Showing posts with label Alexander Building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alexander Building. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Explore South Pasadena's Historic Buildings

Then and now...


The Los Angeles region doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to preserving landmarks.  Despite the efforts of dedicated preservationists, many architectural wonders have been lost to the wrecking ball.  The Richfield Tower, The Brown Derby, The Garden of Allah, and The Ambassador Hotel are just a few of the historic structures that have been demolished in the name of progress.  (Many South Pasadena residents were worried that our very own Rialto Theater would meet the same fate.  Luckily, for now, that disaster seems to be averted.)

You won't find points of interest once the last art deco tile or Spanish arch has been hauled off to a landfill -- a parking lot here, a nondescript office building there.  What's left behind is a creeping blight of utilitarian sameness that has earned Los Angeles the title of "Strip Mall Capital of the World."  We've gained a lot of dry cleaners and nail salons, but we've lost a lot of our history and perhaps more than a little of our soul.

Friday, March 16, 2012

What Was That Name Again?

The man who built this building, Alexander R. Graham, named it after himself. (The Alexander Building.) Not content with one mere structure as his namesake, he built another one right next to it and named that one after himself, too. (The A. R. Graham Building.)

What would you bet he would have been peeved to be upstaged by that dramatic sky?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Historic Mission Street

South Pasadena's business district boomed between 1906 and 1908. At the time, the South Pasadena Record reported, "Rapidly and surely the march of progress is wending its way from Fair Oaks west and from Meridian east."

The first man to build on Mission Street was Alexander R. Graham, who razed a grove of eucalyptus trees at Mission and Meridian and built this concrete building. (Graham named the building the Alexander Building. Lest we forget who he was, two years later he erected another building right next door and called it the A. R. Graham Building. Now, what was his name again?)

I've raved about it before, and I'll rave again: for the ultimate South Pasadena history, you can't beat Jane Apostol's comprehensive South Pasadena, 1888-1988, A Centennial History, Second Edition with Chronology, 1988-2008. Check it out at the South Pas Public Library. Or better yet, purchase your own copy at the library bookstore.

You can read my former interview with Jane right here.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Midnight Stroll

Lucy Maud Montgomery once said, "Twilight drops her curtain down, and pins it with a star." This time, I think she used streetlamps, instead.

Just another late night walk on Meridian at Mission, behind the Alexander Building.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Stair...

"A stair," Kafka once wrote, "not worn hollow by footsteps is, regarded from its own point of view, only a boring something made of wood."

There's nothing boring about this old worn-hollow beauty behind the Alexander Building. (I'm resisting the urge to create a movie scenario around this shot. But I won't stop you if you're so inspired...)

And speaking of inspired, Ken Mac over at the fantastic Greenwich Village Daily Photo surprised me with a "Blogging Friends Forever" Award just a day after lovely Scarlet at Jamjarsuperstar awarded me with an E for Excellence Blog Award. Holy moly! This is really great because I have never won anything -- except for $100 on a long shot horse named Clabber Girl years ago at Belmont Race Track. I'm truly honored to be picked by both Scarlet and Ken. Scarlet's musical knowledge is encyclopedic, and her blog is a fabulous source for discovering new artists. And Ken's phenomenal shots of New York capture the soul of the city to the point where you can almost hear the Gershwin soundtrack playing.

So, according to the rules of the award, I get to give the award to five other photo bloggers with these conditions:

1. Only five people are allowed.

2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.

3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.

5. You have to give everyone else a pony and a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Okay, I made up number 5. (Have I mentioned how much I don't like rules?)

With gratitude and great pleasure I would like to pass the award to these photography bloggers:

Hope of Knoxville Daily Photo. Hope can squeeze images out of her Nikon Coolpix that will astonish you. The photographs of her kids capture the essence of childhood and a mother's love with the same poignancy and joy of the paintings of Mary Cassatt...

Wayne of Vancouver Daily Photo. I don't know what I love most about Wayne's blog: his terrific eye for interesting subjects, or his ability to make me spew coffee out of my nose laughing at his self-deprecating wit. I picture Wayne as a sort of Canadian Jack Benny with a camera. Vancouver is a gem of a city and Wayne's record only adds to the luster.

Scott of Minneapolis Daily Photo. This shot of Grumpy's Bar is one of my favorite photographs of all time. Scott is always pushing his camera to create unusual, new images. Like this one. Scott's pictures remind me of David Foster Wallace stories -- ordinary subjects, deeply felt, often treated with an absurd and whimsical point of view.

Kevin of The Jimson Weed Gazette. When I first discovered K's photos, I'm afraid I fell all over myself in comments like a squealing fangirl. Spare, intense, often jarring -- I think Kevin's photos truly capture Los Angeles. What Raymond Carver did with a typewriter, Kevin does with a camera.

Meead of the former Mashhad (IRAN) Daily Photo and now at Portland Oregon Daily Photo. Meead's beautiful soul touched many of us from across the globe -- writing passionately about life in Iran and about his dream of peace throughout the world. Now he's studying in Portland and I'm honored to be able to see my country through his eyes. (Incidentally, Sara N now beautifully continues Mashhad Daily Photo.)

So there you have it. Treat yourself to a few minutes exploring the worlds of these talented bloggers. And thanks, Ken and Scarlet, for honoring me!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

South Pasadena in the Media

PBS Now aired a fascinating story yesterday about the rising price of gas in this country and how it is literally fueling the housing crisis. South Pasadena was featured as an ideal pedestrian enclave centered around the Metro Gold Line train. If you watch the clip, you'll see some great video from this part of downtown, right near Mission Station.

(Thanks go to Wayne -- of the wonderful Vancouver Daily Photo -- for the heads up about the show.)