Going Home

San Gorgonio Pass | Desert Painting with Sand Verbena by my grandmother
 

Palm Springs. Much has remained the same yet much has changed since I was growing up there in the late 60s and 70s. It is well-known for being ground zero for mid-20th century architecture.

My grandparents lived in Banning and Beaumont, CA from 1946 or so to ~2005. I grew up in Beaumont with my grandparents almost all my life. We would travel to Palm Springs just about every weekend, where they had a second home in Cathedral City and later, Palm Desert.

As a child and teen, I rarely took notice of the desert's beauty. When I returned home during college, I was able to see the desert with a refreshed outlook and was enchanted by the subtle warm colors -- the oranges, pinks, yellows, purples.

From February 17 to 27, 2011 Palm Springs Modernism Week will celebrate its rich architectural heritage and the people who created it: William Krisel, Donald Wexler, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, William Cody, and others.

For a taste of various facets of Palm Springs and the desert, I recommend watching the following:

Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs from Design Onscreen.




Bagdad Café (1987) quirky film but perhaps my favorite depicting my homeland. From the sun-faded vintage signage and assortment of interesting characters, this is the desert I also knew and loved -- as much as the architecture.



Palm Springs Weekend (1963) - self-indulgent teens in the 60s; not the most flattering view but you can occasionally glimpse vintage PS in the background.



Part of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure featuring the Cabazon dinosaurs - my favorite childhood landmark of all time! I used to live ten miles from what used to be an awesome roadside attraction.

From my Flickr photostream

The dinos are still there but they have been taken over by creationists. Rrrrahwrrrr!

Some suggestions mentioned to me from my friend, Kimberly, over at Cinebeats:

The Satan Bug (1965) - per Kimberly, "a fun sci-fi/espionage thriller and it has some nice MCM interiors."

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - "has some great scenes that are shot in the famous Elrod House in Palm Springs."

To this day I still consider the area my first "home". The desert's mid-20th century architecture and design undoubtedly imprinted on me. I encountered many incredible people while I was growing up in this area -- I believe it draws like a magnet all sorts of interesting folks. The desert is full of interesting eccentrics, exotics, innovators, scientists and other believers. I don't know of any other place on earth quite like it.

Sacramento Eichler Homes Neighborhood in CA Modern!

Woohoo! Special thanks to Dave Weinstein and the Eichler Network for featuring our neighborhood in the latest issue of CA Modern!

Check it out - there are some great pix and quotes from folks in the neighborhood, including four wonderful households that recently participated in the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour  this last June.

It's been a little over two years since I started this blog -- after we purchased Dr. H's wonderful home. I looked around and found very little about our neighborhood, Eichler Homes in Sacramento, or about mid-century modern architecture in our region. In my attempt to fill this void by researching our recent past, I've learned many interesting and exciting things.

If anyone out there has additional information that they'd like me to share here about the neighborhood or other goodies of note, drop me a line at the email address noted in the upper left hand corner.

Cheers!

How Now Cow Town? Sacramento Moo-dernists

via Sacramento Room Digital Collection

A friend, author, community activist and avid Sacramento historian recently expressed his disdain for the phrase "cow town" when used to describe Sacramento. We occasionally encounter this term in a pejorative context. To the derogatory label "cow town" -- I say bull!

Crystal Dairy Ad from 1956, Sacramento City Directory

I'd like to go on record to say I'm proud of our bovine history. Our Eichler Homes neighborhood in South Land Park Hills used to be part of land owned by the Reichmuth family, which I wrote about here. According to a book by Carlos Alcalá, "The Reichmuths... had a 358-acre dairy, which may explain why a street... is named Holstein." Our nearby neighbors in the Pocket area also had a dairy.

In addition to our rich history, we have had and continue to have a sophisticated lineup of artists, designers, innovators and thinkers in Sacramento.

Moo

Without further a-moo (yes, I'm going to run the puns into the ground), I'd like to mention just a few of the many sophisticated modernists from Sacramento.

Ray (Kaiser) Eames via Library of Congress

Designer RAY EAMES: was born and raised in Sacramento. Her modernist legacy hardly needs any introduction; however, if you want to know more, I've written about her Sacramento roots in a previous post.

Wayne Thiebaud via New York Times

Artist WAYNE THIEBAUD: has proudly called Sacramento his home for nearly 60 years. Per a recent New York Times interview, " 'Aren’t the colors marvelous?' he asked one afternoon recently, as if seeing this watery Netherland-like country outside Sacramento for the first time... 'It is a pretty real place,' mused Mr. Thiebaud... 'There’s a sense of lineage, of families over generations,' he said. 'The Gold Rush and the Pony Express made Sacramento a substantial place in terms of enterprise.'"

Thiebaud's first solo show was at the Crocker Art Museum in 1951, when the museum director was....

 

Don Birrell, via Reference Library

Artist DON BIRRELL: Mr. Birrell was the Crocker Art Museum director from 1950 to 1953. When he was offered a job to work at the Nut Tree in Vacaville, it was such an enticing offer he couldn't refuse. When the Nut Tree's owner said Birrell could work in a place with toys, airplanes and food, he admitted, "I couldn't pass it up." And those who remember the Nut Tree in its glory days will recall what he did there with great fondness.

Per Reference Library, "He brought Eames chairs to the toy shop — for a time, Nut Tree was the sole retailer on the West Coast for Eames furniture. He commissioned dish patterns (which are now in the MoMA permanent collection) and brought Dansk flatware into the dining room. Dishes were plated exactly as Don Birrell designed it. In four years, he and the partners had expanded Nut Tree to include a toy shop, gift shop, toy train, airport, its own clothing line and its own design studio. All of this before Alexander Girard's Textiles & Objects shop opened its doors in 1961."

I will add that much of the Nut Tree's whimsical fabulousness predates Disneyland, and definitely predated the "It's a Small World" attraction. And you know who designed several of the legendary Nut Tree's iconic buildings?

Albert Dreyfuss and Leonard Blackford, via Dreyfuss & Blackford's Flickr photostream

Architects DREYFUSS & BLACKFORD: their renown Sacramento architectural firm has a noteworthy portfolio all over Northern California. I've written about them here.

Russ Solomon, via MidTown Monthly

Founder of Tower Records RUSS SOLOMON: Not many people realize that "the largest record store in the nation" started right here, in Sacramento -- four miles up the street from our Eichler Homes neighborhood. Mr. Solomon started the record store in his dad's drug store.

1948 Tower Drug ad: "Remember Tower Drug has Phonograph Records"

A huge proponent of the local art scene for years, Mr. Solomon is still active in the arts community. You can check out his photography exhibit of local artists through March 4th.

Fellow Sacramentans, it's udder-ly ridiculous not to be proud of Sacramento's history of moo-vers and shakers. When someone calls Sacramento a cow town, don't have a cow. Smile and say, "MORE COW BELL!"

The Tiki Gods Approve

Last month during the kids' winter break, we ran away to Maui and stayed at the delightful Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. As you may know after reading my blog for a while, I am all about tikis (we have several in our backyard); I've been looking for the chance to add to our collection.

For a little background about tikis in Hawaiian history, visit Mythic Hawaii and Ancient Huna.

The tiki gods must have been smiling on us; on our last day, we met master third generation tiki carver, Funaki Tupou. We were so glad to meet him and see his incredible work.

He uses wood from the Monkey Pod Tree and his tiki carvings incorporate ancient Hawaiian symbols. The tiki above with the extended tongue is a warrior. He found a nice home with a family from the MidWest.

We were enchanted by the pair below.  Our son liked the warrior; our daughter, who loves turtles, liked the smiling one. She had just swam with a Green sea turtle in the ocean the previous day. The turtle symbolizes long life and good luck.

Can't wait for them to arrive! Just so happens he visits Sacramento periodically and we will likely order more. We really love his work and are pleased to be purchasing his art directly from him.

Time Flies!

Vintage postcard of The Clock Shop, Sacramento

Whew, what a year it's been!

The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour completely took over the first seven months of my year - a real labor of love and totally worth it. The tour donated $3,000 to our neighbors at the Short Center South -- a day program that serves adults with developmental disabilities.

Our small but spirited army of three also founded Sacramento Modern (aka SacMod), a non-profit association whose mission is to promote, preserve and protect modern art, architecture and design in the Sacramento region. We're working on events for the coming year. Stay tuned for announcements and the unveiling of our new website. Many of you have expressed an interest in participating; thank you and bear with us while we make room.

My favorite thing has been rediscovering our region's recent past by researching who designed and built our city. I look forward to learning more in the months ahead.

Here's to a happy, healthy, peaceful and productive 2011!

Chair-y Christmas!

Here's a 1948 advertisement for Eames' iconic LCW, LCM, DCW and DCM - available back in the day in Sacramento at Breuner's.

From the Sacramento Bee, October 27, 1948, Page 9:

"Breuner's Decorator Galleries Presents the Eame's (sic) Chair from the Herman Miller Collection - the most widely publicized and used chair in the entire field of Modern Design. So comfortable as an occasional chair in the living room. So comfortable for the conversation group or cocktail hour. So comfortable as side chairs in the dining room. So comfortable for pull-up chairs at long bridge sessions."

Adjusting for inflation (I used the CPI Inflation Calculator):
Dining chair, metal legs and low chair, metal legs, in 2010 dollars = $385.69
Dining chair, wood legs and low chair, wood legs, in 2010 dollars = $407.93

These chairs were originally available to the public in 1946 and are still available to this day. (A bit more pricey, even adjusting for inflation). For further information on the history of these chairs, more here.

Beautiful Sacramento Eichler for sale!

A lovely three bedroom, two bath Sacramento Eichler home has come up for sale this week. Many of the home's original details -- such as the majority of the Philippine mahogany walls and the original cabinets -- have been kept intact. Hurray! Act quickly, I don't think this one will be around for very long! See the link for more photos and details.

Thanks to JW for the heads up on this one -- I pass these along as a public service to those who are interested and love MCM design and architecture as much as I do.

Remembering those in need this holiday season

I hope you've enjoyed my posts on holiday decorations and gifts -- but the best gift of all is giving to those in need and to causes and organizations that serve our community. Due to the economic downturn, this has been a hard year for many in our region. Sacramento has also seen hard times in the past. This post is a nod to that history -- along with suggestions on how to help our fellow Sacramentans right now.

Many people are familiar with the work of photographer Dorothea Lange -- did you know she took many photos in the Sacramento region during the Great Depression? Here are some examples of photos taken at American River Camp in November of 1936.

Destitute family. American River camp, Sacramento, California.

Five children, aged two to seventeen years

Child of migratory worker. American River camp near Sacramento, California 

 Daughter of migrant Tennessee coal miner.

Living in American River camp near Sacramento, California

 Migrant winter camp on outskirts of Sacramento, California.

Please view this excellent video with additional pictures and stories the people who lived in American River Camp during that time.



Here are some organizations that provide assistance at the local level. This is by no means a comprehensive list but, rather, a starting point. It includes favorites from some of my local friends. Do you have any favorites? Please feel free to share in the comments section.

Sacramento Steps Forward
Loaves & Fishes has many programs that feed the hungry and shelters the homeless. Some of my friends' favorites include Mustard Seed School, Women's Empowerment, and affiliate programs such as Family Promise of Sacramento and SafeGround Sacramento.
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services
River City Food Bank
Sacramento Crisis Nurseries
Sacramento Children's Home
Big Brothers and Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area
Wellspring Women's Center
Tubman House
My Sister's House
St. John's Shelter Program for Women and Children
Meals on Wheels
Sacramento Habitat for Humanity
Wind Youth Services
Breaking Barriers
See also seasonal programs such as the Sacramento Bee's Book of Dreams and USPS' Operation Santa.

Happy Big Seven-Five, Tower Bridge!

via Sacramento Room's Digital Collection

Today, the Tower Bridge in Sacramento celebrated its 75th birthday. The bridge was originally dedicated on December 15, 1935. A great article, including pictures of the original dedication ceremony, can be found at Sacramento Press.

I'm including some pictures of Tower Bridge from my postcard collection. Note the above postcard shows the bridge and State Capitol but no Capitol Mall! That is a long post for another day, with a rich and interesting history all its own.

If you are interested in an in-depth look at the bridge, start with a brief but excellent history of the bridge at the Historical Marker Database. Additional history, construction pictures, and a look at the controls can be found here (you'll have to scroll down a bit). My favorite group of pictures is available via American Memory from the Library of Congress -- lots of black and white photos as well as sketches and plans of the bridge.

Tower Bridge was designed by Alfred W. Eichler, who was a Senior Architectural Designer for the State Department of Public Works. The bridge was the first vertical lift bridge on a California highway and was originally painted silver. According to the Historical Marker Database, "Eichler conceptualized the Tower Bridge in the Streamline Moderne architectural style, a later outgrowth of Art Deco that gained worldwide popularity between World War I and World War II (1919-1938), as the style symbolized progress, modernization, speed, efficiency, and technology."

In addition to the Tower Bridge, Alfred Eichler also designed many other state buildings throughout California. He was also a watercolor artist and photographer. You can see some of his art displayed on his great nephew's website as well as a biography.

Structural engineers Frederick W. Panhorst and George Thompson also collaborated on the Tower Bridge project. Panhorst, according to Caltrans, "served as the Chief of the Bridge Section of the California Division of Highways from 1931 to 1960. He was also a National Director of the American Society of Civil Engineers." A bridge over the Russian Gulch on Route 1 in Mendocino County is dedicated to him. A wonderful collection of Mr. Panhorst's papers can be found online.

My favorite way to drive in to Sacramento is using CA State Route 275, going over the Tower Bridge, and driving down Capitol Mall. I recommend this route to all newcomers and locals who like to mix things up and take in the scenery.

Gifts for the Sacramento Modernist

Looking around for a great gift for your mid-century/modern fan? Here's a list of things that you can get around town. Prefer to shop online? Follow the links below and you won't have to do much more than click your way through.

 via Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects

For the local architecture admirer: a book celebrating Dreyfuss & Blackford's 60 years of "notable works past, present and future." I love this. WANT!

via Archpaper

For the modern art lover: a membership to the Crocker Art Museum. This is a gift that will keep giving throughout the year. Great art, great programming. Yes.

via Lumens Facebook page

For the lighting and design aficionado, anything from Lumens. Check out their mid-century and retro lighting and their clocks and radios.

 

via Ginger Elizabeth's Facebook page

For the gourmand, delicious chocolates and more from Ginger Elizabeth. Beautiful, modern, and delectable chocolates! This gift is sure to win you brownie points.

via Brooks Novelty Antiques and Records

For the those who yearn for a blast from the past, Brooks Novelty Antiques and Records has old jukeboxes, pinball machines, and advertising memorabilia. Oh, and records. Lots of records.

via Fringe21 on Facebook

For the vintage fashionista, go to Fringe. This boutique that sells gifts, vintage jewelry, and clothing is constantly changing and evolving but always chic. Cool home accessories too!

For the mid-century modern bookworm, look no further than Richard L. Press Fine & Scholarly Books on the Arts. See my earlier post for more details.

via Roundtrip on Etsy

 via Chuka on Etsy

via kittygirlvintage on Etsy

For those who love handcrafted and vintage goodies, check out our local Etsy dealers from the SacEtsyTeam.

If you're making a list and checking it twice, it's easy to keep it local. See also my previous posts on vintage furniture and retro and vintage decorations. Happy holidays, everyone!