7. Fox Jewelry Plaza, 1932

The next three buildings are all located in the jewelry district, now used as stores and apartments. The building below was originally built for William Fox of Fox Studio. The beautiful mauve exterior set it apart from the previously visited buildings.

8 & 9. Los Angeles Jewelry Center and Wholesale Jewelry Mart, 1932 & 1925

These two buildings were right next to each other, built almost a decade apart. Los Angeles Jewelry Center, constructed by Claud Beelman in 1931, is the sea foam green building. The Wholesale Jewelry Mart is a more subtle Art Deco example with small gargoyles surrounding the exterior.

10. Garfield Building, 1929

This was the only example we saw that combined Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. While the fundamental structure was very Art Deco, some of the decorations on the building, such as floral swirls, harked back to the earlier style.

11. Ninth & Broadway, 1930

This was a quaint Art Deco example with an ornate entrance and original features inside.

12. Eastern Columbia Building, 1930

Our final stop was at the Eastern Columbia Building constructed in 1930. Originally, it was a department store with all eleven levels displaying goods for purchase. It is one of the most recognisable Art Deco buildings in Los Angeles! This is mainly because it is such a vibrant green/blue colour and has a functioning clock on the tower. Similar to the first building, the exterior has been saved and the interior adapted to now be just over 140 apartments.

Even if you are not that interested in the Art Deco style, this tour showed a completely different side of Downtown LA. You can find more information about the tour here.

After spending our morning at the famous Santa Monica Pier, we decided to visit the Museum of Tolerance. I had heard about this museum a couple of times during my postgraduate study so I was interested in experiencing it for myself. We hadn’t planned on going because it was a bit out of the way from everything else we wanted to do/see. That was until I discovered there was a bus from Santa Monica that stopped literally at the entrance to the museum. When we first arrived we were directed by a lovely volunteer who gave us a lot of information about the exhibitions. She also recommended a route through the museum that we followed.

Section 1: The Holocaust

The exhibitions on the ground floor are divided into two sections – one that focuses solely on the Holocaust and one that focuses on the concept of tolerance. In both exhibitions there was limited opportunity to chose your own path.

The Holocaust section began with the office of Simon Wiesenthal, Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter, which had been taken apart and moved from Vienna. As well as the office, there were a few original documents and a map that displayed a digital story of the War. Visitors were then directed to take a card, each representing a different child that lived during the Holocaust. At various stages throughout the display, visitors could enter their cards into a machine and read the child’s story.

From here, the exhibition transformed into a timed digital display. There were a variety of dioramas that would light up moving visitors chronologically through the history of the War. This was from, primarily, the Jewish perspective. It started by introducing the three people who were going to be our guides: an historian, a researcher, and a digital display artist.

The information supplied by each section was informative and combined photographs, films, and testimonies. One section that was particularly insightful was a cafe scene. Different tables were highlighted throughout the scene and visitors heard a variety of stories. After each story was finished, a voiceover announced what happened to the individual/s. It allowed the display to tell individual stories in context.

I have never seen Holocaust history explored in this way and while a part of me thought it was slightly outdated, another part of me thought hearing the history from start to finish had great impact. Objects were dotted throughout the display adding some visuals to the spoken words.

At the end of this section I was emotionally exhausted. We started to read the stories of people who saved hundreds during the War. During this time, we met another lovely volunteer. After chatting with him for a few minutes, he revealed he was the son of Leopold Page/Pfefferberg who was saved by Oskar Schindler. He also strongly advocated for Schindler’s story to be told, persuading and encouraging Thomas Keneally to write Schindler’s Ark. It was absolutely incredible to hear parts of his father’s story.

The exhibition concludes with a final card-reading machine. Here visitors receive a print out that tells the story of the child on their card and whether or not they survived. We were reminded that 9 out of 10 didn’t.

Section 2: Tolerance

The second section was more abstract and tackled issues such as prejudice and hate. We were a bit overwhelmed with how much text there was in this section.

The main part of the display consisted of different coloured boards displaying a timeline. We stopped and read only a few. Right at the end was a board where you could write how you can stop prejudice in your day-to-day life on a card. These cards covered the walls of the exit.

Section 3: Anne Frank

The final section we visited was a special exhibition on the life of Anne Frank. Similar to the Holocaust section, it was a directed tour. We first watched a film about the Frank family and heard from Anne Frank’s cousin, Buddy Elias. Hearing about her life from a family member was a powerful way to start the exhibition. Hearing about her life before reading about it in her own words gave a new perspective. Elias believed, when comparing her letters to him and her diary entries, that when they were in hiding she matured beyond her years.

Visitors then walk down some stairs to see original pages of her diary and hear some entries being read aloud. We skipped quite a few of the digital interactive displays opting to look at the objects instead. One of photographs below shows a section of the ‘rolled-fabric’ wall. These represent the lives lost during the Holocaust.

Overall

This history is really difficult to display. It is, however, incredibly interesting to see exactly how it is displayed by different museums in different cities. The section on the Holocaust portrayed the history utilising methods I had never experienced before. It ultimately meant I had an opportunity to hear one version of the event from start to finish. Nothing could be skipped and museum fatigue took a bit longer to set in.

I would recommend this museum to anyone who is interested in learning more about this period of history in a more digital format.