Summer 2012 ARC Update

by Julie Lugo Cerra, Vice President, Museum/ARC and City Historian

NEW FLAT FILES WILL PRESERVE RARE ITEMS

The acquisition of new flat files has augmented our ability to safely store many precious items, including the oversize book on City Founder Harry Culver’s trip across the country in 1929-30. It contains an amazing collection of HHC’s press clippings from this yearlong trip – when he served as head of the National Real Estate Association.

We have also purchased a new display piece – a free-standing swing panel display unit. This will be “loaded” with history very soon! It will be especially helpful for our tours and it will free up some cabinet display space as well.

CULVER CITY PARKS & REC. SCRAPBOOKS GOING “HOME”

The Society has kept in “protective custody” many scrapbooks containing the history of the Culver City Parks and Recreation Department (PRCS). These oversize books are going “home” – and into the same building we share! We are delighted that PRCS Director Dan Hernandez has such a keen interest in history, and we know they will be well cared for and enjoyed. Watch for interesting displays soon!

ARC DISPLAYS & EXHIBITS OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Special thanks to member David Pelayo for assisting with a display to complement our musical program on Broadway Melody for the April 18th General Meeting. It is always a pleasure to host guests after our program meetings, and to offer relevant exhibits is always our goal. (The Arthur Freed and Cole Porter contracts with MGM are spectacular!)

Our next exhibit will be geared towards summertime and the historic Fiesta La Ballona. We will be open from 12:00 noon to 4:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday of the Fiesta (August 25 & 26). Our own Cathy Zermeno will be honored – so try to join us in celebration at the main stage at 11:30am on Fiesta Saturday.

THE EXPO WILL HIGHLIGHT EARLY CULVER CITY TRANSIT HISTORY

Look for the touches of your Historical Society in the history of Culver City being presented by the Metro Transit System for the opening of the Culver City portion of the EXPO line – what’s old is new again – or should that be more in the line of history repeating itself?!

RECENT DONATIONS

Last year, numerous contacts pointed us in the direction of the Mann Theatre on Washington Blvd. (just outside the city limits), and to a collection of oversize movie photos. The property owners donated them to the Society and Stu Freeman was able to transition them to our space.

We’ve kept some of the smaller photos for background display in the oak cabinets. As the VMB has been so nicely renovated, what better way to help dress up our home facility than to share with the city?

Look for some fine evidence of Culver City, “the Heart of Screenland,” in black and white soon! We are working with the PRCS staff including Diego Cevallos, Tom Dunham and Susan Obrow, who is now located in the VMB complex.

Also in the area of donations, we have received some very pragmatic things – such as a gift of tools in a box from Bill Barnett. Bill put together the new display rack, and is also very adept with online research! Thank you, Bill.

And thanks to David Starkman, we will be doing a little adaptive reuse of a fine cabinet. For backup support and transportation, Kevin Lachoff was assisted by Marc Naylor. More good space to help organize the collections!

Things are poppin’! With a recommendation of our hardworking Treasurer, Linda Forman, we are hoping to have two new volunteer interns, both of whom have experience with the Getty Museum. I just want to add that we have a fine Museum Committee and I am SO grateful for our Costume Chair, Sharon Shore – thank you all for pulling together!

If you would like to become an ARC volunteer, please call or email the Society.

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