Architecture of the Southland

Former Southern Pacific Depot, Riverside

Downtown Skyline and Broadway Viaduct, Los Angeles

Senior Center, Santa Monica

Los Angeles River, Glendale

UC Riverside

Downtown Riverside

CA State Route 2, Los Angeles

Mission Inn, Riverside

Sears, Santa Monica

Eames House, Pacific Palisades

All photos - Taken by me, rights reserved, copyright, etc.

Early Color Photographs of San Francisco

Thanks to a bit of serendipitous research at the Smithsonian Museum of American History's Photographic History Collection, volunteer Anthony Brooks has uncovered this set of COLOR photographs taken by Frederick Eugene Ives of the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. According to the Chronicle, these are the earliest color photographs ever taken of the City. There are only six of these stereoscopic prints.

SFist has gone through and zoomed into some of the pictures to highlight details, like the striking juxtaposition of advertising rising above the rubble. What I find most compelling about these photos is the sky. Somehow, that Bay Area autumn blue really makes the scenes come alive.

For some more joyful color, San Francisco history eye-candy, check out this set of Autochromes taken of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition for which the Marina District and the Palace of Fine Arts were built. Again, courtesy of Anthony Brooks at the Smithsonian.

Gusting Winds in Palm Springs

Here are some stunning pictures of just how wild our state's environment can be, especially out in the desert, care of the LA Times.

Sheet Music

Over the past few months I've been researching pieces of nineteenth-century sheet music that cover Western themes. Here's a particularly pretty sampling from the sources I've been working with.

Hawks (2010-2011)

May

There is nothing quite so wonderful

As being on the Western edge,

On the moment of movement, from one then to this now.

Street lights snake through the darkening valley,

Their wires strung beyond new pavement, and

Amber pouring into the soil-thick air -

My engine sings, piston to belt;

The swing of headlights catches an evening hawk

Alighting from a lamppost into dry tall grass - and

All is glowing within the night.

December

A mountain means many things in many places.

Two hawks dive in Red Rock Canyon

Wind blows and rocks stay.

February

Outside of the window of Westwood's Cafe Profeta,

Through the lace of winter bougainvillea,

A hawk is perched on the carcass of a fattened pigeon -

Pulling and clawing at its body,

Entrails hanging from its sharp beak.