Film Night 4.12.12: Contemporary Days

 Via the British Council's Design Museum

Robin and Lucienne Day transformed British design after World War II with striking furniture and textiles that signaled a new era of modernist sensibilities for everyday living. The Days, a husband and wife team from the UK, were often compared with Charles and Ray Eames.

Join SacMod and local Sacramento design professionals on 4.12.12 at 6PM at the Sacramento Temporary Contemporary Gallery for the documentary Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne & Robin Day. SacMod is partnering with AIA Central Valley, Emerging Professional’s Group of the American Society of Landscape Architects Sierra Chapter (ASLA EPG), and Patcraft.

*** KINDLY RSVP *** via this link: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/239257

No charge; donations gladly accepted. There will be snacks, fun, and a one-year subscription to Atomic Ranch magazine to one lucky attendee via SacMod. (Three homes that were on the last Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour are featured in Atomic Ranch magazine this year!)

Hope to see you there!

More about the film via Design Onscreen

".... Robin's revolutionary furniture designs introduced materials such as plastic, steel and plywood to homes, offices and schools. His stacking polypropylene chair endures as an icon and now graces a Royal Mail postage stamp. Lucienne's abstract textile designs brought accessible elegance into the homes of postwar British consumers.

The Days' fresh design approaches, including their contributions to the Royal Festival Hall in 1951, helped fuel the artistic and commercial awakening that led Britain out of the devastation of World War II. The film traces the Days' personal and professional progression over the course of their careers, spanning more than seventy years - from their days at the Royal College of the Arts in the 1930s, through their long heyday at the forefront of British design, to their recent rediscovery by new generations of design aficionados.

The 60-minute film was created by Design Onscreen, with award-winning Scottish Director Murray Grigor and Cinematographer Hamid Shams."

More about the Days' designs and history can be found at the Design Museum.

 Via Pattern + Source

Dig this painting, Daddy-O!

A short post today because I've been recuperating from pneumonia and generally run down. Too many plates spinning on sticks!

Wanted to share a glimpse of our "new"(vintage) painting that we picked up at Past Perfect recently. Ironic that we bought this from our friend from Scout Living during his one day per month gig at Past Perfect. We'd been traveling but alas, fate/synchronicity/dumb luck united us with an awesome find.

We've waited twelve long years to find just the Right Thing for our front room, which is also our music room.

Still Life by Ben Aiken (1958)

The name of this piece is "Still Life" by Ben Aiken (1958). According to a book, "Artists in California, 1786-1940" by Edan Hughes and quoted via AskArt, "Aiken began painting in 1929 after studying at the AIC, the Millikin School of Art (Illinois), and Art Center School in Los Angeles. During the 1930s and 1940s he worked in Sacramento as a commercial artist at Weinstock-Lubin Company. A surrealist, in his leisure he painted non-representational figures, faces, and forms."

Do I like that Mr. Aiken lived in Sacramento for a time -- and the reference guide regarding artists in California was published by Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum? You know I do!

More of Mr. Aiken's wonderful work can be seen on his son's blog.

Stay cool, hepcats! More in-depth coverage of all things modern in Sacto soon!

Film screening to benefit upcoming local exhibit featuring Ray Eames' life!

SacMod is proud of the efforts made by several modern enthusiasts in town who have put together a special screening of "Eames: The Architect and the Painter" at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento on March 6, 2012. Of note, proceeds from this screening will support an upcoming all-new exhibit at The California Museum featuring Sacramento's most important native modernist Ray Eames!

Director Jason Cohn and Llisa Demetrios of Eames Office will be present at the screening for a special Q&A afterward moderated by Chris Watson, Director of the California Arts Council. For more details, see The California Museum's website page devoted to this event.

Generous sponsors for this event include Sactown Magazine, Lumens Light + Living, HOT ITALIAN, and The Bridge District. Lumens and the Bridge District will also be teaming up to present an Eames Molded Plastic Rocker door prize.

The Crest Theatre was chosen for this special screening because Ray Eames' father, Alexander Kaiser, managed a vaudeville theater called the Empress Theatre where The Crest now stands. Per a press release: "Ray would have turned 100 this year, so I'm really excited to see a spotlight on her -- especially in her hometown," said Director Jason Cohn. "We were really eager to have a screening somewhere in Sacramento, but to show the film in at the theater her father managed - The Crest - and to use the proceeds from the event to bring a new Eames exhibit to The California Museum makes it a really special evening."

The screening is the first step in launching a campaign to bring an all-new exhibit celebrating Ray Eames' 100 birthday on December 15th, 2012. In partnership with the Eames Office, The California Museum will be seeking new information about Ray Eames' Sacramento roots, her life before Charles, and to highlight her achievements "as an innovative female artist and her role as an equal part of Eames history."

SacMod is appreciative of the efforts of the sponsors, The California Museum, and the Eames Office for facilitating an exhibit that highlights the talents of Ray Eames. We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and volunteering our time with the exhibit. It's Ray's turn to shine -- don't you think?

PLEASE VOTE for the Sacramento Zoo Entrance in Dwell Magazine's "Rethinking Preservation" contest

SacMod needs your help voting for the preservation of the Entrance to the Sacramento Zoo in a contest! The contest, "Rethinking Preservation," is sponsored by Dwell magazine and Sub-Zero.

Over 100 worthy entries are posted for popular vote from February 6 through February 20, 2012. A panel of judges will select the winner from the top ten entries that receive the most popular votes.

You may recall I've talked about the hyperbolic paraboloid structures at the Sacramento Zoo entrance before. Last December I also posted about SacMod's support of a survey and report by architectural consultants that the Zoo entrance structures "meet the National Register, California Register, and Sacramento Register evaluation criteria...."

1961 newspaper clipping of children admiring the new Sacramento Zoo entrance

 Vintage film of Sacramento Zoo and San Diego Zoo 1970 - Sacramento Zoo portion begins first and ends at 1:15

The Entrance to the Sacramento Zoo is the only contest entry from Sacramento - please spread the word. Let's work together to ensure more generations can enjoy this historic mid-20th century landmark. Let's help the Zoo embrace the future without losing its past.

Please vote as often and as much as you would like through the voting period. If you're on Facebook, please "Like" the page as well. Thank you for your support!

Found slide of a flamingo at the Sacramento Zoo circa 1955 from my collection

Sacramento's Blomberg Homes in CA Modern Magazine

The Eichler Network featured a story on Blomberg homes in their Winter 2012 issue of CA Modern magazine written by Dave Weinstein. A heartfelt thanks to them for covering this important piece of Sacramento mid-20th century modern history!

Check out the article on their website: "Built to Blast: Friendly fallout of the Cold War, Blomberg’s ‘bomb-resistant’ concrete homes represent a colorful chapter of mid-century modern Sacramento"

Over the years I have gathered vintage ads and information about Blomberg Builders - a mid 20th century Sacramento builder and building materials supplier. Gustaf C. Blomberg was a builder and developer in Sacramento -- after pioneering the development of concrete masonry construction. He worked for the Basalt Rock Co. in Napa in the mid-1930s and helped develop Basalite, a lightweight concrete block. These blocks (still available today) were used a great deal in construction during the 1950s through the 1970s. Marketed advantages of using Basalite blocks included durability, sound control, low cost, low maintenance, relative light weight, ease of installation, and uniform size and density.

Some of my research for SacMod was shared with CA Modern Magazine for the above article. If you want to see more Blomberg Homes ephemera and photos from SacMod's research library, see my Flickr set. A photo slide show of this set is shown above.

The Blomberg family still owns and operates Blomberg Window Systems. Jerry Blomberg ventured on his own and developed another company: Sunoptics.

Cheers to the Blomberg family -- their industrious and innovative spirit has helped shape our neighborhood and city!

Jeré Strizek's Town and Country Village in Sacramento

Town & Country Village back in the day

I'm writing this post in light of recent discussions about the current fate of Town and Country Village, developed in 1946 and reportedly one of the first shopping centers of its kind in California. Per its website, "Town & Country Village combines pleasant outdoor shopping, covered walkways, smaller crowds and 'easy-in, easy-out' access with great food, unique gifts and the best salons in town..."

Many of you may have read this week the Sacramento Bee that the owners of the Village are planning a major overhaul. Ironically, though the Village's website boasts it being an alternative to malls, existing tenants are concerned that the Village "is slated for a major renovation that... will include razing much of the 65-year-old complex... and the new plan is to bring in more chain stores."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/13/4184725/big-changes-ahead-for-sacramentos.html#storylink=cpy

Per Dixie Reid of the Bee in her article dated May 21, 1989:

Just after World War II, developer Jeré Strizek was building nice houses out in the 'country,' but nobody was buying them. He learned that it was because the nearest stores were miles away, in 'town.'

So, the accommodating developer built Sacramento's first suburban shopping center. He bought 11 acres (at $280 an acre) that had been an Arabian horse farm and opened Town and Country Village in 1946 with 65 shops.

The ranch-style center at Fulton and Marconi is now spread over 22 acres. The 'authentic' look of the place was enhanced by discarded railroad timbers used in construction -- mostly to keep costs down. A couple of wagon wheels, brought in from Oregon, were planted under the main sign. And cast- iron lampposts that were used on the streets of Sacramento at the turn of the century began lighting the center in the mid-'70s.

Town and Country Village's finest moment was probably in 1959 when, for some reason, the governor of Hawaii 'annexed' the shopping center as part of his state's 'Aloha' celebration.

Town and Country Village, which first opened in September 1946, was designed by architectural designer John W. Davis and originally housed a beauty shop, ice cream bar, appliance stores, a five-and-ten cent store, rustic garden center, doctors' offices, hardware store, bottle shop, various grocers, pharmacy, clothing stores, jewelry store, furniture store, post office, bank, photography studio, various restaurants and bars, shoe repair shop, and a movie theater. Original Village store owners included the Maleville Brothers -- who may sound somewhat familiar as they later opened the renowned Coral Reef restaurant and tiki bar down the street.

The theater, the New Village Theatre, was designed by Gastono "Gale" Santocono and had Heywood-Wakefield seats.

Of note, Town and Country Village (and its surrounding homes designed by John W. Davis) were so highly regarded that they were featured at length in the October 1951 issue Architectural Forum. Per the article:

Jeré Strizek of Sacramento used to pay builders $100 a house to put up homes around his new shopping center. Now he builds most of them himself for his own account -- 381 houses plus 63 apartments this year. But he still thinks the home builder should count on his shopping center for his real profit.... From Jeré Strizeks's point of view the results are fine: his shopping center is outstandingly profitable and he will soon start another.

After Strizek's success with Town & Country Village in Sacramento, he went on to build similar developments in other cities. Other projects included a Town & Country Village in Los Angeles (as evidenced in the above coin) and  Camelback Town & Country Village Shopping Center (1956) in Phoenix, Arizona, which "has survived with its original character intact" according to the City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office and Ryden Architects in their fantastic book "Midentury Marvels: Commercial Architecture of Phoenix 1945-1975." If anyone has additional evidence of other developments by Jeré Strizek, please feel free to add this information in the comments section below.

Other major trade publications such as American Builder, Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, Architectural Forum, Interiors, and Engineering News-Record -- to name a few -- also reported on Strizek's successful developments. In addition to the the housing subdivisions in Arden-Arcade near Town and Country Village, Jeré Strizek developed other projects and subdivisions, including Bohemian Village (designed by architect Herbert Goodpastor), North Haven, the Highlands, and North Highlands. For more on Strizek's developments and projects here in Sacramento and beyond, see my Flickr set, which includes other images from vintage postcards and findings from my microfilm research.

Join us for INFINITE SPACE: The Architecture of John Lautner

On Sunday, January 22, 2012, join Movies on a Big Screen, AIA Central Valley, SacMod, and Sactown Magazine for a screening of INFINITE SPACE: The Architecture of John Lautner at the Guild Theater at 7:30pm to 9:00pm. Please arrive in time to allow yourself a moment to learn more about our organizations and get comfortable before the film begins -- and feel free to stay to talk with us more afterward.

Renowned architectural filmmaker Murray Grigor explores John Lautner's dramatic spaces with choreographed camera moves, as Lautner himself provides the commentary, speaking with insight and within recordings culled from archival sources. Other voices join him: comments from Frank Gehry and his peers who were influenced by Lautner, the emotional memories of original clients, owners and builders, the remarks of Frank Escher, the architect who restored the Chemosphere house, and Julius Shulman who famously photographed all the great modernists.

Original drawings and historical photographs from the John Lautner Archives at the Getty Museum are layered with the artistic photography of seminal buildings, bringing to life Lautner's quest to create timeless space.

You've probably admired his designs from some of your favorite films!


John Lautner on Film from curbed los angeles on Vimeo.

Remember to RSVP for this event and get your tickets online via Brown Paper Tickets. Looking forward to seeing you there!

This film is a precursor to SacMod's celebration of the Roush residence in Sacramento - designed by Terry Waters, a Taliesin fellow and architect who worked with John Lautner. Stay tuned for more about this upcoming event!

SacMod is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to promoting, preserving and protecting modern art, architecture and design in the Sacramento region. We're the folks behind the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour.

AIA Central Valley's mission is to improve the quality of the built environment through leadership, mentorship and design excellence; fostering sustainability beyond architecture.

Movies on a Big Screen is an ongoing film festival/microcinema that started in September of 2006 in Sacramento, CA.

Sactown Magazine is a bold bi-monthly magazine that gives you a refreshingly different perspective on our great city.

Atomic Ranch 2012 Calendar Features Two Sacramento MCM Homes!

Just in case you didn't get the calendar you wanted during the holidays, here's one I know you'll like.

 

Our friends from Atomic Ranch Magazine (AR) are offering this calendar, which features two homes from Sacramento - both of which were on Sacramento Modern's (SacMod's) 2010 Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour.

Keep your eyes open for upcoming 2012 AR issues, which will be highlighting three homes from SacMod's 2010 tour in separate issues!

Already have a calendar? How about a 2012 SacMod annual associate membership? Associate member benefits include a discount to paid SacMod events and having first crack at reserving a seat/purchasing tickets.

SacMod was formed to educate and promote understanding and appreciation of mid-20th century modern art, architecture and design in the greater Sacramento, California region. SacMod has been accomplishing its goals through events, research, and development of educational materials and information resources. Run exclusively by volunteers, SacMod has coordinated large scale events such as the 2010 Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour, film screenings, and has provided education, technical assistance, and research findings to students, local and regional organizations, architects, designers, architectural historians, as well as local and national media.

With your help, SacMod can continue to promote awareness and preservation of Sacramento's mid-20th century modern heritage through future events, research, and education. Please use the "Add to cart" button in the upper left margin of this link.

AIA Central Valley and SacMod Screening of "EAMES: The architect and the painter"

On 12.19.11, AIA Central Valley (AIACV) and SacMod screened "Eames: The Architect and The Painter" to over fifty design enthusiasts.

The event was held at AIACV in Sacramento. SacMod and AIACV took the opportunity to celebrate our native daughter, Ray (Kaiser) Eames. We provided several images from her life in Sacramento.

Ian Merker of AIACV was the best host ever!

Special thanks to Mimomito who brought cupcakes decorated with Ray's fabric pattern to celebrate what would have been Ray's 99th birthday on 12.15.11 and took pictures of our event.

To kick off the film screening, Eames Demetrios graciously Skype'd in and spoke with us about his grandparents and their work.

We are grateful to Miles Treaster & Associates who brought several examples of the Eameses' furniture, an original rare wooden splint developed for WW2, plus several brochures, an Eames coffee table book, and other written materials.

Our friends from Sactown Magazine generously distributed copies of their original Premier Issue from Dec/Jan 2006/2007 (with a well-written and researched article about Ray Eames) and their current issue. Happy 5th Anniversary, Sactown!

Thanks to KVIE for the wonderful gift bag and to Jason Cohn of Bread and Butter Films for printing two film posters for our silent auction.

Last but not least, thanks to those who attended and supported our event! We received great feedback from those who attended. The film provided an intriguing glimpse into the Eameses' creative process and dedication. We highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in their lives and prolific work, which ranges from architecture, furniture, film, textiles, art, industrial design to other intellectual and creative pursuits. This film celebrates their work and humanizes them -- not only highlighting their triumphs but also what went on behind the scenes.

Look for more events in 2012, including the screening of Infinite Space, a documentary about John Lautner -- one of the most revered 20th century architects. We will also be having an event to celebrate a very special residence in Sacramento designed by Terry Waters, an associate of John Lautner.

Merry Christmas from Eichler Homes

Merry Christmas from Eichler Homes! (Circa 1960s ephemera from my collection).