September 201 7 | ISSUE NUMBER 334
Living History Tour
Do You Know This House?
West Adams
www.westadamsheritage.org
Art in West Adams
Trader Joe's Comes to West Adams
Preservation Report
On the cover: Vessel, 2010, Marine-grade plywood and steel, West Adams artist Amanda Martin Katz. Left: Max Maslansky Four Women, 2017.
President's Message
Halloween party and more.
The West Adams newsletter is a publication of West Adams Heritage Association. Members and supporters of WAHA are invited to submit articles by contacting news@westadamsheritage.org. Letters and articles will be subject to space restraints and may be cut for length. Articles will be published subject to the editors. Advertising is subject to the approval of the publishers. Although WAHA appreciates its advertisers, the Association does not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Services and products are not tested and the appearance of advertising does not imply, nor does it constitute, endorsement by the West Adams Heritage Association. Rights to use photos are supplied by the author of the associated article. Copyright 2017. All rights for graphic and written material appearing in the newsletter are reserved. Contact the publisher for permission to reprint.
WAHA's annual progressive dinner will feature The Avenues.
Holiday Tour
Pay to Say
WAHA update.
Newsletter Staff
WAHA membership includes: * 10 issues of the West Adams newsletter * Invitations to all WAHA programs, parties, Evening Strolls, and other activities, mostly free * Discount on WAHA tours and advance notice of tours * Membership Directory * Special publications * Membership card for discounts on services and products. Join online at http://www.memberwaha.org/amember/signup/index
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Become a member (or renew)
Join at any level: • Individual/Household $50 • Student/Senior $25 • Preservation Circle $100 • Heritage Circle $250 • Patron Circle $500 • Benefactor $1000 To pay by check, send the following information (Name(s), Address, Phone, and email along with your level of choice) with your check to: WAHA 2263 S. Harvard Boulevard Historic West Adams Los Angeles, CA 90018
Trader Joe's
Ice Cream Social
Laura Meyers, Vice-President, Communications Reggie Jones, Publisher & Editor Suzanne Cooper, Layout & Design Don Lynch, Writer
Upcoming Events
Above: Fay Ray, Hanging Sculptures, 2017. Installation view at JOAN. Photo by Joshua White.
Summer Guthery of JOAN. Photo courtesy of Design East of La Brea (de LaB)
Lightbox Energy Vortex, 2015, wood and colored plexiglass, courtesy of the artist. Photo by Katie Shapiro.
JOAN exterior. Photo: Lisa Raymond.
The unassuming art scene in and adjacent to West Adams does not have a central focalized area, let alone an Art District. You will find galleries, art studios, pop-ups, and exhibition spaces scattered in clusters along Jefferson and Washington Boulevards or standing alone along Pico, Venice or Adams Boulevard, extending from just west of La Brea all the way east to the 110. We introduced you to a number of those galleries in the March newsletter. This month we’ll take a look at a few more art spaces of note. One gallery opening a new exhibit September 9th, is JOAN, located at 4300 W. Jefferson Blvd. Unit 1. JOAN was co-founded in 2015, by curators Summer Guthery, Gladys-Katherina Hernando, and Rebecca Matalon as “a nonprofit art space for art exhibitions, performances, and screenings with a focus on emerging and under-represented artists.” “The shows (at JOAN) often come out of long-term relationships we have had with the artists, going to their studios over a period of years and watching their practices develop,” says Summer Guthery, currently the director of JOAN, “also as curators we try to provide more extensive writing around the exhibition in the form of an essay. All three of us work with artists in a variety of media but have naturally gravitated towards a particular focus, for example, my background in curating performance has lead to about half of my programs being live works.” JOAN has a large open gallery downstairs and a tiny gallery upstairs with a vetrine, a glass showcase displaying smaller artworks. Sometimes they show group exhibits and other times feature just one artist. When having a solo show, artists are encouraged to create an art piece/installation that incorporates the space itself and/or is made specifically with the space in mind. However, as an incubator for emerging artists, JOAN also supports art projects that extend beyond their gallery walls. When Art Los Angeles Contemporary (ALAC) reached out to JOAN to create a performance piece that incorporated the art fair at their venue at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Summer reached out to multimedia artist Alison O’Daniel in collaboration with her “The Tuba Thieves” project. “I reached out to Alison since I knew she had been working with the Centennial High School marching band,” says Summer, “and thought it could be an interesting way to interrupt the commercial workings of the fair and insert a different local community into the event.” The result was “Centennial Marching Band Forwards, Backwards, Pause, Silent” in which the marching band from Compton, performed opening night, weaving throughout the Hangar, sonically reimagining the space with protracted silences and tight formations. Joan resides in a 1920s commercial building that is zoned for manufacturing but has been converted into artist spaces. Although the owner has christened the building with a sign proclaiming it the center of the “West Adams Arts District,” it is only one in a cluster of galleries and art studios on Jefferson Blvd. When asked why JOAN chose West Adams, Summer explains, “The area is practical. Great street parking and the neighbors are nice. The street is a bit rough, but no one seems to bother people. Because the area is mostly manufacturing, there is not a lot of foot traffic. Art brings liveliness to the neighborhood. JOAN becomes a bit of a destination - people come, view, hang out, engage, and converse.” Although the Historic West Adams District and its environs has been a more affordable area for artists to rent in, that is changing, which makes it a challenge for JOAN to stay afloat. As a young non-profit, JOAN hasn’t been able to apply for government funding until they passed their two year mark, which they are about to do. They have relied on sales of donated art works auctioned off during their annual fundraiser through Paddle 8, an on-line art auction website. Recently, Artist Max Maslansky presented a limited edition silkscreen called “Four Women,” for sale exclusively at JOAN solely for the purpose of supporting the gallery. The group show, “MORE LIGHT,” opening September 9th and running through October 29th, is curated by Gladys-Katherina Hernando. She describes “More Light,” as “an exhibition composed of contemporary painting, sculpture, and performance engaged with the search for the transcendental. The artists selected for the exhibition use a range of practices to describe or manifest the interstitial spaces between the image-world and the intangible world.” JOAN is open Thursday – Sunday, 12 pm to 6 pm, and by appointment. Amid a large cluster of art spaces in Arlington Heights, you will find an unusual project-based gallery which offers collaborative installations,“literarily inclined events, performances and meals” at 3307 W. Washington Boulevard. It is home to “Katz’s Deli,” “Bookshelves”, and is the public/private art studio of artist and writer, Amanda Martin Katz. Though 3307 W. Washington Boulevard is part of what looks to be a large storefront building, it was formerly the driveway between two buildings “with a roof slapped on top.” What makes 3307 “a magical space,” says Amanda, “is that it’s a transitional space. It is a literal architectural interstice.” Amanda continues, “My practice exists in the space between art and writing. What is exciting (for me) is the tension that is created when you take two distinct things and put them in conversation with one another.” Katz’s Deli is not an actual deli but a “micro residency and discussion-based exhibition program where artists create and present original art works.” The artist also contributes book selections relating to their work for the public to read in a library-like setting. Each exhibit concludes with a Saturday brunch which is open to the public, where conversation between the curator, artists and guests revolves around the art work. Another unique program at 3307 W. Washington is BOOKSHELVES, a non-circulating library installation and curatorial platform that includes a permanent collection and guest curators. “Guest curators are invited to rearrange both the permanent collection and the shelving structure according to any organizing principle they choose. Curators then co-develop a public program with Amanda to translate their inquiry into a performative, and often participatory, format. These programs are designed to conjoin cerebral and somatic experiences of text.” Previous BOOKSHELVES performances/installations included a performance/multi-course dinner inspired by the book title, a "text bath" and a unique Japanese-inspired tea ceremony. In residency this summer are Jacqueline Falcone and Daniel Arismendys Taveras-Hernandez, who have recently moved to West Adams from Miami. Their installation, “Bed & Breakfast,” expands on an idea Jacqueline manifested in Miami in 2012, in which she literally converted her bedroom into an art exhibition space. At 3307 W. Washington, Jacqueline and Daniel have created a mock-up of their bedroom, “a rendering of their home,” where they invite guests to explore the meaning of hospitality and the “correlations between hospitality and accessibility.” According to Jacqueline, “Hospitality is the art of making anyone feel at home.” Yet, a book she has placed in the “Bookshelves” called Hospitality: Hosting Relations in Exhibitions argues that the “curatorial situation is inherently an act of hospitality, as invitations and resources are being offered among institutions, artists, artworks and audiences. But an invitation alone is not sufficient to make a person feel welcome.” This exhibit includes ten “Bed & Breakfast” “extended hour” bookings in which guests are “greeted by the artists, read a bedtime story before staying overnight in the installation, and waking up to a pancake breakfast served by the artist before checking out.” (Sold Out) After their residency at Katz’ Deli, they are hoping to continue B&B in their new West Adams digs. In residency at Katz’s Deli this October through November is Meghan Gordon, a Los Angeles-based artist whose recent projects explore thoughts on subjectivity, collaboration, and performance documentation. To find out more about 3307 W. Washington Boulevard go to their Facebook page or http://3307wwashingtonblvd.com. Another gallery of note is is The Landing at 5118 W. Jefferson Boulevard. This is the second gallery founded by established gallery owner Gerard O’Brien of “Reform Gallery” on Melrose. It offers solo and two-person exhibitions, as well as thematic group exhibitions throughout the year. The Landing describes itself as a project space “dedicated to establishing a dialogue between under-appreciated historical artists and contemporary practices.” According to Katherine Harvath, Associate Director of The Landing, “the owner of the gallery is particularly invested in California art from the Beat Movement," she explains. "There is a through-line and counterbalance in the artwork of historical artists and contemporary young artists that is visible across mediums.” Their upcoming exhibit is a solo show featuring American beat artist Jeremy Anderson, curated by Dan Nadel, opening September 16 and running through November 4, 2017. To view the schedule and learn more about the The Landing gallery go to http://www.thelandinggallery.com. Because West Adams is so spread out, it is not conducive to hosting an Art Walk. In response, some gallery owners have started discussing coordinating times for art show openings. I think this is a great idea but it will take time to implement. Hopefully, we will see a “West Adams Art Date” by 2018. To find out about more openings in the area, check out curate.la.com, a website that promotes L.A.’s artistic communities and provides a map and listing of openings and exhibits by area. In the meantime, look for Hilde, The Infinity Room, Panel.la, MuzeuMM, Autonomie Projects, Ochi Projects, Age of Art Multiples, as well as other galleries and alternative spaces in our area.
Sam Moyer, MGM, 2017. Installation view at JOAN Photo by Joshua White.
Max Maslansky Four Women, 2017 8-color silkscreen on Crane Fluorescent #110 with unique hand-applied details and splatter resist 20.25 x 15.75 inches (51.4 x 40 cm) Edition of 20 $950.
Ticketed program for Lucia Fabio's BOOKSHELVES residency, "Cooking the Bookshelf" | Photos by Bridget Batch .
Katz's Deli/BOOKSHELVES.
Art in West Adams (continued)
Dinner, Lucia Fabio's BOOKSHELVES residency, "Cooking the Bookshelf" Photo by Bridget Batch
Bed & Breakfast. Photo: Lisa Raymond.
Rendering of B&B by Daniel Arismendys Taveras-Hernandez
Jacqueline Falcone on Ladder. Photo: Lisa Raymond.
Public program for Kiyomi Fukui's BOOKSHELVES residency, "Tea at 3307" Photos by Ashley Thayer.
Above: Bookshelves, Jacqueline Falcone Left: Bookshelves, Kiyomi Fukui
Right: Jeremy Anderson, Source, 1961, Redwood, 32 x 24 x 28 inches. Courtesy of the Anderson Estate and the Landing.
Above: Main gallery of The Landing, courtesy of The Landing
Shelter, Amanda Martin Katz
Signifying Form, Curated by jill moniz Courtesy of the Landing
Mark Hagen, The Outdoor Type, 2015. Installation view at JOAN Photos by Joshua White.
Lisa Raymond is a tremendously talented writer, artist and juggler. As an artist, she works primarily in clay and mixed media. When she is not focused on saving America from being too great, she is a property manager of a local artists building and leasing agent. She is on the WAHA board.
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Do you know this house?
This photograph is clearly labeled “Los Angeles,” but does anyone know where the house is? It looks very similar to a number of homes in Jefferson Park that share the barn-style porch roof. The problem is, this house is narrower than those. The house number says 257. A sign on the porch indicates that it was for sale at the time the photo was taken. If anyone recognizes this house, we’d love to hear from you at news@westadamsheritage.org. We’d love to update our archives.
UPCOMING waha EVENTS
WAHA’s 2017 Holiday Tour
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The Avenues neighborhood is home to the West Adams Avenues Jazz and Music Festival, a free event which grows in popularity each year. This year is the 16th such festival, and occurs on Labor Day Weekend, September 1st through 3rd, on 7th Avenue just north of Adams. While the event itself is free, there are many excellent food and retail vendors. So please join your neighbors for the Jazz Festival for lots of wonderful music by multiple artists and encompassing various genres. It starts each day at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 11:00 p.m. WAHA is one of the partner/sponsors, and we will have a table. We hope to see you there. Please drop by and say "Hi."
Saturday, October 28, 2017 8:00 p.m. 2957 Brighton Avenue Put on your spookiest or prettiest costume and come join WAHA for a party. Robin and Dieter have wonderful Halloween surprises (including a vintage hearse) planned for WAHA 's enjoyment.
The 27th Annual Living History Tour Saturday, September 23, 2017 Angelus Rosedale Cemetery Tours depart from 9 a.m. until Noon. Tickets by advance reservation only: WAHA members, $24 (two tickets only at this price) General admission, $30 (Children under 12 free) After September 12 all tickets are $35 Phone: 323-909-WAHA, email: tours@westadamsheritage.org
ON THE AVENUES
This year’s West Adams Heritage Association Holiday Tour will be on December 2nd and 3rd, and will take place on “The Avenues.” Neighbors from 9th Avenue to 12th Avenue have graciously offered to open their doors to our annual progressive dinner, where groups of polite and appreciative, yet possibly hungry, tour-goers are led through a variety of homes and served a variety of courses. This year’s organizers are thrilled to be able to offer homes which have not previously been on a WAHA tour. Tickets will go on sale in early October. The West Adams Avenues is a neighborhood between Adams Boulevard and the Rosa Parks Freeway, and between Arlington and 13th Avenues. It falls within the West Adams Terraces Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Anyone who cares to volunteer to help with the tour, please contact volunteer@westadamsheritage.org. We can always use docents, servers, food preparers, dishwashers and many other skills on either Saturday or Sunday, December second and third.
Vintage Halloween Party
Please email Suzie at events@westadamsheritage.org if you are interested in hosting any sort of event at your home or if you have an idea for an event you would like us to plan. We’ll do all the work if you just open your home!
—Suzanne Cooper
If at any time over the last 20 years you had asked West Adams residents what the neighborhood really needed, the votes would have leaned overwhelmingly toward Trader Joe’s. At the dawn of the twentieth century, however, the property owners would probably not have agreed. In September 1903 the Los Angeles Times featured an article titled Nightmares of West Adams-Streeters about the bad dreams triggered when two brothers named Lavengooth attempted to build a grocery store at the corner of Adams and Brighton. “Maledictions without number” were showered upon the heads of the men attempting to bring groceries, a meat market, drug store, candy emporium, soda fountain and peanut stand to the exclusive street. “The very idea of having that sightly section turned into a mart caused the prominent citizens to boil over with wrath,” it was reported with a rather well-deserved bit of snarkiness. “They would wake up in the night in the midst of a seething sea of one-story grocery stores, tamale stands and other hideous visions….” An “indignation meeting” was called, and the citizens offered the Lavengooths $4,000 for their property, purchased mere months previously for $3,000. The brothers held out for $10,000, so the West Adams residents formulated and signed a petition swearing not to patronize the hated store. One wonders if their wives were quite as vehement about the issue. It’s easy to imagine that a woman charged with feeding her family three meals a day—even with the help of a cook—may have been secretly thrilled to have a 1903 version of Trader Joe’s close to home. Time changes many things, including our enthusiasm for neighborhood grocery stores and tamale stands. We dreamed, we schemed, and we hoped until the day finally arrived when Trader Joe’s opened in the brand-new USC Village. Not that anyone would have been disappointed in even a plain-wrap TJ’s in a boring box of a building, but the grandeur of the Gothic red-brick surroundings seems surprisingly appropriate to the long wait, especially since the complex includes ample parking. The massive project also boasts a huge increase in student housing, a compact Target with goods geared toward those living in dorm rooms and other small, plaza-level shops. It may be designed to look like an English university with touches of misty Hogwarts, but a fountain and cheerful red umbrellas give welcome relief to students and shoppers during the sunbaked heat of a Los Angeles summer. Welcome to West Adams, Trader Joe’s! The twenty-first century is glad to have you here.
Trader Joe's comes to West Adams
Photos: Frank Cooper, Suzanne Cooper, Don Henderson
Federal Historic Tax Credit Endangered
Jean Frost is the current Preservation Committee Chair. Contact her at preservation@westadamsheritage.org.
Miller-Herriott House, public domain photo.
WAHA has joined with the LA Conservancy and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to petition elected leadership to retain the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) for the restoration of historic properties. While the numbers favor its retention, current congressional efforts at streamlining the tax code may result in its elimination. Attention must be paid to this important preservation tool and its retention. Incorporated into the tax code more than 35 years ago, HTC is a widely supported restoration and redevelopment tool for endangered and underused properties, from inner cities to small towns across the country. The National Trust notes this credit is the most significant investment the federal government makes to preserve historic properties. Since 1981 the credit has leveraged more than $131 billion in private investment, creating more than 2.4 million jobs, and adapting more than 42,000 historic buildings for new and productive uses. Kathleen Meeks, President and CEO of the National Trust writes: “this critical cornerstone of our work is now at dire risk of being eliminated. Over the past few years, some tax overhaul plans drawn up in Congress have included a repeal of the historic tax credit. Although it makes up only a minuscule part of the overall tax code, and in fact is a revenue generator for both the federal government and local communities, it is now on the chopping block, mainly for streamlining’s sake. Under a new, united president and Congress, these plans have gained renewed momentum. Unless we act now, one of our most critical tools for revitalizing historic buildings could be lost.” “This is not a partisan issue: Americans from both sides of the aisle recognize that repealing the tax credit is penny-wise and pound-foolish. From 1981 (when it was made a permanent feature of the tax code by President Reagan) to 2015, the federal historic tax credit created 2.3 million jobs, stimulated $121 billion in private investment, and resulted in more than 260,000 renovated housing units. Every federal dollar invested has leveraged $4 of private-sector money toward valuable projects, while generating $1.25 in federal tax revenues. Put another way, taxpayers make an extra quarter on every single dollar invested.” She further notes that 75 percent of the economic benefits of these investments stay in the local community. One of the early advocates of preservation in West Adams, Kristin Belko, utilized tax credits in the restoration of the Miller-Herriott House at 1163 West 27th Street. Following the North University Park Specific Plan objectives, the residence was adaptively reused as a law office. This early restoration helped spark a continuing preservation movement, building neighborhood pride and nurturing a vision for the area’s development. In the preservation of the historic Nolte Garage, 922 W. 23rd Street, in the St. James Park National Register District, developer Gary Karr used tax credits for the restoration of this National Register property into work/live lofts. This award winning restoration project by architect Vijay Gupta, enabled the restoration of what had been a continuing neighborhood eyesore into the anchor of a new development of housing and commercial. It saved a keystone building along 23rd Street in that district. The Dennis Burkhalter Residence, also in the St. James Park National Register District, at 2311 Scarff Street, benefitted from federal tax credits in 2013. This helped save a vital and visually compelling building in the Victorian streetscape. It was damaged by an arson fire in the historic Welles house next door, a site which had been cited by Building and Safety over decades while it was in the hands of a less than caring owner and steward. Los Angeles has received numerous successful tax credit projects: the Lincoln Place Apartments in Venice, the Hollywood Western Building in Hollywood, the Hollenbeck Terrace Apartments in Boyle Heights, the Forum in Inglewood, the Boyle Hotel, the Mayfair Hotel, the Somerville Hotel Dunbar, the Hotel Rosslyn Annex, the Freehold Hotel, all in Los Angeles. These are just a few examples here in our area. A national example of the success of the HTC cited by Ms. Meeks is the American Brewery building in Baltimore which sat forlorn and abandoned for 35 years. “But in 2008, …a Maryland nonprofit chose the blighted, 11-story structure for its new headquarters, taking extra pains to restore the old paint colors and architectural features.” “It’s a monumental and historic opportunity for our community,” one local pastor told The Baltimore Sun. “In these times of high unemployment, and the disinvestment and dilapidation we see here, the project brings us hope.” One year later, the revived brewery was serving 1,300 low-income individuals and employing 40 local residents.” Many more HTC preserved properties across the country are listed on the National Trust web site at www.savingsplaces.org. It’s important to note how the HTC has enhanced and affected projects nearby as well a nationally. With HTCs and the state adopted Mills Act (which can by a contract with the City lower property taxes to restore historic properties,) you can have a dialogue with developers to encourage the preservation and retention of our historic resources which give neighborhoods a context and sense of Place. Preservation creates jobs, retains affordable housing and makes for livable communities. It is time to let your voice be heard. Please write: The Honorable Orrin Hatch SH-104 Hart Senate Office Building United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Ron Wyden SD-221 Dirksen Senate Office Building United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin Brady 1011 Longworth House Office Building United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Richard Neal 341 Cannon House Office Building United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515I In addition, write your California Senators (Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris) and the members of Congress who represent your Congressional District.
Burkhalter Residence, photo by Michael Smith
Nolte Garage used with permission from Gary Karr.
Urgent: Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace (Unless you pay $13,538) Do not allow your voice to be silenced – which in effect it will – if the City Council raises the fee to appeal a land use decision on environmental grounds to $13,538 as is being proposed. In addition, the City Council PLUM Committee is recommending other land use appeal fees be raised 20%. WAHA will lose its voice – as will you as a resident – to challenge and correct poorly evaluated projects and their associated environmental documents. This is particularly damaging when the City has expended its use of categorical exemptions (CEs) - which means no review at all. You may remember it was WAHA’s challenge of a CE for the project at 1342 West Adams Boulevard involving the historic Roger Williams Baptist Church and the Bishop Mansion that resulted in a restored, community- serving, charter school development rather than a rabbit warren of student housing and a historic Church with no parking, rendering its use unviable. Our ability to challenge the environmental review enabled WAHA to lay the ground work for a better, community affirming, development. If City Council goes ahead with these PLUM recommended fees, particularly the fee for any environmental challenge, our voice to preserve and enhance our community will be effectively silenced. It will be PAY TO SAY. The source of this proposal is Mayor Garcetti’s CAO, Ricard Llewellyn. Please contact the Mayor, Vince Bartoni, the head of Planning, and your councilperson to object to the fee hike which will silence your voice and prevent you, WAHA and others from participating in the creation of a better City and compliance with the law (the California Environmental Quality Act). No date has been scheduled at this time for the re-hearing. Please watch our Facebook page for further information.
Stop “Pay to Say”
Bishop residence, WAHA.
August 20, 2017
Photos: Reggie Jones, Flo Selfman
– Laura Meyers
Want to learn more about the historic Angelus Rosedale Cemetery and its permanent residents? We invite your participation as a volunteer or as a tour visitor on Saturday, September 23, at the annual Living History Tour, "The Artist’s Way: Poets and Painters, Singers, Songwriters and Artists." This year’s tour will evoke three centuries of music, from early ragtime and barbershop tunes to New Orleans jazz and Harlem Stride Piano, along with swing, jive and, later, Mod/Ska. You’ll also meet two Plein Air landscape painters; the daughter of a Civil War general who became an author and poet; a trailblazing photographer who bore an uncanny resemblance to Theodore Roosevelt; a Welsh poet/bard who later supervised the gardens at New York’s Central Park; and a dancer who appeared in Duke Ellington’s groundbreaking "Jump for Joy." If you would like to lend a hand with the event, please e-mail us at tours@westadamsheritage.org. We still can use more volunteers to help us with set-up (this task is for early risers: we start at 7 a.m.), strike the sets (starting at the noon hour), and many myriad tasks. Or, tickets are still available if you would prefer to take the tour. Advance reservations only: WAHA members, $24 (two tickets only at this price) General admission, $30 (Children under 12 free) After September 12 all tickets are $35 Learn more, and purchase tickets, at: www.WestAdamsHeritage.org
Tombstone photos: Laura Meyers and Don Lynch
Maria Harbeson Tomb from Find A Grave.
Blanche Coffin from Find A Grave.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
As your erstwhile Living History Tour Committee was, ahem, plotting our walking path for this year’s event through the Angelus Rosedale cemetery a week or so ago, we stumbled across a grave marker entitled "Graves." No, it wasn't a noun or description. The person beneath the ground was named "Graves". We tried to bury our amusement, but instead the marker got us to thinking.... If there are Graves in our favorite historical burial grounds, are there also Coffins? Well, yes. A lot of them. Some 17 Coffins, in fact, permanently reside at Angelus Rosedale (admittedly, not as many as the 26 people named Graves.) The Coffin family hails originally from Nantucket in Colonial times. Here in Los Angeles, the lovely Blanche Idell Terry Coffin (born 1893, or perhaps 1882; died 1938) apparently lied about her age, and we are not sure why, since she was not celebrated like her actor kin, Tristram Coffin. He was the infamous "dead man walking" from early television, an often-told tale about the "corpse" who got up and walked out of a scene on live TV (thinking he was off camera). And then there is Maria. Every year WAHA's Living History Tour visitors stroll past a tomb-shaped monument that is labeled "Tomb Harbeson." It's imposing, it's by the side of a road, and for a long time we thought it simply was Harbeson's tomb. But no, it is the monument for Thomas Tomb, Maria G. Harbeson Tomb, and their family. As a bonus, we also found one Deadman: Charles Deadman, a 20-year-old native of Detroit at the time of his death.
WAHA in the News
Photo: Jesse Saucedo for The Eastsider.
Curbed Los Angeles recently featured Make Jefferson Beautiful in How one LA community is uniting to transform Jefferson Boulevard
I am writing this message after a pleasant few days exploring the western section of Florida's Panhandle. It's been a pleasant surprise to discover the many historic landmarks and districts in the area that illustrate Florida’s complex history and which add a visual connection to this fascinating history. Talking to members of these communities, I am also aware of how much work needed to be done by local volunteers to get these often underappreciated areas the attention that they deserve. The newly reinvigorated pride and optimism that I observed here was more than a little reminiscent of our own pride in our historic West Adams community. Volunteer organizations everywhere seem to have more than a few battles to fight. The proposed increased fee to file an appeal to an astonishing $13,000.00+ would prohibit the concerns of WAHA and other nonprofits from being heard in the future. If this is approved all except the most affluent communities would lose their voice in appealing the most damaging of the misguided proposals we so often see. Please let your council members know how you feel about this proposal. Finally, with the Living History Tour at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery coming up the end of September, let's contact our friends and neighbors to see if they can participate – especially those who have not yet experienced volunteering for the tour or taking the tour, so they, too, can enjoy the experience this year. The Living History Tour always exceeds people's expectations and is always well done and a great experience.
In Memoriam: Daniel T. Munoz
Most people who are preservationists are happy taking historic homes tours and, just maybe, showing up for a public hearing or two. But that was not enough for longtime WAHA member Daniel “Danny” Munoz, who also served as president of the Associated Historical Societies of Los Angeles County and was a co-founder of the Echo Park Historical Society. Before Munoz passed away unexpectedly in July after a brief battle with a previously undiagnosed cancer, he also had collected an 8,000-volume library and archive focused on Southern California history; served as president of the Los Angeles City Historical Society; restored (with his husband and partner of 37 years, David Hiovich) a Victorian home in Angelino Heights; served on the HPOZ board there; and was a board member of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park. Munoz simply had enthusiasm and zeal for Los Angeles history and all of those, including WAHA, who worked hard to protect it. As his obituary in the Los Angeles Times noted: “Danny was a passionate believer in the civic groups that preserve L.A.'s cultural and architectural history.” And Gerald Gubatan, Planning Deputy for CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo, observed: “I am deeply saddened to learn about Danny’s passing. I have visited his beautifully restored Victorian house, always had thoughtful exchanges about his passion for historic preservation, and enjoyed being with such a kind-hearted, genuinely loving and community-oriented individual.” About four years ago, Danny was interviewed by the L.A. City Planning Department about the beginnings of the Angelino Heights HPOZ. He said, “I think the thing that brings us together is getting to know your neighbors. If you’re not a preservationist, at least you get to learn what others are doing and before you know it, you have something in common.” Danny Munoz did more than that. By his involvement with multiple preservation and historical organizations he got to know thousands of his Los Angeles neighbors, and at the same time giving us some of the tools we needed to learn about and conserve L.A. history.
February 20, 1949 - July 12, 2017
The grand opening of a crosswalk on Jefferson Boulevard near Leslie N. Shaw Park. Photo: Audrey Arlington
Benefactor Circle Lore Hilburg and Reggie Jones Patron Circle Craig Bartelt & Nick Mercado Ellen Farwell John Kurtz Hilary & A.J. Lentini Blake McCormick Ivy Pochoda & Justin Nowell Maryanne Sawoski Heritage Circle Edy & George Alva John H. Arnold & Curt Bouton Barbara Bestor & Tom Stern David Bottjer & Sarah Bottjer Jean Cade Robert Cresswell Lisa Ellzey & Jeff (Ulrik) Theer Friends of Hazy Moon Zen Center Amanda & Tomas Jegeus Marina Moevs & Steven Peckman Jim & Janice Robinson David Saffer Elvie Tuttle
Transitioning from Paper to Digital
As you know, one of our major goals this calendar year is to transition the WAHA Newsletter from the printed document you’ve received in the mail to one you are able to read online. By now, most if not all of you have had a chance to review the digital version of the newsletter. This digital format is now the primary newsletter version and will be the source material for the printed version AND it includes FULL-COLOR photographs and many bonus features that the printed version will not have. The bonus content in the digital version includes: The ability to link directly to other online content such as photographs, articles and websites for more content, including the WAHA website. Click and enlarge FULL COLOR photographs for easy viewing or to see additional photographic content. Download the newsletter to any device and take it with you wherever you go. Allows printing of multiple copies of specific articles or the whole newsletter if you desire in FULL COLOR. An interactive document that will allow members to participate and share information, events and resources. This new digital format is much less expensive to produce and deliver to WAHA to members, both from a financial and manpower perspective. Every print copy of the newsletter costs roughly $1.70 to produce and about $1.50 to mail. Sending the newsletter in digital format saves the organization between $1,000 to $1,500 each month or approximately $13,000 per year. In terms of the total budget for the organization, printing the newsletter consumes approximately 70% or more of most members’ annual dues. In addition to the financial cost, a considerable amount of volunteer labor and time are required to prepare, label, seal, stamp and mail each newsletter to members. The financial and man-hour savings by not printing the newsletter can be reinvested in preservation efforts, additional web site improvements, tours or events. The Communications Committee is now consistently producing and sending the newsletter electronically to every member with an email address. If for some reason you’re not receiving the electronic format (Do we have your current correct email address?) or if you’d like to only receive the digital edition and opt out of receiving the paper edition, please contact me at news@westadamsheritage.org. As a reminder, you will receive the electronic format through a download email. Thanks Reggie Jones
Preservation Circle
Board of Directors
Officers Roland Souza, President 323-804-6070 Jean Frost Vice-President, Preservation Suzanne Henderson 323-731-3900 Vice-President, Events Laura Meyers 323-868-0854 Vice-President, Communications Jean Cade, Treasurer 323-737-5034 Paula Brynen, Secretary 323-936-7285 Board Members SeElcy Caldwell 323-292-8566 Jim Childs 213-747-2526 Kim Calvert 310-633-4117 Lore Hilburg 323-934-4443 Lisa Raymond 323-241-9657 Tours Coordinator Jeff Theer 323-964-9999 Candy Wynne 323-735-3749 President Emeritus John Kurtz 323-481-1753 Advisor Harold Greenberg Legal Advisor 323-732-9536
Greg Hubach Anthony Matt & Jennifer Gabriele Ana & Eric Orvieto
Harry Anderson & Terry Bible Audrey Arlington Albert Aubin Jeffrey & Patricia Baum Paula & Paul Brynen James Cain & Thomas Teves Clare & Michael Chu Rory Cunningham & David Pacheco Art Curtis & Shelley Adler Nicholas Daum Suzanne Dickson & Steven Stautzenbach Andrea Dunlop & Max Miceli Nazelie Elmassian Sarah and Charles Evans Craig Fajnor Elizabeth Fenner & Brian Robinson Jean Frost & Jim Childs Sharon Hartmann Donald & Suzanne Henderson Sophie Jefferies Patricia Karasick & Christopher McKinnon Kevin Keller & Marc Choueiti Paul King & Paul Nielsen Adrienne & Blake Kuhre Daniel Lockwood & Barrett Crake Los Angeles Conservancy, Linda Dishman Cassandra Malry & Thom Washington Joseph McManus & Lara Elin Soderstrom JoAnn Meepos & Steven Edwards Vern Menden & Paulo Ribeiro Sharon Oxborough Gail D. Peterson Mary Power & Librada Hernandez Judy Reidel & Al Hamburger Walter Rivers, Jr. Donna & Mark Robertson, Sr. Amy Ronnebeck & Alan Hall Caroline Sallenbach Debbie & Stan Sanders Lisa Schoening Rebecca Sekulich Mary Shaifer & Chris Murphy Chris Taylor & Ansley Bell Willie Thomas Stephen Vincent & Jessica McCullagh Lindsay Wiggins Candy Wynne Ashley Wysong & Robert Lobato
New Members
WAHA (and Friends) Calendar West Adams Avenues Jazz and Music Festival Friday, September 1st through Sunday, September 3rd 6:30 -11:00 p.m. 7th Avenue just north of Adams Free The 27th Annual Living History Tour Saturday, September 23, 2017 Angelus Rosedale Cemetery Tours depart from 9 a.m. until Noon Tickets by advance reservation only: WAHA members, $24 (two tickets only at this price) General admission, $30 (Children under 12 free) After September 12 all tickets are $35 For more information: Phone: 323-909-WAHA, email: tours@westadamsheritage.org Vintage Halloween Party Saturday, October 28, 2017 8:00 p.m. 2957 Brighton Avenue Put on your spookiest or prettiest costume and come join WAHA for a party. Robin and Dieter have wonderful Halloween surprises (including a vintage hearse) planned for WAHA 's enjoyment.
