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ARROYO VOLUME 4 ~ NUMBER 8

M O N T H LY

13 BUNGALOW FEVER 13 THE GREENE & GREENE-ING OF AMERICA Architects Charles and Henry Greene didn’t plan to stay when they first set foot in Pasadena in 1893, but they left a legacy of Craftsman homes so enduring, they speak to the very heart of the city. PLUS: Pasadena-area museums showcase Greene & Greene this fall. –By Michael Cervin

18 BATTY FOR BATCHELDER Everything old is new again for aficionados of Pasadena’s Arts and Crafts tiles. –By Jenine Baines

37 REFLECTIONS ON AN AMERICAN CLASSIC Would the national bungalow revival have been so successful without the influence of Arcadia’s American Bungalow Magazine? Probably not. –By Brenda Rees

40 HOUSES OF COLOR AND LIGHT Artist David Jonason’s “cubism lite” paintings of bungalows help viewers see them in a fresh way. –By Kim Ohanneson

43 THE PIED PIPER OF PASADENA Realtor Tom Murray has led legions of happy clients to purchase the home of their dreams…and revitalize a crumbling community in the process. –By Jenine Baines

46 MANY MOONS PRESS A boutique publisher in Pasadena is a voice for preservation, inspired by Southern California’s unspoiled past. –By Karen Apostolina

DEPARTMENTS 8 FESTIVITIES The Pasadena Museum of History, Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services and more

11 THE ART OF SCIENCE Caltech’s Oded Aharonson has one of the coolest jobs on Mars, but his bosses let him work from his home planet.

49 THE LIST Yoko Ono at One Colorado, “Vanities” at the Pasadena Playhouse, “Wall-E” with JPL in Hollywood and more

52 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Super Chef pops a pot of movie corn for this superhero summer. ABOUT THE COVER: “Blacker House,” David Jonason

ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

Artist David Jonason observes in this issue that images of bungalows are as closely identified with Pasadena as cow skulls are with the American Southwest. His painting of the Blacker House graces the cover of this special issue on bungalows, and perhaps one day we’ll see such images in the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, alongside Georgia O’Keeffe’s deathless renderings of New Mexico. Bungalows were certainly a bellwether of coming social changes when they began multiplying around the dawn of the 20th century. Life perks that had formerly been the sole province of the rich, only then becoming accessible to mere mortals, included such indispensable hallmarks of modern life as the right to retire and the ability to live within the bones of serious architecture. Lo these many years later, bungalows again seem right in step with the times. They may not be the bottom-dollar deals they were at the beginning, when modest-scaled versions could be snapped up for an even-then affordable $900. (On the contrary, they’re still so desirable that they’ve fared well despite the current downturn in the housing market.) But the same people on waiting lists to buy a Prius and other musthaves for the green lifestyle are discovering the original eco-friendly homes that have been here all along — these charming Arts and Crafts residences embellished with intricate hand craftsmanship and covered porches that encourage occupants to commune with the outdoors. No wonder bungalow fever is upon us. In these pages, Michael Cervin profiles Greene & Greene, the Pasadena architects behind such ultimate bungalows as the Gamble House, which has organized three museum exhibitions opening this fall. Jenine Baines writes about Pasadena’s Ernest Batchelder, whose art tiles adorn priceless fireplaces here and around the country. Baines also talks to Realtor Tom Murray, who has been a key force in revitalizing the architecture of Northwest Pasadena, and Brenda Rees flips through the pages of Arcadia’s glossy American Bungalow Magazine. Kim Ohanneson introduces you to Jonason’s colorful artwork, and Karen Apostolina writes about Pasadena’s Many Moons Press, a boutique publisher dedicated to preserving Southern California’s past in words. — Irene Lacher

ARROYO MONTHLY EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette • JUNIOR DESIGNER Alex Prompongsatorn CONTROLLER Michael Nagami • HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker STAFF WRITER Carl Kozlowski CONTRIBUTORS Karen Apostolina, Jenine Baines, Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, Michael Cervin, André Coleman, Steve Coulter, Caroline Cushing, Mandalit del Barco, Noela Hueso, Kim Ohanneson, Brenda Rees, Arlene Schindler, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger COPY EDITOR John Seeley PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Germana, Christopher Rainone, Evans Vestal Ward ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Dana Bonner, Anne Chavez, Hilary Chen, Elizabeth Guzman, Leslie Lamm, Rochelle Reiff, Cynthia Wagner ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Maricela Estrada, Carla Marroquin ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Archie Iskaq, Tracy Lowe, Ginger Wang OFFICE ASSISTANT Emma Luna PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com • EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 • FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 www.ArroyoMonthly.com ©2008 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

FESTIVITIES

“Contemporary history” may

The Beastly Ball turned into the evening of the condor on June 14 when the

sound like an oxymoron, but

Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) honored the California Condor

the impact the Pasadena

Recovery Project and the zoo’s role in rescuing the bird from the brink of extinction

Museum of History’s five

at its 38th annual benefit. The evening, which raised a record-breaking $1.2 million,

recent honorees have had on

also celebrated GLAZA’s 40th year supporting the zoo’s work in education and con-

the institution’s home turf is

servation. Los Angeles Zoo Commissioner Kimberly Marteau chaired the event,

unmistakable. The museum cel-

which was hosted by longtime GLAZA trustee and noted animal lover Betty White.

ebrated its 2008 Contemporary

KNBC-TV weathercaster Fritz Coleman led the live auction. Nearly 1,000 guests

History Makers – nonprofit

gathered to stroll through the grounds, visiting animals and snacking on samples

advocate Christle Balvin,

provided by 17 eateries, including Pasadena’s Parkway Grill, Bar Celona, Green

Arlington Gardens landscapers

Street Restaurant, Maison Akira, Celestino Ristorante, Bistro 45, Villa Sorriso and Il

Charles and Betty McKenney, Vroman’s

Fornaio Cucina Italiana.

Bookstore CEO Joel Sheldon and

1. Los Angeles Zoo Director John Lewis of La Cañada and actress Stefanie Powers

Pasadena Star-News public editor Larry Wilson – at a benefit dinner at Twin Palms

2. Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Vice Chair Gary Kaplan and his wife, Linda (left), with their son Mark Kaplan and his wife, Nicole

restaurant on June 11. The museum also

3. Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) President Connie Morgan (left); Beastly Ball Chairman Kimberly Emerson (second from left); and Betty White with “Toby,” an elongated tortoise held by keeper Kris Willis

hailed 2008 Tournament of Roses princess Zena Brown as a Contemporary History Maker of Tomorrow and welcomed five former trustees to its honorary board: 3

John Armagost, Peter Boyle, Alice Butler, Sid Gally and

Ken Patton. The event raised $35,000 for the museum’s educational programs.

2 3

4 1. (Left to right) Joel Sheldon, Larry Wilson, museum President Karen Craig, Christle Balvin and Charles and Betty McKenney.

4 Vocalist Regina Whitcomb, backed by husband Ian Whitcomb and His Bungalow Boys.

8 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

Photos: Jamie Pham

3. 2008 Tournament of Roses Princess Zena Brown with Brad Macneil, director of the museum’s junior docents program.

Photos: James Staub

2. Alice and Don Butler (center) with Phil and Sally Swan

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Margit Holakoui Florist (626) 358-8388 I love flowers! My shop has been a haven for me to express my creativity since 1984. We specialize in oneof-a-kind European inspired arrangements, lush planted baskets, beautiful sympathy flowers and my favorite… stunning weddings! I stay up on the latest trends and can work within any budget keeping quality and customer satisfaction my main goal. Visit www.margitholakoui.com for more information. The WCC has been a wonderful environment in which I’ve met friendly and successful women from all walks of life.

Carol DeMarco, R.N. Mission Lodge (626)287-0753 Fifteen years ago, I became involved in caring for the frail elderly. 10 years ago, I bought Mission Lodge Alzheimer Care Center in San Gabriel, a home that provides care & services for those with dementia. By demand of our clients, I started Senior Home Companions, a Companion service providing talented, trained and approved Companions in your home. I joined the Women’s City Club to have a home away from home – and so it is.

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FESTIVITIES

Playing 1,800 holes of golf in one day would make anybody hungry, and that was the impressive tally for the 36 golfers who’d participated in the “Longest Day of Golf” benefit for the Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services in early June. So on June 23, David and Julia Battaglia

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Lawry’s the Prime Rib at their La Cañada Flintridge Home to 100 supporters of Hathaway-Sycamores’ signature fundraiser. Between bites, tournament co-chairs Jennifer Leal

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Gowen of Sierra Madre and Jack MacKenzie of La Cañada announced that the benefit had raised $128,500 for summer-camp programs for kids 3

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Pasadena film producer Gale Anne Hurd feted Irish actor Ray Stevenson at a June 24 cocktail party at her Raymond Avenue restaurant and bar, Vertical Wine

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Bistro. Stevenson plays the title role in Hurd’s upcoming thriller, “Punisher: War Zone,” which is scheduled for a Dec. 5 release.

THE ART OF SCIENCE

A Greater Crater CALTECH PROFESSOR ODED AHARONSON HAS ONE OF THE COOLEST JOBS ON MARS, BUT HIS BOSSES ARE NICE ENOUGH TO LET HIM WORK FROM HIS HOME PLANET. BY STEVE COULTER

A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH COOL JOBS IN LOS ANGELES LIKE TO HANG OUT AT THE IVY SO THEY CAN BE HOUNDED BY PAPARAZZI, BUT THAT SORT OF PLACE PROBABLY WOULDN’T HOLD MUCH INTEREST FOR ODED AHARONSON, AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PLANETARY SCIENCE AT CALTECH WHOSE WORK IS THE ENVY OF HIS PEERS – THAT IS, UNLESS HE FOUND MICROBIALITES IN HIS CORN CHOWDER, OR WEST HOLLYWOOD WAS SUDDENLY DEMOLISHED BY AN OBJECT THE SIZE OF AUSTRALIA.

explanation for the differences in terrain between the northern and southern hemispheres of the red planet. Remember those Tootsie Roll Pop commercials (“Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of the Tootsie Pop?”)? Imagine Mars is a Tootsie Roll Pop, but you only lick the top half of the candy sphere. That would make the hard candy shell thinner up there, right? Well, that’s seems to be what

Instead of sipping high-priced cocktails at Hollywood hotspots like the Crown, Aharonson is currently on Pavilion Lake in northeastern British Columbia as part of a

And now, scientists are settling a long-standing debate: Historically, there have

team of NASA scientists studying the origins of life on Earth. The lake is home to

been three schools of thought on what created Mars’ uneven crust — internal turbu-

freshwater coral, which scientists believe may someday shed light on life on Mars –

lence, several small impacts or a single huge impact. The single-impact theory

if they ultimately find that life does indeed exist on the neighboring planet.

always intrigued scientists, but some of the main indicators – including the shape

The Pavilion Lake Research Project recently teamed up with Nuytco Research to use one-person submarines to sample, map and explore the depths of the lake.

Image credit: NASA/National Space Science Data Center

happened with Mars – minus all the licking.

and composition of the crater – were thought to be missing. Until now. “We set out to test that theory numerically by running simulations on a very

Aharonson is studying it along with geologists, geobiologists and astronauts. “By

large computer cluster with 4,000 processors where we simulate the consequences

studying the unique occurrence of these microbial structures in Pavilion Lake, we

of a [single-impact] event and see if we can retain the cavity,” he said. “Under the

can say something about the earliest forms of life on Earth,” he said in a recent inter-

right conditions, we can reproduce an impact crater that is comparable.”

view. “That’s interesting for Mars, because if the question of life there ever arose, this

So what were the right conditions? The team’s research concluded that an

research will help us understand what we should be looking for when we get to

object roughly the size of Australia hit Mars at a 45-degree angle going about 6 kilo-

explore that planet.”

meters per second around 4 billion years ago. The result was something akin to det-

See, I told you so — cool. Of course, Aharonson didn’t exactly luck into his

onating 100 nuclear bombs.

position. He had lab cred to spare. After receiving a master’s degree in applied and

Worried about a continent-size meteor destroying civilization before Bruce Willis

engineering physics from Cornell University in the mid-’90s, he earned a Ph.D. from

can save us all? Earth may have experienced mega-collisions in the distant past, but

M.I.T. in 2002.

Aharonson says that such massive objects have stabilized into their own orbits in the

Aharonson’s current gig is one of the perks of being a supernova among scien-

past couple of billion years: “One of the important consequences of our paper is to

tists studying Mars. Most recently, he made a significant contribution when he and

recognize that such very large, mega-impact events were important early on in form-

Margarita Marinova, a graduate student in Caltech’s Division of Geological and

ing the solar system. Earth has undergone one which formed the moon, and the

Planetary Sciences, published a paper on the “Mars dichotomy” in the June 26 issue

moon itself has a large crater on it that is the largest impact basin in the solar system

of the journal Nature. Using computer modeling, the team provided a plausible

— unless we’re right about Mars.” AM ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 11

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12 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

BUNGALOW FEVER

The Greene & Greene-ing of America

David B. Gamble House, Pasadena, 1907-09. (Photograph © Alexander Vertikoff.)

ARCHITECTS CHARLES AND HENRY GREENE DIDN’T PLAN TO STAY WHEN THEY FIRST SET FOOT IN PASADENA IN 1893, BUT THEY LEFT A LEGACY OF CRAFTSMAN HOMES SO ENDURING, THEY SPEAK TO THE VERY HEART OF THE CITY.

Photos: Courtesy of Huntington Library

BY MICHAEL CERVIN

ARCHITECTS CHARLES AND HENRY GREENE ARE KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD FOR THEIR STRIKING ARTS AND CRAFTS HOMES, WHICH SO THOROUGHLY PUNCTUATE THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE. IT’S PERHAPS IRONIC THEN THAT THE LATE HENRY GREENE’S OWN HOME, THE ONE HE INITIALLY BUILT FOR HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW, WAS RAZED IN 1968 AND IS NOW A PARKING STRUCTURE. CHARLES GREENE’S HOME ON ARROYO TERRACE STILL STANDS. THUS FARED THE PERSONAL RESIDENCES OF THE ARCHITECTS WHOSE NAMES ARE MORE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PASADENA THAN THOSE OF ANY OF THEIR PEERS. THE BROTHERS BUILT 75 STRUCTURES IN THE CROWN CITY DURING THEIR CAREER, MAINLY CUSTOM RESIDENCES, OF WHICH NEARLY 40 ARE STILL STANDING. “Other architects have enjoyed more famous careers,” noted Edward Bosley, James N. Gamble Director of the Gamble House. “Others have produced more buildings. Still others have earned more notoriety for progressive designs that advanced the discipline of architecture. But no other architects

have left us with a more glowing legacy of beauty, craft, livability and spirit than Charles and Henry Greene.” British architecture critic Reyner Banham, quoted in a book by former Gamble House curator Randell Makinson, said that Greene & Greene residences looked completely in their element in Southern California, “and especially so in Pasadena – that it’s often difficult to conceive of them as part of any nationwide, let alone worldwide, movement. They seem so specific to that Arroyo Culture of which they are the chief ornaments and the true treasure-houses.” Though the term “bungalow” is associated with the Greenes, most of their best-known homes are not true bungalows, which were conceived in India as modest one-story structures. Certainly the Greenes started out designing homes for the common man. The Architectural Record referred to their work in a 1906 —CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 13

BUNGALOW FEVER

Pasadena-area museums showcase Greene & Greene this fall

Adelaide A. Tichenor house, Long Beach, 1904-05. Watercolor by Charles Greene, c. 1905. (Courtesy of Greene and Greene Archives, The Gamble House, University of Southern California)

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

essay: “The houses are largely successful because they so frankly meet economic, domestic and practical conditions. Their chief characteristics are their lowness, big overhanging roofs, their shingled walls and the absence of architectural ornament.” But then the wealthy came calling and the simplicity of the bungalow expanded into what Makinson called the “ultimate bungalow,” a type of bungalow on steroids. The Gamble, Blacker, Duncan-Irwin and Pratt residences were massive things, as large as 8,000 square feet, built for wealthy Easterners and Midwesterners. (The Duncan-Irwin House was listed at $4.5 million in 2006.) On Orange Grove Avenue, then nicknamed Millionaire’s Row, eclectic styles from Moorish to neo-classical sprang up alongside Craftsman residences like Gamble’s. Charles and Henry were born in a Cincinnati, Ohio, suburb in 1868 and 1870, respectively. Their parents moved to Pasadena in 1892, and the brothers initially came to visit with no intention of setting up shop. Pasadena was merely 6 years old when they stepped off the train in 1893, but it was already a vital city. When the Greene brothers opened the doors of their architectural firm the following January, they advocated a shift away from the cluttered Victorian look in favor of simplified space. The stuffy feel of heavy fabrics and random furniture placement was replaced with clean lines, natural elements and an openness to the outdoors. Local materials were preferred, such as arroyo stone, clinker brick and indigenous woods.“The idea was to eliminate everything unnecessary, to make the whole as direct and simple as possible, but always with the beautiful in mind as the first goal,” Henry wrote in The Craftsman Magazine in 1912. As celebrated as they were, the brothers were not immune to the usual stresses of partnership, clashing over money, temperament and ego. “Charles did not want to be an architect; he wanted to be an artist,” Bruce Smith, coauthor of “Greene & Greene: Masterworks” (Chronicle Books; 1998), said in a recent phone interview. “The first few years of the practice he was drawing, doing watercolors, writing poetry. When he finally settled down to do architecture, it was with this sense that ‘I’m the artist,’ and in correspondence with clients he refers to himself that way.” Influential British architecture critic Charles Ashbee called Charles Greene a “quiet, dreamy, nervous, tenacious little man” during a visit to Pasadena in 1909. “Charles was very much the front man, quiet and soft-spoken, though engaging and charming,” noted Smith. Charles met with clients, while Henry toiled away at his desk, managing a burgeoning practice.“Though Charles was the main designer, it could not have been done all by him — there was too much work,” Smith said. “Henry did a lot of secondary work. Projects started off with a sketch by Charles, but then it was passed off to be finished by Henry.” Henry, on the other hand, was

“attuned to the functional aspects, while Charles was left to dream,” added Anne Mallek, curator of the Gamble House. It’s one thing to sketch a design; it’s quite another to translate that image into workable form, and this is where Henry excelled. In 1901, the brothers established a second office in downtown Los Angeles, though Charles continued to meet with clients at his Pasadena home. They never wanted to be identified with a single region, but Pasadena was the right place at the right time with the right clientele — those who could afford the cost of bringing the brothers’ vision to life. “Good work costs more than poor imitation or factory product. There is no honest way to get something for nothing,” Charles wrote in Western Architect magazine in 1908. Though Pasadena was the center of activity, clients began lining up from as far away as Long Beach and Berkeley. Word spread about the brothers’ distinctive style within the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was reflected in their landscape design, furniture, rugs and other architectural elements. The Greenes were fortunate to have the help of another set of brothers, Peter and John Hall, master craftsmen from Sweden who executed their designs with precision. The exactness of the Halls’ work is still evident in the joinery, the ubiquitous use of wood pegs and the precision of the wood carving found in the homes. But attention to detail meant that work was time-consuming and expensive. Many commissions took longer to complete as the brothers’ time was being stretched thin. Adelaide Tichenor of Long Beach wrote to Charles in 1905, complaining about delays: “Can you leave your Pasadena customers long enough so that I may hope to have my house during my lifetime? Do you wish me to make a will telling who is to have the house if it is finished?” When another client, Francis Prentiss, received bills for work done on her house, she balked at the seeming excess. The response was vintage Charles: “There is nothing reckless or extravagant about the work. Business, I admit, must run upon business lines, but this is not business, this art of helping to make living pleasurable and beautiful beyond the merely useful.” By 1911, however, public tastes were changing. The plain wood structures, most without elaborate ornamentation, were no longer considered relevant. But the Greenes were so heavily immersed in a culture of their own making that they could not see the writing on the wall. “They persisted in a style that was no longer in fashion,” Mallek noted. A 1911 article published in the Pasadena Daily News foretold the road ahead: “Wooden buildings, wooden roofs are a thing of the present. The development of the new mode of building in reinforced concrete has grown in Southern California with leaps and bounds. It is a certainty that when the day of wood is gone, the day of concrete will be here to remain.” That same year, then–Pasadena Mayor William Thum acknowledged Henry’s excellent managerial skills by recruiting him to join a team developing

“CAN YOU LEAVE YOUR PASADENA CUSTOMERS LONG ENOUGH SO THAT I MAY HOPE TO HAVE MY HOUSE DURING MY LIFETIME? DO YOU WISH ME TO MAKE A WILL TELLING WHO IS TO HAVE THE HOUSE IF IT IS FINISHED?”

14 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

THIS YEAR MARKS THE CENTENNIAL of Greene & Greene’s most heralded achievement: Pasadena’s iconic Gamble House, a winter retreat commissioned by David and Mary Gamble of Proctor and Gamble. To mark the anniversary, the Gamble House has spearheaded three new exhibitions on the Greene brothers’ life and work, which open this fall at the Pasadena Museum of History, the Pasadena Museum of California and the Huntington Library, Art Collections Elevation drawings, 1909, Charles M. Pratt house, Ojai, 1908-11. (Courtesy of Greene & Greene Archives, The and Botanical Gardens. Gamble House, University of Southern California) On Aug. 18, the Pasadena Museum of History unveils “Living Beautifully: Greene & Greene in Pasadena,” an exhibition of Charles and Henry Greene’s personal objects, documents and family photographs as well as artifacts of their partnership with master craftsmen John and Peter Hall. “Seeing Greene & Greene: Architecture in Photographs” opens on Sept. 28 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, featuring fine art photography by Leroy Hulbert, Maynard Parker, William Current and others. Most ambitious is the Huntington’s “A New and Native Beauty: The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene,” which runs from Oct. 18 through Jan. 26, 2009, before traveling to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Though the Huntington has featured Greene & Greene in its permanent exhibition since 1990, the new traveling show brings together 200 works from the collections of the Huntington and the Gamble House as well as more than 30 private and public lenders, according to Anne Mallek, the Gamble House curator who organized the show with Edward Bosley, James N. Gamble Director of the Gamble House. The exhibition, which will be accompanied by the publication of a Merrell Publishers book of scholarly essays, will include the Greenes’ often-overlooked landscape designs as well as

objects never before publicly displayed from the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Dallas Art Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and a private collection in Paris. The exhibition at the Huntington’s MaryLou and George Boone Gallery is designed as a comprehensive look at the Greenes’ career and their holistic approach to design. “Our goal is to provide vignettes of objects of the same room from the same house that can speak to each other,” Mallek says. Pasadena’s Blacker House is most heavily represented by furniture, metalwork and lighting. (A Texas rancher who owned the home in the ’80s sold off more than 70 custom lighting fixtures, triggering criticism in national media and leading to a city ordinance regulating sales of artifacts from Greene & Greene homes.) Several original pieces from the Pratt House in Ojai have also been loaned. Said Mallek: “When people think of decorative arts, they think of Frank Lloyd Wright, and I would like them to consider the Greenes to be on the same level.”

the first city code of “building procedure,” which later became the formal building code. 1911 also witnessed the construction of the Greenes’ last ultimate bungalow. The house for Nathan Bentz was built in Santa Barbara and, even there, technology pushed the brothers beyond their comfort zone. The use of steel I-beams, plastered interiors and concrete replaced the warmth of delicate handcrafted wood and milled joinery. Charles became increasingly disengaged from architecture, turning instead to art, spiritualism and writing. “Charles did not work collegially,” Smith said. He moved to Carmel in 1916 as Henry struggled to keep the firm going. In 1922, Greene & Greene was formally dissolved. Charles began to work on the James House in Carmel, but commissions for both brothers diminished. Arts and Crafts had become passé. “So much of Henry’s work was for former clients,” Smith said. “He took on smaller and smaller jobs, eventually designing just a magazine rack for a client.” Their work was routinely ignored by critics from the 1920s through the mid1940s. “It was considered provincial — it wasn’t all over the country — and it was an [architectural] anomaly,” Smith said. “The bungalow became copied widely; the extended rafter tails, the slope of the roof, the type of porches and even some of the timber articulation all became [part of] the national vocabulary.” And no mention was made of the brothers who perfected the style.

Then, as World War II dawned, opportunities arose to publicize Greene & Greene homes for a national audience, but the war’s onset and Charles’ footdragging quashed the effort. “Henry was trying so hard to have the works saved, but Charles didn’t give a damn; he didn’t care about the acknowledgement,” Smith said. Nonetheless, the postwar years gave birth to a renewed interest in the Greene & Greene style. The brothers were acknowledged by the Southern California chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) with a certificate of merit in 1948. In 1952, the national AIA awarded them a prestigious citation, stating that the Greenes were “formulators of a new and native architecture.” The Craftsman style they helped create was finally given its due. “They had a completely unique vision and were at the forefront of the design they created,” Smith said. Henry was overjoyed at finally receiving the recognition he craved, though it was short lived. He died two years later. Charles, in failing health and suffering from senility, died in 1957 in Carmel. Today the Greene brothers are celebrated as never before. Magazines tout the charms of Arts and Crafts, and natural materials are becoming commonplace — due in part to the green movement. Craftsman houses are even available as prefabricated construction modules. And the philosophy underlying residential design is coming full circle: The land dictates the home, not the other way around, just as the Greenes practiced. AM

“Living Beautifully: Greene & Greene in Pasadena” runs from Aug. 18 through Jan. 4, 2009, at the Pasadena Museum of History. The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission costs $5 and is free for children. The museum is located at 470 W. Walnut St. Call (626) 577-1660 or visit www.pasadenahistory.org. “Seeing Greene & Greene: Architecture in Photographs” opens on Sept. 28 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art and closes Jan. 11, 2009. The museum’s hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and free to members. The museum is located at 490 E. Union St. Visit www.pmcaonline.org or call (626) 568-3665. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens unveils “A New and Native Beauty: The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene” on Oct. 18. The show runs through Jan. 26, 2009. Until Labor Day, the museum is open every day except Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission costs $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students and $6 for youth ages 5 through 11. Children under 5 and members are admitted free. Most prices are higher on the weekend. The Huntington is located at 1511 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit www.huntington.org.

ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 15

BUNGALOW FEVER

Pasadena-area museums showcase Greene & Greene this fall

Adelaide A. Tichenor house, Long Beach, 1904-05. Watercolor by Charles Greene, c. 1905. (Courtesy of Greene and Greene Archives, The Gamble House, University of Southern California)

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“CAN YOU LEAVE YOUR PASADENA CUSTOMERS LONG ENOUGH SO THAT I MAY HOPE TO HAVE MY HOUSE DURING MY LIFETIME? DO YOU WISH ME TO MAKE A WILL TELLING WHO IS TO HAVE THE HOUSE IF IT IS FINISHED?”

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ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 15

EDUCATION AND SUMMER CAMPS APRIL ORCHARD In my 10 years of experience as a private instructor and professional singer I have learned that at you can achieve whatever level you aspire to and I have helped countless students get to where they want to be in areas like auditions, performances and recording. I believe in my students and givethem all the basics they need to be confident in singing and playing, and I draw from my own experiences as a performer. In singing you will learn the basics of proper breathing technique (diaphragm), diction and style, and posture. Call today and I will be glad to answer your questions about the private lessons and tell you more about my vocal program and piano lessons. You can also email me at april_orchard@yahoo.com. BLOOM SCHOOL OF MUSIC Everyone can play an instrument, sing a tune and experience the joy of music making. All you need is a wonderful teacher. At Bloom School of Music, you'll find a teaching staff that is vibrant, knowledgeable, and fun. All our instructors are degreed professionals with experience teaching all agesin a wide variety of styles. Come learn, grow and excel in the exhilarating, nurturing environment that is Bloom School of Music. HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages. Parents who would like additional information, or who are concerned about a specific aspect of their child’s academic performance, are encouraged to contact the Huntington Learning Center at 1832 E. Washington Blvd in Pasadena or call (626) 798-5900. JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM Japanese American National Museum - Come and explore at the Japanese American National Museum! Join us for Target Free Family Saturdays and celebrate shared Asian American traditions with fun, theme-filled activities for kids of all ages (see insert for dates). Admission is FREE all day from 11 AM-4

PM. Target Free Family Saturdays are a great way for families to learn, play, and grow together. Your visit to the National Museum will inspire you to discover your own cultural heritage. Located in historic downtown LA’s Little Tokyo, the National Museum is dedicated to promoting a better understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and sharing the Japanese American experience.Visit janm.org for more information, or call 213.625.0414. MATHNASIUM Mathnasium is a learning center where kids go year-round to improve their math skills. They are highly specialized and teach only math. Students attend two to three times a week - or as often as they like for as long as they like. Like at a gym, members can drop in anytime. Their goal is to enhance your child’s math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance. At the same time, they build confidence and forge a positive attitude toward the subject, yielding overwhelming results. Independent studies by EyeCues Education systems found that Mathnasium students’ performance increased over two letter grades in as little as three to six months. Enroll today to find out. MONTECITO Announcing the Opening of our Montecito High School of Art, Science and Design. As Director of Montecito Fine Arts College of Design, over the past ten years I have received an overwhelming number of comments and requests from parents of our students telling me that they wished there was a high school similar to the way we teach our college curriculum. In response to the overwhelming number of requests, I have decided to open a fully accredited high school education program with an emphasis on academics, science, art, and design. Our high school will offer all of the content, activities, and electives that are part of any complete high school program and will be consistent with U.C and National Standards as well as SAT content in all course work. While we have one of the most extensive and outstanding art and design facilities anywhere I wish it to be understood that our academic program rivals those of the best high schools. And as we have in the past we plan to matriculate students to the top universities in the country because we stress personal development and success as being integral to the altruistic basis for our New School Education for the 21st Century.

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BUNGALOW FEVER

Batty for Batchelder EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN FOR AFICIONADOS OF PASADENA'S ARTS AND CRAFTS TILES. BY JENINE BAINES

“Batchelder tile is prized among Arts and Crafts aficionados because of its handmade qualities, soft patina and charming scenes,” Parker, who spent four months transforming the two-story foyer, explains later. “But as this year’s Showcase House proves, its use was not limited to Arts and Crafts architecture.” Indeed, tiles made by the Pasadena-based Ernest Batchelder were popular in all sorts of Southern California homes built from 1910 to 1932, regardless of architectural style. And these days, appreciation for art tile is on the upswing. “I think as we become more technology-driven, we tend to appreciate the work of true artisans like Ernest Batchelder,” Parker says. “In the nine years I’ve been in the business, I’ve been involved in 15 projects where Batchelder tile, original or reproduction, was incorporated.” During his heyday, Batchelder’s motto was “no two tiles the same.” He was as good as his word, offering his customers a variety of motifs – medieval lions, Viking ships, Art Nouveau peacocks, vines, flowers, birds, trees and geometric abstracts, among them. His earliest tiles were primarily in gradations of brown, with a matte blue glaze, but by the 1920s, the designer’s color palette expanded to include blue, gray, tan, green, rose and even lilac and orange. Long before he founded the Batchelder Tile Company in 1909, Ernest Batchelder was already a leading presence in the Arts and Crafts Movement, a 18 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

turn-of-the-century design current in the U.S. and the U.K. that idealized objects handmade by craftsmen. Born in New Hampshire in 1875, he studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Birmingham, England. He went on to teach summer school at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design; directed the art department at Throop Polytechnic Institute (which later became the California Institute of Technology); and authored two books on design. Batchelder’s position at Throop was prestigious but, by 1909, Batchelder saw the writing on the walls of academe. Dismayed at the institution’s increasing focus on sciences at the expense of the arts, Batchelder resigned. He built a kiln and set up shop as a tile maker in the backyard of his Arroyo Seco home. In true Arts and Crafts fashion, each tile the company produced was handcrafted, albeit not always by Batchelder or even one of his former students. Sometimes a cat or chicken would walk over the tiles as they dried in the sun, creating what Batchelder called “a pleasing variation of texture.” “The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction against the industrial revolution of the 19th century,” says Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage. “Its adherents believed unconditionally in the dignity of hand labor.” Even when success – and neighborhood complaints about the smoke from his kiln – forced Batchelder to move to larger quarters in Pasadena and later

Photos: Jess Cliffe (background); Steve Moon (tiles)

This year’s empty Pasadena Showcase House of Design offered a smorgasbord of visual promise to the interior designers assigned to transform it. But as soon as Greg Parker crossed the threshold of the Spanish Colonial Revival manse in La Cañada Flintridge, he only had eyes for the Batchelder tile fountain in the entryway.

Los Angeles, tiles remained handcrafted. As Batchelder wrote in his 1909 book, “Design and Theory in Practice,” “When a man is robbed of the last vestige of human interest in the work that necessity compels him to do for a living, it is time to scan the credentials of our commercial standards.” Yet for all his idealism, Batchelder was unequivocally business-minded. By 1930, he had showrooms in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco as well as representation in major cities nationwide. Nearly 30 companies around the country competed with Batchelder, but the Pasadenan dominated the market, with installations in hotels, high-rise apartments and office buildings, swimming pools, lobbies, restaurants, shops, churches and train stations from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to Yellowstone Park. Closer to home, Batchelder is best known for the spectacular tiled lobby in downtown L.A.’s Fine Arts Building and for fireplaces gracing thousands of houses throughout the San Gabriel Valley. “Rugs, wall coverings, draperies and furniture may be changed…but the fireplace remains a source of perennial satisfaction,” he wrote in a catalog. Nowhere is Batchelder’s artistry better displayed than at his own home in Pasadena, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tiles from his earliest designs in brown to his later experimentations with color grace the front walkway, gardens, breakfast nook and living room. Near the top of the living room’s floor-to-ceiling fireplace are two large tiles, each depicting a lion: One holds a shield with a harp; the other, a shield with a hare. The harp symbolized Batchelder’s wife, Alice Coleman, a musician who founded the Coleman Chamber Music Association in 1904, which to this day sponsors concerts at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. Batchelder, who died in 1957, was the hare. Why a rabbit? “Apparently the family of William Morris, the founder of the English Arts and Crafts movement, enjoyed the American story of Br’er Rabbit,” explains Robert Winter, an Arts and Crafts scholar who, after purchasing Batchelder’s house in 1972, authored the definitive “Batchelder: Tilemaker” (Balcony Press; 1999). “Morris’ work featured lots of rabbits. Perhaps it comes from that association.” While Winter welcomes visitors, he does not open his home to the public. More accessible examples of Batchelder tile work include the swimming pool at the old YMCA near City Hall; the game room at Mayfield Senior School; the library fireplace at the Pasadena Playhouse; and the former Santa Fe train depot, now La Grande Orange Café on Raymond at the Gold Line’s Del Mar stop. (Pasadena Heritage spearheaded efforts to save the historic station when it was threatened by construction for underground parking and nearby apartments. The depot was taken apart, tem-

porarily moved across the street and returned to its original site, where it was reassembled, along with the tile work. The tiles’ Mayan motif was one of Batchelder’s most popular designs.) When the Depression hit, the role of tiles changed from decorative to utilitarian. This sea change in perspective, coupled with the economy’s collapse, spelled the end of most Arts and Crafts concerns – including Batchelder’s, in 1932. And worse was yet to come. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Batchelder tile installations were often torn down or covered over with paint or plaster. “Tastes change,” says Winter. “People wanted everything colonial, white and, if it was tile, shiny.” With art tile back in vogue, Winter is advising homeowners to keep their Batchelder fireplaces intact. “The minute they ask me what their fireplace is worth, I know they’re thinking of tearing it out and selling the tile,” he says, adding that a house sans fireplace loses roughly 10 percent of its value. Homeowners can’t necessarily be blamed for asking. Original Batchelder tiles start at around $75 per tile and range as high as $1,000 or more. Good resources include antique shops, Architectural Detail in Pasadena, Silverlake Architectural Salvage in Los Angeles and Mortarless Building Supply in Atwater Village. But fear not if you can’t afford originals. Most people can’t tell the difference between reproductions and the real thing, says Parker, who blended the two seamlessly in his design for the Showcase House entryway. For help in adding to the tile work of Batchelder’s original fountain design – which featured tiles in green, brown, gray and two shades of turquoise, decorated with urns, flowers and vines – Parker turned to Mission Tile West in South Pasadena. “They have beautiful reproduction tile, and I was able to find what I needed to reinforce the intention of the original decoration,” says Parker. “Our goal was to create an aesthetic balance between old and new.” Artisans like Steve Moon, owner of the Tile Restoration Center in Seattle – which specializes in handcrafted reproductions and counts Mission Tile West among its largest distributors – play a key role in that process. “The most difficult part of blending our tiles with originals is duplicating the natural varnish that tiles display after years of exposure,” says Moon, who will take part in Pasadena Heritage’s Craftsman Weekend on October 18 and 19. “We have recreated and still employ many of the techniques and materials of the Arts and Crafts era.” Much to the delight of aficionados like Mossman. “Thankfully, damaged or missing tiles in original Batchelder fountains and fireplaces can now be replaced,” she says. “Steve and his colleagues keep this distinctive style and craft alive. Ernest Batchelder would approve.” AM ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 19

BUNGALOW FEVER

Batty for Batchelder EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN FOR AFICIONADOS OF PASADENA'S ARTS AND CRAFTS TILES. BY JENINE BAINES

Photos: Jess Cliffe (background); Steve Moon (tiles)

ARROYO

HOME&DESIGN

ARCADIA POOL CONSTRUCTION Your swimming pool should be a work of art. We have the experience and expertise to create what you can only imagine. Arcadia Pool Construction specializes in the latest state-of-the-art pool equipment, custom masonry and building materials designed to add beauty to your home and lifestyle. Give us a call at (626) 447-8181 or visit www.arcadiapoolz.com to create your perfect haven of relaxation BRODIE ELECTRIC, INC Believes that the design process for your home, be it interior or landscaping, should not end when the last piece of furniture is put into place or the last tree planted. Lighting is such an important and integral part of the design process but it is often neglected. Paul Brodie, owner and founder of Brodie Electric, Inc and his team, through their extensive knowledge of lighting products and current design trends, specialize in creating perfectly lit environments throughout your home. Brodie Electric is not just an ordinary electrical contractor focused on getting the job done as quickly as possible but a team of professionals who truly take pride in their work and stand behind that work 100 percent. For more information or to schedule your own personal consultation, please visit them at www.brodieelectric.com or call (661) 294-5001. CARSON-MAGNESS LANDSCAPES, INC. From the overall exterior design vision through the engineering, city permits and construction, this talented team makes a name for itself with its handcrafted, hands-on detailed approach. Complete exterior design services include beautiful plantings, decks, outdoor kitchens, swimming pools, and structures, such as pergolas, loggias, pool house with bar and bath, and even outdoor furnishings! In the spirit of being commissioned to create a piece of artwork, Melissa Carson and Barry Magness bring their rich and varied backgrounds in painting, sculpture, horticulture, water 20 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO 20 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

design and lighting to each one-of-a-kind projects. Barry specializes in the lusty organic with original water features of metal, glass, wood and fire. The clean, understated elegance of Melissa’s artistic studies reflect her brilliantly layered foliage, flowers and trees for the deepest and most subtle impact. A strong focus on the details includes a compassionate philosophy with special emphasis on sustainability in design and materials. Together they create the most extraordinary masterpieces of mystery and romance. Barry Magness and Melissa Carson were selected as designer advisors at the 2006 Pasadena Showcase House of the Arts. For more information call (818) 241-2128, or visit www.carson-magness.com. CRAYPO’S POOL & SPAS We have been in the swimming pool business for more than 16 years. We understand all phases of construction and maintenance. We also understand that your yard is an extension of yourself and we will treat your project with the dedication and attention to detail you deserve. Call our office, (626) 355-6145, to make an appointment. We look forward to making your backyard your own private oasis! CRYSTAL CLEAR POOL & SPA, INC. Craftsmanship is a Skill...Since 1995 this family owned business specializes in high-end one of a kind custom swimming pool design and construction. Kevin Bauer, owner, has the interests of each customer in mind throughout the entire design and construction process. We go to great lengths to make sure we understand exactly what you want. Our commitment to quality is evident in the craftsmanship of our work. We want our customers to feel comfortable. Contact us today for more information 626-446-0592. Let us build your backyard dreams.

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CYNTHIA BENNETT AND ASSOCIATES This celebrated designer and general contractor, along with her staff of 11 designers, architects and project managers, have created some of the most beautiful spaces in the San Gabriel Valley. The term “Full Service” does not give them enough credit. They will take any project from concept, plans, lighting and construction through furnishings and accessories, using the best materials and an exacting eye for detail. The design and build focus of Cynthia Bennett’s team is the iconic Southern California lifestyle of light, open spaces, accessible patios, garden areas, and kitchen great rooms. Using modern Green Design products and techniques, this 28-year-old design firm provides clients with unsurpassed service and quality. 501 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. (626) 799-9701. FERGUSON BATH & KITCHEN Make sure to visit the Ferguson showroom, which has been serving Pasadena for 15 years. Let Ferguson showroom staff Sarah and Antaya help you with your appliances, sinks, faucets, tools, accessories, environmentally safe tankless water heaters, and commercial and residential lighting needs. Ferguson Pasadena is your one-stop shop from underground to finish. Ferguson Pasadena is small, but flexible. Visit us at 157 Vista Ave. or at www.ferguson.com or call (626) 795-9551.

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landscapes totaling over 5000 projects. This can assure you the job will be done on budget and in a timely manner. Gary Sewell Jr., aka Gar, President of Garocco, Inc., is an award-winning designer and lead developer of all projects. Gar believes there are three key elements to client satisfaction. First and foremost is communication from design to completion. Second, all projects are guaranteed to be completed on time. Finally, all new pools are serviced for the first year, free, to ensure your complete satisfaction. Additionally, we offer a cash rebate of up to $1000.00 for your old pool equipment when you upgrade to our new ecoEquipment, putting cash in your pocket. Utilizing our 100% financing OAC, your monthly payment can actually be LESS than you would be SAVING in energy costs. For more information regarding Garocco, Inc. and our services, please visit www.garoccoPOOLS.com or call 866.GAROCCO. GERALD SOWELL INTERIOR DESIGN is a full-service residential interior design company that has been working throughout the Los Angeles Basin for the last 30 years. We specialize in traditional and transitional interiors, defying trends and giving each client’s home a fresh new look perfect for family and entertaining. (323) 461-2271 Charisse Dunn of HEALING SPACES BY DESIGN is a Certified Green Building Professional, Green Point Rater and home performance tester as well as a designer. She specializes in converting existing homes and buildings into eco-friendly, energy-efficient, comfortable dwellings with style. One of her lastest projects in Pasadena will be aired July 11 as an episode of ‘Greenovate’ on Discovery Channel’s new channel, Planet Green. (626) 826-9580 HIDEAWAY HOUSE Our new showroom features 10,000 square feet of fine antique furniture and decorative items from the UK, Western and Eastern Europe, and many unusual items from Asia, India and Scandinavia. All pieces are hand-picked by Brian and Barbara Proper and, if necessary, restored to their original condition by some of the best restorers in all of Europe. We also carry many high quality reproductions, such as chairs, bar stools and —CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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lamps. Prior to setting up shop, Brian and Barbara Proper had each acquired extensive familiarity with antiques and decorating sense. Brian, born and raised in England, grew up around quality pieces and the people who know their every detail, including when and how to repair and care for them. Barbara, in addition to a professional career, practiced interior decorating, balancing the unusual with the practical. Finally, in 1974, their personal collection and love for wonderful objects blossomed into a business concern named after Brian’s mother’s home in Surrey, England. Celebrating our 35th year in our new location in Pasadena, 165-175 S. Fair Oaks Ave., or call (626) 356-3100. HISTORIC LIGHTING Our long dedication to the Arts & Crafts revival has been inspired by the original Craftsman movement centered in the Pasadena area. Our showroom blends quality production home furnishings with representation of individual artisans. Our close relationships with noted local craftsmen allow us to offer individual pieces not readily available elsewhere. Lighting and interior design services are available. Working from architectural plans and photographs or actual site visits, we can assist clients with their Craftsman and Bungalow-style projects, both old and new. Historic Lighting is located at 114 E. Lemon Ave., Old Town Monrovia, (626) 303-4899. HOME MATTERS Style, comfort and warmth are always considered at Home Matters. We feature tasteful and unique furnishings that reflect your elegant yet casual lifestyle. Featuring living room, dining room and bedroom furniture for both traditional and eclectic tastes. Thinking about a new entertainment center on which to place that flat screen? Home Matters specializes in creating custom-made entertainment consoles to fit your every need! Beautiful selection of wrought-iron pieces and accessories, as well as a wide selection of slipcover sofas. We offer in-home consultations. No interest financing. Come see us today. Home Matters, 45 E. Foothill Blvd, Arcadia. (626) 574-0433 KITCHEN TUNE-UP is one-stop shopping if you’re looking to change your kitchen a little or a lot. A Tune-Up is a process in which we refurbish existing wood cabinets to look as close to new as possible. We also offer refacing, custom cabinets, bathroom vanities and —CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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cabinets as well as home entertainment centers and closets. We have a wide selection of the most popular countertops, including Livingstone, Corian, Caesarstone and Silestone. If you like your existing layout but want some changes, we can add pullout drawers, spice cabinets and roll-out trash drawers, even that island you’ve been dreaming about. We can help change your kitchen and bath as simply or dramatically as you like and have in-house designers who can help transform your vision into reality. So if your kitchen’s in need of a Tune-Up or it’s time for new cabinets or a remodel we can help you every step of the way. We are Steve and Megan Morelock. We are Kitchen Tune-Up. Please call for a complimentary consultation at (626) 533-4402. NOTT AND ASSOCIATES is the “Design/Build” father-and-son team of Tom and Jeffrey Nott. This family team specializes in custom homes in Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles region. Tom Nott received his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Southern California, and since then has worked on major projects throughout Southern California. His work spans decades and includes projects for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the L.A. Subway and countless commercial parks. Jeff began working in the field at age 12, attended UCLA and UCSB and has worked with many well known designers in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air, building custom homes. Together for 30 years, they have completed over 130 projects in South Pasadena alone. Nott and Associates provides complete design through construction services, caring for your vision and appreciating your budget. Visit www.NOTTASSOCIATES.com or call (626) 403-0844. PASADENA ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE With twenty-plus years of experience, we feel that, now, more than ever, architectural salvage offers real value to the customer. From the quality of the materials (old growth lumber used in furniture & mantels) to the authentic designs and construction techniques (hand-crafted & traditional blacksmithing/forging), these items are living examples of a true lost art. And being in Pasadena, a city with some of the nation’s most active preservation and historic associations, only enhances our mission of salvaging items destined for the landfill. ‘Going Green’ is not just a catch-phrase, it’s —CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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BUNGALOW FEVER

Reflections On An American Classic WOULD THE NATIONAL BUNGALOW REVIVAL HAVE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF ARCADIA'S AMERICAN BUNGALOW MAGAZINE? PROBABLY NOT. BY BRENDA REES

Green-minded people who want to build a home might want to revisit an oldfashioned favorite: the American bungalow. All the rage from about 1880 to the 1930s, these simple houses used small spaces efficiently, usually embraced outdoor areas, employed local artisans in their creation and were marvelously affordable. Just think: Before World War I, you could have purchased one for a mere $900. Such charms — more appealing than ever in the current economic downturn — have attracted a fervent following around the country and as far away as Australia. Each season, this homey paradise is captured in the glossy pages of the Arcadia-based American Bungalow Magazine, the bible of everything bungalow essential to a growing legion of fans. “People are downsizing and abandoning the theory that bigger is better,” says publisher John Brinkman. “[Bungalows] were not designed for entertaining, but as a place to be with your family, to enjoy the surroundings. They were designed for living.” American Bungalow Magazine is credited by many aficionados with spurring on the rebirth of the American bungalow scene since its debut in the fall of 1990. The quarterly’s launch coincided with the resurgence of Old Pasadena and the restoration of many of the city’s bungalows. The magazine “was born out of the same energy and excitement people had about bungalows,” says Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage. “[Brinkman] caught the wave when it was just a wavelet.” The magazine has helped spread the word of the burgeoning movement, as has the annual Arts & Crafts Conference at North Carolina’s Grove Park Inn, founded in 1988, according to contributing writer Sue Bacon. “People discovered the revival and could see what the rest of the nation was doing,” says Bacon, also a magazine advertiser and co-owner of Monrovia’s Historic Lighting Inc. “It became a place where people could share their stories – from Denver, Seattle...wherever.” The publication — which has a circulation of 120,000 in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia — continues to fuel the fires of bungalow buffs. Readers find within its 140-odd pages rich photography accompanying historical articles, profiles of artists and homeowners, news tidbits,

Founder John Brinkman’s rendering of the Sierra Madre bungalow where the magazine originated

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ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 37

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BUNGALOW FEVER

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explorations of bungalow neighborhoods, personal experiences and a wealth of resources and craftspeople. For many years, American Bungalow was practically the only magazine of its kind; The Arts and Crafts Quarterly, a black-and-white newsletter founded in New Jersey in 1987, had a broader focus. Even today, American Bungalow’s competition is minimal. The Arts and Crafts Quarterly has morphed into Style 1900; another recent contender is Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival. But while other publications may focus on the nuts and bolts of renovation, American Bungalow glories in the pure pleasure of the architectural style, accoutrements and history, both personal and civic. In 2003, the Chicago Tribune declared the coffee-table quarterly one of the country’s 50 best magazines, noting, “If you’ve got a thing for the Arts and Crafts, Mission or Prairie styles, and the turn-of-thelast-century home style that shows them to best advantage, this magazine is pure pornography…” –Sue Bacon American Bungalow remains true to its original mission: to nurture an architectural movement that supports craftspeople who provide homeowners with a beautiful living space. Easy on the eyes and pocketbook, bungalows were built in just about every big city and small town across America. With their lowpitched roofs and built-in cabinets, they were the quintessential homes for the common man, despite their association with the famous upscale versions crafted by Pasadena-based architects Charles and Henry Greene. The brothers’ elaborate bungalows, such as the Gamble and Blacker houses, were the ones that garnered architecture praise and attention (then and even now). But the simple standard bungalow continues to be an iconic symbol of American practicality and craftsmanship – values American Bungalow extols. “It’s not a how-to magazine but a how-it-can-be-done [by craftspeople] magazine,” Bacon says. “If it weren’t for the artisans – those who do reproductions or whose work is inspired by [their forerunners] – this revival just wouldn’t be. American Bungalow gave those artisans a tremendous avenue.” Many of those craftspeople emerged from the demise of Southern California’s aerospace industry in the 1970s. People who lost jobs “picked up their weekend hobbies” to make ends meet and discovered the joy of creating by hand, Brinkman says. He met some of them in the late 1980s

when he relocated his graphic design business from the Westside of Los Angeles to a modest bungalow in Sierra Madre. Moving into an older, established community, he learned firsthand that bungalow neighborhoods were attracting attention from local preservationists. A search for hexagonal doorknobs took him to Crown City Hardware, a vintage hardware store in Pasadena, where he chatted with the owners and discovered that “something was happening; people were getting interested in these old houses and fixing them up.” Bungalows had fallen out of vogue in the 1960s and ’70s, but by the late 1980s, urban pioneers were venturing into depressed communities and buying quaint homes that had become run-down and neglected. After fixing up their new dwellings, homeowners were eager to furnish them with high-quality Arts and Crafts–style rugs, lamps, art, tables and accessories. Here was a movement that needed a voice, thought Brinkman, now a full-fledged convert. He designed a logo – still in use today – for the magazine, which was produced in that simple Sierra Madre bungalow for many years. American Bungalow later relocated to bigger offices in Arcadia, where editor John Luke oversees a cadre of writing talent from around the country. He’s especially proud of stories that promote simple bungalow living and describe how others attained that dream, like the pieces about a luxurious private estate in the Adirondacks and a hand-made cottage in Maine. For the spring issue, Luke wrote about a couple, Jeff and Cheryl Petra of Olympia, Washington, who were surprised to find that their home had originated as a bungalow. The couple made the discovery during a complete renovation in the wake of 2001’s 6.8 Nisqually earthquake, and the journey gave them a strong sense of connection to their home, a feeling that they never before had about a dwelling. “Step by step, Hovde [a designer] opened Cheryl’s and Jeff ’s eyes – not so much to what to call the elements of their home as to understand why they had come to feel so homelike,” Luke wrote. “‘It’s a feeling of being connected,’ Jeff says. ‘Every day when I walk through the door, I simply enjoy how it feels – how the colors and textures all come together, how something beautiful has been resurrected and restored, and how bonded we feel with the [space] in which we live.’” AM

“It’s not a how-to magazine, but a howit-can-be-done [by craftspeople] magazine. If it weren’t for the artisans – those who do reproductions or whose work is inspired by [their forerunners] – this revival just wouldn’t be. American Bungalow gave those artisans a tremendous avenue.”

ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 39

BUNGALOW FEVER

Houses of Color and Light ARTIST DAVID JONASON’S “CUBISM LITE” PAINTINGS HELP VIEWERS SEE BUNGALOWS IN A FRESH WAY. BY KIM OHANNESON

WHEN DAVID JONASON LOOKS AT BUNGALOWS, HE’S REMINDED OF BONES. “I THINK THE IMAGE OF THE BUNGALOW SURROUNDED BY ORANGE TREES AND CLIMBING ROSES IS AS ICONIC TO PASADENA AS GEORGIA O’KEEFFE’S MESAS AND COW SKULLS ARE TO NEW MEXICO,” SAYS THE ARCHITECTURAL ARTIST, WHO PAINTS CRAFTSMAN CHARMERS AND SANTA FE SANCTUARIES AS WELL AS MODERNE MANSIONS.

David Jonason “Looking East,” 2008, Oil on canvas, 24 X 36 inches “Batchelder House,” 2006, Oil on canvas, 22 X 30 inches Opposite: “Somewhere in South Pasadena,” 2008, Oil on canvas, 20 X 20 inches

40 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

Jonason’s passion for bungalows has inspired his color-and-light-splashed paintings of some of Pasadena’s most distinctive Craftsman landmarks, ultimate bungalows like the Gamble and Blacker houses as well as homes with less famous pedigrees. He uses a technique he calls “cubism lite,” borrowing elements of cubism and realism — “clean lines, strong forms and bold use of color” — to emphasize architectural design in his paintings of buildings. The style bestows an almost mythical quality upon his subjects. “[Bungalows] are heroic in their own way,” says Jonason, who uses tight perspective to emphasize signature stylistic details such as fieldstone, broad porches and Japanese-inspired window treatments. Jonason’s dynamic skies, a unique hallmark of his work, highlight the bungalows’ inherent drama; the artist uses alternating slashes of light and color to create visual excitement around the featured building in the same way that “klieg lights are used in the movie industry at a premiere.” Michael Hollis, whose eponymous South Pasadena gallery represents Jonason, says his technique inspires the viewer to reexamine familiar structures such as Pasadena City Hall, which was featured in his spring show of paintings of city landmarks. “[David] breaks the subject down to the essential elements, then builds it up again,” Hollis says. “People can pass City Hall a hundred times, but David’s painting helps them see it in a new light. A re-examination of things that are familiar has a particular appeal.” Jonason’s clarity of focus, rigorous shapes and attention to detail are built on his earlier career as a commercial artist and illustrator. “Fine art is craft taken to the next level,” Hollis says. “Many of the best artists are illustrators because they come with a refined eye, and David is smart at rephrasing tradi—CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 41

BUNGALOW FEVER

Houses of Color and Light ARTIST DAVID JONASON’S “CUBISM LITE” PAINTINGS HELP VIEWERS SEE BUNGALOWS IN A FRESH WAY. BY KIM OHANNESON

40 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

BUNGALOW FEVER

“Madeline Avenue,” 2008, Oil on canvas, 22 X 28 inches

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tional skills.” He adds that Jonason shares an aesthetic sensibility with his friend, Pasadena artist R. Kenton Nelson. “They trod parallel paths for a while. Both artists have backgrounds in illustration. Their work is very graphic with the hint, the suggestion, of a story.” When Jonason isn’t painting in his Mendocino home (“a modern take on New England Cape Cod style — lots of glass and decks [with] a bit of bungalow aesthetic,” he says) or playing blues and jazz standards with his band, Two Blue Dudes, he travels to favorite painting locales in the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. Southern California remains a constant source of inspiration, however, perhaps because Jonason grew up in Pacific Palisades and Woodland Hills. He was a frequent sight at the Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon), where he haunted art shows and lectures. “I remember going to [the Pasadena Art Museum] to hear Claes Oldenburg speak about his work,” says Jonason. But it wasn’t until 1998, when Jonason met his wife Michele, then a San Marino resident, that he began to explore the Pasadena area in depth and discover the iconic bungalows that would become his “special loves.” He began painting them in 2003. “In the ’20s and ’30s, architecture [here] excelled in the private sector,” he says. “Most architectural movements start with high-priced homes and filter down. Bungalows are one of the few architectural movements that started with reasonably priced homes. If New York’s greatest architectural expression was the skyscraper, then for L.A., it’s the private home [which was] vitally important in defining the notion of California living.” The artist is especially interested in the interplay between bungalows and the gardens surrounding them. “The bungalow design aesthetic emphasized this intimate relationship to nature [through] the use of broad covered porches where you are meant to linger, read, relax and relate to the outdoors,” he says. “And the horizontal quality of the bungalow, with its low roof line, allowed it to blend into the surrounding landscape.” Jonason’s paintings, which range in price from $2,000 to $10,000, strike a particular chord with current and former Pasadena residents who feel that his work “captures a little bit of their memories,” Hollis says. The artist, who supports historic preservation by donating paintings to the Los Angeles Conservancy, also does a thriving business in commissions. “One of the spin-offs of the shows is that people who come want portraits of their own houses,” Jonason says. “I get to go into these wonderful historical houses and do paintings of them.” Southern California collectors who have commissioned pieces from Jonason include Hollywood producer Gale Ann Hurd and Jane Wiedlin of the New Wave band the Go-Go’s. In Jonason’s view, contemporary Angelenos commission portraits of their residences to celebrate their local culture, much like 17th-century arts patrons in the Netherlands, who were painted surrounded by their possessions. “Southern Californians are becoming more house-proud,” he says. “We’re realizing that there are historically important buildings in Los Angeles. The impression that Los Angeles is just Tinseltown is gone.” AM 42 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

BUNGALOW FEVER

Tom Murray’s former home on Raymond Avenue.

The Pied Piper of Pasadena REALTOR TOM MURRAY HAS LED LEGIONS OF HAPPY CLIENTS TO PURCHASE THE HOME OF THEIR DREAMS… AND REVITALIZE THE ONCE-CRUMBLING COMMUNITY OF NORTHWEST PASADENA IN THE PROCESS. BY JENINE BAINES

TOM MURRAY WAS NO STRANGER TO RISK-TAKING WHEN HE PURCHASED HIS FIRST HOUSE IN NORTHWEST PASADENA IN 1998. AS A PROFESSIONAL RIDER SPECIALIZING IN DRESSAGE AND JUMPING, MURRAY HAD A LONG LIST OF PAST INJURIES — INCLUDING A BROKEN BACK AND CRUSHED KNEECAPS — EVIDENCE OF HIS UNCOMMON WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON LIFE’S CHANCIER PURSUITS. Even his Realtor advised him against purchasing the 4,000-square-foot Queen Anne Victorian property on North Raymond Avenue. It was boarded up – a place where waist-high weeds and drug dealers were home alone – and officially designated as “blighted” by the City of Pasadena. But for the former Hollywood Hills resident, it was love at first sight. “I actually broke into the house to see what it looked like inside,” recalls Murray, 49, who has since joined Dickson Podley Realtors in Pasadena. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, I have to buy this.’”

Ten years later, Murray is still captivated by the community: an area roughly south of Woodbury, north of the 210 Freeway, east of Arroyo Boulevard and west of Lake Avenue. In the interim, he and his clients have restored roughly 200 homes — ranging from Arts and Crafts bungalows to Queen Anne Victorians and California Mediterranean Revivals — throughout Northwest Pasadena. Murray, who sold his first home on Raymond in 2002, continues to live in the area, in a mid-century modern residence. And he continues to buy houses there, although his portfolio currently includes only his own home. “I don’t compete —CONTINUED ON PAGE 45 ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 43

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BUNGALOW FEVER

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

with my clients,” Murray explains as he pets his schnauzer, Piper, at his Lake Avenue office. If no one buys a choice prospect, Murray will purchase the home himself, restore it and resell it. “The Northwest has always been what I call the Cinderella of Pasadena,” Murray adds. “If you put in a bit of elbow grease, you have a gorgeous home in a community with a wonderful urban, bohemian feel.” Actress Gretchen Palmer and her husband had been viewing properties throughout Los Angeles when they first met Murray in 2000. “He said, ‘I have your house,’” Palmer recalls. “It had bars on the windows and weeds so tall they were trees, but Tom told us his vision, and his excitement was contagious. In 10 minutes, we said, ‘We’ ll take it!'” Nor were the actress and her husband alone. “I call Tom the Pied Piper because there were a whole bunch of us doing the same thing at the same time,” says Palmer, now a Realtor in partnership with Murray. “It was a magical neighborhood, like [the one in] ‘The Truman Show.’ We’d talk over the fence to each other.” Murray’s commitment to the community has not gone unnoticed. In December, his role in revitalizing Northwest Pasadena earned him the first architectural preservation award granted by the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors (PFAR). “Tom Murray has literally lived out our mission statement,” says Ljiljana Grozdanic, chairman of PFAR’ s Cultural Heritage Committee, which was established to educate the public about Pasadena’s architectural treasures and the importance of preserving them. “He has been involved in the renovation of so many homes and, every time, he has insisted that whatever’s done remain true to the architect’s original intent.” Investors who share his interest in the area have also received a respectable rate of return, even in this troubled market, Murray notes. That first house he bought on North Raymond was then listed at $120,000. Today, the property appraises for around $1.2 million. Similarly, a historic landmark on North Los Robles sold in February for $1.5 million. “These houses were so far below everywhere else to start with that they had huge gains just to get par with other houses,” says Murray. As one of those investors, Palmer has her own perspective. “Even those who bought at the peak of the market will gain the value back and more, if they keep the house,” she says. “These homes, remember, are architectural gems with unique histories and characteristics.” As news spread of Northwest Pasadena’s resurgence, editorials would occassionally appear in the local newspaper, questioning whether lower-income residents would be priced out of the market. Murray, however, has never wavered in his belief that revitalization is a win-win for all concerned. “The area improves, and the lifestyle of the neighbors improves, and the children of the neighbors have a better chance to make something of themselves,” he says. Palmer and Murray will soon take what they’ve learned in Pasadena and share it with Springfield, Massachusetts. “Springfield is in the exact same place

Pasadena was in 1998, when Tom bought his first house,” says Palmer, who grew up in the city, which happens to be a 20-minute drive from Murray’s birthplace in Hartford, Connecticut. The team hopes to chronicle their journey in a reality show called “Saving Mulberry Street,” after the Dr. Seuss book “The Things I Saw On Mulberry Street.” (Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield, and the book is filled with imagery of the city.) The pilot, while not yet purchased, is currently being shot, and talks with a production company are underway. “Springfield was called the City of Homes, but now they’re all dilapidated and deteriorating,” Murray says. “There was an article that said that, if Dr. Seuss could see his hometown, he’d turn over in his grave.” Yet Murray’s aspirations for Springfield encompass far more than saving historic homes. He is urging global businesses like Toyota to enter the community and help jump-start its economy. The project also calls for a mentoring program for high school students, who will receive hands-on training in everything from demolition and electrical work to mortgages and financing. “All these different experiences – if you’re smart, you collect from each of them and you apply it,” says Murray. “I was one of those kids, and I want them to learn what I have. You can do anything you put your mind to.” When Murray found the North Raymond house, even securing financing was a challenge. With “$93 in the bank and my clothes in a bag,” he soon learned that few, if any, banks were willing to grant loans for what they viewed as a highly risky, if not suicidal, investment. Murray eventually secured a Fannie Mae 203K rehabilitation loan. He did much of the work himself — hand-painting the kitchen floor, faux-finishing the walls and taking great care, whether replacing a doorknob or hanging a new ceiling, to maintain the house’s architectural integrity. The finished project has since been featured in three national magazines, including Victorian Homes, which featured it on its cover. Yet even Murray, who worked in construction after high school, encountered some unanticipated hurdles. One day, when he was rewiring a chandelier on his front porch, a transient dropped by and urinated on the lawn. “I’m like, ‘Excuse me! You can’t do that!’” Murray recalls. He also collected over 2,500 needles discarded by drug users over the years. Trash collection and street-sweeping services were irregular as well. But a far more serious roadblock lay ahead: During a chance conversation with a neighbor, Murray — who lived on the east side of Raymond — learned that the west side was slated to become commercial. “I marched down to City Hall, totally ignorant,” Murray recalls. “‘I want to see your plan for the city,’ I said. And, sure enough, it showed that the whole west side, with all those big, beautiful, gorgeous homes, was going to be torn down.” To counter the city’s plans, Murray bought one of the empty lots across the street. Then he purchased a property on South Marengo…and moved it to the empty lot. “Just like Monopoly,” Murray recounts gleefully. “Everyone said, ‘Don’t do it.’ And I said, ‘No, I have to do this. I have to save this neighborhood.’” AM

“If you put in a bit of elbow grease, you have a gorgeous home in a community with a wonderful urban, bohemian feel.”

ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 45

BUNGALOW FEVER

Many Moons Press A BOUTIQUE PUBLISHER IN PASADENA IS A VOICE FOR PRESERVING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S UNSPOILED PAST. BY KAREN APOSTOLINA

Unless you’re a tourist, you probably ignore the signage posted along Southern California freeways inviting you to investigate local historical sites. Not so, Elizabeth Pomeroy. The writer, publisher and academic was irresistibly drawn to the signs during her daily drives to Pasadena City College in the mid-’90s. “I found that I was fascinated by historic markers, even some that I had driven past for years, like [the ones denoting] the Lummis Home or the Arroyo Seco,” says Pomeroy, 70. “I was able to just follow my curiosity into a lot of nooks and crannies.” Those gems became fodder for a historical column she penned, “Lost and Found,” which ran for five years in the Pasadena StarNews, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Whittier Daily News. She says she wrote it to raise awareness of the many rich historical sites nearby and support the nonprofits struggling to preserve them. It wasn’t long before she began hearing of visitors coming to the sites, her newspaper column in hand, hungry for more knowledge. That inspired her to collect her columns into a book she titled “Lost and Found: Historic and Natural Landmarks of the San Gabriel Valley.” To get it published in 2000, Pomeroy set up an independent press dedicated to Southern California history and nature – topics near to her heart. “I wanted to inspire people to explore and enjoy historic sites and writings,” she says, “and I wanted to foster preservation goals so our cities would conserve their historic buildings, parks and other places, saving and often reusing them if they were threatened by development.” Dubbing her venture Many Moons Press, Pomeroy has since published a second volume of “Lost and Found” as well as five other trade paperbacks, working out of her Pasadena bungalow. The original “Lost and Found” is currently in its fourth printing and selling steadily. “When it first came out, people at Vroman’s [Bookstore] just loved it, and they were buying many copies,” says Pomeroy, as she nibbles a croissant at the Tea Rose Garden in Old Pasadena. With her close-cropped hair and soft complexion, 46 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

she seems very much the English teacher she once was, elegant and polished yet approachable. Even Pomeroy was surprised at how well “Lost and Found” was received. “One day, I was taking the book out to a little bookshop in Glendora, to see if they would like to acquire it,” she says. “The owner of the shop said, ‘Oh, I know about that book. I read about it on the [Los Angeles] Times best-seller list.’” Pomeroy had stumbled onto a healthy niche in the book market – history bites. Since the chapters of “Lost and Found” were brief, having originated as columns, they were easy to consume — “as much history as people want to read,” she says. Then came September 11, and a newfound fear of flying expanded the ranks of people exploring closer to home. Pomeroy recalls one man who had decided to travel to every location in her book; He showed her his copy with the dates of each visit carefully penciled in. With that sort of feedback, a sequel was soon in the works: “Lost and Found II: More Historic and Natural Landmarks Under Southern California Skies,” covering parks and outdoors sites, came out in 2002. Pomeroy also authored “John Muir: A Naturalist in Southern California,” which she published in 2001. More narrowly focused on Southern California than most of his biographies, it includes quotes from letters describing Pasadena in the 1880s, stored at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. “ He was so lionized,” says Pomeroy. “The newspaper would say, ‘Professor Muir is in town.’ There would be long articles about whom he was dining with; for instance, he came to see Theodore Roosevelt in Pasadena.”

Many Moons Press’ newest division is called “California Voices,” which resurrects historic texts that have long been out of print or never published. The first in the series is “El Molino Viejo,” Robert Cleland’s history of the San Marino landmark built in 1816 as a grist mill for the San Gabriel Mission. Cleland’s book was first published in 1950; Many Moons’ 2003 edition includes an epilogue by Pomeroy bringing the story up to the present. “Theodore Payne in His Own Words: A Voice for California Native Plants,” a book of his 1920s writings, was published in 2004 in collaboration with the Theodore Payne Foundation. Payne was a horticultural activist worried about the destruction of native plants in the name of development, and his environmental philosophy seems more relevant than ever. “He planted demonstration gardens filled with wildflowers on vacant lots,” Pomeroy says. “When people saw the gorgeous flowers, the colors, they thought, ‘How can we get some of these?’” “Sage Bloom and Water Rights: Stories of Early Southern California” a collection of 10 short stories by Margaret Collier Graham, is the next book in the series, published in 2005. Graham was a popular South Pasadena essayist, storyteller and ardent feminist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book includes selections from two of her collections of fiction: “Stories of the Foot-hills” (1895) and “The Wizard’s Daughter” (1905). Pomeroy recently impersonated Graham at a Pasadena Historical Society event held at Mountain View Cemetery, and she’s often asked to recreate the role in public appearances – yet another outgrowth of her work as an ambassador for preservation. Many Moons’ newest title is “Calabasas Girls: an Intimate History, 1885 1912,” by Catherine Mulholland – yes, that Mulholland (William was her grandfather). The book, released in July, was originally published in 1976. It tells the story of her mother’s people, the Ijams, Haas and Perret families of Calabasas and Pasadena. Gayle Wattawa, an editor with the Berkeley-based publisher Heyday Books which focuses on the American West, praised “Calabasas Girls,” calling it “an intimate history indeed – wonderfully emotional and rich, both creating and remembering a vanished and wholly California way of life …”

California is a place Pomeroy knows well. She was born in San Francisco and moved to Pasadena at age 15. After graduating from Stanford University, she traveled to Massachusetts to teach, but she soon felt compelled to return west. “I really love the natural world of California — the Sierra Nevada, the shore and the coastal towns, the desert,” she says. “It’s just a wonderful realm.” She earned a Ph.D. in English from UCLA and worked in development at the Huntington Library from 1975 to 1985. Being around such rich literarary archives continued to stoke her passion for historical preservation. In 1994, Pomeroy began teaching English at Pasadena City College. Freed from the confines of a 9-to-5 job, she began to develop her other interests, which culminated in the creation of Many Moons Press. She leaned on the guidance of Richard Burns, a retired history professor from Claremont McKenna College, who became an enthusiastic mentor after reading her columns. Another history professor, Mark Dodge, helps with layout and assembling photographs, while graphic designer Hortensia Chu has produced the logo and book covers. Pomeroy may have left the classroom in 2004, but she says she hasn’t given up teaching. “Southern California history and nature is my subject now,” she says. “I see the books as my effort to start conversations and discussions as I would do if I were in front of my class,” generating a dialogue about whether these buildings are worth saving and why. “I want people to go to the city council, take their three minutes and speak in favor of preserving the open land or keeping a more careful approach to growth in the city.” Though it may seem counterintuitive to look back in time to find a vision for Southern California’s future, Pomeroy believes we can learn from the past. A hundred years ago, “people would write about throwing open their windows at night… and the smell of the orange blossoms,” she says. “The fields and the rivers, which were beautiful, where families picnicked and played, are now encased in concrete. It is possible to be kind of depressed if you read about the days long ago, but that is not my aim, to be nostalgic about the old days — rather to let the recollections of the past guide us in the present.” AM For more information on Many Moons Press, visit www.manymoonspress.com ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 47

BUNGALOW FEVER

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CASH for DIAMONDS

THE

LIST COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

“WALL-E” COMES TO EL CAPITAN

Through Aug. 27 — The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood hosts Disney/Pixar’s computer-animated comedy-adventure movie “Wall-E,” the story of a futuristic robot assigned to clean up a littered earth. The state-of-the-art digital presentation includes a live stage show, Disney’s “Flight of Fantasy,” preceding each showing, featuring favorite scenes from Disney and Pixar films with a cast including Mickey, Buzz, Woody, Jasmine and others. Also throughout the run, a special NASA and JPL space exploration display features models and replicas of some of the robotic vehicles and equipment developed by the space agency for missions to the moon, Mars and elsewhere. Call for show times. The El Capitan Theatre is located at 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Call (323) 467-7674 or visit www.disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan.

LODESTONE REPRISES WILLIAMS CLASSIC Aug. 2 to 24 — Lodestone Theatre Ensemble concludes its ninth season with the classic Tennessee Williams play “Suddenly Last Summer” at the GTC-Burbank. The company’s coartistic director, Chil Kong, directs the mostly Asian-American cast. The play tells the story of the death of a beloved son and cousin, Sebastian Venable, which causes a family conflict over memories of him. The play asks not only how Sebastian will be remembered but how observers would like to be remembered. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays. GTC-Burbank is located inside George Izay Park, 1111-B W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Call (323) 993-7245 or visit www.lodestonetheatre.org.

HAPPENINGS AT THE HUNTINGTON The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens offers a wide array of events for the whole family: Aug. 3 — The Hong Kong Youth Orchestra, featuring 50 young musicians from the Hong Kong Scout Association Orchestra, performs classical and popular works in a free concert at 2 p.m. in Friends’ Hall. Aug. 8, 9, 22 and 23 — The Southwest Chamber Music’s Summer Festival continues, with weekend outdoor concerts on the loggia of the newly renovated Huntington Art Gallery. Ticket holders with reservations can enjoy pre-concert dinners in the Rose Garden Tea Room. For details and ticket information, call (800) 726-7147 or visit www.swmusic.org. Aug. 9 — Casey Schwartz and Kit Wertz of Flower Duet present “The Art of Floral Arranging: Shakespeare Garden Bouquet,” a class in making bouquets inspired by the Huntington’s Shakespeare Garden. The class runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is $85; $75 for members. Call (626) 405-2128 to register.

Aug. 14 — A garden talk on “Succulents for the Home Garden” starts at 2:30 p.m. John Trager, the Huntington’s curator of Desert Collections, discusses how to beautify the home landscape with succulents. A plant sale follows the talk. Aug. 30 — The Huntington’s 25th Succulent Plants Symposium, “A New Century of Succulent Plants,” features a panel of guest speakers discussing new developments in the world of succulents. The symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit www.huntington.org.

FILMS AND FUN FOR BIRD LOVERS The Audubon Center at Debs Park in northeast Los Angeles, in partnership with the Pasadena and Los Angeles chapters of the Audubon Society, hosts Audubon Film Fridays starting at 7 p.m. The nights open with a bird walk, followed by a nature film at 8 p.m. in English with Spanish subtitles. Admission is free and refreshments are available. Here’s what’s coming up for August: Aug. 8 — “Wild America” tells the story of three brothers traveling around the country to photograph nature. Aug. 22 — “Whale Rider” recounts the tale of the granddaughter of a New Zealand chief who learns leadership through nature. Debs Park is located at 4700 N. Griffin Ave., Los Angeles. Call (323) 221-2255 or visit www.ca.audubon.org/debs_park.php.

AUGUST HEATS UP AT THE AUTRY Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 — Every Thursday this month, the Autry National Center in Griffith Park offers a cool musical alternative for hot August nights. Some of the best Latin bands in L.A. come out to play — with mambo, Son, Latin jazz, charanga and Afro-Cuban sounds — and it’s all great for dancing. Even if you think you can’t dance, an instructor will be on hand —CONTINUED ON PAGE 51 ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 49

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THE

LIST

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

to show you the steps at no extra charge. The museum store is open until 8 p.m.; you can also check out the museum’s exhibits between songs. Tacos and margaritas are on tap; the bar and café open at 5 p.m. Music runs from 6 to 9 p.m. The admission fee is $7; free for Autry members. Here’s this month’s lineup: Aug. 7 — Orquesta Son Mayor Aug. 14 — Orquesta Charangoa Aug. 21 — Los Compadres Aug. 28 — Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad. The Autry National Center is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. Call (323) 667-2000 or visit www.autrynationalcenter.org.

MOVIE MAGIC, BEETHOVEN AND MORE FROM CAL PHIL The California Philharmonic Orchestra performs music from movie soundtracks and by classical masters at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Walt Disney Concert Hall: Aug 9 and 10 — “Movie Magic” features excerpts from some of Hollywood’s boxoffice smashes, including “Titanic,” “The Godfather,” “Schindler’s List,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “An American in Paris” and “Rocky.” Violinist and pianist Ayke Agus is the featured soloist. Gates open at 5:30 on Saturday at the Arboretum, and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. The concert repeats at 2 p.m. Sunday at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Aug. 23 and 24 — This pair of concerts features another movie masterpiece, Ravel’s “Bolero,” popularized in the 1979 film “10.” The concerts also present works by Beethoven and Bernstein. Featured soloists are soprano Khori Dastoor, mezzo soprano Suzanna Guzmán, tenor Kalil Wilson and bass baritone Cedric Berry. For the Saturday concert at the Arboretum, gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s concert begins at 2 p.m. at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Los Angeles County Arboretum is located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. Call (626) 300-8200 for tickets. Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (213) 365-3500 for tickets, or purchase tickets for all concerts at www.calphil.org.

MUSIC, FINE WINE AND FOOD AT DESCANSO Aug. 10 — The Orchestras of Pasadena Chamber Music and Wine Series at Descanso Gardens continues with an evening focusing on Meritages and other wine blends. The event, hosted by Pasadena Symphony Music Director Jorge Mester, offers guests a selection of wines paired with complementary dishes prepared by Patina Catering. The program, which runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m., features clarinetist Phil O’Connor in performance with a string quartet. The event takes place at the Boddy House in Descanso Gardens. The cost is $65. Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Call (626) 793-7172, ext. 3050 or visit www.theorchestras.org.

Yoko Ono photo by Miguel Angel Valero

SUMMERTIME AND THE COOKING IS EASY Williams-Sonoma Grand Cuisine at the Glendale Galleria offers free classes on cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients. Classes run from 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 10 — “All About Tomatoes” catches tomato season at its peak and covers the basics of picking, handling and storing. Also discussed are key tomato accompaniments and various cook’s tools. Aug. 24 — “EVOO and More” discusses cooking, drizzling, finishing and flavoring extravirgin olive oil. Williams-Sonoma Grand Cuisine is located at 2148 Glendale Galleria, Glendale. Call (818) 241-0154 to register.

AN EVENING OF KHACHATURIAN AT THE ALEX Aug. 16 — Media City Ballet presents “An Evening of Khachaturian: The Composer and His Ballets” at the Alex Theatre. The composer’s works helped bring Armenian national ballet to a world-class level. Principal Dancers Arsen Serobian, Edgar Nikolyan, Christine Gregorian, others from Media City Ballet and guest artists perform selections

YOKO ONO INSTALLATION COMES TO PASADENA Aug. 2 — Yoko Ono opens the major interactive installation “Wish Trees” at the Armory at One Colorado. The work revolves around several living trees identified with the environment or history of Southern California. Visitors are invited to write their wishes on pieces of paper and hang them on the branches. After the installation ends Nov. 9, Pasadena’s wishes will be combined with wishes from around the world and placed in capsules to be buried around Ono’s public art project memorializing John Lennon: the Imagine Peace Tower on Videy Island off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. The work was inspired by her early childhood experiences of placing wishes on bushes in temple courtyards in her native Japan. One Colorado is located between Colorado Boulevard and Union Street and Fair Oaks and De Lacey avenues in Old Pasadena. Call (626) 792-5101 or visit www.onecolorado.com. from Aram Khachaturian’s three major ballets: “Gayaneh,” “Spartacus” and “Masquerade.” Artistic Director Natasha Middleton stages “Spartacus” and “Masquerade” and Associate Director and Ballet Master Ruben Tonoyan directs “Gayaneh.” The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (818) 243-ALEX for tickets or visit www.alextheatre.org.

VANITIES OPENS AT PASADENA PLAYHOUSE Aug. 22 — The world premiere of the new musical comedy “Vanities” opens at 8 p.m. at the Pasadena Playhouse. The story by Jack Heifner chronicles the life journey of three Texas teenagers who evolve from cheerleaders to sorority sisters, housewives and liberated women during the 1960s and ’70s. Music and lyrics are by David Kirshenbaum. Judith Ivey directs. Choreography is by Dan Knechtges. “Vanities” continues through Sept. 28. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 3567529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

CELEBRATING CERAMICS AT THE FOLK TREE Starting Aug. 23 — The Folk Tree presents “Latino Ceramists,” showcasing emerging and nationally recognized Latino artists in the L.A. area. The show includes works by Dora Delario, Susan Elizalde-Holler, Jim Gonzalez, Alejandra Hernandez, Angel Lopez, Ricky Maldonado, Carlos Ramirez and Vincent Suez. The exhibition continues through Sept. 20. The Folk Tree is located at 217 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8733 or visit www.folktree.com. AM ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 51

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

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AROUND THE WORLD BOOKS AND ART Where do you go for the comfort of old books? Try Around the World Books and Art in La Cañada. Begun in 2005 with their personal library and augmented with gems from estate, library, and private sales, Priscilla, a former instructor of history and English, and her husband Mike, a science teacher, have got something here for everyone among their 40,000 volumes—and paintings and photographs, too. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 11 to 6. 643 Foothill Blvd. in the Plaza de La Cañada breezeway behind Zeli Coffee - (818) 790-2329.

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

FANCY THAT! With the dog days of summer just around the corner, most everyone is heading to the beach…or at the very least, to the Seaside Celebration at Fancy That! Paula and Jim have assembled an exquisite collection of gifts and home accessories to celebrate one of life’s greatest pleasures: a day at the beach. Vietri’s Incanto Mare pattern in dinnerware, glass and home accents is breathtaking in its simplicity and workmanship—taking dining al fresco to new heights. Spanish and Italian glass, Beatrice Ball pewter, permanent botanicals, soy candles, real and faux shells, carved wood benches, Bamboo & Cotton towels for after-the-beach showers and even a 5 piece vintage wicker porch set from a Beaufort, North Carolina beach house! You’ll find wonderful treasures—for the beach and beyond—at both Fancy That! locations.

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Hot enough for ya? My favorite place to escape the summer heat is the movie theater. I’m pretty easy to please at the cinema. Being a chef, you’d think I would be a sucker for movies like “Ratatouille.” On the contrary. Been there, done that. The movies I crave involve some type of action hero, preferably endowed with magic, extraordinary skills or super powers. It also helps if the hero is male, in his mid-40s and easy on the eyes.

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I will boil water in a fraction of a

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second with my vision, which will speed things up on spaghetti night. I will cook the steaks to a precise medi-

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um rare in the blink of an eye, with no guesswork. The oven, toaster and microwave will become obsolete, and I will clear them all off my counter, finally

Summer movies are by far the best. I look forward to the big-budget specialeffects extravaganzas. I especially enjoy seeing them the day they’re released.

making room for that kitschy collection of Pyrex bowls I have always dreamed of. I would like to have a sidekick, too — someone dedicated to me and my

Sure, the crowds, cell phones and Chatty Cathys are distracting, but nothing

fight for kitchen justice, someone to clean up after me with a smile and no com-

beats a crowd response to something cool on-screen. A gigantic gasp, uproari-

plaints. We’ll call him Scullery Boy Wonder.

ous laughter and a well-timed scream are all the more enjoyable when they’re shared by 300 strangers. Action movies are not very girly, I know. I have never enjoyed the standard

Of course, every superhero has a nemesis. Mine is Salt-into-Sugar Man, who constantly sabotages my recipes with his evil ways. Don’t let the name fool you. He is equally capable of replacing paprika with cayenne, parsley with cilantro and

chick flick. And no, I did not see “Sex and the City.” I don’t like high-heeled

cream cheese with goat cheese. To catch him, I have devised a trap which

shoes, I hate cosmopolitans and, ever since “War Games,” I’ve had a crush on

involves baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar. It’s very complicated,

Matthew Broderick, who I believe is too good for Sarah Jessica Parker. (Come on!

but let’s just say the memory-erasing hairnets, holographic oven mitts and

Who needs three names? That’s just showing off.)

dreaded pinch-of-death salad tongs are going to come in handy.

No, I would much prefer a good superhero movie. There’s always a bad guy who could use a whippin', and as long as there are not too many guts in my line

Here’s an easier project for comic-book film fans: Throw a superhero movie party and send your audience into sugar-shocked snack heaven. AM

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of vision, I’ll buy into it. Sure, superheroes are not very realistic, but who needs reality? I already have plenty of reality, thank you. I need a movie to take me to

Bilderback is a South Pasadena resident, a certified master chef and baker and the

another place and keep me there for a while.

author of five volumes in Alpha Publishing’s “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to...” series —

I often find myself wondering which superpowers would really help me enjoy

“...Snack Cakes” (June 2008); “...Good Food from the Good Book” (March 2008);

life. Being able to fly and be invisible are old school. I need powers to help me get

“...Spices and Herbs” (Dec. 2007); “...Comfort Food” ( Sept. 2007); and “...Success as

my work done. The ability to adjust temperature in an instant with only my stare

a Chef” (Feb. 2007). A former executive chef of the California School of Culinary Arts,

would be awesome. Yes, from now on I shall be known as the Thermomanator.

Bilderback teaches her techniques online at www.culinarymasterclass.com.

52 ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ ARROYO

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 150ºF. Combine popped corn, peanuts and almonds on a baking sheet and warm in the oven. Spread out a large sheet of parchment or waxed paper and coat evenly with pan spray. 2. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the butter, cook to hard-crack stage (285ºF), then remove from heat. Quickly add salt, baking soda, vanilla and pepper, and stir until the mixture is foamy. Immediately add corn and nuts, and stir quickly to coat. 3. Pour onto the prepared paper and spread out into small clumps. Work fast! The candy cools quickly. Cool and break into bite-size pieces. Serve or store in an airtight container in the freezer.

838 1/2 Foothill Blvd. La Cañada, CA 91011

818.790.6525

2575 Mission Street San Marino, CA 91108

626.403. 2577

(formerly Impromptu) ARROYO ~ AUGUST 2008 ~ 53