Events Calendar
Welcome to the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society Calendar. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.
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| Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society Invites You to Join a FREE ZOOM Webinar The History, Architecture, and Stories of Wilshire Blvd Wednesday September 23 @5pm Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85947603412 PLEASE RSVP GOING? Yes – Maybe – No more options In July, Sharon Boorstin’s article about an architectural driving tour of Wilshire Boulevard appeared in the Los Angeles Times. But the author has much more to say than her 1000-word limit allowed. Join Sharon in a ZOOM presentation covering the history, architecture — and fascinating stories — about the street once known as then “The Fifth Avenue” of Los Angeles. Bring your own memories of Wilshire Boulevard in the past to share. |
 Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle and travel. She has written for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian and Town & Country Travel. Sharon edited guidebooks for cities including Los Angeles, New York and London, and with her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including “Angel of Death” (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002) was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. In 2019 Sharon won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. Sharon’s presentation is based on a July 23, 2020 article she wrote for the Los Angeles Times: “Wilshire Boulevard Architectural Driving Tour.” She will share the history of — and stories behind— the important L.A. landmarks on Wilshire Boulevard between MacArthur Park and Fairfax Boulevard. Remember Bullock’s Wilshire? The Ambassador Hotel? The Wiltern Theater? Bring memories to share during a Q&A at the end.  |
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| Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society Presents The History, Architecture, and Stories of Wilshire Blvd. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85947603412 Meeting ID: 859 4760 3412 One tap mobile +16699006833,,85947603412# US (San Jose) +12532158782,,85947603412# US (Tacoma) Dial by your location +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 859 4760 3412 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k6cMBh9ha Going ? Yes – Maybe – No more options |
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Most of us know Patty from being the recently elected President of The Ebell, proprietor of The Larchmont Buzz, a longtime member of the society, and resident of Fremont Place and She currently serves as a member of the Fremont Place Association Board. During her busy life, she somehow found time to write a book on the origin and history of everyone’s favorite street, Larchmont Boulevard. The book is available at Chevalier’s Book Store and the society and Chevalier are teaming up to help each other out during these odd times. Patty has new photos as well as information not shared in the book previously. With her unique presentation, Patty is happy to sign and personalize each book purchased through the historical society. Each book will be purchased directly by us from Chevalier’s Book Store and hand-delivered by elves directly to your door with your desired personalized greeting in it. Please think of friends and family who may like this sweet gift for Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, etc. Presentation: $10 Presentation + copy of book: $30 (+small paypal fee) Zoom link will be provided after purchase of tickets
Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society
PRESENTS
Larchmont Blvd
by
Patricia Lombard
Wednesday
November 18
@7:00pm
Presentation + copy of book: $30
Just Presentation: $10
(+small paypal fee)
Zoom link will be provided after purchase of tickets
Most of us know Patty from being the recently elected President of The Ebell, proprietor of The Larchmont Buzz, a longtime member of the society, and resident of Fremont Place and She currently serves as a member of the Fremont Place Association Board. During her busy life, she somehow found time to write a book on the origin and history of everyone’s favorite street, Larchmont Boulevard. The book is available at Chevalier’s Book Store and the society and Chevalier are teaming up to help each other out during these odd times. Patty has new photos as well as information not shared in the book previously. With her unique presentation, Patty is happy to sign and personalize each book purchased through the historical society. Each book will be purchased directly by us from Chevalier’s Book Store and hand-delivered by elves directly to your door with your desired it to be personalized. Please think of friends and family who may like this sweet gift for Christmas, Chanukah, birthdays, etc.
Presentation: $10
Presentation + copy of book: $30
(+small paypal fee)
Zoom link will be provided after purchase of tickets
July 7th at 7:00pm. Ken Bernstein, the City Planner for the City of Los Angeles and a national advocate for historic preservation shares how Los Angeles has led the nation in historic preservation and shares how other cities can do the same.
Los Angeles has an image as the “City of the Future”―a city always at the cutting edge of change―but also as a “throwaway metropolis” that cares little about its history or architectural legacy. Yet the reality is quite different. Over the past decade, the City of Los Angeles has developed one of the most successful historic preservation programs in the nation, culminating with the completion of the nation’s most ambitious citywide survey of historic resources.
*$10 Presentation only – Members (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
*$15 Presentation only – Non Members (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
$66 Presentation and hardcover book including shipping, Member price (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
$71 Presentation and hardcover book including shipping, Non-Member price (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
*After your purchase you will be emailed the special presentation link by 6pm the day before the presentation and by 12pm on the day of the presentation.
Presents
Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America’s Cities
by Ken Bernstein
July 7th at 7:00pm
All across the city, historic preservation is now transforming Los Angeles, while also pointing the way to how other cities can use preservation to revitalize their neighborhoods and build community. Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America’s Cities, authored by Ken Bernstein, who oversees Los Angeles’ Office of Historic Resources, tells this under-appreciated L.A. story: how historic preservation has been transforming neighborhoods, creating a Downtown renaissance, and guiding the future of the city.
While it is younger than many East Coast cities, Los Angeles has a remarkable collection of architectural resources in all styles, reflecting the legacy of notable architects from the past 150 years. As one of the most diverse cities in the world, Los Angeles is also breaking new ground in its approach to historic preservation, extending beyond the preservation of significant architecture, to also identify and protect the places of social and cultural meaning to all of Los Angeles’s communities. Preserving Los Angelesilluminates a Los Angeles that will surprise even longtime Angelenos―highlighting dozens of lesser-known buildings, neighborhoods, and places in every corner of the city that have been “found” by SurveyLA, the first-ever city-wide survey of Los Angeles’ historic resources. The text is richly illustrated through images by a prominent architectural photographer, Stephen Schafer. Preserving Los Angeles is an authoritative chronicle of Los Angeles’ urban transformation― and a useful guide for citizens and urban practitioners nationally seeking to draw lessons for their own cities.
Wednesday, September 22nd. 7:00 PM. In 1933, “Fortune” magazine suggested to the American fashion industry that they could benefit from the showmanship demonstrated by the Hollywood designers in order to compete with the French couturiers. The Hollywood designer “Fortune” most praised was Adrian of M-G-M. It was a logical choice as Adrian’s design for Joan Crawford in the 1932 film “Letty Lynton” dominated the fashion industry for the next two years. Join us for Adrian, American Designer, Hollywood Original by Richard Matukonis-Adkins.
$10 Presentation only – Members (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)*
$15 Presentation only – Non Members (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)*
$55 Presentation and electronic book, Member price (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
$60 Presentation and electronic book, Non-Member price (Pay Below with small Paypal fee)
Purchase e-book or additional e-books separately
*After your purchase you will be emailed the special presentation link by 6pm the day before the presentation and by 12pm on the day of the presentation.
The Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society
presents
Adrian, American Designer, Hollywood Original
with author Richard Matukonis-Adkins
Please join us Wednesday, September 22nd. 7:00 PM
Despite offers to go into the retail business as early as 1928, Adrian did not enter the commercial fashion world until 1942, after leaving M-G-M, but taking his fame with him. In 1944 he would win the prestigious Coty Award for fashion design. One of the reasons he did so was his innovative Trompe l’oiel painted imagery on fabric, a tasteful solution to the L-85 fabric restrictions of World War II. So proud of the award was Adrian that he added the line “American Designer” to all his advertisements in the prestigious fashion magazines.
By 1952, he had achieved all his dreams. He was famous, successful, married to a lovely woman, movie star Janet Gaynor, father to a son, Robin, had traveled to Africa, and was working happily in fashion, theatre, and fine art. Unfortunately, a weak heart demanded he give up his fashion business. His “retirement” however, was hardly inactive.
Attendance at a film festival in Brazil in 1952 led the Adrians to build – by hand – a home outside the new capital of Brasilia. They spent half their year in Brazil and half in Los Angeles. Janet made a return to movies in 1957, and Adrian designed his first stage production since 1924, a musical version of his film hit “Grand Hotel”. Dual offers came to Janet and Adrian to continue theatrical work, her to star in “Midnight Sun” with Arthur Hill, and for Adrian to design for the musical which became “Camelot” and for which he was awarded a posthumous Tony Award, shared with Tony Duquette, who completed the production after Adrian suddenly died three months into the assignment.
The nostalgia boom began just a few years after Adrian’s passing, but the surviving pieces of his film work were soon commanding high prices at auctions, with the Judy Garland-worn ruby slippers becoming the most valuable of all movie artifacts. Also, his couturier work began to be presented in museum exhibitions all over the world.
According to their son, Robin, neither Janet nor Adrian dwelt in the past. He would probably be a little surprised at the attention his work still receives, but would nonetheless be pleased about it, I’m sure.
I have studied Adrian and his work for the last two decades, with the result being my book, “Adrian – American Designer, Hollywood Original” and I am pleased to be able to share new information with those familiar with his work and to introduce him to new audiences who know the designer, but not as much about the man.