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Archive for the ‘APG Events’ Category

Climb Aboard! APG Hosts Magical History Tour On June 23

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , , on April 23, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

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Climb aboard! Alhambra Preservation Group will host its Magical History Tour, a guided tour of some of Alhambra’s most significant architectural treasures with a glimpse behind the curtain of time, on Sunday afternoon, June 23.  APG President, Christine Olson, described the planned event as, “a departure from anything we’ve ever done” and promises that the tour will offer “something for everyone—native or newcomer— as, together, we explore little-known aspects of Alhambra’s forgotten history.”

Aboard a chartered luxury motorcoach, tour-goers will travel back in time to 1920s Alhambra.  Among the afternoon’s activities will be exclusive tours of two Alhambra Heritage Home Award-winning residences (neither of which has been opened previously for public viewing), as well as visits to other historically significant homes and buildings.  Throughout the tour, history will come alive through in-person encounters with some of the historic figures whose influence and accomplishments shaped the development of  the entire San Gabriel Valley region.

The Magical History Tour will take place between the hours of noon and 4:00 on Sunday, June 23, 2013.  Space will be limited for this exclusive event.  The $50 admission will cover the cost of a four-hour tour aboard a comfortable, air conditioned motorcoach, refreshments, opportunities to win prizes and to learn surprising facts about Alhambra’s history and some of the people who made it happen.

“We are excited about this new and different event,” says Olson.  “So save the date!  We encourage our fellow Alhambrans and all those who enjoy APG’s Historic Home Tours to, ‘Get on Board with Historic Preservation’ by joining us for what we know will be a day of fun, adventure and learning.”

All proceeds from this fundraising event will support the educational mission of Alhambra Preservation Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003, to ensure that the historical, architectural and cultural resources of Alhambra are identified, protected and celebrated for their contributions to Alhambra’s heritage, economy and environment.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Alhambra Preservation Group at (626) 795-3467.

Photo courtesy of Alhambra Preservation Group.

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APG Presents March 7 Lecture on Famed Architect Bertram Goodhue

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , on February 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Central.Library.Ellen.ForsythSave the Date! On Thursday, March 7, 2013, Alhambra Preservation Group will present a lecture and slide presentation by esteemed author and architectural historian Romy Wyllie on the famed architect Bertram Goodhue, whose work has defined much of the Southern California landscape.  The lecture, entitled Bertram Goodhue’s Arts and Crafts Legacy, will take place at 7 p.m. in Reese Hall at Alhambra’s Civic Center Library, 101 S. 1st Street, Alhambra, CA  91801.

Goodhue was a true Renaissance man – an architect, typographer and graphic designer. His career spanned several movements, including Arts and Crafts, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Art Deco. He was the architect of much of Southern California’s iconic architecture and is credited with designing the Los Angeles Central Library and multiple buildings on the Pasadena’s Caltech campus. His work can be found throughout the United States.

The noted lecturer and Bertram Goodhue biographer, Romy Wyllie, is a native of England and taught architectural history and interior design at the Herrington Institute of Interior Design in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Since 1985, she has led Caltech’s Architectural Tour Services as its co-founder and chairwoman.

Alhambra Preservation Group wishes to thank The Maloney Group realty partnership for its generous sponsorship of this special event and invites you to come and learn more about Bertram Goodhue, a true architectural star. The lecture is free of charge and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and ample public parking is available in the library’s underground parking structure.

To learn more or to RSVP for the event, please call Alhambra Preservation Group at (626) 755-3467 or follow us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Ellen Forsyth.

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Don’t Miss Our Fall Field Trip

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , on October 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Make the most of your APG membership!  Every year in the Fall, Alhambra Preservation Group hosts a special “members-only” activity — a free guided tour of a Southern California architectural treasure.

This year we have a real treat in store for our members — a two-hour walking tour of the Caltech campus in Pasadena, scheduled for Friday morning, November 9th from 10 a.m. to noon.  If you’re not already a member of APG, you can join today and request to have your name added to our list of tour-goers.  A maximum of 30 participants can be accommodated on our private “behind the scenes” tour of the campus, but there are still spots available.

After a brief visit to the Caltech faculty club, the renowned Athenaeum designed in 1931 by Gordon Kaufmann, the tour will explore several original buildings on campus, some of which date to 1910.  Participants will see how architect and master planner Bertram Goodhue, using “shaded portals, sheltering walls and Persian pools,” set the tone for a campus of great beauty — so that the scientists and engineers working and studying here could become more aware of the aesthetic values of life.

Our tour guide will be Romy Wyllie, author of the foremost reference work on the history of the Institute, Caltech’s Architectural Heritage, from Spanish Tile to Modern Stone, published in 2000.  A certified interior designer and member of the International Interior Design Association, Wyllie has taught architectural history and interior design.  She is co-founder and chairman of the Caltech Architectural Tour Service.

The Caltech tour is a fairly strenuous walk, covering a distance of about 1.3 miles, and it includes flights of stairs.  Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.  We regret that strollers, walkers and wheelchairs cannot be accommodated on this tour.

The deadline for registration is Wednesday, October 31.  Call today to learn more, or to get your name on the list of tour-goers:  (626) 755-3467.

Photos courtesy of Caltech.

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Lights! Camera! Alhambra!

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , on May 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Have you ever dreamt of seeing your house on the big screen? Ever wondered how location scouts choose a site for a movie or commercial? Have you ever questioned if you could earn some additional income through location filming?

At 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 31 at the Alhambra Civic Center Library (101 S. 1st Street), Alhambra Preservation Group will feature “Lights! Camera! Alhambra!” a presentation by Kris Bunting and Kristi Frankenheimer, location managers whose combined credits include more than 50 feature films and television shows. Kris Bunting was pivotal in securing an Alhambra home used in the filming of Long Time Gone, a soon-to-be-released movie starring Virginia Madsen. The hour-long presentation will include information on what film scouts look for in homes and locations, how you can make your house more attractive to scouts, what the range of compensation for homeowners is for filming, and how Alhambra can be more film-friendly in its policies and practices.

Alhambra is certainly no stranger to the silver screen. From the 1945 National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney to the 1991 Father of the Bride starring Steve Martin to the 2005 Guess Who starring Ashton Kucher and Bernie Mac, Alhambra attracts film-makers looking for architecturally diverse homes and character-filled neighborhoods. Come and learn how your home can have a starring role in an upcoming television series or movie.

To RSVP please contact Alhambra Preservation Group at (626) 755-3467, e-mail us at info@alhambrapreservation.org or visit us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of fauxto_digit.

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Feedback from The Greenest Building Screening

Posted in APG Events, tagged , , , , on April 17, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Imagine our surprise to receive a copy of this letter from an out-of-town guest who attended our March 15th screening of The Greenest Building.

Jeanne Wilkinson was so impressed with our organization and its mission, and so pleased that two of our civic leaders were in attendance at our meeting, that she sat right down and wrote a letter to tell them so.

Here’s what she said:

March 16, 2012

Dear City Manager Fuentes and Councilman Placido,

Thank you for attending the March 15 meeting on historic preservation in Alhambra.  I commend you both for wisely recognizing the profound value that historic preservation plays in protecting property values, promoting civic pride, and safeguarding Alhambra’s aesthetic appeal as a great place to live and do business.

I am a third-generation Alhambran. I attended both Ramona Convent and local public schools. Today, I am the chief financial officer for a multi-million dollar technology transfer firm in Bozeman, Montana which serves as a conduit between Montana State University, the U.S. Department of Defense and the private sector. Bozeman, like Alhambra, is a growing community.  It has a citizenry that is actively engaged in the cause of historic preservation and I should point out that investments made in historic preservation continue to pay huge dividends.

Our historic downtown and residential districts have won national accolades, cementing Bozeman’s reputation as one of the most livable communities in America.  Our local chamber of commerce there uses historic preservation as a selling point in attracting entrepreneurs and new businesses to the community. Historical preservation also has been an engine for our lively arts and thriving tourist economy.

Authenticity matters in today’s world.  I know that both of you recognize the fact that preserving Alhambra’s historic assets gives it a competitive advantage.  I could cite a long list of socio-economic studies showing that communities, which protect their heritage, are more likely to have thriving economies.

For me, Alhambra will always be a place that I proudly call home.  It is heartening to know that our civic leaders here have not lost sight of the qualities that make this community different from “Anytown USA.”  I strongly encourage you to keep working with those who advocate for historic preservation. You will never regret it. There is not a more dedicated group of citizens with vision in all of the San Gabriel Valley.

Sincerely yours,

Jeanne Wilkinson

Thank you, Jeanne, for this letter. We appreciate you taking the time to put your thoughts down on paper and are pleased that you were able to attend this APG event. Best of luck with your ongoing preservation efforts in Bozeman. We look forward to seeing you during your next visit home to Alhambra!

Photo Courtesy of Shenzhenstuff.com

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“The Greenest Building” Screening Attracts Community Members and City Officials

Posted in APG Events, tagged , on March 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

APG President Christine Olson introduces the film "The Greenest Building."

On the evening of March 15, Alhambra Preservation Group screened the award-winning document The Greenest Building at the Alhambra Civic Center Library to a crowd of community members and City officials including Councilmember Steve Placido and City Manager Julio Fuentes.  The award-winning film explored the question “Is a new building the most sustainable choice?” with noted preservationists, architects and green building consultants discussing the environmental impact of demolition, the needs of communities to reflect a “sense of place,” and the proposition that the greenest building may, in fact, be the one that is already built.  The film showcased examples of creatively re-purposed historic buildings that have been upgraded to LEED standards, serving their owners and occupants as 21st Century workplaces while preserving the unique character of their surrounding communities.

Event panelists field questions from attendees.

Following the film, a panel of experts including Dr. Denise Lawrence-Zuniga of the California Polytechnic State University at Pomona’s School of Architecture; Victoria Deise Wilson of the Ratkovich Company; and, Peyton Hall of Historic Resources Group fielded questions from the event attendees. Questions and discussion ranged from an explanation of the Mills Act, which, if Alhambra were a participant, would result in property tax reductions for owners of historic homes to a discussion about the need for grassroots efforts, “Preservation organizations are integral to ensuring that communities retain their historic buildings and maintaining that ‘sense of place’ that is so important to residents,” stated panelist Dr. Denise Lawrence-Zuniga, during the panel discussion.

Another recurring theme discussed in the film was that buildings are the physical manifestations of memories and stories. Are there any Alhambra buildings that evoke memories for you? Share your memories with us. We’d like to hear which of Alhambra’s buildings are included in your own life stories.

Alhambra Preservation Group’s spring event will take place in late May and will focus on the growing resurgence of filming at Alhambra homes and locations. Stay tuned for more details regarding this upcoming event.

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