September 18, 5pm to 7pm. Please join us on a fascinating twilight walk through of historic Windsor Square on September 18th from 5:00 to 7:00. Explore the architecture and learn about the current and former residents of this beautiful area right in the center of Los Angeles. This is the second in our new series of walks around Windsor Square and Hancock park with Eleanor Schrader and Bret Parsons. Wear comfortable shoes. You won’t want to miss this.

This event has been SOLD OUT.

Member $50. Non-member $60 (You may pay below with a small Paypal fee)

The Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society

presents

Mansions, Moguls & Movie Stars Twilight Tour

with Eleanor Schrader & Bret Parsons

Please join us September 18th, 2021,  5:00pm – 7:00pm

Refreshments will be Served

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author.  She lectures worldwide on the history of architecture, interiors, and decorative arts and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world.  She has been named a Distinguished Instructor of design history at UCLA Extension.  She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby’s Institute in London and New York and has served as Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills. She is co-author of “Master Architects of Southern California, 1920-1940: Wallace Neff”.

Bret Parsons has written five books, including Colcord Home (2008), the biography of the beloved Southern California architect Gerard Colcord. He is the co-author of books on Paul R. Williams, Roland E.Coate, Gordan B. Kaufmann, and Wallace Neff among others in the Master Architects of Southern California 1920-1940s published by Angel City Press. A residential Realtor, he founded Bret Parsons Real Estate in 2008. He is the founder and executive director of the architectural division of Compass. Bret resides in Los Angeles.

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.

SOLD OUT. Saturday, April 10, 2022, 10:00-Noon. Join us for a walking tour of Los Angeles’ premier Hancock Park enclave with realtor Bret Parsons and architectural historian Eleanor Schrader. You’ll learn the secrets that illuminate this historic HPOZ neighborhood founded in the 1920s by George Allan Hancock. Be regaled with details about its architecture and architects, movie and television filming locations, plus anecdotes about the lavish lifestyles of the famous (and infamous!) personalities who resided here. This tour focuses on Muirfield Road and Rossmore Avenue. Wear comfortable shoes.

$50 Members
$60 Non-Members

SOLD OUT

Join architectural historian Eleanor Schrader and realtor/architectural author Bret Parsons for a spectacular tour of the historic enclaves of greater Hancock Park. Our double-decker bus will guide us down streets filled with beautiful homes as we reveal secrets that illuminate this coveted neighborhood. We’ll regale you with details about its historic revival styles, extraordinary architects (Elmer Grey, Sumner Hunt, Paul R. Williams, Wallace Neff, and others), filming locations including “Sunset Boulevard,” and anecdotes about the lavish lifestyles of famous personalities who inhabited these estates.

Members Tickets are $75

Note that all tours require 48 hours’ cancellation notification for refund. You will be asked to sign a waiver of liability.

A portion of the proceeds benefit Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society.

Upper-deck seats provide a unique view of the homes on our tour.

Additional details to be emailed a couple of days before the tour.

Please, no children, babies, or pets.