Roaming in L.A.

There is so much to enjoy in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.  Here are a few pictures of what I enjoyed during the past week:

Happy Poppies at Huntington Gardens in San Marino

Favorite painting:  "View on the Stour near Dedham," 1822 by John Constable, British, 1776-1837,  "I should paint my own place best," Constable told a friend of this painting of his native Suffolk, England.

From the social realism school of Courbet and Millet, Jules Adolphe Aime Louis Breton, French, 1827-1906, painted "The Last Gleanings," in 1895

Donald Crockett conducting the Xtet, a new music ensemble, in a concert at LACMA's Bing Theater.(Photo by Lawrence K. Ho, L.A. Times).

On Wednesday night I attended a concert "Celebrating Los Angeles" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the museum.  The performances were by Xtet, Angel City Corale, Members of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Martin Chalifour, concert master of the L.A. Phil.  The work celebrated composers who created their music in L.A. including Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Morton Lauridsen, David Newman, Mitch Glickman and Steven Stucky.

On Saturday we enjoyed a walking tour of historic L. A. by a volunteer from the Los Angeles Conservancy.  This is a photo of the L.A. Subway building on Hill...yes there was a subway in L.A. in the early days.

The lobby of the subway building, now the entrance to loft apartments and a party scene. 

The Subway Building elevators

The Million Dollar Theater Building on Broadway and Third with its beautiful architecture.

A Close Up

Yes some wild dancing by the sculpted figures above the buffalo heads on the building.

Railing detail, inside walls and floor of the Bradbury Building at 04 Broadway built in 1893 by draftsman George Wyman from the original design by Sumner Hunt.  Below are more photos from the building.

A mural across the street from the Bradbury Building shows Anthony Quinn dancing on the same tiles inside the Bradbury.

Behind the building is a quiet courtyard with a tribute to Bridget "Biddy" Mason, Grandma as we was called.  She was born a slave in Georgia in 1818, and walked with her owner and others of his slaves to Los Angeles with their Mormon owners.  Since California was a free state, Bridget Mason and others were freed in San Bernardino.  Robert Smith, her owner, planned to move back to the slave state of Texas and take Mason with him, but she escaped with the help of friends and traveled to Los Angeles.  Mason worked in L.A. as a nurse and midwife, founding member of the First African Methodist Church, the city's first black church which was founded in her home at this site.  She is an honoree of the California Social Work Hall of Distinction for her service to individuals and the community.
Above is a photo of her and her signature X as she couldn't read or write.   She died in 1891 and buried in an unmarked grave in Boyle Heights.  Later a ceremony attended by the mayor of L.A. and members of the church she founded was held and the grave was marked with a tombstone.  

On Sunday, we roamed through beautiful gardens thanks to "Open Days."  Here are some of my photos of natures' paintings.