Too much fun!
Emilia had never been to the Villa and Richard and Mick last visited decades ago. We had a delightful morning of coffees and some garlic fries, and then a good tour, and then we went off for lunch.
Here are pictures of a few of the classic views.
And Back on the Beach, always a joy. This picture is from their website.
Our beloved Disney Concert Hall.
Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels
Downtown pigeons just don’t care.
The last of the weekend’s demonstrations.
I went downtown with Ingalill for a tour of the LA Central Library. Actually we just wanted to eat lunch and take some pictures. It was entirely fun, as always.
Notice the pyramid on top of the library building.
Another picture from the same spot below. What my new phone, the pixel 10 pro, can do with its telephoto, not that it always works this well … the subject has to be completely still, and the phone has to be completely stable, and it doesn’t really work on people since it’s all AI processing. And sometimes it’s so sharp I have to soften the results.
I always liked the Bonaventure.
I remember the long-ago olden days when I could crouch like that.
I thought they put up the rainbow steps just for Pride Month in June but here it is July and the steps shine on as well as the photography exhibit called Queer Lens and $3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives. Queer Lens and $3 Bill are going to be up until late September.
Welcome to the Getty Center.
Interestingly, all the building materials are basically the same color and the differences we see are all about the lighting.
The photography exhibit was very good, mostly portraits and scenes of family life.
Shadows of the setting sun.
Look at the AWEsome picnic Lill brought! We sat here for a long time, eating and watching people and the setting sun.
I’ve always called this guy “Mr Stuck Bug” (he’s been here since 2000, exhibited in 2 or 3 different venues). Notice the door in the lower right to get an idea of the scale. What google has to say: “John Baldessari’s “Specimen (After Durer)” features a giant enlargement of Albrecht Durer’s famous “Stag Beetle” drawing, mounted on the wall with a large metal T-pin. Baldessari’s work reimagines Dürer’s original drawing by scaling it up and adding the oversized pin, creating a striking visual impact.” You can look down on him from one of the balconies in the Entrance Hall.
Our de rigueur outing reflect-o. This one, on the tram, was Lill’s clever idea!
..with Ingalill, playing with our cameras as we are wont to do. Welcome to Pride Month.
The Getty Center closes at 8pm on Saturdays so we had a lot of young people and families hanging out on the lawns.
One of my favorites, Calder’s Jousters were lookin’ good in the long shadows.
And Léger’s Walking Flower hangs out nearby.
You go Lill!
Check out these classic cameras.
I got this new lens for my a6500 in hopes of being able to get some sharp pictures although I was giving up a lot on both the wide angle and the reach from my old blurry lens. The next couple pictures illustrate (at least under these conditions) how I could blow up photos on the new lens and get better results than from my old lens. I’ve been using my phone exclusively (a Pixel 8) for the last four months.
I could barely see these guys with my eyes, so far away were they – Lill had to point them out.
The peeking hand from Seated Cardinal by Manzù that reminds everyone of the pope.
Lill is the master of shadow-chairs at The Getty, I just surf in her wake.
I don’t know what show this is from but I’d love to have the banner for my garage!
Some running water by the tram station.
Marsha and I took the train downtown to join this year’s Women’s March mostly just to do Something even though it was, by 2017 standards, a pretty modest affair. Here we go!
Princess Leia “We Are The Resistance” if only…
Can’t miss which one is Marsha!
The saga of my hips continues and oh how happy I was when Marsha spotted a seat in the shade.
US Courthouse
City Hall
Pershing Square
The back entrance to Union Station.
Phewww, quite a day – I drove out to Sylmar with the dawn, then Marsha and I took the train into Union Station, enjoyed a breakfast there in the comfy seats that are now patrolled for ticketed passengers only. From Union Station it was one subway ride to Pershing Square where the crowds were gathering. The march/stroll took the group to City Hall. We took another subway returning to Union Station, a late lunch at Traxx, then back to Marsha’s where we watched a charming Japanese move, Shoplifters, and then Tom made us tacos. Phewww is Right!
There was a mural along the way, the height of a tunnel.
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Here are some pictures from Marsha.
Me and Ingalill having the best time.
How is it that the Getty Villa and the Getty Center were safe from the fires. Money Honey. It’s fascinating to hear and read about the safety measures implemented to protect these two irreplaceable institutions. Below is the first turn on the tram ride that takes you out of this world and into a better one. Do you remember from The Good Place? Where was The Good Place? Here. It was here.
Hip Girl, in her spot to welcome you to the Magnificent Getty Center. I’ve been collecting photos for some time now and you can click on the link if you have time for a buzz-through, or not, there are a million of ’em.
Gathering spots for the Architecture Tour and the Garden Tour. You’ll want to do them both.
On the way to the Research Institute Galleries to see Sensing the Future: This immersive exhibition tells the story of a unique mid-20th-century collaboration between artists and engineers. It explores the beginnings of the organization Experiments in Art and Technology, or E.A.T., as well as two of its most pivotal projects: 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering and the iconic Pepsi-Cola Pavilion at the 1970 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, both of which pursued groundbreaking integrations of theater, dance, technology, and interactive, multimedia art.
This line of trees “down the garden path” is one of the few places in LA where deciduous trees are evident in numbers. I have sighed over these trees in every season, budding out, fully green, brilliant red, it’s a joy. The water feature was really rollin’ today, the sound of joy.
Not much color there in the gardens this week in early February. Even the bougainvillea rebar trees are feeling it for brown.
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One of the PST Art exhibits focuses on Van Gogh’s Irises painting, a highlight of the Getty collection.
They have the one that hangs in the gallery on the left and you can sense that the violets are much bluer, less purple, than the one on the right which, after extensive examination, is the Getty’s idea of the original colors. The two pieces are now hanging in a room dedicated to this investigation, on different walls though, with information and visuals showing the science behind the color choices. Is the room lighting the same for the two pictures since they are on different walls? So much goes into our perception of color.
Here’s a small side-by-side off the internet.
Lunch! YUM!!
I was here with my sisters for Windy’s birthday and look who we found, Jo Ann and Alan.
We all enjoyed the show very much and especially because although the text had a Shakespearean quality to give it an oldies Greek tragedy flare (the play was recently written by Will Power.) We could understand every word and follow the story, so yay for that.
Nancy and I went for a stroll around the Lake Shrine today. You can’t just stop by like before, you have to make a reservation. They release reservations for the next week on Saturday morning and by Saturday night all the next weekend slots are gone. But we’re retired, so the middle of the day in the middle of the week can work just fine.
I went up with Ingalill for a little photophoto, some lunch, and a nice visit. We are in thrall to the Getty Center.
Lucky Dog Me I’ve been to the Getty Center too many times to count and like Robert Irwin said about the Central Garden he designed, Ever present Never twice the same. He also said Ever changing Never less than whole.
I’ve identified all these places previously and will do so again.. ..later.. right now the pictures are in the familiar walk-about order.
Ingalill and I took a long-awaited visit to The Broad Museum downtown, neither of us having been there since before pandemic times. There were a few of my favorites missing, a few cool new things, a room full of Basquiat, and lucky dog us, it was the last day for a huge exhibit of LA artists, all the work belonging to Broad’s permanent collection. The title of the show “Desire, Knowledge, and Hope (with Smog)” refers to Baldessari’s piece shown below: Buildings=Guns=People: Desire, Knowledge, and Hope (with Smog) (1985). I’m not sure about choosing the apple here, maybe referring to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
We got there just a little after opening and although all the tickets for the Infinity Room were gone when we made our reservations, the line was short and the attendant let us go in anyway, always a treat. It’s been on exhibit for more than 6 years and still every ticket is taken weeks in advance. (Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (2013).)
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We Cannot Resist the Shiny Things
An oldie but goodie, touching nothing.
Here’s the entrance to the LA show and a few other pictures too.
Time to go get some lunch but first Lill, patiently waiting for the moment..
At Le Petite Paris, and it was ooo la la delightful.
That’s me and Windy on the ends.
Disneyland opened in July 1955 and I was THERE! Cousin Susan sent me these pictures sent to her by “Anna Wilson, Aunt May’s youngest daughter, who has all of Aunt Gert and Uncle Bill’s old photos.” I have seen a couple of these pictures before and they represent my only memory of the occasion. I did retain the certain knowledge that I had been to Disneyland right when it opened.
In The Beginning there were five Lands, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street USA and there were 18-20 attractions (depending on the source).
Here come the pictures, thanks to Uncle Bill! I’m going to ask Kelly, Disney employee of 20+ years, to help me identify what’s what – I’ve numbered them for her convenience to tell me a sensible order.
I found this on the internet asking what were the rides when Disneyland opened. Many sites have done a cut and paste on this list…
Main Street, USA
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland
Frontierland
Adventureland
Here’s another guy’s list that was very specific, he’s right, the other lists are wrong. I haven’t tried to match up the lists yet.
Horse Drawn Fire Wagon This now permanently sits in the firehouse, no longer operational.
Horse Drawn Surrey
Horse Drawn Trolley Of the original Main Street Vehicles, this is the only one still in operation today.
Disneyland Railroad On opening day, there were 2 stations. Frontierland and Main Street. Each station had it’s own train and only the one station stop so you went on a full circle each time (I.e. if you boarded at Frontierland, the train didn’t stop until you reached Frontierland again).
Autopia This ride is relatively unchanged from 1955. The vehicles have been updated, it’s been fenced in, the guidelines were installed and the ride updated to feature the sponsor.
Rocket to the Moon Star Tours now sits where this ride was
Phantom Boats This ride was replaced with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and is now Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Canal Boats of the World This ride changed its name quickly and the locations were redone to show Disney’s animated movie locations. It became Storybook Canal Boats.
King Arthur’s Carousel
Mad Tea Party Originally this ride was roughly where Dumbo is now.
Mr Toad’s Wild Ride
Peter Pan’s Flight
Snow White and Her Adventures
Casey Jr’s Circus Train Many will say this ride didn’t open until July 31st, 1955 but it was actually open on Opening Day. It just closed the very next day for safety reasons and didn’t reopen until the 31st.
Jungle Cruise Riders of the current ride would not recognize the opening day attraction in many ways. It was a much more serious, “educational” ride. The jokes and puns weren’t added until the 60s, same as the now iconic Elephant bathing pool, and other comedic elements. It was originally longer than it currently is as the ride has been shortened and rerouted twice. First for Indiana Jones and then again for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
Mule Pack You could ride an actual mule around a frontier area on opening day. The town of Rainbow Ridge and a mine train ride was added on later, known as Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules and then as Pack Mules through Nature’s Wonderland. This ride and the mine train were located where Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is today. You can still see some of the mine train tracks by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad if you pay attention.
Stage Coach & Conestoga Wagons This ride traveled in the same area as the Mule Pack and the soon to arrive mine train. The difference between the wagons, the train, and the mules is exactly where they went in the large frontier & living desert areas. So you got a unique view depending on which mode of transportation you picked.
Our handsome rebar trees were in good shape.
Thanks Alex and Carol for driving up. We’ve been having an interesting few months of never being at home at the same time and this might be our last chance to get together before next year, 2024.
In a little more than two months it’ll be 2024 and then less then 4 years after that it’ll be the LA Olympics. I remember so clearly back in 2017 when LA got the Olympics, I said many times then and a boring number of times since, how much I really REALLY hope to get to see the LA Olympics in 2028 since it was SO much fun in 1984.
This has been up for a while. It’s a little interesting but I’m not so into the pink curtain.
The Featured Exhibition is William Blake: Visionary, there until mid-January. Totally worth it.
Happy Birthday Ben and Bonnie! They have a birthday season too, born as they are one day and one year apart. We were having trouble finding a day when we were all free for a visit so they said “hey, we want to invite you to Ben’s birthday dinner at The Restaurant”!
The Restaurant at The Getty Center. What a t.r.e.a.t!
Windy’s granddaughter Cali (the one who rescued me from The Incident) is here for Spring Break with her boyfriend Andre. They are both going to college in Oregon, Cali from Texas and Andre an Oregonian born and bred, which explains why this sunny sunny day up at the all-white-everywhere Getty Center was blinding to our Andre. So much sun. We had a lovely time.
For Bill’s first time at the Getty Center, we went on the last day of the Cy Twombly exhibit and although I’m not such a big fan I’m still really glad to have seen it. Above is a photo of Twombly with statues in front of the photo to give a cool 3-d effect.
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Cheryl didn’t come to LA this time and since I didn’t get a picture of Bill while he was here, I snagged this off their facebook.
May Day at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire!
Here comes an insane number of pictures. Lill was SO kind and never made me feel rushed despite my “Squirrel!” at every turn. And she drove. And she walked the extra mile in the parking lot to get the car and pick me up when we were done. What a friend!
You can still go, it’s running for a few more weekends but I have advice. Surprised?! According to a security guy I visited with for a while, don’t go on Saturday, the crowds are worse. You should get there early on Sunday, like 9:30 and it opens at 10. Then you have 2-3 good hours before the crowds and the heat will crush you.
Here at the Getty Center with Ingalill to spend a couple hours kicking around the grounds.
Here come three pictures of a rare explosion of color on the campus outside the formal garden.
The Featured Exhibition, on until May 8, is Poussin and the Dance, that includes a few rooms of large scale paintings and then some videos of modern dancers taking inspiration from Poussin’s work.
Alex and Carol’s friend Anita was visiting from the Gulf Coast and a nice outing to the Getty Villa was just the thing to conclude their time together. And oh what a gorgeous day it was.
Nancy and I enjoyed a quick visit to the Huntington. The day was beautiful in that it was cool and almost empty. We ate a very good lunch at the new Chinese restaurant and otherwise we didn’t get far, just a stroll through the Chinese and Japanese gardens.
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At The Getty Center! Here’s one of the untold number of iconic images.
I went with Nancy specifically to see a very interesting Holbein show and to have a look at a new acquisition, Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lucretia (ca. 1627), the Lucretia story reminding me very much of the Titians I saw in Boston, women subjected to sexual violence.
Me taking the picture, Lucas and Helena distracted by something wonderful. In the picture: Xander, Anya, Betsy, Nancy, Windy, Lona, at the Getty among the Dutch Masters. We all had a wonderful time!
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The Downtown Skyline from the Getty Center on a very bad day for a view. The arrows are pointing to the once Occidental Center Tower that opened in 1965 and has been known for decades as “The Loneliest Skyscraper in Los Angeles”.
Oh Getty Center, I have missed you! Lynn came with me and we had a delightful few hours enjoying all the outdoor sculpture gardens. Calder’s Jousters were gone, off for cleaning we heard. Otherwise, all is well and the landscaping was in great shape.
The Getty Center is opening on the 25th! Quick, get a ticket, they’re free!! The 25th is already sold out and I’m leaving on the 26th so no Getty Center for me until I get back in early June. I’m so pleased though, it’s making me smile to think of it. Photo from the Getty website.
Welcome! Me, Jim, Ingalill, Rick.
Oh my goodness it’s like they opened the museum just for us and maybe 10 other people. It was Glorious! Look above, you can see from the entry plaza all the way, ALL the way through to the tiled fountain.
Through the inner peristyle…to the mosaic fountain below.
from the Getty website:
“A seated man is flanked by Sirens, creatures part bird and part woman, in this nearly life-size terracotta group. In Greek mythology, the singing of the Sirens lured sailors to their deaths, and so these mythical figures are often connected with the deceased. The seated man is also a singer, as shown by his open mouth and the pick (plektron) with which he plays his now-missing lyre, once cradled in his left arm. His precise identity, however, is uncertain. He might be Orpheus, who was famous for his singing and who helped Jason and his crew safely sail past the Sirens. But in art of the fourth century BC, Orpheus is usually shown wearing an elaborately embroidered costume that is not seen here. Therefore, the seated figure may be a mortal in the guise of a poet or singer. The precise meaning of the group has been the subject of extensive speculation, but perhaps the singer should be seen as prevailing over the Sirens and triumphing over death.
“It is likely that the group was made for a tomb. Originally brightly painted, it is an exceptional example of the terracotta sculpture characteristic of the Greek colonies in South Italy. Although terracotta sculpture is also found in mainland Greece, artists in the Greek colonies in South Italy used this medium with greater frequency and on a larger scale because there were few sources of good stone suitable for sculpting.”
Statue of Hercules (Lansdowne Herakles), AD 125. They have the room and it’s wonderful floor blocked off to guests, you can only peek in through the door.
from the Getty website:
“The Greek hero Herakles carries a club over his left shoulder and holds a lionskin in his right hand. These objects help identify the figure, since Herakles was often depicted with a club and the skin of the Nemean Lion, which he killed as his first labor. As is typical for depictions of Greek heroes, the young Herakles is shown nude, since the Greeks considered male nudity to be the highest form of beauty. No other god or hero is as frequently depicted in Greek and Roman art as is Herakles.
“The Lansdowne Herakles very likely was inspired by a lost Greek statue, probably from the school of Polykleitos from the 300s B.C. Found in 1790 near the ruins of the villa of the Roman emperor Hadrian at Tivoli outside Rome, this statue was one of numerous copies of Greek sculpture commissioned by Hadrian, who loved Greek culture. One of J. Paul Getty’s most prized acquisitions, the statue gets its name from Lord Lansdowne, who once owned the Herakles and displayed it in his home in London. Areas of restoration include the statue’s lower left leg and parts of both arms.”
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“Protective Spirits, Assyrian, 645–640 BC, Nineveh, North Palace, reign of Ashurbanipal, gypsum. British Museum, London, 1856,0909.27, 1856.” from the Assyria: Palace Art of Ancient Iraq exhibit.
They would put these images at the front door to ward off evil. Looks pretty effective.
Thanks Rick for the picture and here’s to Next Time!
Sunset at the pier with Merlyn.
Welcome, from the Desert Garden in the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California.
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Oh golly this was fun! One of the guards in the Japanese Garden had trained these birds to come to his palm for a peanut treat. Ohhhh may I do that? Yesss you may. Having a bird land on your hand is magic. And FAST. He is there and gone in the blink of an eye, far faster than any one of us could get off a shot.
Rick’s picture in the Desert Garden. William Hertrich began collecting for this garden in 1907. Wow, I really thought I remembered when there wasn’t the Desert Garden. Another thing about which I was wrongadidewrongwrong…
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The lily ponds are in fine reflecto mode but rather scarce on the lilies. From here we made fond farewells and Lill drove me home (thank you Lill!). As well as the few number of people, the dining option was very good too. There were ready-made sandwiches and salads to pick up and the outdoor tables were so safely laid out, we all felt very comfortable.
My favorite of the figures in the Inner Peristyle and here’s the original. AWEsome. Especially the eyes. Good job on the eyes.
Katie had tickets and invited lucky me. We met for lunch first. What a view on the way to the café..
..my favorites, Walking Flower Fernand Léger (French, 1881-1955) , and The Jousters Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976), telephoto from the same spot as the picture above.
Wait though, Hip Girl and Frog Boy are my favorites. And That Profile, also my favorite. And the Rebar Trees…
July 18
The Getty Villa! Windy needed a Plan B for her four tickets so Sharon and I filled the bill.
We enjoyed one of the garden tours. The docent was especially entertaining and it was just us four and one couple so that was cool.
August 2
Ken and I went out for an adventure today. We met at Union Station and took the train to Solana Beach where the Del Mar shuttle picked us up.
Built in 1939, it’s a beautiful building and in very good shape these days.
From wiki: ‘Approved in a controversial ballot measure in 1926 and built in the 1930s, it served to consolidate rail services from the Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific Railroads into one terminal station. Conceived on a grand scale, Union Station became known as the “Last of the Great Railway Stations” built in the United States. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.’
The wiki article goes into interesting length about the racial and economic factors in play in 1926.
One of the grand old bridges over the LA River. You can see many of them from the train.
The plaza before the trams kick into full gear.
Frog Boy still here New Year 2015. It’s as though this was the way it was always meant to be.
Calder’s The Jousters that I have to see every visit because they make me smile.
November 24
I went out with Marsha today – we saw “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, the new Frances McDormand movie that I thought was very good.
Then we had a lot of food at Kendall’s (like anyone needs food the day after Thanksgiving) and then, YAY, Disney Hall to hear the LA Philharmonic play the marvelous soundtrack to West Side Story while they showed the movie on a big screen behind the orchestra. It was AWEsome and I didn’t cry until the end. Usually when watching West Side Story I cry at the overture.
…we swung by the LA Main Library to see the PST murals that were exciting again. Thanks Susie, it was Great!
Looking back to the Entry Hall. More lounging opportunities. It’s all just too fine.
In the evening they offer a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour on their patio with the best view of the bay ever which you’ll see in another picture.
We were entirely delighted with our accommodation at the Pavilion Hotel. The room was just fine, and the amenities were fab.
Here’s a view of the lovely gardens…
…and here you can see looking back with the arrow pointing at the Pavilion Hotel.
Another view of the Casino Ballroom.
We at lunch in a beer garden and dinner at a small plates restaurant, both fine and reasonable meals.
Too bad we didn’t have enough time to visit the grounds of the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden but it’s always good to have something for next time.
October 12
After our very good breakfast buffet at the hotel we rented a golf cart for a quick buzz around the town.
October 11, 2017
Bonnie and I are off for an overnighter on Catalina Island, 26 miles across the sea, passing by the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose, tourist mainstays of…
Historic Catalina Tile.
From wiki: “In 1927, William Wrigley, Jr. built a tile and brick pottery on a beach located near Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. The new pottery became Catalina Clay Products, a division of Wrigley’s Santa Catalina Island Company. The pottery used local clays from the Island. This business venture had two purposes: to produce clay building products and to provide the much needed year-round employment for Island residents.”
Chihuly at the Catalina Island Museum, our motivation for making this trip. The show will be gone in December.
Then we took a stroll over to the historic Avalon Casino Ballroom that is now a popular venue for festivals.
It was locked up but we were able to spot a set-up guy who took us around for a quick look.
The ballroom was buzzing with workers getting ready for the Catalina Jazz Festival that starts on Thursday.
There was a Pacific Standard Time LA/LA exhibit at the main library (Latin American and Latino Art in LA) and it was wonderful. It wasn’t supposed to be available for a few more days but lucky us, here it is!
Check out the pacificstandardtime.org website because there are exhibts Everywhere.
Here’s something from the website:
“The Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA) will present Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A., an exhibition and associated public programs celebrating the Zapotec language as a key lifeline sustaining shared cultural experience in Mexico, Los Angeles, and beyond. Zapotec is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca, and Los Angeles is home to the largest population of indigenous Oaxacans outside of Mexico. Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A. will recognize the importance of the Oaxacan presence in Southern California and explore contemporary realities of indigenous culture.
“The project will include an installation in the Los Angeles Central Library’s Rotunda by Oaxacan artist collective Tlacolulokos, a short documentary by Oaxacan filmmaker Yolanda Cruz, and a series of 60 public programs across Los Angeles with visual artists, scholars, poets and writers. Programs, many of which will be multi-lingual, will be presented as part of LFLA’s acclaimed ALOUD literary and performance series and as community workshops in select locations of the Los Angeles Public Library.”
We went to the Getty for my birthday as this was our first chance since June. We only did what I wanted to do so we went on a couple of tours and ate Twice.
