Pasadena Museum of History Archives

The first page of a huge book of maps called the Sanborn Maps.

I'm researching to write a book, and one of the characters is an archivist. So I went over to the archives at the Pasadena Museum of History. I thought it would be a fun way to learn how archiving is done. I decided to research my home and street to get an idea.

I knew where to find some of the materials I wanted. There's plenty right there in the reading room that you can look at. It'll take me ages to get through it all—delightful, nerdy ages. You can also tell an archivist what you're looking for and they'll help you find more great resources. You can research anything about Pasadena history.

This is the City Directory from, I believe, 1939. The C.F. Lamb Funeral Home offered definite pluses, especially the "Lady Attendant." I assume that the building, at the corner of Orange Grove and Los Robles, has always been a funeral home. It was the Avalon Funeral Home when I moved to Pasadena in 2005. Recently, the Avalon business has vacated the premises and the building is for sale. Next time you drive by, look up. There's a lovely weathervane.

Put some cash in the donation box and this book can get a special protective cover.

For a break, I found a shady spot on the grounds of the Museum. You could do worse.

And yes, I had fun.

The Archives are open Thursday through Sunday from 1-4 pm. No appointment is necessary. Enter the parking lot on Walnut just east of Orange Grove, take the elevator to the lower level of the museum building (not the Fenyes Mansion), and you're there.

(Oh and just by the way, by the by, off hand, as an afterthought, as it were: the Museum Store has 3 copies of Act As If and one of Camelot & Vine. When you buy the books there a portion of the money goes to the Museum.)

What would you like to research?

Litfest Pasadena 2015

Come on down and join us in the Playhouse District on May 9th. We're going to have ourselves a Litfest!

Litfest is Pasadena's annual celebration of literature. Starting in the late morning and continuing into the night, there will be panels about everything from poetry to mystery, memoir to YA. I'll be on the "Adventures in Self-Publishing" panel at 4pm at Vroman's upstairs. PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS A TIME CHANGE.

Or spend the whole day in the District. Check out the area restaurants and shops. Listen to all the panels you can get to. Meet the authors and buy their books at Vroman's. As for my books, Vroman's already has Act As If in stock, and for the weekend of Litfest they'll have Camelot & Vine as well.

Just so's you know: if you can't come to Litfest there's always Amazon, but let's buy local when we can. You can buy both of my books at Hoopla! in Altadena and the Flintridge Bookstore in La Canada, and you can get Act As If at the Pasadena Museum of History Store. 

Better than a Kegger

Back when I was in college, when you wanted to have a party you purchased a keg of beer and some plastic cups, then played LPs until everyone passed out on the sofa. That was fun, but I wanted to host a more grown-up party for the official launch of my book, Act As If: Stumbling Through Hollywood with Headshot in Hand. 

I kept the invitation list small because my overwhelming wealth is overwhelming in the wrong way, and I thought I couldn't afford to feed a lot of people. It turns out we had plenty. If you want some crappy wine, come on over and sit on the porch with us. We're serving even the Cabernet on ice.

So it's official. Act As If, a humorous look at the life of a journeyman actor in Hollywood (journeyman as in "not famous") is on its way to being what it's going to be.

There were a lot of people to thank, and I'd like to thank them again here:

• The Pasadena Musem of History, where we were so comfortably accommodated in air-conditioned splendor and where my guests were invited to view the exhibits as a bonus. 
• Richard Gilbert-Hill, editor of the ActorsInk newsletter at Nowcasting.com, which spawned my column, Act As If, which spawned the book. Richard is an actor, writer and voice coach. He wrote the book's beautiful foreword.
• Liz Hanley, theatrical agent at Bicoastal Talent. Liz and I go way back. She makes the book possible as much as Richard does, and she's a character throughout the book.
• Greta Hanley, commercial agent at Bicoastal Talent. Without commercial auditions, some of the wildest essays would not have been possible.
• Paula Johnson, who designed the book. The cover is great, the interior is great, and Paula is great.
• Along with Liz, the book was blurbed by Kat Likkel (writer/producer, My Name is Earl, Galavant), Fran Montano (artistic director, the Actors Workout Studio), Rick Hall (actor, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Jane Macfie (actor, The Mindy Project). These people took the time to read and comment for the cover.
• The actors, casting directors, producers and friends who contributed their stories and support. I don't think a book can be made by one person alone.

And John Sandel, my beta reader, editor, co-teacher, husband and friend, without whom nothing is possible.

You can find both Act As If: Stumbling Through Hollywood with Headshot in Hand and Camelot & Vine at Hoopla! in Altadena, Flintridge Bookstore in La Canada, the Pasadena Museum of History gift shop and, soon, Vroman's in Pasadena. If you're far away there's always Amazon, where the book is available in paperback or for your Kindle.

Pasadena History

If you're a Pasadena history afficionado, two new exhibits at the Pasadena Museum of History are for you.

Try your wits against Ann Erdman, who curated the Mystery History exhibit. She poses the question, "Where are we? And what's happening?" pairing photos and items from the Museum's collection.

You know this one, surely? I hadn't known this had been saved I was thrilled to see it in person.

In the opposite gallery is Pasadena Pursuit, curated by Dan McLaughlin. Dan tests your knowledge of Pasadena trivia. Photos, historic items and ephemera are on display to enhance your experience (and maybe help you come up with the answer).

I was fortunate to go to the opening night reception. And what a photo op this was! I'm missing Dan, who was off being adored by his fans. But I've got three top Pasadena historians right here: Ann Erdman, Sidney Gally and Michele Zack. The history of the Dena is recorded in their many fine works. We're fortunate to have such dedicated author/researchers in our midst.

The Pledge of Independents

photo by John Sandel

Lately there's been a good deal of backlash against Amazon.com. The company's been called a "bully" for holding a hard line against giant publishing companies to keep ebook prices low. Probably for other things, too, I don't know. Let's face it. Amazon is BIG.

But this is a Goliath vs. Goliath fight. New York publishing companies are monumental and impenetrable, unless you're Janet Evanovich or Stephen King or another household name.

The publishing industry is pretty scared of Amazon, and you hear a lot of "if we let 'em get away with it, they'll own the industry" kind of stuff. I don't know if that's true, but so far Amazon hasn't "gotten away with" anything illegal. In fact, it was the publishing companies who got their hands slapped by a judge for price fixing and collusion.

Now, thanks to the Abbey Bookshop in Paris, there's a Pledge of Independents, to "recruit readers, writers and bookshops worldwide in the defense of diversity and fair practices in the book trade." 

"As a bookseller wanting to take the Pledge, you promise to not buy or sell any books through Amazon or its affiliates. Moreover, you are expected to give costumers (sic) that have taken the Pledge a 5 % discount..."

As a customer, "You can take the pledge if you believe in supporting independent bookshops and if you agree that most of your books should come from independent bookshops - and that no business that is dominating the market should get your support." 

This disturbs me.

I don't defend Amazon, they can take care of themselves. I defend the independent author/publisher like myself, and small publishers who publish only a few titles per year. Local independent bookstores don't always carry our books. My locals have been supportive, and I appreciate it. But most readers are not aware that it costs me actual money to shelve my book in many stores, and more actual money to get a reading/signing.

There's good reason for this. Everybody and his brother can publish a book right now. This, by the way, is thanks to Amazon's CreateSpace and other reputable self-publishing sites like Lulu and Blurb, as well as hybrid publishers like SheWrites Press and Lucky Bat Books.

But small publishers are not on the same playing field as the big New York guys.

In the old days (like, 5 years ago), if you didn't have famous parents or if some junior gatekeeper in publishing didn't think your book would sell, you didn't have a chance of getting published. (This explains conventionally published, grammar-free semi-porn, as well as the "literary fiction" that's really just tales told in a dull voice and a bad mood.)

Today, if you're willing to work hard to write, publish and sell your book, you can. If you're online. If you're on Amazon.

But you can't get your book into most stores, independent or not. It doesn't matter how well-reviewed your book is. I can't walk into stores around the world and pay them to stock my titles. I can't afford the travel and stocking fees. Even if I could, most stores would refuse because they don't have the space to stock everything.

If I can't sell my book online, I can't sell it.

I suggest you support your local store when you can. If you are in the Pasadena area, you can buy Camelot & Vine at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse, Hoopla! in Altadena, and the Pasadena Museum of History gift shop (it'll be back at Vroman's soon).

If you don't live in Pasadena, please buy my book from the bully.

Hometown Books

Books are like clothes. Not everything fits every person. I like to try on a book before I buy it.

I'm feeling support from local booksellers. Vroman's has books by local authors displayed up front, on the Colorado Blvd. side. The Pasadena Museum of History gift store has a local authors section. Webster's Fine Stationers in Altadena has been supportive from the beginning. They're big boosters of all local talent. The Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeeshop is the latest store to stock my novel, Camelot & Vine.

If you're setting out on your own publishing venture, you need to know that you pay for not all, but some of this support. You're going to have some of the same costs traditional publishers have, on a lesser scale. It's reasonable, when you think about it.

The Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeeshop has a Local Authors display right up by the front door. I want to make sure you don't have any trouble finding Camelot & Vine in this gorgeous store, so I took some pictures. This is the new, refurbished, relocated Flintridge Bookstore located at 1010 Foothill Blvd. Plenty of parking behind the building.

Local Authors and Book Club picks are together in one section, which is convenient because Camelot & Vine (am I giving you enough links?) was written by a local author (me) and it's a 2014 pick for Brown Bags & Books, Flintridge Bookstore's in-house book club.

 

I paid for the shelf-talker and furnished the information. The store's staff made judicious and excellent edits, printed it out with a picture of the book's cover, and thought to print the book club information in bold type. They have been incredibly helpful, and I love their personal touches.

Honestly, that's true of all these stores. That's why you shop locally.

I'm no dummy. If you're not in the Pasadena area, please do buy Camelot & Vine online. I want you to read and enjoy it no matter where you get it. I like shopping in my hometown, though, where I can hold the product in my hands and feel its heft. And try it on for size, so I don't have to return it if it doesn't fit.

Live Blogging: It's Our Birthday!

I'm Love Live Blogging today from Pasadena's 127th birthday party at the Pasadena Museum of History. Come by! Cake at 3:00.

I'm not the only blogger:

Patrizzi Intergarlactica and I are focused.

Roberta Martinez of Pasadena Latina, and Rachael Faught of GlassofWin.com.

Left Coast Literary

I love this photo of Pamela Tartaglio. I took it yesterday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of books. I don't usually think of myself as much of a portrait photographer. It helps when you have a good model.

Pam is the 2013 Past President of Women Writing the West, and the current Chair of Women Writing the West’s WILLA Literary Awards. She's writing a novel set in 1894 in Cripple Creek, Colorado, sometimes called the world’s greatest gold camp. She also blogs at Past and Present With Pamela, and she's a docent at the Pasadena Museum of History where, ahem, Camelot & Vine is stocked in the gift store.

To get to the Festival, Margaret Finnegan (you should click that link) and I took the Metro Gold Line to Union station, where we actually found the free bus that took us to the USC Campus. Our goal was to have fun, find new and different books, meet authors, and (thrills!) sign more copies of Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition, at the Prospect Park Books booth.

The big six publishers: Simon & Schuster, Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Penguin Group were not at the Festival, unless you want to count the fact that Penguin owns Author Solutions and Author Solutions had about 20 booths. I kid you not. Google them to find out why this could be, maybe, not great. I don't know why the big six didn't come. Maybe the west coast is not their thing.

You can get your signed copies of Literary Pasadena today at the Festival any time, and/or meet some of the authors between 12pm and 1pm. There are a lot of authors in this book! Probably someone you know. The Prospect Park booth (#63) isn't big enough for all of us, so I got my shot Saturday and I won't be there today because I am pooped!

I Do!

When I walked into the Pasadena Museum of History and made a right turn into the exhibit room, I gasped.

I'm not going to show you what I saw because you need to see it for yourself.

The current exhibit is called I Do! I Do! Pasadena Ties the Knot, 1850 to 1950, Part I. Yes, there will be a part II! This one surprises with its 1800s charm and 1920s glam. Look at the buttons on the dress above. Special, aren't they? Yes, and the buttonholes are hand-sewn. In fact the whole dress was stitched by hand, for a young bride with an 18-inch waist.

Jeannette Bovard, Media Consultant for the Museum, took me through the exhibit, instructing me on styles through the ages and pointing out the special dresses (pretty much all of them). The wedding dress worn by Susie Markham, niece of Governor Henry Markham, is so fragile that it might never be displayed again. Another dress from the 1920's had to be laid flat because the docents feared the heavy beads would tear the fabric with their weight.

Wednesdays are free at the Museum if you live, work or are a student in any of the following local communities: Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Glendale, Highland Park, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena and Temple City.  Please mention this offer and show some form of i.d. when you get your tickets in the Museum Store.

  

Or go Thursday or Sunday and have a docent tour (I recommend it, some of the docents even curated this exhibit, and they know the intricate details). Prices, times, and other details are here.

When you're finished ooh-ing and aah-ing at the dresses, satin shoes, period photos and other wedding finery, stop back in at the Museum Store. My book, Camelot & Vine, is now in stock there and I would like very much for them to have to order more.

Theme Day: Water's Edge

 sometimes the watershed is wet

Conveniently timed with City Daily Photo's theme day, Pasadena's Department of Water and Power**, in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of History, is launching a free exhibit at the Central Library entitled, Celebrating Pasadena's Water Centennial.

We live at the "water's edge" in Pasadena and that edge is receding, so I'm grateful for this extended opportunity to learn about where we stand.

  sometimes the watershed is dry

City Daily Photo has a new website! I used to give you a count of our worldwide members, but when we lost our previous site we lost our main way of staying in contact. And apparently many of those blogs were not active. Right now, Julie from Sydney, Australia is working with Peter from Sunshine Coast Daily Photo (also in Oz, thanks for the corrections, folks) to put it all back together. As of today's count, they had re-recruited 211* active blogs.


*see Julie's comments
**see Ann's comment

PMH Super Twofer

Two new exhibits at the Pasadena Museum of History are well worth your visit.

You're going to love the enthralling Pacific Electric Railway, Then and Now, an exhibit of memorabilia and "then and now" photos based on the book by Steve Crise and Michael Patris. Crise took the exquisite "now" pictures with more than expertise: he added care and wit. Not satisfied to simply position his camera to correspond exactly with the "then" photos, Crise went to the trouble to take his photographs at the same time of day so shadows would correspond. He added witty touches as well, even waiting for the time on a clock to be the same in one photo as it was back then.

Oh and note the detail of the train crossing gate above. A delicious touch.

Tasty in a whole different way (like a banana split with a whiskey chaser) is What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been: 35 Years of the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade. Just across the hall from the trains you'll find photos, costumes, signs, and uh, stuff, collected from past Doo Dah Parades. I wish my photo of the crowns of past Doo Dah queens had worked! That is some fab headgear.

Doo Dah is our own mini-Burning Man, Pasadena's hand-made, knee-jerk reaction to the Tournament of Roses. There may be other events like it, but they probably haven't had a lot of museum coverage. Bravo to the PMH for proclaiming Doo Dah as part of Pasadena's history, which of course it is. My only concern is the exhibit may legitimize Doo Dah, and I would hate for that to happen.

We Are Young

Our birthday party yesterday was grand. Many of Pasadena's well-loved dignitaries were there for the synchronized cake-cutting. We had music, classic cars, booths starring local businesses, face painting--all the fun stuff.

But the star of the party was the cake. Uh, cakes. Seven cakes.

Everyone who was willing to stand in line got a piece. I'm too impatient, and I'll bet I'm not the only one.

We Are Old!

Big, big doings today for the Pasadenish because it's our 126th birthday.

We're having our party from 12-4 pm at the Pasadena Museum of History (free admission, free parking). There will be art, music, antique cars and more. In honor of this year's Olympics, the Synchronized Cake Cutting will be held at 3pm, officiated by Mayor Bill Bogaard.

Many organizations sponsor the event. A big co-sponsor is Pasadena Water and Power (a super important entity in this part of the world), and this year the cakes (also super important) come from Vons.

Everybody gets a free piece of cake. Everybody. You are Pasadenish. Come and get your cake.

Helen Lukens Gaut

They've got this great photography exhibit at the Pasadena Museum of History. I'm sorry to spring this on you at the last minute but it's closing, so you have to go today.

Helen Lukens Gaut was a self-taught photographer and journalist who lived in Pasadena and Highland Park in the early 20th Century. Her father, Theodore Parker Lukens, was mayor of Pasadena. Twice. The family's Victorian home still stands on N. El Molino.

Gaut loved Pasadena architecture and photographed a lot of it. She even designed a bungalow and apparently one, or some, of her designs were built in Bungalow Heaven.

I wish there had been a book based on the exhibit so I could take it around with me and compare the then to the now. That's probably too expensive an undertaking for our small and homey museum. The museum shop's book section is impressive, though--they carry books about Pasadena history I had once thought hard to find, including some about the native Tongva, architecture, etc. I bought a book by Ann Scheid called Downtown Pasadena's Early Architecture. That's right up my refurbished, Old Town alley.

I feel a kinship with Helen Lukens Gaut. She was born in Rock Falls, Illinois, not far from where I grew up in DeKalb. She loved to write and take photos (moi aussi), she loved to travel (that's me) and she was interested in architecture (me again). And she died the year I was born. Somehow that doesn't surprise me. It's certainly not reincarnation. I might just call it carrying on.

Photographic History

the Curtin House at Pasadena Museum of History

In conjunction with the exhibition Southern California’s Evolving Landscape: The Photography of Helen Lukens Gaut (1872-1955) at the Pasadena Museum of History through Feburary 26, the Museum is offering some pretty cool photography workshops next month. Three different teachers, three different workshops, three different perspectives.

Saturday, February 4: Working the Angles with James Staub,
Photo Services Specialist, California Institute of Technology
Staub will focus on what he calls "Moving the furniture around" -- framing the scene, dealing with lighting to your advantage, color balance and other methods to enliven a photo through simple changes to your camera and yourself.
Participants will meet at the Information Kiosk in the East entrance of Pasadena City Hall.

Saturday, February 18: The Basics of Composition with Ibarionex Perello,
Adjunct professor at Art Center College of Design and author of the bestselling book, Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography with Available Light
Perello's workshop will teach students to improve their compositions. You will learn how to carefully consider what to include and exclude from the frame as well as how brightness, contrast, sharpness, patterns, and color saturation shape how we create and see photographs.
This workshop will take place in Curtin House at Pasadena Museum of History.

Saturday, February 25: Phoneshots with Eliot Crowley, Santa Barbara-based commercial photographer
The best camera is the one you have with you. As Eliot says, “It’s not the camera, it is the photographer.” In just a couple of hours you'll learn some of the capabilities of your phone camera. Be ready at a moment’s notice to make the image, set up the composition and lighting to flatter your subject just by pulling your phone out of your pocket.  Equipment needed:  Cellular phone with camera.
This workshop will take place on the Colorado Street Bridge. Participants should park on Grand Avenue and meet at the East entrance to the Bridge.


Museum Members, $25 per session; Non-Members, $30 per session; Museum Members, $60 for all three workshops; Non-Members, $75 for all three workshops.
Reservations are required. Call 626.577.1660, ext. 10.

I've never gone wrong at the PMH. They're cool people who care about offering quality programs.

Curtain Time at PMH

If you've got a hankering for something to do today, it's a Free Day from 1:00-4:00pm at the Pasadena Museum of History.

Free music, free ice cream and a free play reading of "History Lit" from Unbound Productions (starting at 2:00pm) all make this a good day to be on the Museum grounds.

They're probably not going to let you inside the Fenyes Mansion where I took this photo (yikes) three years ago. Soon, however, the refurbishment will be finished. The mansion was already glorious. Just imagine how much moreso it's going be.

Happy Birthday, Pasadena

I wasn't the only one photographing the birthday balloons. I couldn't resist.

Yesterday, on the grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History and the adjacent Avery Dennison Corporation, Pasadena held a 125th birthday party for itself. There were antique cars, wonderful bands, high-powered super-drummers, food stands, historic photographs, hat making, a children's area, representatives from the police and fire departments, more music and more food. Despite the June gloom, the crowd didn't seem the least bit morose.

Alas, I promised you cake, or at least a photo of it. Actually what I said in Thursday's comments was, "I hope to make it before anybody messes with that cake." The birthday cake, created by the student pastry chefs at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (about whom we brag at every opportunity) is a depiction of Pasadena's history. Or so I hear.

True to my word, I got there three hours before the cake was scheduled to be messed with, and unfortunately I had to be somewhere else at messing time. But I found the pastry chefs, which is the next best thing to cake.

Okay, not really. Coffee is probably the next best thing to cake. Or the other way around.

I think the chefs had been up since very early. They were applying last-minute sugar-roses and sugar-balloons to their precious cake, which was hidden inside a shadowy tent so I couldn't even sneak a peek, much less a photo. But the chefs were hyped on sugar and coffee amiable, and willing to show me some of what they were working on.

Last year, as well, I met and photographed the chefs. They were a friendly, happy bunch, just as these were.

I ran into Jeannette Bovard, the Museum's Media Consultant, soon after I took this picture. She put forth the theory that when you're always creating festive and delicious works of art, you're bound to be a cheerful person, and of course it's true. Caffeine and sugar come in handy, too.

Sweet History

Our fair city was incorporated in 1886. That means this year is Pasadena's 125th birthday. The big birthday bash is this Saturday, June 11th, at the Pasadena Museum of History.

Last year, for the 124th, we had a cake in the shape of City Hall made by the students at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. This year the students are in the process of topping themselves, creating an edible history of Pasadena in sugar and cake.

Saturday's free event at the museum goes from noon to 7pm and features "nonstop entertainment, activities, and refreshments." Certainly those refreshments will include some of that history-making cake.

Hat People

Last night I went to the Pasadena Museum of History to see the hats.

There was a reception for the Mad for Hats exhibit. Patt Morrison of KPCC was there; she spoke to the crowd and was brilliant as usual (off the cuff!). And everyone was wearing a hat. You don't see a crowd like that every day.

Can I be honest here? I have one hat. It's a straw bowler (boater). I don't know where I got it. (Actually, I have a stocking cap for winter, but I wasn't about to wear that to a fancy reception.) But I'm not a hat person. I didn't think I was interested in this exhibit. I went because my neighbor Linda invited me, and because I made her promise we didn't have to stay long.

But I had fun. I got into it. I love the Pasadena Museum of History, and the hats in the exhibit are gorgeous. It was like being in the most perfect hat store and wanting every other hat on display. The only trouble was I wasn't allowed to try them on.

I left there thinking of something Patt Morrison said: "It's time for hats to come back."

Damn. I might be a hat person after all.

Update April 25, 2011: Due to popular demand, the Mad for Hats exhibit will remain on view through Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Que?

It's been a couple of years since I took this photo of the Curtin House on the grounds of the Pasadena Museum of History. The Curtin House was designed in 1915 by Sylvanus Marston, one of those early architects Pasadena is grateful for.

Today's a good day to post this because I want to wet your whistle for June 11th. The Pasadena Museum of History will be hosting Pasadena's birthday party, like it did last year and like it has many other years except not exactly, because this year is Pasadena's Quasquicentennial. If you want to be precise, Pasadena was incorporated on June 10th, 1886. But we don't need to be precise. We need to have our party on the weekend.

So mark your calendar. There will be cake.