I love Los Angeles, really, I mean LOVE! There is so many wonderful things here. My latest foray was to visit a venerable old institution that is still going strong.
The Judson Studios are 118 years old. They have been making stained glass for that long and the company has remained in the hands of the Judson family all this time. 
The company started in 1897 in downtown Los angeles, but has been at this address since the 1920s. I need to do some more research, apparently Judson installed many of the wonderful skylights in commercial buildings downtown, must see if any are on my tours.
This building was originally built as the fine arts design department for USC. When they moved that department in the 20’s to the central campus, The Judson family bought the building and moved their operations here.
Tile work done by the students after a fire in 1910 when most of the building was destroyed and then rebuilt.
We were given a tour by the present owner Karen Judson, it was great when asked who owns the building – she simply said – me. I did ask about photography inside, and after a moment she requested that we not photograph inside. They are working on some very important commissions for private companies and non disclosure is in the contract.
It is amazing how hands on this work is. Yes, in the design stage the computer is now a very important tool but once working with glass and lead, it’s all hands on. The studio is not in logical order since they are making the building work for them. I always love glass, I can watch glass blowing for hours, I could have watched the cutting, setting and cleaning as well. The methods really haven’t changed much.
I did walk around the back of the building to snap some more pictures.
From the inside I had seen these chips of class. Nice to see them from the outside. The bowing of the glass is due to the fact that lead will do that, which is why every 100 years Stained glass needs to be repaired.
A few minutes earlier I had seen this man cutting the lead and fitting it onto the glass.He was so quick and deft with the measuring, cutting and fitting into place.
Most stained glass is best view from the inside with the light streaming through. I’m sure these are no exception, but we weren’t invited up to the second story. Judson installed the stained glass in the new Fire Station near my house in Studio City. It actually looks better from the street. One time while passing by I asked if I could peek up the stairwell to see it from inside. The fireman had no idea what I was talking about, he’d never noticed the glass.
After the tour I walked around the neighborhood. Garvanza is old, here is a wonderful Victorian.
Then, it was down these stairs to Marmion Way. Yes, I cropped the picture so it looks like this could be out in the country somewhere.
But no, I was on a bridge over the 110 freeway, looking north at the snow capped San Gabriel mountains.
None of the pain the east coast has suffered, just the vista of a beautiful snow capped mountain.
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