On this day in 1776, after an aborted first attempt a year earlier, Father Junipero Serra received permission to establish Mission San Juan Capistrano. The statue of Serra shown above is over the entrance of to Mission San Buenaventura, in Ventura, California. Is it just me, or does this look like the work of the WPA?.
On this day in 1986, the Orange County Performing Arts Center formally opened with a peformance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
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Seal Beach will celebrate it's 95th birthday in October with a series of special events. Check out their Founders Day website for more information.
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The thread in the comments section of my Monday post is still going strong. Click over and read/contribute if you haven't already.
I agree, it DOES look like something made by the WPA!
ReplyDeleteChris, Yes indeed the statue looks like art work from the WPA.
ReplyDeleteIn 1996, I was involved with an archaeological excavation for the Holy Cross School development, directly behind the mission church at San Buenaventura. Our work exposed rooms,tile floors and sections of aqueduct that had been constructed during Father Serra's time.
Two elderly nuns at the church ask if the could walk on the surfaces that Serra had walked on. We of course said yes. It was amazing to see them take of their shoes and walk on the freshly exposed, centuries old tile/"ladrillo" floors.
The monsignor on the other hand, showed no interest and only thought we (archaeologist) were holding up progress on the new school site.
Sadly none of the futures that were preserved. There is a huge school building now on the site of the former mission wing.
Need to edit myself...
ReplyDeleteSadly none of the "features" were preserved.
Thanks.
I remember when the OC Performing Arts Center had its first performance in 1986, the audience members were portrayed in the press as rubes because they kept clapping at the wrong times during Beethoven's 9th Symphony. An LA Times article from back then:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-bernheimer21-2008aug21,0,7841500.story
Doug: I *thought* the mission seemed very small.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story about the nuns. I wish I could have been there.
How amazing that the church leadership had no interest in preserving the mission's history. Seems counterintuitive. Aren't the Missions one of the few PR bright spots in a church that has enormous... ahem... "issues" right now?
Anyway,... Did they just build OVER the old foundations, or did they tear all of that out first?
Believe nearly all of the subsurface features were negatively impacted.
ReplyDeleteThe monsignor got his legacy of a new school, and passed away a couple of years later.
Ebb and flow.
In-bloody-credible! I'd say "what an ass," but ass doesn't begin to cover it.
ReplyDeleteI suppose letting it all wash over you is a necessary skill in your profession.
The statue I think is touched by the WPA. Since no interest had been given the historical things are diminishing.
ReplyDelete