Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Hearst's Private Zoo
When Hearst built his castle, he wanted it to be a place where his guests would not just feel at home but would also be amazed. That's why he had Julia Morgan build a private zoo.
Elephants, antelope, zebras and so many more types of animals were on display on the ranch, many allowed to freely roam and graze on the hills of San Simeon. When the Hearst empire fell on hard times during the depression, Hearst downscaled the assortment, with his family donating most of the rest to zoos and preserves after his death. A herd of Zebras is still permitted to roam free, delighting tourists who stumble upon them.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Friday, March 24, 2017
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Opening Day at Marriott's Great America
Marriott's Great America in Santa Clara, CA had its grand opening on March 20, 1976 and opened to the general public on March 21st. Its sister park in Gurnee, IL would open a few months later. A third theme park to be located near Washington, DC was never built due to local opposition.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Did You Know?
The Sears catalog used to sell actual houses- the company provided building materials and floor plans. You put it together!
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Original/Reproduction: Carthay Circle Theatre
The famed Carthay Circle Theatre hosted many a preview during its heyday on the fringes of Hollywood. Alas, the original building no longer stands, but a replica of it exists thirty miles south in Anaheim at Disney California Adventure.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Samson Tire's Amazing Factory
How does one build a tire factory that can bring in extra money? Design it to look like an Egyptian temple and locate it down the road from Hollywood. Samson Tires did just that in 1929 in Commerce, California.
Now, they probably didn't intend it at the time, but the fanciful entrance became a much sought after shooting location for some of Hollywood's big bible epics. This brought some glitz and glamour down the 5 freeway to a simple tire factory.
After the factory closed down, the city of Commerce chose to redevelop the complex as a factory outlet mall, restoring and retaining the historic facade, which makes for one of the most interesting shopping malls in the world.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Groundbreaking at Universal Studios New Jersey
Before moving out west to escape Thomas Edison's patents, the first Universal Studios opened in New Jersey.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Did You Know?
It is always hard to preserve World's Fair buildings because they are typically built to be temporary. A cheap building material called "staff" was often used to produce cheap ornamentation to make the temporary buildings look ornate.
Preservation societies often have to rebuild the structures they wish to preserve because the buildings will often deteriorate into rubble under even regular usage.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Did You Know?
Before it was considered to be a children's candy, Pez Candies were intended to help people stop smoking. They sold better as candy.
