The Library and museum at the Huntington in San Marino are very impressive, but to be honest – I go there for the gardens. This time it was a field trip specifically to the Chinese garden.
Gardens mean plants, spring has sprung (literally, it was 85 degrees). The first among the trees to bloom is the plum blossom.
Which are fleeting and beautiful.
The Camellias have started blooming, I even have some in my own garden. Of course the place to really go see in Southern California is Descanso Gardens in La Canada.
This bearded Iris was out in the main area but how could I not take a picture. My own Irises are on strike, no flowers this year.
The lotus flower dies back every winter and leaves this interesting pod.
Even more interesting when seen from the bottom side, with it’s own reflection. 
Color and texture can be found in leaves and berries.
Many flowers are carved in wood.
A fall flower, the chrysanthemum. 
I’m not sure which plant this is, but it is very very Chinese looking.
Even some of the corbels are beautifully carved.
Then there are the concrete elements.
Or the natural rock that mimics a tree trunk.
Next, the built environment in the garden.
Leah
I buy a lot of fabric here, usually from the sales bins or shelves. Yes, I’m still interested in woodland creatures.
I bought this fabric about 18 years ago, just as before I went on my quilting hiatus. This and a few other Arts and Crafts inspired fabrics. I was going to make a quilt, so I bought about 3 yards, I used up the other fabric long ago, this one has lasted a long time.
Last year I made this bag for a friend from the fabric.
This summer I ‘rediscovered’ the shop, new owner, but still a great place to find more traditional fabric as well as Civil War reproductions. I made this hat and our new 
What can I say, lately I’m drawn to the reproduction fabrics, maybe because my instagram feed is is inundated with all the new modern lines, my eye wants something different.
I will need to add from my stash, which is great, since I don’t like a quilt to only represent one style of fabric.
And then I bought fabric for garments. The red will become a summer shirt and I couldn’t resist the rayon Crepe. This fabric is soooo hard to find anywhere. The Jobbers never sell it to the downtown stores since the small manufactures grab it instantly! Lucky for me I like this print, so this too will become a summer dress.
The Depot Restaurant occupies the Old PE depot. One way to get people to move to this new city is to have a trolly line come here. The city gave PE the land for the depot and Irving Gil, who is considered one of the first local modernist architects designed the building. The Dome used to be gold, it isn’t anymore, but it did survive that many years that the building was just used for storage.
The tiles on the clock just don’t look like they are from the 1910’s. On the photos of the original building there was a clock, by the 1970s’ it is no longer there, so this must be a new clock placed where the original used to be.
The interior is lovely! 
The locals frequent the restaurant. Even if those of us farther afield had no clue that Torrance is more than a large oil refinery and Japanese companies. Yes, oil is a very very big business here in the Southland. 
Part of the original Park was renamed a few years ago in honor of the Centennial of the city.
My guess is this building may have been one of the original. It has a simplified Beaux Art feel. The brick was a common building material back then. The 1932 Long Beach earthquake would put an end to brick in LA. Notice the Pilaster between the large windows, a nod to a classic pillar. The rounded cornice, the use of two toned brick. Now, this isn’t downtown LA where no expense is spared in decorating the buildings, but even with a less expensive design, it is Beaux Arts.
I wonder if what stood here originally fell in the earthquake, this is definitely Art Deco. Since the city was built in 1912, my guess is this replaced another building after the quake.
Loving the simple Art Deco both is the terra cotta and the paint. So many buildings all over the area are lovely simple Art Deco, I hope this one survives.
This blade advertising could be from the 30s’ or maybe the 50s.
Buffy’s lasted for 50 years but is no more. A nod to what would be filmed here in this next photo.
Torrance High School was built in 1917, This was the original building, many others were added through the years. You may recognize this as the Sunnydale High school from Buffy the Vampire slayer, or as Beverly Hills 90210 – the original series.
Beaux Art, perfect for a School, they don’t build them this way anymore.
Unfortunately history is something that people have to work at in order to remember. The signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga between the United States and the Californios was an epic history changing event – one that no one really knows or cares about.
Of course history isn’t history until many years have passed and by then, it is often forgotten. This modern concept of what the old ‘assestancia’ or satellite mission of Mission San Fernando may have looked like. This structure was built in 1951 an managed to survive Lankershim Blvd, Universal City and the building of the redline Subway station.
The Campo de Cahuenga Historical Memorial association was started by an incredible woman names Mrs. A.S.C Forbes, no I can’t find her first name. She ran a foundry – she did, not her husband. This is one thing that I have noticed, women weren’t helpless before feminism showed up in the 1960s, there have always been strong powerful women who never needed feminism to find their voice. One thing that Mrs. Forbes did was design the original Mission Bells as well as the Camino Real Bells. Anyone who has driven along the 101 has seen these bells along the freeway. This is one of the first bells cast, it is indoors now to protect it, California Bell company is still producing them today.
When excavating for the Subway the real remnants of the Abobe Farm building were found. Nothing here is real except the footprint. The adobe is reproduced, and is slowly melting, adobe homes always had impressive roofs (over covered with local tar- La Brea) that kept the water from melting the bricks.
This glass case hold the remains of the floor tiles, since these are clearly Spanish, the satellite farm was probably built around the time the actual mission was.
It turns out this was quite a large structure, went all the way into the middle of Lankershim Blvd. As an homage to the old adobe, the footprint is continued into the pavement of the street, no-one driving over this has any clue. They are building a bridge to connect Universal Studios with the Subway station, so maybe they will put a sign up so as people cross the bridge they might learn something.
As the program itself started a boy scout troupe raised the flag, this howitzer was fired. There were speeches by local politicians, they have to be heard at some point.
Our presenter looked like a Charles Dickens character, which makes sense, because this is when he was writing. Fremont and Pico meet.
Reading the treaty, which pardoned prisoners from both sides and gave Calfironios the same rights of American citizens. General Stockton wasn’t pleased, although he came to see this as a very good treaty. All this happened a year before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war and the southwest officially became part of the US. And then in 1949 gold was discovered at Sutter Mill and by 1850 we were already a state.
Signing. Of course you need more than just the reenactment, so why not have some traditional dances.
With an adorable little girl showing off her finery. Shira is probably older than her, but no way could she just stand there so quietly.
