CSUN ANTHROPOLOGY STUDENT BEGINS REVIEW OF GLENDALE HISTORY

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.

This week, Monica C. an anthropology student from California State University Northridge begins her review of the history and culture of the San Fernando Valley's independent city of Glendale. It is expected that Monica will be posting stories on this blog periodically. As a tribute to her efforts, here are a few vintage photographic postcards of Glendale.

Vintage postcard of Glendale, California - Gift to The Museum of The San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 - click on the images to enlarge them.
"Brand Avenue in the heart of Glendale. This city is mostly a residential area. Noteworthy are three churches; the Wee Kirk of the Heather, the Little Chapel of the Flowers, and the Church of the Resurrection."  Note: These "churches" are part of Glendale's Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Brand Avenue in the Heart of Glendale, California - - Vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of The San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 -

 Glendale Public Library 1919 - Vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of The San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 -

Grand Central Terminal - Glendale, California - vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of The San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 - 

Pepper Tree Motel, Glendale, California - vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of The San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014 - 

"1437 Colorado Street - Vacation Center - In the heart of scenic Southern California on State Highway 134, connecting U.S. 99 and 66. Very nice units, closed garages, radios, televisions, carpeted floors, 10 minutes to Hollywood, 10 minutes to Pasadena, 15 minutes to Los Angeles - Patio - Lobby  CItrus 2-5075"

GENERATIONS OF NORTHRIDGE FAITH BIBLE CHURCH

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY      2012

This last Friday, April 20th, a young family came into The Museum's Expo Space at the Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks.  I asked the father Chris what he does for a living and he told me that he was a pastor of Faith Bible Church in Northridge.  I enthusiastically said that he and his wife Michelle might be interested in the photograph of the original Faith Bible Church of Northridge founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1913.  Here's a photo of Rev and Mrs Grazor with their beautiful children standing in front of Richard Hilton's wonderful photograph (upper left corner.)  

 Rev. Chris and Michelle Grazor and Family at The Museum Expo Space in Sherman Oaks.  

(click on image to enlarge)

If The Museum is lucky, and our production funds don't run out, Pastor Grazor may be able to arrange for us to interview some of the church's founding members. The new Faith Bible Church is located at 8212 Louise Avenue, Northridge, California.

HIGHT HOME ON ROSCOE - NORTHRIDGE 1954

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY   2011

Nile Hight, son of the Mary Hight who was recently interviewed as part of The Museum's "Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley, sent this photograph to the Archives of The Museum. Roscoe was a dirt road at the time this photograph was taken.

 

Photograph with comments on back, courtesy of Nile Hight 2011  (click on images to enlarge)

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY HIGHT

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY    2011             Northridge100

 Mary Hight

This last week I had the honor of conducting an oral history interview with Mrs. Mary Hight. Mary and her husband moved to Northridge when Roscoe Street was a dirt road. This charming lady came to live in North Hollywood in 1938 shortly after moving west from her childhood home in Kansas. With five children, much of Mary's life was spent caring for her family, but she made time for her many friends in America's Big Bands. Mary and her husband were great dancers, and the Big Bands seemed made for them.
Mary Hight was interviewed as part of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's Narrating Lives - Oral Histories of the San Fernando Valley.

Multi Cultural Music and Art Foundation of Northridge

2010  THE YEAR OF VALLEY ADVENTURES
One of the great experiences in the San Fernando Valley is a visit to the grounds of the Multi Cultural Music and Art Foundation of Northridge (MCMAFN). (You can learn about this special site and the great concerts and events held at the Rancho by visiting info@mcmafn.org.)

(click on this image to enlarge)

Special thanks to Paul A. Dentzel, Curator and Vice President of the Foundation, for the donation of the English/Spanish work entitled La Caricatura del S. XIX Collection MCMAFN by Agustin Sanchez Gonzalez and Paul Dentzel.  The book presents many unique caricatures from the MCMAFN collection in Northridge, used in 19th century Mexican publications.

THE LAST MAILING FROM NORTH LOS ANGELES

2010 -- THE YEAR OF VALLEY ADVENTURES -- Northridge100

Last Postal Cancellation North Los Angeles 1938 - Image shared by Melissa Brown with the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010. (click on image to enlarge)

Melissa Brown shares this priceless postal cancellation from the final day of North Los Angeles and the first day of the community newly named Northridge. The envelop was sent to Melissa’s grandfather David Crane Brown at the family’s 12 acre ranch on the Southeast corner of Devonshire and Reseda.

Link to Northridge100 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northridge-CA/Northridge100

Note to Blog Readers: Andy Hurvitz is teaching me how to highlight items within a posting so that readers, like you, might just click and access a useful location.
Please have patience with me, as you can see - I have yet to master the idea. Jerry

MORE LO PRISTI FAMILY PHOTOS OF 1994 EARTHQUAKE

2010 - The Year of Valley Adventures - Northridge100
Water Heater crashes into the Lo Presti's service porch
Destruction in the Lo Pristi family's kitchen.
Special thanks to Patricia Lo Pristi for sharing these graphic reminders of what transpired in the San Fernando Valley in only seconds in 1994.
For those of us, who make our homes here, it is not "if" another earthquake will occur, but "when." We've learned to live with baby safety latches on our cupboards and discovered the importance of a common telephone contact outside of town. Most important, we learned how important our friends and neighbors are to us. And, for the sake of history, how important it is to scan our photographs and protect our records.

Share your images of the 1994 earthquake and your life in the San Fernando Valley. Call 1 (818) 347-9665 to see how you can get involved in The Museum Community.

NEIL BUCKNAM SHARES NORTHRIDGE PHOTOS FROM THE 1950s

2010 The Year of Valley Adventures -- Northridge100
“Steve Bucknam built his home on the corner of Lindley Avenue and Rayen Street in Northridge, California. Steve is standing on the slab of the house that he built himself. He is standing with his oldest son. The picture was taken in the spring of 1951. That is Lindley Avenue in the background. Steve passed away in 2004, the house remains in the family.”

A snapshot of Northridge Elementary in 1957. The school stood on the corner of Nordhoff and Reseda.
Neil Buckman, a Northridge native, shares these photographs as part of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Northridge, the Zelzah Colony and Porter Ranch.

HELP BUILD THE NORTHRIDGE EXPERIENCE EXHIBIT FOR NORTHRIDGE100

2010 The Year of Valley Adventures Northridge100
Decal from California State University Northridge - Matadors - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from John Bwarie 2010.

From its inception as San Fernando Valley State College, and as the present California State University Northridge (CSUN), this great University touches the lives of thousands in our city and state. The Northridge100 celebration is the perfect time for the Museum Community to amass the history and artifacts about our very own State University.