VINTAGE POSTCARDS FROM SHINE GALLERY LA

I bought these vintage postcards at Shine Gallery in the old farmer's market in Los Angeles, also the home of another favorite, Littlejohn's Candies. Shine gallery has the most amazing, extensive inventory of novelties, trinkets, little toys and gifts, all from the 1920's-1970's, the kinds of things you may have bought as a child with your allowance at a shop that sold penny candy, comic books, magazines, greeting cards and novelties and may have had a soda fountain and ice cream counter. Such places still existed when I was a child in the 1970's. These postcards show custom cars designed and built by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the leader of Kalifornia Kustom Kar Kulture. I love the 1960's beach party movies and I remember seeing some on television when I was a pre-teen that were truly surrealistic, with bizarre space-alien, sea monster and ghost subplots which were obviously influenced by or expressive of the kustom kulture. 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

Some of the reinstalled galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are now open and some are still in progress. The groovy (literally) installation of the art of ancient America will probably need to be redesigned within a decade. The new galleries for German Expressionist art are smooth, dark and lovely (might make it past the decade mark). I'm praying to god (the board of directors) that the old master galleries will incorporate furniture and decorative arts. Installation in progress looks hopeful (my photos below).

GETTY VILLA

We visited the Getty Villa in Malibu, California, my first time there (to the Getty Villa). The buildings, gardens and site are magnificent and there are remarkable things within. I am amazed, but not surprised, that some critics derided it as Disney-like kitsch when it opened. Of course, for me there is no such thing as kitsch, even Disney is deadly serious (seriously). The design was directed by Norman Neuerburg with a great deal of input by Mr. Getty himself . An extraordinary amount of handcraftsmanship was utilized in carrying out the design (coloful mosaics, intricate plasterwork, exquisite wall paintings, rich marble veneers). In a 1975 article, published in volume IV of Classical America, soon after the completion of the museum, Neuerburg recounted that "the initial reaction of the local critics, none capable of judging what had been done, was essentially negative, ranging from just unkind to downright vitriolic, and unfortunately their comments were picked up around the world and repeated by other equally unimaginative people."  He also noted though, that "the public, fortunately, doesn't pay too much attention to what critics say and the Museum has become impressively popular with visitors."

DELMAN EXHIBITION AT FIT

I'm afraid the Delman shoe exhibition at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology here in New York has closed but you can still check out the online exhibition. I just had to post this photo of these circa 1960 booties. The show was curated by students in the master's degree program at FIT, of which I am a graduate.

D. GETSON EASTERN EMBROIDERY, LOS ANGELES

While in Los Angeles recently I was excited to see the sign of D. Getson Eastern Embroidery and insisted that we pull over to take a photo. The Getson atelier is known amongst fashion people as the creator of lavish beaded and sequined embroideries for James Galanos, like the incredible bodice below of a gown at vintage fashion source Decades. I bit more about Getson at the Kent State University Museum, which I visited in the past year. 

COLONIAL KITCHEN, SAN MARINO, LOS ANGELES

Before going to the Huntington Gardens in San Marino we had lunch at the Colonial Kitchen where I spotted this cute painting. The painting is actually a very "continental" note in a restaurant which is otherwise a timewarp of Americana circa 1960, the decor, the food and the patrons.  You can see pictures of the menu and food at Biggest Menu.  In a private dining room there was a large group of white- and blue-haired ladies playing cards. We loved it. 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES

The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles has lots of interesting things to see including a fabulous gallery of gems and minerals and an insectarium that includes enormous, shocking, live insects. In the California history gallery I particularly like this positively Dali-esque cart. This is not a surrealist sculpture or a Hollywood movie prop but an actual wooden cart from the period of Spanish rule in California.

ALEXANDRA VON FURSTENBURG SHOP, LOS ANGELES

I was pleasantly surprised by Alexandra von Furstenburg's home furnishings store/gallery in Los Angeles. One might wonder what she has going for her other than a name and lots of money, and her designs borrow heavily from 1970s style, riding a fashionable wave that may have crested--in my opinion, but she more than manages to pull off a look that is chic and oddly thoughtful at the same time.  Perhaps it is just the white California light or perhaps she recognizes that sometimes you just need a neon-colored lucite desk or accessory to finish, or start, your room. Her furniture and furnishings have interesting contrasts of  tone and density, with thick slabs of color playing against thin lines of light and a well considered combination of disco and conceptual art sensibilities. Despite the hard edges the whole look is surprisingly unpretentious. Again, maybe it was just the light but she really seems to get it right.

GARDENS IN BEVERLY HILLS

Greystone, in Beverly Hills, is a 1926 English late gothic/early renaissance style house surrounded by Italian renaissance/mannerist style gardens. Built by the Doheny family the property is now owned by the city of Beverly Hills and the gardens are a free public park. The house itself no longer has it's original furnishings and is rented out as a location for weddings, film shoots etc. On previous trips to Los Angeles I have visited the Virginia Robinson Gardens and the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden, both also in Beverly Hills--one could spend an entire day visiting these three sites and get a great idea of old (and beautiful and cultured) Los Angeles .  

Easter

I returned to New York from two weeks in Los Angeles recently and I have lots of stuff to post from the trip. Easter seems like a good day to start posting with pictures from the Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, magnificent on the outside and inside.