INK BLOTTERS - RELICS OF ANOTHER ERA

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY         2013

If you are new to exploring San Fernando Valley history, it is useful to know that the city-suburb of North Hollywood (the NoHo) was for a short while known as Toluca, then Lankershim, California. This little ink-blotter advertisement from Lankershim gives us insight to: the styles of an historical era, the name of a businessman, and the fact that electricity was available before the town got its present name of North Hollywood. Every writing desk at the time needed an ink-blotter to keep documents written with in from smearing - a perfect device to deliver a commercial message.

This will age me .... but, when I was in the first and second grades in a Catholic school, we were required to fill our ink pens from an ink-well on our desks. An exterior lever,  when pulled up would create a small vacuum in an interior bladder. When released the bladder would fill with an ink supply with which to write. If a girl sat in front of a creative boy, her "pig tails" were ideal targets for an ink well. When caught by a nun, the answer was ready-made "But, sister, the devil made me do it!"

Historic ink blotter - Lankershim - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013.  (click on this image to enlarge it.)

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THE GHOST OF ESPIRITU LEONIS

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY        2013

Long years of abuse and fear for her child followed this photograph of Espiritu Leonis taken between 1879 and 1880. This matter-of-fact image of Espiritu, published in the book "Leonis - The Lion's Brood" was yet to reflect the downtrodden features of the ghostly spirit now believed by many to haunt the grounds of the Leonis Adobe in Calabasas.
Anyone who seeks to know about history of the San Fernando Valley should visit the grand old adobe and buy a copy of the book by Horace Bell discovered as a manuscript in the archives of the Huntington Library and published in 1993 by the Leonis Adobe Association,

Some visitors to the old adobe, and adjacent Plummer House, Sagebrush Cantina and Calabasas Creek Park swear they have seen the ghosts of espiritu Leonis and her son. This seems more prevalent among those who have stopped in the Sagebrush Cantina for one of its especially good Margaritas.

 

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ESPIRITU LEONIS

THINGS ARE CALMING DOWN FOR JERRY

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                    2013

     The last couple of weeks have been busy and exciting for me. The Big Read - Grand Souk festival, sponsored by The Museum of the San Fernando Valley with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs was a charming success, but it was lots of work. Elements of the festival will be presented on this blog over the next few weeks, as our Board member Lee Davis completes the processing of the event's photographs.

     Almost immediately after the Grand Souk festival, my family and I began the work needed to ready our role in the AIDS Lifecycle bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This year we were all "roadies" (part of the support team for the event's 2,200 riders.) The riders and roadies for this classic fund raiser, raised over 14.2 million dollars Many of the roadies, like Barry Edleman member of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council, were from the San Fernando Valley. 

     For the next few days, I'll be posting a few things I have on my desk, while I catch up on my Museum responsibilities. Here are four postcards just sent to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg - Hope you enjoy them, and enjoy our efforts to preserve the history and culture of the Valley.    Jerry Fecht

Canoga Park - "Fabulous San Fernando Valley - Looking east on Sherman Way. This prosperous and bustling community, is located in the midst of many famous estates and horse breeding farms."

Brand Boulevard - Glendale, California - "new modern shops on Glendale's main thoroughfare. A city beautiful nestled in California mountains."

Glendale, California - "Looking northward on Brand Boulevard in the heart of Glendale's shopping district, with beautiful foothills in the background."

San Fernando, California  - "Brand Boulevard leading to downtown San Fernando, lined with beautiful tall palms typical of many Southern California cities. In the background are the San Gabriel Mountains."

Schwinn will mark the 50th anniversary of its popular "Sting-Ray" bike in 2013

In 1962, Peter Mole of John T Bill & Co. of Glendale, CA contacted Huffy Corp about making a new bicycle called High Rise.  This was supposedly the first high-rise bike manufactured in the U.S.

In June 1963 the Schwinn Bicycle Company of Chicago officially launched its version of a California-style high-rise bicycle, which was called the “Sting-Ray.” 

The new seats they put onto their bicycles were called Solo Polo seats, and were made by a large U.S. cycle seat manufacturer, Persons Majestic.  The seats were much longer than a standard seat, and when viewed from the side they were kind of “banana” shaped.

These seats extended far out to the back, and had to be supported in the rear by a chromed looping strut that bolted to the rear axle.  The handlebars were much taller and wider than standard handlebars and, on the street were called butterfly handlebars or ape hangers.

Al Fritz, a Schwinn executive, was in charge of research and development decided that Schwinn should market its own version of a California-style sport bike. Many Schwinn employees were initially skeptical.

Schwinn eventually sold more than two million Sting-Rays before the model was discontinued in the late 1970s. Vintage models now sell for thousands of dollars.

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment unveil 75th Anniversary Superman Logo

Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment unveiled a new 75th anniversary logo for their hero, Superman.

There will be a year-round of promotion and a new movie too.

Superman, considered a national icon, was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933. The character was sold to Detective Comics, Inc., later DC Comics in 1938.