PS Modernism Week: Day 2

We began our day at the Palm Springs Art Museum for the very awesome presentation Hollywood Cool - The John R. Hamilton Lost Photography Archive Exposed.

Presenters Ethan Wayne (President of John Wayne Enterprises and John Wayne Cancer Foundation), Laurie Kratochvil (Visual Consultant and former photo editor of Rolling Stone and InStyle magazines), and Amy Shepherd (Executive Director of the John R. Hamilton Archives) shared exceptional stories about the uncovered images from behind the scenes and at home with Hollywood legends by photographer John R. Hamilton.
Most of the story was told by Ethan Wayne, one of The Duke's children. The tale begins with him revealing that his foundation did not own a single photo or movie of his Dad's to license. How could that be? A search began with John R. Hamilton's collection being discovered.
John Ralph Hamilton was an American photographer considered among the most prolific of the 20th century for his intimate portraits and sweeping landscapes that capture the gritty glamour of celebrity life, filmmaking, and the Western Frontier. A child of the Depression, Hamilton captured the allure of the American Dream, and his images serve as a lens through which to view timeless American themes: a love of celebrity and the freedom of the American West.
During his career, he shot 77 films from The Searchers (1956) to Silverado (1985), and over 300 magazine covers including LIFE, LOOK, TIME, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire and more. There were 300 images of Steve McQueen in this newly discovered treasure trove, too.
In 1989, Mr. Hamilton was inducted into the Photographic Hall of Fame. By that time he had photographed over 800 Hollywood stars, directors and music icons like The Beatles, Elvis, the Jackson 5, James Taylor, Johnny Cash, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Jerry Lewis, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Shirley MacLaine, Brigitte Bardot, John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Eva Gabor and many more.
Today's selection of shared photographs were ones that focused mainly on Palm Springs or all things midcentury modern.

Photographer Bruce Weber said of Hamilton, "His photographs were intimate and sexy.... No one captured our heroes in American cinema like he did. He gave us an insider's view of incredibly private people in a special world somewhere between movie set and home." For me, some of his images made me feel nostalgic. This one of David Cassidy playing with Silly String. You can't get more my childhood than that. WOW.
After the presentation, I had the opportunity to speak with Ethan Wayne and share our connection. Both of our dads were born in the same little Iowa town, Winterset. My father, while I was growing up, was the manager of the Newport Marina and often we would boat past Mr. Wayne's home. In addition, both our dads had the nickname of Duke (I'm thinking John had it first but I am not certain). What a fabulous start to Day 2.
Next stop was at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center for its American Framing exhibition.
Originating in the early 19th century, softwood construction addressed a need for an accessible building system among settlers with limited wealth, technical skills, and building traditions. Early examples, like George Washington Snow's balloon-framed warehouse (model below), paved the way for churches, barns, stores, and the American house, the most common wood-framed building type. An abundance of Southern Pine and Douglas Fir lumber, simplicity and speed of construction, and the ability of low or un-skilled workers to build with wood framing made it a perfect fit for the growing economies and populations of the American Midwest.
Wood framing has been the dominant construction system ever since, accounting for more than 90% of new homes in the U.S. today. The accessibility that shaped its early development continues to influence contemporary life and reflect democratic ideals in subtle but powerful ways. No matter how big or small or expensive or cheap, American houses are made of the same 2x4s. This fundamental equality underlies an American culture that seeks to unify all superficial differences.
Despite-or perhaps because of-its ubiquity, wood framing is the country's most overlooked architectural contribution. A prejudice for the exotic over the ordinary explains its absence from academic discourse. Wood framing's lack of prestige stems from the same characteristics that make it so prevalent-it is easy, thin, and inexpensive. These qualities introduce a flexibility for form, labor, composition, class, sensibility, access, and style that open up new possibilities for architecture. Wood framing allows for improvisation in design and construction, rough qualities, and ongoing renovation. It has been both a cause and effect of the country's high regard for novelty, in contrast with the stability that is often assumed to be essential to architecture.


"This exhibition, which originated at the U.S. Pavilion of the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture, comes while nations are struggling with their cultural histories. How do we come to terms with our past choices? What kinds of futures can we create? American Framing shows how a profound and powerful future for design can be conceived out of an ordinary past. It tells the story of an American architectural project, bored with tradition, that accepted a relaxed idea of craft in the pursuit of something useful."

The Earthquake Cottages intrigued. Micro-units and tiny homes have trendiness on their side, but living small is nothing new in San Francisco. In fact, more than 100 years ago, a huge proportion of San Franciscans were living in houses under 200 square feet. After the 1906 earthquake and fire (111 years ago today) ravaged the city and left thousands homeless, a unique and beloved housing type was born—the earthquake shack.
What began as tent cities had to be changed when winter came. In a joint effort between the San Francisco Relief Corporation, the San Francisco Parks Commission, and the Army, union carpenters built more than 5,000 of these small wooden cottages. How very, very cool.

Oh man, I miss the Sears Catalog and how awesome would it be to get one of their Modern Homes now?


The chairs in the gallery were designed by Norman Kelley. The design remakes a traditional Shaker dining chair, using the material, detailing, and assembly techniques of softwood construction. The seating is vaguely familiar, yet unique, and draws out the domestic character of the interior.

There is truly something for everyone in Palm Springs and one doesn't need to look very hard to find it!
The first friend connection occurred at CAMP where we met up with Julie and Eva for an afternoon of fun.
We gathered at the town's oldest building, the 1884 McCallum Adobe. Built for John McCallum, the first permanent white settler.
I love this description, "Admired by some and feared by others, Pearl McCallum McManus dominated and inspired the evolution of her beloved “village” of Palm Springs.

After her mother’s death in 1914, she assumed control of the McCallum holdings, which included between 5,000 and 6,000 acres.  He had purchased the land from the railroad at $2.50 per acre but by the time Pearl inherited it, what remained of the original holding reportedly was not worth more than $6,500. During her lifetime, she was able to capitalize on the land her father had purchased in 1884 and complete the legacy he had envisioned.  At 26 years old, Pearl McCallum returned to Palm Springs and remained throughout her lifetime."
We did not come here for Pearl, we came for The Alexanders: A Desert Legacy book signing with author and architect James Harlan.

The book is described as, "This beautiful journal pays tribute to the significant contributions made by the Alexander Construction Company to Palm Springs' built environment. The tribute journal includes rarely seen photographs from the Alexander family, the Julius Shulman archives, and from architect William Krisel's personal collection. This scholarly tribute journal provides invaluable insight into California's modernist residential architecture."

Dinner together and a stroll through the Village concluded our day. Tomorrow promises even more delights.

posted under |

1 comments:

Four Points Bulletin said...

We still have yet to go to the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture. They always have the most interesting (and very spcific) exhibits. It is on the list!

February 25, 2023 at 6:34 AM

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Get new Blog Posts to your inbox. Just enter name and email below.

 

We respect your email privacy

Blog Archive


Recent Comments