Postcards, paper, books, maps, Bowers & Newport

Today's image is a postcard, depicting the Newport wharf (a.k.a. Newport Pier) around 1900. If you'd like to see (and buy) interesting historic postcards like this, be sure to check out the Vintage Paper Fair, at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. Feb. 16 & 17. It's sometimes amazing what great stuff you can get for a few bucks. (Note: This is Hal Lutzky's show, which used to be held in Pasadena.)
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The California International Antiquarian Book Fair will be held that same weekend (Feb. 15-17) at the Century Plaza Hotel in West Los Angeles. 250 dealers will have lots of rare books, prints, maps, etc. But be prepared to spend lots of money.
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The Bowers Museum and some of the other museums implicated in the recent federal sting operation, seem to have found a convenient scapegoat: Armand Labbé, Bowers' longtime chief curator. Why is he convenient? Well, it helps that the evidence actually points to his involvement. But it's even more convenient that he's dead. In a recent San Diego Union-Tribune article, Chapman University professor Paul Apodaca quite appropriately expressed "fears that critics will focus on Labbé's role in the scandal rather than the people involved who are still alive."
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The latest development in the Bowers case is the news that they've also been displaying art on loan from convicted smugglers. The story continues to unfold...

Disneyland parking lot

When legendary Disney designer/engineer John Hench first saw Disney's California Adventure, he reportedly said, "I liked it better as a parking lot." As it turns out, he wasn't the only one. In fact, the old Disneyland parking lot had a lot to recommend it. The first half of the lot was designed in 1954, and it was quite innovative for its time. Never before had there been such a concerted, well-choreographed system for parking such a massive sea of vehicles.

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The lot featured trained teams of attendants guiding each car into place, named parking zones, ("I think we're parked in Dumbo,") continuously operating parking trams, ample lighting, and every other element needed to make everything run like clockwork. Like Robert Schuller's Drive-In Church, (just a few miles away,) it was an innovative product of California's burgeoning car culture.

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Historian Jim Sleeper has long joked about doing a book called "Historic Parking Lots of Orange County," but this lot might actually qualify.

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Once again, today's photos come from the Tucker family, via Mike Tucker.

Capistrano, Anaheim High School, and pioneers

Today's photo (again courtesy Mike Tucker,) shows Mission San Juan Capistrano in the 1960s. Someone more familiar with the Mission's recent history could probably tell us the exact year based on the construction in the background. I believe that's Mike's mom in the dark blue coat.
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Anaheim High School's well-worn Cook Auditorium (1936) may get a new lease on life. Eighty-one-year-old alumnus Reggie Massie began a movement to restore the building and started a foundation to raise funds. Other Anaheim alumni on the foundation's board include realtor Paul Kott and former Anaheim mayor (now Orange County Clerk-Recorder) Tom Daly.
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The O.C. Agricultural & Nikkei Heritage Museum will open a new exhibit, “A Determined Lot: Resilient Pioneers Forge a New County’s Future,” on Feb. 16.

Knott's and Villa Park Elementary School

Today's photos of Knott's Berry Farm in the 1960s came to me from my old friend Mike Tucker who created the Anaheim Colony website long ago. The first (top) photo shows Bud Hurlbut's "Antique Auto Ride," which was later re-named "Tijuana Taxi." (For more about this attraction, you'll want to read the comments in a recent related post on Gorilla's Don't Blog.) The second image shows the Burro Ride attraction when the trail still ran past Calico Square. Eventually, the burro rides were moved across Beach Blvd, to the Jungle Island area, until being discontinued entirely.

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A public hearing for the EIR (environmental impact report) for the old Villa Park Elementary School will be held Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7pm, at the school itself: 10551 Center Dr. The two original 1920s Spanish Revival buildings on the campus do not currently meet earthquake codes, and the district wants to tear them down rather than retrofitting them. The school is one of only two sites in Villa Park listed on the national Register of Historic Places, the other being the Smith & Clark Brothers Ranch (1880s) off Santiago Blvd.

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However, locals have banded together to offer an alternative plan: Retrofit, update the interiors, and reuse the space as a library, a performing arts classroom, a computer lab, and other learning facilities. Preliminary plans have already been prepared by an architect, but the Orange Unified School District must be dissuaded from tearing everything down. The following website has some additional information and photos, but is quite out of date: Link

Milford Zornes, Port Theater, Bowers & Orange

Yesterday was the 100th birthday of the last of the original great California School watercolor painters: Milford Zornes. He celebrated by doing a demonstration before a live audience -- creating a scene (from memory) of the Laguna Beach coastline. In fact, Zornes taught his craft in what amounted to a two hour workshop before the paints were finally put away and the birthday cake was brought out. In the first photo (top) Zornes paints and describes the spot just below the bluffs adjacent to the Laguna Art Museum. The second photo shows (L to R) me, Zornes, and noted artist Henry Fukahara. (Many thanks to the Schroeders for bringing me along on this adventure!)
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It looks like Newport Beach's once-doomed Port Theater has been spared, thanks to public outcry. Read about it in the Register.

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The Register also features an update on the post-raid situation at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.

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The History Center at Orange Public Library hasn’t yet replaced Rosemarie Williams, who retired at the end of December. Consequently, they have been forced to reduce their hours. For current hours, please see their website.

Anaheim Plaza, El Camino Real, Maag House, etc.

Today's photo shows Anaheim Plaza at Euclid Ave and the 5 Freeway in Anaheim, around 1960. Notice how the train tracks parallel the freeway. It's interesting how each new mode of transportation often just follows the trail of the old. In this case, the stage coach road followed the line of the old El Camino Real. In turn, the train followed the path of the stage road. Eventually the State Highway paralleled the train tracks. And finally, the highway was mostly overlaid by the 5 Freeway. No, you're not stuck in traffic -- You're visiting a historic trail!
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Joyce Chapman, Frank Chapman’s granddaughter, continues to donate materials to Chapman University's Leatherby Library. Donated artifacts from the family include Charles Chapman’s first wife’s wedding ensemble, dolls, and a diary of Ethel Chapman Wickett.
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The Centennial Heritage Museum in Santa Ana has a new board, and they've brought with them a renewed interest in raising the funds to restore the Maag House. The house was moved to it's current site on the museum grounds in 1981. I remember walking around inside it when I worked at the museum (in the 1990s) and thinking how much potential the old place had.

Raiders of Thailand, etc.

"Federal agents raid Bowers Museum for smuggled antiquities." (O.C. Register)
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For really interesting reading, also see the search warrant (PDF). This is all shocking, but not entirely a surprise.
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Also see more in the L.A. Times, on the Orange Juice Blog, and in video coverage on KABC-TV.
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Oddly enough, before this story broke I was going to write that Bowers' blog has a feature on O.C.'s pre-historic cogstones. But clearly, this is bigger news.

Huntington Beach, OCMAHS calendars, Tustin, etc

Today's "before and after" photos were taken near the base of the Huntington Beach Pier. In the distance, you can see the intersection of Main St. and Pacific Coast Highway (formerly known in H.B. as Ocean Ave.) The first photo was taken around 1910 and prominently displays a special "Huntington Beach Excursion" car on the Pacific Electric line. I took the second photo in 2007, and tried to match the angle as best I could.

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As you can see, very little remains of the 1910 landscape. However, you can still see a corner of the old Huntington Beach Co. office building (circa 1905) on the left edge of the frame. Today, its most prominent tenant is El Don Liquor. This building also once served as the City's first movie theater.

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Tuesday's Register included a feature on the O.C. Mexican American Historical Society's annual calendar. These are always pretty cool.

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Also in the news, a 1915 garage in Old Town Tustin has found a new life as a BBQ restaurant. Three cheers for adaptive reuse!