January 2012 Newsletter, Office of Historic Resources 

Sometimes the newsletter from the L.A. Office of Historic Resources can be kinda dull. Yes, even for an L.A. History lover like myself (it can be heavy on the city planning but that's all good... my girl over at ChicanaTranStilo will appreciate that aspect).  But not this month! Because I recognize the house pictured on page 4 where it's featured along with information about my beloved and historic South L.A.!

Puttin' on the Ritz

This has been my jam all week long!



That was by Earl Burtnett and his Biltmore Orchestra which played at the Biltmore Hotel in the 1920s-30s."Puttin' on the Ritz" was slang from back in the day.  It meant "to dress fashionably" and alluded to the swanky (that's a word that feels synonymous of the era... but acccording to Merriam-Webster, it was first used in 1842... I'm such a nerd) Ritz Hotel. 

One more:

A Typewriter is Forever

through the eyes of an 8-year-old 

"A typewriter is a computer that prints while you type and you don’t have to plug in"

I came across this sweet insight the other day here: http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/10/13/a-typewriter-is-a-computer-that-prints-while-you-type-and-you-dont-have-to-plug-in/?awesm=tnw.to_1BKZp

Indeed, it's true. While we may view the typewriter and other low-tech items as outdated and irrelevant, a pair of fresh new eyes is capable of seeing its everlasting benefits.  

1940s NYC in COLOR!

First saw this at Behind the Curtain - 16 Sparrows:  1940s NYC in COLOR!  so neat!  I've watched so much TCM and I Love Lucy that it's hard for me to think of the early twentieth century as anything other than black and white.  More pics can be found at the Daily Mail.

I thought this one was rather interesting.  The Daily Mail caption says it's a picture of three homeless men.  Interestingly, they all are dressed in a coat and hat and two of them have ties.  In general, most of the pics show people dressed nicely by today's standards. 

There are places in LA that resemble this block... cluttered multilingual signage, barber shop, vending machines... I love it. 

National Jukebox!

Weeks ago, I came across this neat announcement: Amazing online archive of vintage recordings opens

Don't know why it took me so long to check it out, but I finally did.  It is truly amazing!  The amazing online archive is the Library of Congress' National Jukebox.  I have always loved early pop music recordings from the 1920s-1940s so I was super delighted to be able to easily access thousands of earlier recordings.  The National Jukebox makes more than 10,000 historical recordings available to the public.  All the recordings were made between 1901 and 1925.  

I am excited about all the cool treasures I am sure to discover!  Also interesting is the disclaimer that appears on every page of the site, "WARNING: Historical recordings may contain offensive language."  Love it.  Artifacts are important because they teach us what society was like in the past.  No need to change it to please our current mores.  

Current Obsession: Boardwalk Empire

 Boardwalk Empire

I'm obsessed with this show.  I love the characters, the topic, the history lessons, the references to classic films, and, of course, the music.  Yes, the show is slower than I expected.  I really thought it would be a regular mob show with tons of badass shootings and blood everywhere.  There are some badass bloody shootings but it's not Goodfellas.  Still, the show is GREAT... the material, the writing, the actors.  I see it as one of those sleeper hits.


One of my favorite things about the show is how it gives the audience some insight into the minute details of life during the Roaring 20s.  For example, we get to see how innovative and frightening (for a kid) a device like a vacuum was; how premature babies in incubators were displayed like a freak show exhibit on the boardwalk; the treatment of STDs; the women's suffrage movement; and how veterans of WWI suffered from PTSD.  That last detail is quite remarkable.  We often consider PTSD as affecting our modern soldiers but the reality is that the carnage of war has never changed.  Our soldiers in WWI fought in a new age of modern warfare.  They returned with shell shock, the symptoms of which were nearly identical to what we understand as PTSD today.  The show recently introduced an amazing character, Richard Harrow.  He's was a WWI sniper whose face was so badly damaged during the war that he has to wear a mask, painted to resemble the rest of his face.  It makes quite an impact and highlights the gruesome reality of war, even back in the day.

The show offers a great look into the fashion of the age too.  The scenes in which Angela and Margaret are in the clothing store offer an intimate look into the undergarments of the era.  For instance, while the corset had been discarded by the women of the 1920s, the bra hadn't yet caught on with everyone (Margaret).  [I know I'm not the only one who's curious about the small, often undocumented details of life 100 years ago... which reminds me, I've gotta check out Heritage Square Museum.]   Nucky's colorful suits are sharp... I love it when men pay attention to their wardrobe.  [This brings to mind LACMA's Fashioning Fashion... it displays the transformation of fashion over the course of 300 years.  The clothes on display are in exceptional condition and include many items of mens' apparel (which is actually quite rare because men's clothes simply weren't preserved as often as women's).  Years and years ago, men were not averse to donning bright colors and accessories.  I'd love to see more of that.]  Boardwalk Empire provides a tremendous amount of fashion eye candy... it fits so well here in LA, with all of our Art Deco architecture and renaissance of speakeasies like The Edison and the Cicada Club.  I can see this show inspiring fashion runways like Mad Men did this fall.

The show also offers an amazing trove of musical treasures.  I'm totally an odd young 20-something who has had a secret, years long love affair with old-time crooners... but even to the novice listener, the show's soundtrack will prove to be entertaining and educational.  I'm no expert on early pop music so this article from the L.A. Times Music Blog provides a better explanation of the musical gems in the show. 

The actors and the story are what really make this show so solid.  I'm totally crushing on Michael Pitt, who plays the WWI vet Jimmy Darmody.  He reminds of me a young Leonardo DiCaprio - only badass.  He's featured in the LA Times Magazine...

 

 If you haven't yet tuned in, hurry up and check it out. 

Bizarre Historical Discovery....

Local news has been abuzz with the gruesome discovery of two mummified infants in a steamer trunk in the basement of a 1920s building in Los Angeles.  It has piqued the morbid curiosity of many city residents, myself include.  Clues within the trunk include the name of the owner, Jean M. Barrie, her certificate of membership to the Peter Pan Woodlands Resort in Big Bear and tickets to the 1930s Olympics here in L.A.  The babies were found wrapped in 1930s newspaper in doctor's satchels.  Speculations include that the remains were of aborted babies, that they were being kept as potential research specimens and that the lady in question was related to James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan.  What a mystery!  Poor babies.  But I am thoroughly intrigued.  This is one of the reasons I studied archaeology, because I love a good mystery.  This sounds like the basis for a great mystery read.  I'm eager to hear the results of the investigation.
 

Buenas Epocas...

Buenas Epocas

One of my very first posts was about my obsession with all things vintage... music especially, Spanish oldies in particular.  The video I linked was of one of my favorite 60's salvy jams by Los Vikings called Y En Cambio Tu.  So naturally, I am totally excited about this new documentary entitled Buenas Epocas: La Nueva Ola de El Salvador (Good Times: The New Wave of El Salvador).  From my understanding, it was pretty revolutionary for Central American music... the first time there was a youth driven wave of music... and it was Rock n' Roll *gasp!*  These songs remind me of Saturday mornings when my family would blast them in the house.  So glad this film was made!  My mom will be sooo excited!  The screening will be this weekend at the gorgeous Million Dollar Theater in downtown.  The theater was the hub for Spanish-language films and entertainment during the 1940s and has continued with that legacy ever since.  It's part of the Historic Broadway Theater District.  The film screenings will be coupled with performances from some of the bands.  Later in the month, there will be a larger concert at Hollywood Park Casino... my mom will love it! 

Vintage Kiddies!

Yes, procrastinating again.

I stumbled upon a darling post at Modern Kiddo... it was all about vintage children's clothing hangers!  It struck a chord with me because I distinctly remember having a carousel hanger in yellow when i was a kid.  It brought a huge smile to my face.  The second hanger design looks so familiar... I am certain I had one just like it, too!  I remember using them as stencils, haha!  What a darling little detail for a child's closet!  A kid's world should be as whimsical as possible.

Hangers (& image) can be found at Scrapy Jessi's

Image from Tiger Luxe