Palm Springs: Autos and Art

I have spent six of the last 10 days in Palm Springs. Today's foray was a unique opportunity and we just couldn't pass it up. I had never been to a car auction and McCormick's 80th was an ideal opportunity.

According to the website, "Choosing an auction company should based on the company's integrity and stability along with expert level knowledge as this is one of the most important business decisions a consumer will make. We have been producing classic car auctions in Palm Springs for 40 years! Our auctions are always held on the same weekends. We are always the weekend before Thanksgiving in November and the last full weekend in February."

What makes a classic car auction that much more fun (and fiscally dangerous) than a car show is the fact that one can actually buy the car one falls in love with.


If I lived in Palm Springs, this little cutie would have been hard to resist. Oh my!
I don't really know cars but I thought this 1962 Ford Falcon beauty sold for a screaming deal at $8,400.

I could almost put this Goggomobil in my purse. This was part of a series of microcars produced by Hans Glas in the Bavarian town of Dingolfing between 1955 and 1969. I have never seen one. Is it so darling?
They had not one but two very tempting Things that were going to be on auction tomorrow. Phew, close one!


Just for reference for those new to my blog, this was my car throughout college. This 1973 VW Thing was not a practical car (vulnerable to break-ins, no safety features, a heater fueled by gasoline) but it was oh so fun. I still long for one. Ah, youth!
The excitement of the auction was electrifying. At one point I told Steve I just had to leave. By nature, I'm a BUYER not a SHOPPER and the last thing we really need is another car. A girl can dream though.


Lunch was at Liv's, a darling eatery tucked into the Palm Springs Art Museum.
How magical this setting was. And the food was delicious and beautiful. This was a first for us but I know we'll return.

I was excited to look more closely at Reflections of Glamour: Bob Mackie. Julie and I glanced at the exhibition when we were in the museum for Modernism Week. What fun to return for a deeper study.

Featuring five original gowns and costumes alongside a curated selection of sketches created between the 1970s and the 2000s, the presentation highlights Mackie’s unmistakable blend of glamour, wit, and storytelling. The works on view reflect his collaborations with some of the most iconic performers, including Carol Burnett, Carol Channing, Cher, Diana Ross, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, Mitzi Gaynor, and Tina Turner.
How fun is this dress created for “Starlette O’Hara” sketch associated with Carol Burnett’s legendary parody Went With the Wind?






The exhibit included an important note: "This presentation offers an intimate glimpse into Mackie’s creative legacy. It is not a comprehensive retrospective, but a focused tribute created to coincide with the museum’s annual Art Party gala." How fabulous that Gala would have been!
With limited time, we chose to ogle the work of Howard Smith, which is on exhibition for the first time in the United States since the 1980s.
Julie and I attended a presentation on this talented, diverse artist during last year's Modernism Week. A more thorough overview of his life can be found here.
Smith (1928-2021) was an artist from New Jersey whose textiles and ceramics were produced by some of Scandinavia’s biggest design firms during the heyday of post-war modernism. One of the few Black artists of his generation to successfully collaborate with industry, he brought exuberant color to curtain design and decorated his ceramics with a unique pictorial language that fused abstract forms with African symbols.
In his studio work, Smith did it all: painting, sculpture, drawing, assemblage, screen-printing, ceramics, and collage. He adapted army field jackets into wall sculpture, contrived shamanistic masks from vintage hats, and elevated the humble paper cut into high art with elaborate compositions.






Smith had over 40 solo exhibitions during his life. Yet, because he emigrated to Finland in 1962, he is unknown to all but a small group of design connoisseurs in the United States. His unique body of work is the product of an artist contending with the grand historical forces of his time: racism, modernism, cold-war ideology, and the African diaspora. This is the first retrospective of Smith in his home country and we were there for it. Wow.
Our final stop on the road home was at Cabazon to admire its dinosaurs. This is not our first visit to these fun creatures but it was the first time we had seen them painted so cutely. Some history for those who don't know of these oddities. Formerly Claude Bell's Dinosaurs,  this roadside attraction features two enormous, steel-and-concrete dinosaurs named Dinny the Dinosaur and Mr. Rex. Located just west of Palm Springs, the 45-foot tall, 150-foot-long Brontosaurus and the 65-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex are visible from the freeway to travelers passing by on Southern California's Interstate 10.
The creation of the Cabazon dinosaurs began in the 1960s by Knott's Berry Farm sculptor and portrait artist Claude K. Bell (1897–1988) to attract customers to his Wheel Inn Restaurant, which opened in 1958 and closed in 2013. Dinny, the first of the dinosaurs, was started in 1964 and created over a span of eleven years. Bell created Dinny out of spare material salvaged from the construction of nearby Interstate 10 at a cost of $300,000. The biomorphic building that was to become Dinny was first erected as steel framework over which an expanded metal grid was formed in the shape of a dinosaur. All of it was then covered with coats of shotcrete (spray concrete).
Bell was quoted in 1970 as saying that Dinny was "the first dinosaur in history, so far as I know, to be used as a building." His original vision for Dinny was for the dinosaur's eyes to glow and mouth to spit fire at night, predicting, "It'll scare the dickens out of a lot of people driving up over the pass." These two features, however, were not added.

A second dinosaur, Mr. Rex, was constructed near Dinny in 1981. How apt that Mr. Bell was featured in a book titled The Well-Built Elephant and Other Roadside Attractions - A Tribute to American Eccentricity. Eccentric, kitschy, awesome, fun and the perfect end to our perfect Palm Springs day.

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Flashback: 1976 (Again)

If you recall, I was gifted an amazing subscription to Newspapers.com. After doing a search of myself (who wouldn't?), I had a wonderful memory renewed.

I was mentioned in this article in The Tustin News, April 29, 1976. It read, "After the marvelous Bicentennial parade last Saturday presented by the Tustin Unified School District, it seems more than appropriate to cover the Currie Intermediate School's trip to Lexington, Mass. The 25 lucky students stayed with Diamond Junior Highers for a week of history where it happened.

The Currie-ites, who earned their own money for the trip through a series of fundraisers, attended classes at Diamond with their student hosts, visited Plymouth Rock, and other historical sites in Boston. They also observed the reenactment of Bunker Hill and two Bicentennial parades as well as a bus visit to the Concord Area.

Tired but happy after their 4 a.m. return to Tustin were: Doug Achlock, Alice Barden, Ann Brockschmidt, Lisa Brown, Shelly Carter, Brenda Clark, Shannon Collins, Mary Cranford, Margaret De Marco, Pam Fahland, Beth Ghegan, David Goldstein, Kory Koontz, Jon Lindfors, Melisa Lu, Susan Mullen, Sue Nehls, Peggy Ohm, Denise Saffell, John Sanders, Miriam Torres, Jim Van Gorder, Joan Vail and Christa Zafuto. Mr. Boies, Mrs. Clifton. Ms. Williamson and Mr. Hovland served as faculty chaperones for the flights and the trip. The second half of the exchange program will take place in early May when Diamond students will visit Tustin and enjoy several days of California history."
Me in front of the Minuteman Statue.
Like newspapers are apt to do, the writer did not get all the facts right. We did go to Lexington but it was to witness the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The pivotal event occurred on April 19, 1775. It played a crucial role in the American Revolution. The events of that day galvanized the American resistance movement and led to the eventual independence of the United States from Great Britain. What a very cool thing for a 14 year old to experience.

The entire trip, while a bit fuzzy in my memory, did leave lasting impressions. It was my first time away from home and even though I remember being a tad homesick, I realized, even then, what a fantastic opportunity it was for me.

It's been 50 years and I have never returned to these historical sites. Hopefully, this year! A half century is long enough to wait.

"Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon,
but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here."
-Captain John Parker

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Modernism Week Finale...

We began our day back at CAMP for free coffee and some fun shopping.


It was then on to a neighborhood new to us both... Sunmor Estates.
The residents of Sunmor Estates welcomed us to step back in time to a remarkably intact collection of Midcentury Modern homes. Constructed in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the Sunmor neighborhood is a unique showcase of homes constructed by four iconic modern-era builders. This tour included homes designed by William Krisel, Don Wexler, and a special home by Robert Higgins boasting an original unique fireplace, clad in petrified wood (more about that soon).
Briefly, I want to talk about the history before there were homes here. This is the tract of land Sunmor was built upon. It occupies the former western side of the Palm Springs Airport. Palm Springs played an active role in World War II (1939-1945). The principal reason for establishing an Air Base in Palm Springs was to provide a dispersal and deployment location for planes being ferried to the east coast and elsewhere. Interestingly, the ferrying pilots were mostly women. Anyway, since there were a substantial number of aircraft at any one time on the Base, to preclude any catastrophe, the tie down or "hardstand" project was instituted. The tie downs were simply a concrete slab, approximately 60 feet in diameter with provisions for tie down ropes (the circle in the foreground).
The tie downs were built during 1942. The tie down "hardstand" feature was unique to Palm Springs among the many Ferrying Command and Group bases across the country because of the desert environment (big winds here). Other airfields used extensive tarmacs. The developers of Sunmor Estates respected the location of the existing tie down, and created a cul-de-sac for vehicular passage, called Easmor Circle. The tie down is designated as a Class One Historic Site. The significant history of the Palm Springs airport during World War II continues to be recognized as an important place within this neighborhood. Wild right? A history lesson even before we began our tour. I love that.
The Sunmor neighborhood is generally known as an "Alexander" neighborhood, however Bob Higgins developed the first eleven affordable modernist tract homes here. Designed by Donald Wexler and Ric Harrison, the home prices started at $17,500. After 1957, the Alexander Construction Company completed the tract.

The art in these homes continues to be mindboggling. This mosaic is made with paper paint sample strips you pick up in the paint department of Home Depot. I should have taken a close up. On some you can read the names of the colors.















This is the Bob Higgins' home with the petrified wood fireplace façade (pictured below).





Every home makes us want to visit a real estate office. For now, we'll mingle with the locals and just dream a little.
Our last stop was a place I have passed dozens of times and was never invited in. Today, I was beyond giddy to see what lies behind the big glass doors of the Ocotillo Lodge.
Built in 1957 by the Alexander Construction Company and designed by William Krisel and Dan Palmer, the Ocotillo Lodge is a premier Midcentury Modern landmark. Originally a luxury hotel, it served as a celebrity hotspot and marketing showcase for the nearby Twin Palms neighborhood. It is famous for its keyhole-shaped pool.
The lodge was designed as a "lifestyle" venue, aiming to sell the California dream to tourists, many of whom later bought homes in the adjacent Twin Palms development.
The lodge was the first hotel built by the Alexanders. The design featured 124 units with concrete block, beams, and, and floor-to-ceiling glass.
We began our tour with a very informative history lesson by resident/tour guide, Tony Vardaro. What fun to know before you go.
I loved the font and learned that William Krisel recalled a German typeface developed in 1923 (Neuland) when he was developing the Ocotillo Lodge nameplate. He slimmed down the letters, accentuated their expressive and quirky forms, set them on an irregular baseline, and hand-lettered the logotype for the Lodge. It so works.
It was known for hosting stars like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe.  It also was famous for its future owners. It was purchased in 1963 by singing cowboy Gene Autry and later by Lakers owner Jerry Buss in 1968. In 1995, it became a condominium complex and is owned privately (hence my excitement of getting to see inside).

The property was a showcase of modernist design, with one-bedroom, one-bath units that featured living rooms and kitchenettes.

Though there was one apartment that was extra special and lucky for us it was on the tour.
The standout on the property was the “owner’s suite”—a three-unit configuration where the Alexander family themselves once lived. The suite, like the rest of the lodge, was built using the same color palettes, landscaping materials, and techniques featured in the Twin Palms homes just behind the hotel. The Alexander family used the lodge to give potential buyers a taste of the desert lifestyle they were selling.
This pool, originally part of the sales office, is now part of the very special apartment #111, the owner's suite. Wow.









Our three days were incredibly full and very diverse.
Palm Springs is a siren song that tempts me. It will continue to be the place which calls to me. What a delight that I can answer that call with a good friend over a super fun weekend. I can't wait until next year!

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