Studio Tour

The family visited Warner Bros. Studios and toured over 100 years of storytelling history:

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

The Lassie House

Is Timmy in the well?

The Lassie House: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Lassie House, located in Pomona, California, is the childhood home of Jon Provost, famously known as Timmy, from the television series "Lassie".

Built on 1/2 acre, in 1897 (or 1900 - sources vary), the house is an historic landmark and is said to be one of the largest and most beautiful homes in Pomona. It has under gone renovation over the years. The above photograph shows how it looks today, after work completed in 2018. It would have been quite different when the child actor lived there.  I can say that with a lot of confidence because I first encountered it about 35 years ago. Back then, it had a fence and hedge around it. While it was difficult to to get a good look at, one could tell that it was painted white and was tatty looking.

The new owners, one of whom is the president/founder of a construction company that specializes in historic restoration, certainly improved upon the property. Some of the changes were quite extensive. One example is the addition of a well - which actually seems to be a fountain.

Lassie House Well: photo by Cliff Hutson

I guess this was done in recognition of the popular belief that Timmy at least once fell down a well and his faithful collie fetched rescuers to save him from his predicament.  However, even though Provost titled his 2007 memoir "Timmy’s in the Well" he points out Timmy never once, in the show’s 571 episodes, fell in a well.

 

The Schindler House Centennial

 A modern home 

Back Yard: photo by Cliff Hutson

Rudolph Michael Schindler's Kings Road house is an icon of early modern architecture. He stated that it " . . . fulfills the basic requirements for a camper's shelter: a protected back, an open front, a fireplace, and a roof." Constructed of 4' x 8' concrete slabs, redwood, glass, and canvas it has an intimate relationship between the shelter and surrounding outdoor spaces. The author Kathryn Smith has said that it was the first modern house.

Intimate View: photo by Cliff Hutson

This recent article in "The New Yorker" celebrating the centennial of the house brought back memories of the visit  that my wife and I made in August 2005. I posted a short photo essay at the time.

A Common Area: photo by Cliff Hutson

That was the beginning of my interest in Schindler - some readers might recall that I have previously mentioned him in this blog. I must admit that I am somewhat proud that even then my eye picked out many of the features other writers mention. Or, may be I just have a keen sense of the obvious. 

Bamboo Grove: photo by Cliff Hutson

Centennial Events

Events surrounding the centennial began back in May, but some are still scheduled and an exhibition runs though September 25, 2022.

Reading Log: April 2022

 The books that I read in April 2022

April 2022 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Case Study Houses," Elizabeth A. T. Smith

"Eero Saarinen," Pierluigi Serraino

"Charles & Ray Eames," Gloria Koenig 

"R. M. Schindler," James Steele

"Richard Neutra," Barbara Lamprecht 

"Frank Lloyd Wright," Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer 

Cliff's Notes

April was "Architecture Month" here at the old homestead.  And, much like "Bacon's Law", all of these can be connected. to each other as well the prior month's "Who Built That? Modern House". That book featured Frank Lloyd Wright, and Charles and Ray Eames.

"Case Study Houses"

I have long been interested in the Case Study House program and this book is an excellent overview of the work and its influence on the architecture and design of modern homes. I first became aware of them from Julius Shulman's photographs of the Stahl House (CSH#22). 

• Charles and Ray Eames designed CSH#8
• Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen designed CSH#9, the Entenza House
• Richard Neutra designed CSH#6, CSH#13, and CSH#20
• An Eero Saarinen table is pictured on page 83

"Eero Saarinen"

Saarinen, the creator of the "Tulip" chairs and "Pedestal" table, was primarily an architect. My wife and I were using his furniture when we got together in the mid-1970s. But, it was only with this book that I garnered a fuller undressing of his life and body of work. 

• Saarinen and Charles Eames became lifelong friends at the Cranbrook Academy of Art
• Don Knorr (CSH#19) worked in Saarinen's office in the early days of his career  

"Charles & Ray Eames"

I am a huge Eames fan and own several pieces of their furniture. My first encounter with them was as a teenager when I saw the "Mathematica" exhibition at he California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles. This is the least of the books that I have about them, but it is a good read.  

• Ray probably met Charles when she worked on his joint project with Saarinen for a design competition. at MoMA.
• They met John Entenza not long after they moved to Los Angeles
• Entenza introduced them to Neutra
• They then moved into Neutra's Strathmore Apartments in Westwood

"R. M. Schindler"

 My wife and I visited the "Schindler House" in 2005 without our really knowing who he was. This book was quite an eyeopener. I mark it down for using too many terms, e.g., Gesamtkunstwerk, that only architectural historians will understand without resorting to Google searches. But, it gave me an understanding of his contributions to architecture.

• He attended a school in Vienna, founded by Adolf Loos, as did Neutra
• He worked for Frank Lloyd Wright and supervised the construction of the Barnsdall House
• Neutra and his wife lived in one half of the Schindler's King's Road House
• Schindler and Neutra had an ill-fated architectural partnership

"Richard Neutra"

Neutra was the least known to me of these architects. though I would have passed by his house/office on Silver Lake Boulevard many times as I was growing up, and photos of the Kaufmann House are inescapable in most discussions of modern architecture.. (In recent years, I have also attended a function the Claremont Methodist Church.) Now that I have read this book, I feel that Neutra may be the most talented of the lot when it comes to designing houses.

• Neutra and Schindler, his elder by five years, were friends
• Neutra also worked for Frank Lloyd Wright

"Frank Lloyd Wright"

Last in terms of reading, but first in chronology, is Wright.  He may very well be the most famous of the ones written about in this collection of books. One of his designs is certainly the first work by a major architect that I encountered in my life. I grew up not far from Barnsdall Park and knew of the Hollyhock House from an early age. I may not have appreciated its importance, but could feel that it was special. This book is a good introduction to his work, but avoids any discussion of how he was a rotten person.

• He entrusted Schindler with overseeing work on the Hollyhock House
• He employed Neutra, but that only lasted about three months

Reading Log: March 2022

 The books that I read in March 2022

March 2022 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Robert B. Parker's Someone to Watch Over Me," Ace Atkins

"Who Built That? Modern House," Didier Cornille

"Cliff Hutson: The Story of Your DNA," 23andMe

"Candida Höfer: Architecture of Absence," Constance Glenn  (Author), Virginia Heckert (Author), Mary Kay Lombino (Author), Candida Höfer (Photographer)

Cliff's Notes

"Someone"

This is another great Spenser story by Atkins. Ripped from the headlines, as they say, our intrepid detective goes after some people who have a very bad predilection. 

The funny thing is that he does not seem to age while others about  him do, save Susan and Hawk.  The protagonist of this tale is Mattie. We first met her, at the age of fourteen, in "Lullaby" which was published nine years ago and she is about 22-years old in this telling. 

The book also introduces a German short-haired pointer puppy named Pearl. There have been two previous Pearls, as this story opens the second one has recently died. Based on the average life expectancy of the breed, that would indicate that 24 to 28 years have elapsed over the course of Spenser's adventures. 

Yet, he, nor his two his faithful companions seem to have grown older. Not, so that the reader can tell anyway. Even though he and Hawk must be well past sixty, neither has a lost a step. They certainly rival Jack LaLanne in their ability to hold it together.

"Modern House"

Some might call this a children's book, but I feel that readers of all ages can avail themselves of this introduction to to ten of modern architecture's most important homes and their creators. 

"Cliff Hutson"

Genealogical DNA testing has become very popular.  As a multiracial/multiethnic person I have long been curious about my makeup and decided to join the fray. I used three different companies: 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and National Geographic Geno 2.0.  The results varied, but are more or less in line with each other. 

I find the results from 23andMe most interesting as they indicate that I have a great-grand parent who was 100% "French & German", and that person was likely born between 1860 and 1920.  Assuming that the earlier years of this time frame are true would bear out family lore that my mother's grandfather was French. 

In any event, having a book in which I am the subject is kind of fun.

"Architecture of Absence"

This a photography book. Höfer photographs empty spaces, i.e., libraries, concert halls, and museums without people visible in them. Three authors strive mightily to put this in context. 

Photography on the Web

Round round get around, I get around, yeah

It is not that I literally get around, what it is that my photography shows up in some interesting places.

Florida

I have never been to Florida, and don't imagine that I will ever visit. However, this restaurant review has piqued my curiosity. How does its dish measures up to the meal we prepared at home? As, oddly enough, they look identical.

Mac N Cheese Plate: photo by Cliff Hutson

Southern California

Southern California is my lifelong home. So I was very intrigued when I came upon an article "Here Are The 10 Dishes You Have To Eat In Southern California Before You Die".  I still need to get to Phil's BBQ and the Apple Pan, but the others are all under my belt.  

The Donut Man is illustrated with my photo of the world famous fresh strawberry donut. This is a fancier plating:

Fresh Strawberry Donut: photo by Cliff Hutson

I like to think that my photo of Langer's Original #19 Pastrami Sandwich measures up favorably to the one they used as well.

Langer's #19: photo by Cliff Hutson

Oakland Museum of California

My travels, for business and pleasure, have taken me to Oakland, however, I have never been to the Oakland Museum of California.  But, I was very pleased to see that a photograph of mine was to illustrate an article about an exhibit of the work of Charles and Ray Eames.

Eames House of Cards: photo by Cliff Hutson

I very much like the Eames's work and own several of their pieces. But, sad to say, while the actual Eames House is only about an hour and a half away I have yet to visit it. I am going to have to get around to that.

Eames Coffee Table: photo by Cliff Hutson

Reading Log: April 2019

The books that I finished reading in April 2019

April 2019 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

“Speculative Everything,” Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby

“Banking on Beauty: Millard Sheets and Midcentury Architecture in California,” Adam Arenson 

“The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy,” Michale McCarththy 

“Pearls Takes a Wrong Turn,” Stephan Pastis

Down Time

Sick Leave

I have been dealing with a spot of illness, so rather than try to deal with a new topic I am running a post from five years ago this week. And, now back to that bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"The Cover of 'Rolling Stone''

Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show sang:

“But the thrill we've never known

Is the thrill that'll getcha

When you get your picture

On the cover of the Rolling Stone.”

That is a thrill that will not likely ever be mine as well. But, a photograph I shot has made the cover of a magazine.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden chose my Tidy Tips photo for the cover of their magazine, 'Exploring the Arboretum'.

Wildflowering LA

It illustrates the article "Wildflowering LA". I have to say I think that is pretty cool. 

The kicker is that there is also an article on Julius Shulman. This is an added plus for me. He was a photographer whose work I have admired for decades. Little could I have dreamed when I was in my teens that something I shot would ever appear in such close proximity to his photographs.

I am not in his league, but, I too, have made forays into architectural photography. This is my latest attempt:

A Bar at Walter's

Earlier work about the Schindler House can be found on PBase.

Reading Log 2017 (Plus Robots)

Reading Nook: photo by Cliff Hutson

I made it through fifty-nine books this past year.

Reading Log 2017

1. “Night School,” Lee Child
2. “Secrets of the Oak Woodland,” Kate Marianchild
3. “Potshot,” Robert B. Parker
4. “Sage Living,” Anne Sage
5. “Island of Blue Dolphins,” Scott O’Dell
6. “How to See,” George Nelson
7. “Breaking Cat News,” Georgia Dunn
8. “An Old Captivity,” Nevil Shute
9. “The Kill Clause,” Gregg Hurwitz
10. “Deep Blue,” Randy Wayne White
11. “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” Robert Galbraith
12. “The Silkworm,” Robert Galbraith
13. “The Negro Cowboy,” Philip Durham & Everett L. Jones
14. “Career of Evil,” Robert Galbraith
15. “The Short Drop,” Matthew Fitzsimmons
16. “On Trails,” Robert Moor
17. “The Big Blow,” Joe R. Lansdale
18. “The Pencil Perfect,” Caroline Weaver
19. “The Revenge of Analog,” David Sax
20. “The Gun Seller,” Hugh Laurie
21. “The Highwayman,” Craig Johnson
22. “The Redbreast,” Jo Nesbo
23. “Nemesis,” Jo Nesbo
24. “The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need,” Andrew Tobias
25. “Cars & Culture,” Rudi Volti
26. “Setting Up Shop: The Practical Guide to Designing and Building Your Dream Shop,” Sandor Nagyszalanczy
27. “Murder at the Opera,” Margaret Truman
28. “How to be Black,” Baratunde Thurston
29. “The Bat,” Jo Nesbo
30. “Stuff White People Like,” Christian Lander
31. “The Late Show,” Michael Connelly 
32. “Blind Spot,” Teju Cole
33. “A Choice of Weapons,” Gordon Parks
34. “Sorted Books,” Nina Katchadourian 
35. “A Rage in Harlem,” Chester Himes
36. “The Real Cool Killers,” Chester Himes
37. “The Crazy Kill,” Chester Himes
38. “The Heat’s On,” Chester Himes
39. “Cotton Comes to Harlem,” Chester Himes
40. “Blind Man With a Pistol,” Chester Himes
41. “The Cooking Gene,” Michael W. Twitty
42. “The Urban Bestiary,” Lyanda Lynn Haupt
43. “Deep Freeze,” John Sandford
44. “Invisible Beasts,” Sharona Muir
45. “Double Play,” Robert B. Parker
46. “Two Kinds of Truth,” Michael Connelly
47. “Little Green,” Walter Mosley
48. “The Yard,” Alex Grecian
49. “The Black Country,” Alex Grecian
50. “The Devil’s Workshop,” Alex Grecian
51. “The Harvest Man,” Alex Grecian
52. “Lost and Gone Forever,” Alex Grecian
53. “NYPD Red 2,” James Patterson
54. “Brunch Is Hell: How to Save the World by Throwing a Dinner Party,” Brendan Francis Newnam and Rico Gagliano 
55. “White Butterfly,” Walter Mosley
56. “Gone Fishin’,” Walter Mosley
57. “Charcoal Joe,” Walter Mosley
58. “And Sometimes I Worry About You,” Walter Mosley
59. “Rose Gold,” Walter Mosley

Most of them were good, but the highlight of the year was what I call the shootout between Chester Himes and Walter Mosley.  As I mentioned before Himes was introduced to me by Luke Cage. He made it clear, to me anyway, that he preferred that author over Mosley, partially because the former's stories are based in New York - opposed to Los Angeles. (Note: Mosley also writes books set in New York.) So, as LA is where I was born and grew up I decided that I had to make the comparison for myself by reading the Easy Rawlins series.

Hometown bias aside, I enjoyed reading Mosley's work the most. This is partly due to the fact that his  latter stories are pretty much contemporaneous with my life and I like to see his perspectives on those times. Another reason is that he takes the time to contemplate (or comment) on being black in America. Himes ably illustrates what life was like in an earlier era, but offers little reflection on the rampant racism.

One of the final scenes of the first season of Luke Cage has a US Marshal reading The Heat’s On by Chester Himes. Luke comments on it and the marshal asks if he’s ever read Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series. I have read all of the Bosch books over the years and look forward to the next season of Luke Cage for more book suggestions.

Robots

Even though I spent quite a bit of time reading, I carved out enough time to start building three robots. Two were seen through to completion.

Some Assembly Required: photo by Cliff Hutson

Insectoid: photo by Cliff Hutson

Day 2400

“Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me.

Somebody help me, yeah.

Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me, yeah.

I'm stayin' alive.”

  -  Bee Gees

2400th Day: photo by Cliff Hutson

Healthy Aging

Various studies have sown that “healthy aging is associated with a decline in sensory, motor and specific cognitive functions. However, such declines depend on various factors, such as genetics and lifestyle. In particular, physical activity and training not only improve physical and motor but also cognitive functions, and reduce risk for cognitive decline and dementia in later life.”

This past Monday marked a milestone of 2400 days since I made a commitment to regular exercise. The photo is of the display of the Wii Fit application on my Nintendo, so I think the data is close enough for our purposes.

To be sure, I have not worked out on every one of those days. But, I did something on most of them; missing occasionally due to illness. One streak was broken when I was out of town last year. I like to believe that my activity has helped improve my mood, well being, and energy level.

High Score?; photo by Cliff Hutson

On the Other Hand

One of my activities is playing tennis on Wii Sports. Three years ago I reached the skill level of 2399. Some say that this is the highest score possible.  I am very proud of this as it was done playing left handed,  and, like Inigo Montoya, "I am not left handed."

This morning marked my 1785th day of playing a variety of video games with my "other" hand. There are those whom argue that this is a bad thing, but I found it to be an intriguing challenge. And, there are others citing its benefits.

I can’t prove that this exercise has improved communication between my left and right brain hemispheres which might benefit creative and abstract thinking, but I don’t think that it been detrimental to my wellbeing. Neither do I consider myself to be ambidextrous and would never consider eating not writing with my left hand unless forced to do so.

Architecto - Model 01: photo by Cliff Hutson

Cognitive Skills

The concept of some type of neural or cognitive pool of resources that protects against age-related cognitive decline has been an important idea in both the cognitive and neural aging literature.

Spatial thinking is a collection of cognitive skills. The skills consist of declarative and perceptual forms of knowledge and some cognitive operations that can be used to transform, combine, or otherwise operate on this knowledge. The key to spatial thinking is a constructive amalgam of three elements: concepts of space, tools of representation, and processes of reasoning. -  “Learning to Think Spatially,” by NationalResearch Council.

Wikipedia tell us that “Older adults tend to perform worse on measures of spatial visualization ability than younger adults, and this effect seems to occur even among people who use spatial visualization frequently on the job, such as architects . . .” So, in order to maintain my visual perceptual abilities, principally the ability to understand spatial relationships, I decided to play with blocks.

I have amassed several sets. The most challenging of these is Architecto which provides a series of increasingly difficult plans and asks the player to build the structures. Another, which is simpler in nature, but intrigued into studying more about architecture is Blockitecture Series 1: Brutalism. Designed by James Paulius for Areaware. They seemed to have renamed it "Habit", but it is still a set of architectural building blocks than can be used to create a variety of structures.

If building projects stimulate creativity, and sharpen crucial skills in children the activity might help me maintain mine.

Blockitecture Project: photo by Cliff Hutson

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June 2017 Reading

The books I finished reading in June 2017

June 2017 Reading: photo by Cliff Hutson

“Setting Up Shop: The Practical Guide to Designing and Building Your Dream Shop”  -  Sandor Nagyszalanczy

I first read this book about fifteen years ago. It was clear then that I did not have the time, space, nor money to set up a woodworking shop along the lines of its recommendations. Now, having more of each, I decided to reread it only to realize I no longer have the inclination.

“Cars and Culture: The Life Story of a Technology”  -  Rudi Volti

This is an informative and enjoyable book. I appreciated it even more because I have worked with Rudi for a number of years.

“Murder at the Opera: A Capital Crimes Novel”  -  Margaret Truman

A fairly good mystery, but I will probably not rush out and look for others in the series.

“How to Be Black”  -  Baratunde Thurston

Part autobiography, part satire, and a look at a world of which most Americans have no clue, I highly recommend this book. (By the way, it seems that I have been doing it correctly.)

“The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need” (April 26, 2016)  -  Andrew Tobias

I read the first edition of this book in the late 1970s. And, to use a cliche, it changed my life. I recently gave a copy of this latest edition to each of my grandchildren, sight unseen, knowing that the core principles would still be valid. Then, I decided to get one for myself to read what the updates had to say, and perhaps learn some new tricks. It is still the best guide for anyone seeking advice on spending, saving, and investing.

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February 2017 Reading

The books I finished reading in the month of February 2017

February 2107 Reading: photo by Cliff Hutson

The month of February was a very slow month for me when it came to reading, only three books. And, fairly thin ones at that. The fault lies within myself as I became addicted to watching "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" on Netflix. Viewing all three seasons took up much of my time.

Perhaps the most interesting of the books was "Island of the Blue Dolphins," by Scott O’Dell. It is a children's novel, and, indeed, it was recommended to me by students from Sycamore Elementary School when I was leading a Native Partners program at the botanic garden. The book had come up from time to time in previous years, but these kids were very insistent once I admitted to not having read it. (I have a good excuse though. When I was in forth grade, it had not yet been written.) Presumptively based on a true story, it tells the story of a young California Indian girl stranded alone for years on one of the Channel Islands. While quite entertaining, I feel that much of it has to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. However, I am glad that I read it as it may help me put some of the concepts we teach in to a better context for children who have also read it.

Frankly speaking, “Breaking Cat News,” by Georgia Dunn is a bit a cheat as I read it last year. But, in need of some good humor, I picked it up again. Anyone who has any appreciation for cats should love reading about cats reporting on the news that matters to cats. I also read the comic on a daily basis.

“How to See: Visual Adventures in a World God Never Made,” by George Nelson disappointed me a bit. Nelson tells us that - "Einstein has been reported as saying that it is not possible to make an observation unless the observer has a theory to bring to bear on what he is looking at." So, I assumed that this book might give one the tools with which "visual literacy" may be enhanced. It did not do that for me. That could be because I am too much a technician (whose skills are primarily verbal) to pick up what was going on. Or, alternatively, perhaps I am an accomplished enough of a photographer that I already have an intuitive grasp on visual reading. Obviously, a book that has held its own for forty years must have some merit. I intend to give it another go in a few months to see if my view of it can be altered.

Another thing that remains to be seen is if March holds less binge watching and more reading for me.

NOTE: March 8 is National Proofreading Day. Did you find any errors in this post?

#NationalProofreadingDay

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