Local History & Historians - Know Your Own Backyard

Jim A. Beardsley (c)2008

Jim A. Beardsley (c)2010

In today's media there's a really nice piece on my favorite local venue - the Wiltern Theater.  A few blocks from where I live, it's within easy walking distance from my apartment and surrounded by the thriving K-Town scene.  Last Saturday night, I attended and participated in a rockin' and rollin' show there featuring a local group, The Dustbowl Revival, and headlined by an excellent foursome of young musicians/performers from back East, Lake Street Dive.  The historic venue and and a live show once again made for a great night out.

Here's a link to the article from the Ticketmaster Blog and a couple of images from the locally archived Los Angeles Public Library photograph collections:

Looking east through intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Western Ave. c.1930s

Looking west through intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Western Ave. c.1980s

Imaging - Religious Architecture

Bluewater Media Group, an L.A.-based company co-founded by Eric Waterman, was the creative force behind the production of 2011 documentary entitled "East LA Interchange."  Information on the film's website states that this work "tells the story of working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights, the oldest neighborhood in East Los Angeles." From my own experience, I like the Boyle Hts. / East L.A. area and feel that it exemplifies the complexly interesting cultural mix that is this big city. Here's a pic from a fairly recent jaunt into these historic neighborhoods just east and across the river from Downtown Los Angeles.

Breed Street Shul in the Boyle Heights Neighborhood of Los Angeles / Jim A. Beardsley (c) 2013

Breed Street Shul was opened in 1923 when the population and culture of Boyle Heights was predominately more Jewish and less Hispanic. The original religious structure at this site (which is also referred to as Congregation Talmud Torah of Los Angeles or the Breed Street Synagogue) is just barely noticeable behind the Shul in the image's lower-left corner. The ongoing rehabilitation and preservation efforts are well documented at the Breed Street Shul Project website.

Exflorations - A Yellow Favorite

        Rogers Memorial Park; Beverly Hills, California / Jim A. Beardsley (c)2014        

Imaging - Religious Architecture

Another example from my collection - for no particular reason other than something should be posted.  Continuing with selections of Missions of California, San Gabriel is an interesting place with loads of local So. Cal. history.  The church itself is much more photogenic than that at the [to me] more familiar Mission San Fernando.  All of the Missions have been the subject of much imaging; photographing really starting with some of the exceptional work of Carleton E. Watkins that was completed in the 1870s and 1880s.

The Ancient Church at Mission San Gabriel / Jim A. Beardsley (c)2007

The Ancient Church at Mission San Gabriel by Carleton E. Watkins c.1875-80

Imaging - Comets

Following is the best image of a comet that I (for what it's worth) have ever seen* . . . the real thing, not some brand or consumer product name+ . . . courtesy of NASA via ESA.

177 miles above the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

CNN online article

* Note:  Years ago, looking north from my 2nd-story apartment balcony in Los Angeles, I viewed a faintly visible comet  . . . . .

+ i.e.:

or

Imaging - Religious Architecture

Yesterday morning, August 3rd, I captured some decent new images in the South Bay area of the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area, including Manhattan Beach.  Those selections have yet to be edited or shared but here's a favorite from my ongoing collection.

Mission Santa Clara Church on the Campus of Santa Clara University

Jim A. Beardsley (c)2013