Regent Showcase Theater, 614 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles in March 2021. Opened in 1938 with the Cary Grant and Irene Dunn film THE AWFUL TRUTH. Designed by Architect: Clifford A. Balch for operator David Gordon. (cinematreasures.org) photo: Margot Gerber
May is historic preservation month!
To celebrate, the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles presents “31 Days of Deco,” a May 1 – 31 photo challenge to turn Instagram, Twitter and Facebook ART DECO, calling attention to breadth of this magnificent style of architecture in the Southland.
To make this happen we need EVERYONE to participate! We are committed to posting every day in May, so don’t be surprised if we repost you!
Our goal is to explore a variety of neighborhoods in Los Angeles County and adjacent areas (in other words, anywhere in Southern California). So often when we think “Art Deco,” we immediately turn our attention to the grandest buildings, but there are some astonishing examples in every neighborhood. Who better to highlight it, than people who live in the area. Maybe you’ll even find a building that needs protection and out of this, we will find our next Historic Cultural Monument candidate!
To inspire you to get out on the street in the Greater Los Angeles area with a camera (any camera will do) to #ShowUsYourArtDeco, on May 2 at 4:00pm, we’ve invited some of the most prolific local Instagrammers in the Art Deco/Streamline Moderne architecture arena, to present some of their finds and tips for research and taking photos. A Toast to Art Deco Architecture is a free, virtual program - and since no Art Deco Society of Los Angeles event is complete without a cocktail component, we’ve invited a local mixologist to dream up some libations that pay homage to Los Angeles architecture. On May 8, we are planning a photo safari all are welcome) which entails meeting up casually to take some photos (location TBA – any requests?) together in a specific neighborhood.
Get Ready to Raise Awareness of Art Deco in Los Angeles:
Between now and through the month of May, collect as many photos of Art Deco/Streamline Moderne buildings in your neighborhood as you can. Research at least the architect and the year it was built. If you can gather information about its original purpose or people associated with the building, even better! And yes, monuments, fountains, benches, murals… if they are in the style, they are eligible for the challenge too. The more the merrier, so ask your neighborhood association if they would let members know about “31 Days of Deco” too.
How to Participate:
Starting May 1st, #ShowUsYourArtDeco! Post your own photos of Art Deco or Streamline Moderne architecture on your social media accounts and tag us. We may repost your material through our accounts. If you are not on social media, you can email us some photos and captions and we will post for you, crediting you of course. See the footer for links to ADSLA’s social media accounts and scroll down for more details.
Some Suggested Tags:
#31DaysofDeco #PreservationMonth #ShowUsYourArtDeco #ArtDecoArchitecture #ArtDecoLA #ArtDecoLosAngeles #LosAngelesArtDeco #HistoricBuilding #HistoricPreservation #thisplacematters
511 Fairfax Avenue. Beverly/Fairfax neighborhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What type of photos are you looking for?
A: We are looking for “discoveries,” as opposed to the major Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings such as the Wiltern or Pan Pacific Theatres or the Eastern Columbia Building that are well- known Los Angeles landmarks. We want to see apartment buildings, gas stations, single-story storefronts, civic buildings, DWP stations, post offices, statues, etc. that might be off the beaten path. However, do not hesitate to post ANY and ALL Art Deco and Streamline architecture during the 31 days of Deco. Hybrid (merging of more than one style) Deco architecture qualifies too!
Q: Where do I find Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings?
A: Keep your eyes out for them when driving around older areas of town.
Q: Do the pictures have to be current?
A: If you have a collection of photos you have taken in the past, by all means, post them! If you know the year that the picture was taken, please use it in your caption. Sometimes buildings change over time, so it is interesting to know the date.
Q: Do I have to live in the neighborhood where I take the photos?
A: No. You can post photos from any neighborhood as long as you identify the neighborhood. You can post pictures from more than one neighborhood or you can focus on making a portrait of a specific area.
Q: What qualifies as a neighborhood?
A: We are using the term very loosely. If you have a great photo that you took in Glendale and you don’t know if the neighborhood has a special name, you can simply call it Glendale. Use the location feature on social media to pinpoint where the building is. If you know the area well, you can use names like Valley Village, Beverly/Fairfax, etc.
Q: How do I research information on a building?
A: On May 2 at our free Toast to Art Deco and Streamline Moderne Architecture program, we will cover that very topic! We encourage you to photograph or write down the address, because this is the first step to finding out more about the building. Try typing the address into your search engine and the word “historic.” If the building is already an Historic Cultural Monument, the application will show up on the Los Angeles City Planning website - offering a treasure trove of information. The Los Angeles Conservancy is a good source of information, as are some real estate sites that allow the general public to see basic information about the building. For theaters, try cinematreasures.org or the Los Angeles Theatres blogspot.
Q: What should my caption look like?
A: Your caption can resemble the one under the picture at the top of this page. Be sure to add the hashtags!
Q: What kind of equipment do I need?
A: A cell phone camera will do the job if you don’t have another kind of camera. To capture details at the top of a building, your cell phone may have limitations, but in general you should be fine.
Q: What kind of photos should I take?
A: Whatever you can! If it is private property, you may only be able to shoot from the curb unless you live in the building. If you are able to get some building details too, great. If you know the owner or tenant and can photograph interiors all the better. If you have a friend who has an authentic Art Deco bathroom, then go for it!
Q: What if I don’t think my photos are very good?
A: Any photo that captures the spirit of the building is perfect for this project. Come to our free May 2nd Toast to Art Deco and Streamline Moderne Architecture program to get some tips from people who spend a lot of time documenting buildings. You can also learn about sources for researching buildings and more!
Q: If I want ADSLA to post my photos how do I submit them?
A: You can email us a link to download them via a large file sharing program like Dropbox, Google Drive or Wetransfer. If you don’t know how to do that, you can email them, but if the files are large, please email them individually with your full caption information in the email message. Our email address is artdeco@adsla.org
Q: What if I don’t live in Southern California?
A: We encourage you to post examples of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne in your city during May and suggest to your local historical society that they do too. If you visited our area and have photos from that trip, go ahead and post them!
Q: Anything else I should know?
A: We suggest shooting photos in the earlier part of the day. In the late afternoon the sun can be too strong. If your social media account is private, you can tag us, but we won’t be able to share your post.