MONICA CONTINUES HER EXPLORATION OF GLENDALE

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

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Brand Library and Brand Park

by Monica Corpuz - CSUN graduate student

       Brand Library got its name from Leslie Coombs Brand who helped build Glendale in the early 1900’s. He built his house, which he called Miradero, roughly translated from Spanish means  ‘vantage point’, by the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale. Upon his death in 1925 he donated his 5,000 square foot house and the surrounding land to the city. It then became a public library and the adjoining land became Brand Park. 

Arched entrance to Brand Park, Glendale, California. Photo by Monica Corpuz. (click to enlarge imgages)

        The library is much more than a library, however, since it also boasts art galleries and recital spaces. The library specializes in music and the arts, so most of the collections that it houses and the events that it hosts have to do with both. The library also recently underwent an extensive restoration project. You can see the photos from the project here: http://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/library-arts-culture/brand-library-art-center/renovation-information-. The library has since been a cultural destination for the residents of Glendale. Most of the programs and events offered by the library are free.

       Brand Park is a beautiful sprawling estate. There is a parking lot that is central to both the Doctor’s House Museum and the Library. The park is also home to many hiking trailheads that lead into the Verdugo Mountains. There are sculptures and plaques everywhere, telling visitors about the history and heritage of the land. Since there is so much to see and do at the park, it’s a great way to spend a day

HISTORIC ALEX THEATER IN GLENDALE

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

THE ALEX THEATER – GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA

by Monica Corpuz – Graduate Student CSUN

      The historic Alex Theater in Glendale opened its doors in September 4, 1925, as Alexander Theater. The theater was a glamorous place to see movies in the late 1920’s all the way through to the early 90s. It drew major movie stars through its doors, such as Bing Cosby and Elizabeth Taylor.

      In the early 90’s, however, the theater had to close it doors, at which point the Glendale Redevelopment Agency purchased the theater and instigated an expensive and ambitious revitalization project. The theater then opened its doors, just a few short years later, as a performing arts center and has since become a hub of activity in Glendale. 

     

       The Alex Theater hosts plays and musical performances as well as lectures, dance performances and comedy shows. It has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and continues to be a unifying landmark for the denizens of Glendale to congregate.

      There are tons of current shows going on this month and next, including DeFranco Does LA, Glendale Pops Hidden Treasures and The Glendale Youth Orchestra. For more information about its history, on-going shows and for photos of movie stars and the theater in its hey-day, please go to this website: http://www.alextheatre.org. 

GLENDALE'S BRAND AVENUE

                       

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

BRAND AVENUE – GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA

by Monica Corpuz - Graduate Student CSUN

        Glendale’s Brand Boulevard is a main hub of activity today, with a wide selection of shops, restaurants, businesses and cultural landmarks. The street is named after Leslie Coombs Brand (1859-1925), who helped to develop Glendale by helping to build and facilitate transportation and real estate in the city. 

         Glendale officially became a town in 1887 when it comprised only about 150 acres worth of land. In the early 1900’s Edgar D. Goode and D.W. Hunt also helped to develop Glendale by bringing the railroad through the city. Both of these men also have streets named after them, and they’re all by Brand Boulevard. Finally, Glendale became a city in 1906, and due partly to the glamorous and popular Alex Theater, which is located on the street, Brand Boulevard quickly became an important part of the city.

      It wasn’t until a surge of immigrants in the 80’s and 90’s that really diversified Brand Boulevard. Different types of cuisine and shops popped up which only increased the street’s popularity. Today it is a central hub of Glendale. It is located close to the Glendale Galleria, the Americana, art galleries and large corporate headquarters. Shopping, dining, looking at art and then catching a show at the Alex- what a great way to spend a day in Glendale!

AN INSIGHT INTO ARMENIAN-AMERICANS IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

The following is an interview with Madlen Avetyan by her fellow CSUN student Monica Corpuz:

"Madlen Avetyan is a Masters student in the anthropology department at California University, Northridge. Madlen is doing an oral histories project for The Museum of the San Fernando Valleywhere she’s interviewing Armenians who live in the San Fernando Valley to understand their perspective on their cultural identity and how they build that identity and interact in the diverse cultural environment of Los Angeles. Madlen is in a particularly good position for this research since she is Armenian herself and was part of the diaspora of Armenians into the San Fernando Valley (she’s lived here for 22 years!).

 Madlen Avetyan - Graduate Student California State University Northridge

Glendale has one of the biggest, if not the biggest, population of Armenians in the United States. Madlen says that language and music are cultural tools used by Armenians in the San Fernando Valley to stay engaged and connected to one another. She says, “Families are the central focus of it all”, especially because of the diaspora. Christianity is also a large part of the culture for many Armenians and, because of this, churches are important congregating places. She has specific memories of the Glendale Central Church,  (one of the oldest Armenian churches in Glendale) during special events, like Easter Sunday, the church is so full that people have to wait outside for hours before they can even go in! This was a blessing in disguise since it provided an opportunity to see friends and to meet extended family that under different circumstances, they would not have met. These religious and social events provide a sense of community and involvement for Armenians of the diaspora in the San Fernando Valley.

Madlen says that Armenian culture in Glendale is so visible and palpable that after she moved from the city, she used to make special trips to drive through every once in a while just to feel that instant connection with the community. Many of the restaurants, shops and small independent stores are brimming with Armenian culture.

During her research, Madlen found that one way in which Armenians built and changed their culture after the diaspora to the San Fernando Valley, was for older men to gather at Maple Park to play backgammon and spend time with one another. She says that traditionally in Armenia, elderly parents would go to live with their eldest son, but that practice is not common in the United States. Instead, these men go to the park to catch up on familial happenings and to re-create their place in the community.

Madlen’s work on the oral histories of the Armenians of the San Fernando Valley is a beautiful way of recognizing and learning about the different cultures, and their different perspectives, of the greater Los Angeles area. Madlen says, “Being part of the Armenian Diaspora in the San Fernando Valley is all about connecting with family through Armenian food, language and the community”.

For more information on what it is to be Armenian, please check out this website: Armeniapedia.org.

AMIEE SEMPLE McPHERSON WAS A FAMOUS FAITH HEALER

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

In the late 1930s and mid 1940s, Amiee Semple McPherson was one of the most successful Protestant religious leaders in the United States. "Sister Amiee" utilized modern stage and motion picture technologies to reach her revival-like audiences.  Four Valley Four Square churches were created by her followers, including the mega Church on the Way in Van Nuys.Amiee McPherson is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.

 AMIEE SEMPLE McPHERSON

Oct. 1890 - September 1944

Amiee Semple McPherson - two collector's postcards - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gerald Fecht 2014.  (click on images to enlarge them.)

BOB'S BIG BOY BECAME A NATIONAL ICON

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Two years before the establishment of the Little Brown Church in Studio City, Bob Wian owner of Bob's Pantry in Glendale created a new hamburger sandwich that changed the eating preferences of an entire generation of Americans....... it was the Bob's Big Boy! So symbolic of being a California teenager,  that the image of the chubby Big Boy became an national icon.

Today, Bob's Big Boy memorabilia are highly collected treasures, This shelf that I saw in a recent visit to a Lake Balboa home is but one example.

CSUN GRAD STUDENT BEGINS AN EXPLORATION OF GLENDALE

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

In The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's effort to include the student communities of the Valley in all aspects of our development, students have been invited to participate in this blog. Our first guest blogger is a California State University Northridge graduate student in Archaeology, Monica C. Choosing Glendale and Burbank as her areas of exploration, Monica decided to interview the mayor of Glendale. The following is the result of her visit. 

Dave Weaver - Mayor of the City of Glendale

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"Dave Weaver has lived in the San Fernando Valley, in Glendale specifically, for just over 74 years- his whole life! Being the mayor of the third largest city in Los Angeles County is no small feat. Since Mayor Weaver has served several terms as mayor and on the city council, he is most concerned with revitalizing Glendale and making it a place for professionals and families. In fact, he wants to turn Glendale into the next Beverly Hills of LA! He points out that Glendale is also home to many celebrities, such as Mario Lopez and John Wayne. 

 Dave Weaver in his Glendale office.

His favorite cultural spot in Glendale is the Americana (http://www.americanaatbrand.com). If you haven’t been to the Americana, it is a beautiful upscale shopping center in the heart of Glendale. Since it’s opening in 2006, it has been a popular hotspot for people of all ages to visit from all over Los Angeles. 

Dave Weaver has also been a life-long advocate for animals and even had his own TV show rescuing animals a few years back. He’s also been decorating Rose Parade floats for 21 years and has even won awards for his floats. 

Mayor Dave Weaver is doing his best to revitalize Glendale. Check out the State of the City Speech, April 3^rd on your local TV station!

GLENDALE UNION HIGH SCHOOL IN 1908

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

The first public high school in Glendale, California was opened in 1902. Students not only came from Glendale, but from La Crescentia, Burbank and Eagle Rock. This grand old structure was built in 1908. Aging, earthquakes and even a student arsonist wore down this building that was located on Harvard Street.

Union High School, Glendale California - historic postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014. (click on image to enlarge it.)

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"

"LASH" LA RUE WAS AN AMERICAN MOVIE HERO

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Alfred LaRue was a different kind of cowboy hero in the movies. He wore black, had a pronounced inner city east coast accent, and used a bull whip to subdue his screen enemies of truth, justice and the American way. While Lash, as he was called, spent much of his time promoting his career by trips across the country, he lived and worked chiefly in Studio City at Republic Pictures. For millions of American kids, Lash LaRue proved that tough guys could be good guys.

Lash LaRue died in Burbank, California and is buried in the Valley's Glendale Forest Lawn cemetery.

Alfred "Lash" LaRue

1917 to 1995

Al LaRue fan photo - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014.

A LITTLE FUN WITH JESSUP DAIRY FARM IN GLENDALE

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Humorous postcard - Jessup Dairy  c. 1955 - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014.  (click on image to enlarge it.)

Support The Museum's collection of Valley agricultural history

 

Donate tax-deductible videos, photographs, records and other artifacts to your Museum today.

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Acquisitions Committee
gary.fredburg@TheMuseumSFV.org
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419  (mailing address)
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-2230

THE MUSEUM’S TELEPHONE
1 (818) 347-9665

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gerald.fecht@TheMuseumSFV.org

info@TheMuseumSFV.org

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THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE

www.TheMuseumSFV.org

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN GLENDALE

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

In 1903, Glendale California was a small town surrounded by cling peach orchards developed in nearby Lankershim (now North Hollywood) at the end of the 19th century.  Initially members of the Methodist Episcopal community were served by a circuit-rider minister who rode from town to town conducting services. In the 1960s, when he was nearly 100 years old, Webb McKelvey (who was a member of the first graduating class from now the University of Southern California) told this writer that his father was a circuit rider minister who served Glendale on his rounds by horseback.

(Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded the University of Southern California to serve as a college and Methodist seminary.)

Rev. Charles Norton served as the Glendale church's first pastor and oversaw the construction of the first wooden church in 1906.

 Present sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Glendale, California. Postcards are gifts from Gary Fredburg 2014. (click on images to enlarge them)

 134 North Kenwood, Glendale, California 91206  - telephone (818) 243-2105

CASUAL PHOTOS OF VALLEY AIR PORTS 1982

 BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Grand Center Terminal - Glendale - c. 1982

No longer in use as an air port.

In next month's Museum newsletter, I'll be writing about how important evidence gathering is for the process of the many aspects of San Fernando Valley history, culture and the arts. This week a packet of Valley-related photographs came our way through the work of Gary Fredburg. While none of the photographs taken in 1981 and 1982 are iconic, they added small pieces to the Valley's story. Here are three pictures of airport structures no longer in use for aviation.

 Defunct flight tower - Air National Guard Base at Van Nuys Airport - c. 1982

148th Tactical Airlift Wing - Van Nuys A.N.G. Base

GLENDALE'S OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY              2013

Oakmont Country Club c. 1922 - Vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013 (click on image to enlarge it.)

To learn more about the history of Oakmont Country Club, click HERE.

Do you care about The Museum of the San Fernando Valley and the preservation of Valley history, art and culture?  Let us know.

 John Raymond Leal says:
"Good luck with finding a permanent location - your area deserves no less."

CASA VERDUGO IN GLENDALE - AN HISTORIC RESTAURANT

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY           2013

Vintage postcard of historic Casa Verdugo Restaurant in Glendale. Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013.  Postcard c. 1920-25  (click on image to enlarge it.)

"Not the Railroad Place - The original Casa Verdugo, a high class Spanish restaurant situated in the foothills of "The Verdugo Mountain" where a dinner may be had among tropical surroundings. Especially prepared by Señora Piedad Yorba Sowl.

A picturesque auto trip, only nine miles from Los Angeles. One block east of Glendale car line. "Around the Corner" Glendale phones: Sunset 370, Home 1481." Domestic postage 1¢.

Casa Verdugo is one of the most historic dining places in California. Its owner's struggle with railroad magnate Henry Huntington is in itself one of our region's most interesting adventures. Check out its great history:

http://paradiseleased.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/casa-verdugo-old-l-a-s-famous-restaurant-out-glendale-way/

EXPLORING THE DOCTORS' HOUSE IN GLENDALE

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                  2013

I try not to be pushy about exploring the San Fernando Valley ....... but, here's a push! As part of The Museum Community's effort to understand the challenges of maintaining a professional museum of history, culture and the arts for the San Fernando Valley, we had the good fortune to visit the historic Doctors' House Museum in Glendale. It was simply an amazing experience. I urge you to put the House on your must visit list. 

 Scott Sterling, President of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley in the restored Doctors' House parlor. He stands aside an original Edison Victrola. If the the sound was too loud, the listener would drop a stuffed sock into the horn ... "put a sock in it!" 

The parlor room of the Doctor's House. Note the wall benches restored from a visitor's memories.

Assistant Director, Peter Rusch in a genuine 1890s stove pipe hat, greets The Museum Commnity, prior to entering the Doctors House Museum.

The wall paper in the parlor room of the Doctors' House was matched from samples from the original wall coverings.

Nicknacks, crochet work and sheet music give the Doctors' House a warmth and almost lived in feeling.

No Victorian house would be complete without musical instruments. Before radio and television, a family entertained itself. Fine European prints adorn the walls.

Peter Rusch comes from the Doctors' House to greet his guests. On the roof, just above Peter and a little to the right is a large gouge. A Glendale city worker came to remove bees from the attic. He tore off part of the roof, killed the insects without any consideration for the historic shingles. The shingles remain unmatched.

A missing hallway door was matched and replaced from a nearby demolition.

NELL SHIPMAN FEMINIST FILM MAKER OF THE EARLY 20th CENTURY

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                2013

Nell Shipman's conservative Canadian parents worried about their "head strong" daughter. Nell's history was to prove them correct. As the British Empire struggled in the first World War, Nell decided to come to Hollywood. If the family rented a traditional home in Glendale, they believed they had a chance to influence their daughter's ambitions. They failed.

From 1917 to 1920 the Shipman family rented Nell what was to be the historic Doctor's House now in Brand Park in Glendale.

From the "little white house" on Wilson street, Nell launched an amazing life. She would become a silent screen actress, a writer, produced and director of avant guard motion pictures.

 Nell Shipman - 1892 to 1970

 Nell found herself liberated from family influences when the great influenza epidemic took the life of her mother and a stroke felled her father. By 1920 Nell was rid of her unwanted husband, a great scandal in those days. She used a modest inheritance to hire a staff and dive into film making. Nell Shipman demanded the fair treatment of women and children, and was a champion for early 20th century animal rights.

FAITH BROADCAST NETWORK OPERATED FROM GLENDALE

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                  2013

In order to attract children to its religious teachings, the Faith Broadcast Network of Glendale, California, created programs such as Black Buffalo's Pow Wow. Many radio programs from the 1920s to the present have been produced in Southern California, including religious and ethnic programs. Faith Network was operated by Ray Schoch, an Assemblies of God minister.

Vintage postcard c. 1949 - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley
 from Gary Fredburg 2013. 

(click on the image to enlarge it.) 

"Black Buffalo, a Cowlitz Indian, known as "The Children's Favorite Story Teller", presents Black Buffalo's TV Pow Wow. A Christian television production produced by Faith Broadcast Network in its studios in Glendale, California and distributed nationally.

A FAVORITE 1920s IMAGE OF GLENDALE CALIFORNIA

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY         2013

Cities such as Glendale, Burbank and San Fernando remained independent of the annexation grabs of Los Angeles at the onset of the 20th century. This was due, in large measure, to their own water resources. Wells still play a factor in the growth of these communities. 

Here's one of my favorite images of Glendale. 

Maryland Avenue, Glendale California - historic postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013.  (click on this image to enlarge it ... you have to see this old time car. 

WHERE WE COULD GET BEER

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                          2013

       When I was a high school boy, exploring Los Angeles was a big thing for me and my pals. Just as today, the city offered amazing things for us to see and do. On one school holiday, we visited the yet to be consecrated Morman temple off of Santa Monica Boulevard and the new Busch Gardens in north Van Nuys. Busch Gardens won our vote because we were able to score free beer there. The other place in the Valley where one could get a glass or two of free beer was the Schlitz Brewery near the railroad tracks in Panorama City.

       In the 50's and 60's singing beer songs was very much a part of going to college. Most people who went to Valley or Pierce College, or San Fernando Valley State have beer mugs gathering dust in their dens today. 

        My high school pals, Alex, Leo, Danny and I convinced ourselves that our German and Irish roots gave us the god-given right to drink beer. A miracle happened when our buddy Bert discovered that German restaurants never "carded" people when they ordered beer with dinner........ so, this set in motion the discovery of a whole bunch of European restaurants in the city. One of those restaurants changed my life; it was called Frank's Little Vienna in what is now Valley Village (then in North Hollywood.)

        Frank's Little Vienna was an absolutely marvelous place. Mrs Frank's Vienna? was a terrific baker and made the most incredible strudel imaginable! The restaurant has a grand piano and old time Austrians and Germans, and other Europeans, came for the schnitzel and to sing. There were visiting violinists and cellists, and then (about 11 pm) opera singers and musicians would arrive. Can you imagine, Notre Dame High School boys listening to, and talking with, the world famous Danish tenor Laurence Melchior or the great French soprano Lily Pons --- and being able to order beer as well!

           Like all boyish explortions, sometimes our adventures got a little scary. For example our pal Leo discovered Paul von Hindenburg Park on the border between La Crescenta and Glendale. On Sundays, after Catholic Masses and Lutheran services were over, beer trucks arrived and kegs were rolled down to the cheers of the crowd. Little did we know that the park had once been the site of pro-Nazi rallies before World War II. For my pals and me, it meant a place to buy giant hot dogs covered in sour kraut and cheap, very cold beer. One Sunday, we heard United States Senator Thomas Kuchel give a very animated speech in German. I don't speak German so I had no idea of what he was storming about, but the oompah band was wonderful and a large lady taught me how to polka.

There is a legend that the von Hindenburg statue was torn apart revealing hidden weapons inside. 

Monorail Tour - Busch Gardens - Postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013. (click on the image to enlarge it.) 

"A thrilling and dramatic ride through the Los Angeles Home of Anheuser Busch Brewrey. Visitors will enjoy the custom designed, electrically operated "Skyrail Tour" monorail trains. The 3,500 foot ride is the most unique method for guests to view the brewery operations that produce Budweiser, Michelob and Busch Bavarian."

          Busch Gardens closed to the public around 1979. The Budweiser plant, sold to a Belgian corporation, still makes high quality beers there.  For a decade after the Gardens closed, people in Northridge and Granada Hills encountered wonderful exotic birds in their back yards. Today, my beer mugs are full of pennies.

 Share your photographs of Busch Gardens with future generations.

Donate tax-deductible memorabilia to your Museum today.

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley

Acquisitions Committee
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-2230

THE MUSEUM’S TELEPHONE
1 (818) 347-9665

THE MUSEUM'S EMAILS
gerald.fecht@TheMuseumSFV.org
info@TheMuseumSFV.org

THE MUSEUM’S BLOG

www.museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/

THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE

www.TheMuseumSFV.org