Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Los Minarets?

This cozy apartment building was built in 1928 -- a time when architecture definitely tilted at windmills. I think it is still considered Spanish, even with those odd cut-outs. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be reminiscent of the turrets of St. Basil's Cathedral or the domes from the Taj Mahal. Whatever the intent, the result is classic Southern California bungalow.

The red beetle is a classic in its own right, too!

19 comments:

Yakpate said...

LA: Those front facade door and window cutouts are very reminiscent of what I saw in Marrakesh... but the shady trees and scarlet VW Bug create a scene that is pure South Pas. Red (my favorite color) is so often an element in your shots. There must be a lot of it in South Pasadena!

Brenda's Arizona said...

Yeah, I agree with Yakpate - i has very much the 'arabic' influence of Morocco, Saudi, etc. Last week I was scanning some old family snapshots of our days living in India- several of the Taj, and your comment jolted me awake! LOVE the slug-bug!

dbdubya said...

Yep, definitely Moroccan. The cut-out to the left of the porch looks like a candle with a flame.

The VW is about a 68 or 69. Remember the day when they were the most common car on the road? When I was in college, they were by far the most popular car. There are now very few around. Too bad, they changed our thinking about what it took to be cool.

Mister Earl said...

How about Moorish Spain?

Is this real, or a model?

TheChieftess said...

I learned to drive in a 61 VW...my Dad said if I learned on a stick shift, I could drive anything...made me start and stop on a hillside so I'd really learn the clutch...I miss my Dad...

Definitely Moroccan!!!

Brenda's Arizona said...

I learned to drive in '69 Firebird - stick shift, overhead cam, the whole bit. Man was it a 'hot'car, but I wanted a BUG! Funny how dads want to make sure we don't stall out on hills.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

It's where they keep the ashes of Korla Pandit enshrined.

It's true

Anton Elohan Byers said...

Mr. Earl beat me to it--Moorish.

Mister Earl said...

Moorish and Moroccan are essentially the same. It was Mediterranean Moslem architecture.

Korla Pandit - My friend and her brother had a thing when they were kids that Pandit's piercing eyes were poison and they would die if they looked at them. They would run out of the room screaming when he came on the TV. When I sent them YouTube clips of Pandit, they freaked and didn't look him in the eye.

Anton Elohan Byers said...

Yes, the same in most ways, but as you implied earlier, it would be the Moorish influence that came through Spain to Mexico.

Virginia said...

I don't care about the weird architecture ( OMG is that politically un-correct? Do I care?? ) I love me some red love bug.
V

PS May I just add that old age sucks but one thing it affords us is we can say whatever we want to and don't give a rip if anyone wants to SUE US!

Laurie Allee said...

Looks like the term for this in California is Hispano-Moorish Revival. Now we know! I do love all architecture that uses those onion shapes -- from mosques to Russian cathedrals. (And even our tattered little bungalow, here.)

BTW, if you google a bit on Hispano-Moorish you might go down a wonderful architectural rabbit hole. I wasted almost an hour looking at pictures of La Casa Grande at Hearst Castle! Sigh...

Until tomorrow, everyone!

Laurie Allee said...

Okay, I forgot to mention, I don't know who Korla Pandit is. Does that mean I'm kicked out of our little club, here? I'm off to research... I'm off to research...

dbdubya said...

I'm out on the streets with you, Laurie. I don't know who Korla Pandit is either.

Mister Earl said...

Don't look him in the eyes!

Apparently, back in the 50s, when some television shows were 15 minutes long, Korla Pandit playing the organ would be used as filler when they needed something between shows. His clips were used in several markets, apparently. I must have seen him as a kid, but I don't recall it. When my friend told me about his poison eyes, that's the first I'd heard of him.

TheChieftess said...

Right On!!! Ms Virginia!!! That and we can wear sensible shoes...if we can find them to fit our feet!!!

wv: catis... no longer needing to cat fight...we just cat is!!!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Korla was a black man from the south who was able to "pass" But not as a white man, rather as an Indian. He spent his last years playing an organ at an art house theater that showed silent movies somewhere in the South Bay.

Korla via you tube

Laurie Allee said...

I feel like my life was incomplete without Korla. I still can't believe I didn't know about that guy! Thanks Earl and PA.

Kim said...

So THAT's where John Locke lives! :-)
-Kim