How-DEE – (like Minnie Pearl said it!

This week’s slide, THE LUER "QUALITY MEAT" ROCKET SHIP, SUNLAND, 1955, is one of my all time favorite finds.

Yes, I shrieked, then wept when I found it. Btw, you may find it in my latest book SOUTHERN CALIFORNIALAND: MID-CENTURY CULTURE IN KODACHROME, and many of you have seen it in the Retro Southern California Slide Show.

Luer was a meat-packing house that started in downtown Los Angeles in 1885. The 1950s era rocket ship was to them what the weenie mobile is to Oscar Meyer. It made countless appearances in local parades, super market grand openings and other civic events promoting their "quality meat" products. You could actually go inside of it

Frankly, other than a giant toy rocket on a flatbed I wouldn’t have known what it was when I first saw it. Thankfully it’s clearly labeled “LUER QUALITY MEATS." So, that would make it the Luer Quality Meat Rocket. Right

The color scheme is a most inspired use of two shades that always work together – custard yellow and Chinese red. They are especially effective when teamed with the ultimate space age finish – metallic silver. The cab is packed with a chauffeur and four passengers.

Two space age spokesladies and one spokesman are along for the ride. The lovely young lady upfront is sporting cowboy boots with her smart space suit. She is doing the Buck Rogers meets Roy Rogers look.

Surprisingly, fifty years later, this rocket still exists. Last I heard it’s old and weathered and sitting in a yard in Prescott, Arizona. Wouldn’t the world be an even more wonderful place if they’d fix this miracle of modernity up and drive it around once in a while

Here’s to the Luer Quality Meat Rocket and YOU

Ahoy

Occasionally I weep when looking through the old slides that I collect. That happens when I find something really amazing. Well, this week I wept when I ran across this spellbinding shot taken inside the MARINELAND RESTAURANT, PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA, 1955

This is where you ate when you went to see porpoises jump through hoops on fire. It has to be one of the most spectacular dining rooms ever! First of all it’s round – mid-century post and beam in-the-round to be exact. That alone sets it apart from most every other restaurant on the planet. Second of all the location – on a choice bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. That’s beyond prime real estate. Through those wraparound windows you can see all the way to Catalina Island. And last but certainly not least – there are sea shells and starfish on the ceiling! Who is the interior design genius that came up with that idea? Now the mystery of what to do with all those extra sea shells in the world has finally been solved. Put some shells on your dining room ceiling! Get out the glue gun and start gluing. It’s easy. And you might as well put some on the walls. And while you’re at it you might as well go out and get some carpet with a sensible seaweed pattern to complete the look. Your smart dinner party guests will be stunned

Marineland was the world’s largest Oceanarium; it was built in 1954 and closed unceremoniously in 1987. The monumental ultra-modern structure that contained all the fish was bulldozed shortly thereafter. Miraculously the restaurant building, which was actually divided into three connecting circular glass rooms, two for the dining room and one for the Porpoise Room Cocktail Lounge, still stands in ruin. I wonder if the sea shells are still there

Here’s to the Marineland Restaurant and YOU

The Rose Parade, each New Year’s Day, is the superstar of all parades. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a distant second. They are the only annual parades that are broadcast on national television. But they are just two of countless annual parades held in communities across America. And going through other peoples’ old slides I’ve seen plenty of them. But I’ve never run across slides from a parade as bizarre as this one, which leads me to this week’s slide: CHILDREN’S COSTUME PARADE, EPHRATA, PENNSYLVANIA, 1961.

Mothers parade their costumed babies and small children in decorated strollers and wagons down Main Street. This child is anonymous, hidden inside a home-made paper mache Humpty Dumpty costume. The onlookers are mesmerized. Can he see? Can he breathe? Does he have claustrophobia? Is he secure? – he’s leaning back a bit – or is he going to fall off the wall that looks more like a chimney

Many nursery rhymes are scary. They are strange and full of doom. Humpty Dumpty – the name alone is really quite odd if you think about it. And then he falls off the wall and is destroyed. In Rock-a-Bye Baby the baby and the cradle fall from the treetop – ouch! In Jack and Jill, Jack falls down and breaks his crown and Jill comes tumbling after. Serious injury is a theme! Can you think of any other tragic nursery rhymes?

Here’s to you, Humpty Dumpty and all the other nursery rhymes misfits and mishaps.

“I wept when I found this slide. I mean, people back then were not taking pictures of where they had dinner. You can see all the neon on all the gas stations going down the street and there’s a corner sign for another, I guess, restaurant or club you can’t see. It’s called the Hawaiian Garden. It says `Entertainment’ and then, in neon, it says `Chicken, Steak and Squab.’ Squab in neon? I challenge you to go out today and find ’squab’ written on a sign in neon.”

Click here and listen to NPR’s Madeline Brand exploring the slideshows of Charles Phoenix.

Vintage slides of Disneyland are among my favorite finds – especially old slides of Tomorrowland. It’s the least photographed land in the Magic Kingdom – which leads me to the SLIDE-OF-THE-WEEK: THE NEW TOMORROWLAND, 1969.

When I was a kid in the 60s and 70s I thought that Tomorrowland was the coolest place to be — inside or outside of Disneyland. My two favorite attractions were there – America the Beautiful and Carousel of Progress. Now that I think of it, America the Beautiful is my favorite movie ever. And it was projected in the round! How amazing was that? The circle-vision effect of the film being projected all-around, together with the blaring optimistic arrangement of America the Beautiful – the song – was literally dizzying. It was a great high. The Carousel of Progress trip through time was an even better high. Yes, I still can’t get the theme song out of my mind. I’m humming it right now! When I was six I watched man land on the moon live on a giant monitor in Tomorrowland and then rode Flight to Mars.

The most eagerly anticipated and fondly remembered days of my childhood were spent at Disneyland. A trip there became the standard from which I judged the experiences I had everywhere else I went. I remember thinking Southern California was the greatest place on earth, not because our beautiful snowcapped mountain peaks, wildflowers in the desert and waves crashing on the sandy seashore. It was because we had Disneyland. When I was about five some relatives came out to visit from Oklahoma. I thought we were superior to them because we had Disneyland and they didn’t.

Here’s to you and Disneyland’s 50th!

Going through other people’s old slides I’ve seen a lot of cakes but this one is unexplainable. Yellow, orange, Chinese red, avocado green and black lumps of mystery matter on top of tan frosting. It’s ANOTHER WEIRD CAKE – and the SLIDE-OF-THE-WEEK. Cake is special. It would be unfathomable to celebrate a wedding, anniversary or birthday without one.

Glad the ASTRO WEENIE BALL was such a big hit last week, as well as the SPAM CAKE slide of the week two weeks ago! After receiving three thumbs up reviews of the SPAM CAKE recipe that I included in the email I decided that I better try it myself. So I went to the supermarket and got a box of Betty Crocker white cake mix and a tub of cream cheese frosting. I haven’t baked a cake in probably twenty years and had no idea that frosting only comes premixed in tubs now. How convenient! Then I looked high and low, up and down every aisle for the SPAM and couldn’t find it anywhere. Finally I had to ask

With a brown paper bag stacked with SPAM CAKE ingredients I sped as fast as the law allows to a friend’s house who offered his oven to bake the crazy concoction in. Opening the box of white cake mix I was overwhelmed and got somewhat high off of the artificial flavor fumes that filled the kitchen. Next thing I know the SPAM was grated, mixed in the batter and the cake was in the oven done. It got frosted and my friend and I timidly cut ourselves each a big slice. The SPAM gets pulverized by the mixer so you hardly know it’s there. DARN! All the salt in the SPAM just makes the cake taste even sweeter! Next time I would add food coloring to both the cake and the frosting to match the appetizing color of SPAM

A few days later I received an invitation to a chili cook-off party. My first thought was to take a SPAM CAKE. My second thought was been-there-done-that. So I made a CHEEZE WHIZ cake instead. Just like the SPAM CAKE you add CHEEZE WHIZ to the cake mix, in place of the oil called for (+ a little more for good measure.) Add food color to the batter and frosting to match the CHEESE WHIZ. Place with pride on vintage cake plate and serve with a smile.

Here’s to you and ANOTHER WEIRD CAKE

Trying to think of what to take to that 4th of July pot-luck? Here’s an idea

SPAM is a lot more than unwanted email, it’s an Americana culinary classic – which leads us to this week’s slide: SPAM CAKE BIRTHDAY PARTY LUNCHEON, ALCOA ALUMINUM COMPANY, LOS ANGELES, 1955

The photographer handwrote on this slide "birthday party for me and Vonda, 1955." Uniformed employees gather around the lunchroom table set with a centerpiece of garden variety roses, pink paper plates, a stack of white bread, big stick of butter, a white mystery salad topped by a quartered tomato and parsley and a pink cake. The candles on the birthday cake are ready to be lit, inspire a wish and be blown out. But this is no ordinary pink cake, this is a SPAM cake! I know that because "Cake made from SPAM and strawberries" was also handwritten on this slide.

I only remember having SPAM once growing up. It was served sliced and fried at a family feast while we were visiting my Okie relatives on vacation in 1972. And just like mommy warned me, it’s very salty. I haven’t had it since – darn it!

Besides Prince, SPAM is Minnesota’s most famous product. The fine folks at Hormel, based in Austin, Minnesota, introduced the savory taste-treat sensation to the nation in 1937. The congealed blend of pork shoulder and ham is right up there with ultimate Americana processed food products such as Jell-O, Cool Whip and Velveeta. Originally it was promoted as "miracle meat." The name came from morphing the words ’spiced’ and ‘ham’ – SPAM!

There are zillions of SPAM concoctions on the internet – everything from Rack of Spam to Spammus to Spam soup. But all-be-darned if I couldn’t find one for SPAM cake. So I called the SPAM Museum, located at 1937 SPAM Boulevard in Austin, Minnesota and asked them. The lady said I’ll have to call you back. Twenty minutes later the phone rang and she said "the recipe for SPAM cake is very simple. Follow the directions for any white, spice, yellow or devil’s food cake mix, but substitute grated SPAM for the oil."

I dare you to serve SPAM cake at your 4th of July party!!!! Tell your guests what it is AFTER they tell you how delicious it is and beg you for the recipe.

Here’s to you and SPAM! & Happy 4th!!!

A bus heads east, a motorcycle heads west and a cop sits waiting to pull someone over. Pedestrians stand at the crosswalk. Behind them an American catches the breeze.

Named for the intersection that it sits cockeyed on, WIL-shire and Wes-TERN, the Wiltern is one of the greatest art deco buildings on the planet. The bright aqua ceramic tiles make the spectacular structure seem like it was designed to be built in the Emerald City. The grand opening was in 1931. In 1973, the Wiltern was designated City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument 118. But that didn’t keep the theater from closing its doors in 1979. Threatened with demolition, the Los Angeles Conservancy came to its rescue. Together with the efforts of a passionate army of supporters the Conservancy saw to it that the art deco monument was spared. Thank you

In the twenty-five years that have since passed the Los Angeles Conservancy has promoted and preserved many of LA’s great historic buildings and saved them from the wrecking ball. But that’s not all they do, and do well. Among other things is their LAST REMAINING SEATS film series held downtown each summer in the different historic movie palaces on Broadway. If you have never attended one of these memorable events I URGE you to do so. The experience is a great natural high.

Here’s to the LA CONSERVACNY and YOU

About ten or eleven years ago curiosity got the best of me and I decided that I just had to see the house that my mother grew up in in Compton. My grandparents moved out of it when I was five and I hadn’t seen it since. So I looked up the address in the Thomas Guide and headed over there. I turned the corner and there it was, just as I had pictured only much smaller. As I sat in my idling car staring at it a rush of long forgotten childhood memories reran in my mind. I was spellbound. But not nearly as spellbound as when I looked up and at the end of the street saw a gigantic framed mural of Viking ships sailing on a choppy sea, generously labeled with the handwritten name of the city. It was the Compton Drive-in towering over the entire neighborhood. Shocking though it may seem I didn’t even have the faintest childhood recollection of it. As soon as I got home I did a little research and found out that it was built in 1949 by the largest local drive-in chain, Pacific Drive-in Theaters.

We didn’t invent the drive-in theater here in Southern California but we certainly did perfect it. The first drive-in theater opened in New Jersey in 1934, the second a year later at Pico and Westwood in Los Angeles. During the heyday there were more outdoor screens in Southern California than anywhere else. In the mid-50s just as drive-ins began getting a reputation as teenage passion pits, some started holding Sunday morning drive-in church services to help preserve a moral balance. As the congregations on wheels developed so did the slogans. "Worship as you are in the family car" and "Honk to say amen." The drive-in theater helped Southern Californians find religion

When I asked my mother "why didn’t you tell me you grew up down the street from a drive-in" she replied with the classic "You didn’t ask!" For the next couple of weeks as I blabbed and bragged all over town about my discovery I decided I needed to go back and take a closer look. So once again I turned up the old street and there was the house but no drive-in. My dream turned into a nightmare. It was gone, yes, gone. A closer inspection revealed the screen tower had been bulldozed and left lying there on its side all bruised and broken waiting to be taken to the scrap heap.

Everything is temporary.

Here’s to the COMPTON DRIVE-IN and YOU

A rain-slicked street reflecting a beautiful blue sky is the perfect backdrop for this very stylish two-toned Sears. Notice the tiki-ish trim. The color combo is inspired, to say the least. An American flag is the crowning touch

There is no question that Sears is an Americana Classic — more so than any other department store. The retail giant started as a jewelry and watch catalog business in Chicago in 1886. The first Sears Department store opened there in 1925

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of shopping at Sears. The first albino I ever saw was in the record department there. "Our" Sears was the one in Pomona. If I was "a good boy" while my mom was shopping I’d get some citrus slices from the candy counter on the way out. They were always my favorite. I enjoyed them so much that soon my school clothes were all from the Sears Husky Boy department

Fast-forward nearly three decades to the late 90s. A friend and I were driving by the Sears Service Center in San Gabriel and a sign company had just finished removing the big, beautiful 50s era neon Sears sign off the front of the building. It was one of the last remaining examples of the old Sears signs "handwritten" in that classic script. We stopped and asked the sign man if we could have it. He said that he couldn’t let us have the sign but we could have all of the neon. He hadn’t broken one tube while taking the sign down. So we carefully put all the neon in the car and kept begging for enormous porcelain letters. I thought no was his final answer� but there was hope! He said that he was going to take the sign to the dump in Santa Ana and we could be there when he unloaded it and we could then take it — deal

We arrive at the dump and sure enough there he is, unloading the sign. We pull up right next to him in our borrowed pick-up and start loading up the letters. The letters were huge. The "S" was a taller than me. Just as we got it loaded on the truck a dump worker yells "hey, you can’t take that. This place is only for dumping, not for taking and you can’t take that sign." Well, I begged for at least forty-five minutes until I realized that my pleading just wasn’t going to get us that sign. So I had to do what I didn’t want to do, cry. The first tear did the trick and five minutes later we were leaving the Santa Ana Dump with the Sign

If you would like to see the rescued sign in all of its glory it’s permanently displayed at MONA, the Museum of Neon Art in wonderful downtown Los Angeles. And make sure to tell them I sent you!http://www.neonmona.or

Here’s to Sears, saving great neon signs, and YOU