SAT, JULY 26 - VAN NUYS HISTORIC WALKING TOUR - Richard Hilton's last tour as docent!

Attendees will learn about the original 1911 buildings hidden beneath modern facades, first churches, a civic center with many special revelations, the Women's Club building, origin of the Daily News, Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monuments #201, #202, and #911, and National Register of Historic Places Monument #2509. Also, who were Hobart Johnstone Whitley, Wayne E. Bechtelheimer and Whitley Van Nuys Huffaker? Re-live "Wednesday Nights on Van Nuys Boulevard," and much more!

2014 Remaining Tour Dates:

July 26, 2014
This is a one-time date change - please note

September 13, 2014

November 29, 2014 - Popular "Walk it Off" tour 

Additional tour highlights include:

• Van Nuys Bungalow
• Women's Club
• Old Van Nuys Library (1927)
• United Methodist Church
• Municipal Building Façade
• Van Nuys Post Office
• Abeles Map
• Fernando Statue, Crystal Plunge
• Bob's Big Boy, Busch Gardens
• Lankershim, Van Nuys, Whitsett, and Whitley Overviews

In addition, if you would like write a check for a tour, it may be made payable and sent to:

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

18860 Nordhoff St., Suite 204

Northridge, CA 91324-3885

To RSVP by phone for an upcoming historic walking tour, please contact us at (818) 347-9665 and leave your name, email, phone number and how many attendees or email at events@theMuseumSFV.org.

Van Nuys Tour meets at 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. at Sylvan and Van Nuys Blvd., under arch, which is southeast corner of the street at 10:00 a.m.

Sponsored by the Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

MUSEUM PREPARES 100 YEARS OF VAN NUYS HIGH SCHOOL EXHIBIT

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Van Nuys High School, The Museum Community is preparing a special commemoration exhibit about this famous school and its students. We are seeking donations of the following to support this special exhibit:  photographs of students and related events, sports memorabilia (such as football programs), theatrical and graduation programs, recordings,year books and class memorabilia, items related to on-campus and off-campus clubs report cards, pins, trophies, medals, family photographs and scrapbooks. 
If you can volunteer to help on this projects, or to donate artifacts or financial help, contact:

Jerry Fecht - The Van Nuys High School Exhibit

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 

Plaza De La Cordillera

18860 Nordhoff Street 

2nd Floor 

Northridge, CA 91324

(818) 347-9665

Remember, the artifacts and financial support given to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley are tax deductible.
Here are a couple of examples donated for the Van Nuys High School exhibit thus far:

 "Vanettes" letter - Van Nuys High School Music Department - 1959 - Courtesy of Janne Fecht

 Van Nuys High School Girls Athletic Association letter - 1959 - courtesy of Janne Fecht

 

 Pins on the pocket of a Van Nuys High School Girls Athletic Association sweater 1959.  The middle row has Girl Scouts and "Brownies" pins." Courtesy of Janne Fecht - Sweater pins were considered a measure of a girl's popularity.

1944 Van Nuys High School class sweater that delonged to Daisy Lee Moseley. Made by Criterion Mills. Donated to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Ellen Carpenter 2014.

 1939 Van Nuys High School class sweater

 Spring 1958 "D'Artagnans" Van Nuys High School class sweater. Courtesy of Janne Fecht 2014.

thoughts on Normandy from Jerry

A lifelong friend of mine just sent me images of artists making template images of fallen soldiers on the beaches at Normandy. This is nearly what I responded.

I took college students to Normady. In the graveyard, I caught sight of one of my Moorpark College guys with a girl on each arm, chucking and jiving as they entered the sacred place. It made my angry and I started to make my way to say something to them. But, in the process, I looked down at the graves all those 18 year old boys caught up there in the agonies of war, and realized that they were not fighting for truth, justice and the American way, they were fighting for the right of carefree 18 year-olds to have two girls in their arms, to flirt and think about the sunshine and their futures without the oppression of old men and women with empires and profits on their agendas.

Later I saw each of the students standing alone at a grave in their quiet thoughts about the other 18 year-olds who lay there.

They were so young, those who fell at Normandy. 

It is the duty of the civilized to record their histories for knowledge sake, and to make art to continually open our hearts.

SPENCER TRACY MADE HIS HOME IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

One of the most successful and important American actors of the 20th century was Spencer Tracy. He made his California home in North Hollywood.

Vintage postcard - Spencer Tracy home in North Hollywood - Gift to the San Fernando Valley Entertainment Industry Collection of the The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014.   (click on image to enlarge it.)

      Support Your Museum Today:                                Volunteer For Your Museum Today:
                                                  Donations are tax deductible.

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 

Plaza De La Cordillera

18860 Nordhoff Street 

2nd Floor 

Northridge, CA 91324

(818) 347-9665

SAN FERNANDO HEIGHTS LEMON ASSOCIATION

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

The arrival of water from Mulholland's Sierra Nevada waterway caused an explosion of agriculture in the San Fernando Valley. Lemons and oranges were the pride of San Fernando and other parts of the greater Valley area. The San Fernando Heights Lemon and Orange Associations shipped citrus across the Unite States via the Southern Pacific Railroad. 

In order to celebrate the opening soon of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley in Northridge, Gary Fredburg has donated these and other citrus labels for our agricultural collection. "Crate Art" found its rightful position as popular art with breakthroughs made by Andy Warhol. 

Support Your Museum Today:                                             Volunteer For Your Museum Today:

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 

Plaza De La Cordillera

18860 Nordhoff Street 

2nd Floor 

Northridge, CA 91324

(818) 347-9665

IMAGES OF VINTAGE BURBANK

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Overtime your Museum has begun to acquire a collection of photographs, postcards, books and supportive materials about the San Fernando Valley's premier city of Burbank. While vintage postcards generally give only glowing images of any location, they provide important overviews of a community. When postcards, such as the Lockheed Aircraft Factory School, contain messages they become evidence of a bigger picture, in this case World War II. 

Army Chapel - Lockheed Aircraft Factory School, Burbank, California - historic postcard- Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 (click on images to enlarge them.)
Note:  The information on this card reveals the Lockheed Aircraft factory in Burbank, likely to have been considered sensitive war-related prior to its mailing on February 23, 1945. It was mailed from PFC Justin O. Ranger (BK21-72$ 19127377 /  3715 AAFBU (class 30 -45) Lockheed Factory School, Burbank, California.
To: Mrs. Linn B. Ranger  775 North Town Avenue, Pomona, California.
It reads:  Dear Mom, This may get home Saturday, before I do, as I found a quicker way to send it off. Today, I feel much up to par, and pretty well out of my cold. I had a haircut tonight, and waited out (in) a line for an hour. I'll be home later, as I won't get through school and calestehjnics till five and will leave post about six. I was warmer this morning. Love Justin."  (postage free - North Hollywood)

 NBC Company postcard

 Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014

Warner Brothers Studios, postcard- Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014

BOB BURNS RADIO CELEBRITY OF THE 1940s

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

     Museum Associate Art Jacobs shares this story about radio's famous Bob Burns.

"Bob Burns a musical comedian who appeared on radio and in the movies is featured in the 1941 Radio-Movie-Guide magazine. Burns a native from Arkansas, is best known as "The Arkansas Traveler" a character that amused his audience with stories about the kinfolk back home. Burns played a novelty musical instrument of his own invention which he called the "bazooka". It consisted of a stove pipe and a whiskey funnel that created an unusual sound."

 Bob Burns, radio comic of the 1940s. Magazine photo courtesy of Art Jacobs 2014

"By 1940 Burns was nationally known on the radio and was signed as a contract player with Paramount Pictures. During the 1930's and 40's Burns began investing his money in real estate throughout the San Fernando Valley. At one time, it was said that Bob Burns owned over 800 acres of West Valley land. His ranch was located on the corner of Sherman Way and Mason in Canoga Park. 

Locally, Burns became the honorary mayor of Canoga Park and was very active in the community.

On February 1956, Bob Burns passed away in Encino, California of kidney cancer and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery."

OLIVE VIEW HOSPITAL

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

In the first decade of the 20th century, the north eastern areas of the San Fernando Valley were widely believed to have the best climate, and healthiest air, in America. For that reason, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and her nuns established a boarding school in northern Burbank as a place of refuge for girls cramped into the dank sweatshops of the eastern seaboard. 

In 1920, a tuberculosis sanitarium was establhed in Sylmar, and was soon acclaimed to be one of the best such hospitals in the United States. During World War II Olive View was quietly prepared to received what was possibly thousands of wounded soldiers expected from an invasion of the mainland of Japan. This was true also of Birmingham Hospital (now Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa.) 

 The surgical wing of Olive View Hospital c. 1940 - Historic postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014.  (click on images to enlarge them.)

 A few of the Women's Wards: Olive View Hospital c. 1940 - Historic postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014. 

With tuberculosis contained, the hospital complex was retooled as an acute care hospital in 1962, in which the first successful open heart surgery was performed in the San Fernando Valley. Many of the buildings and landscaping of Olive View Hospital were destroyed in the San Fernando Earthquake of 1971.