Few homes from the 1930s still exist in such exquisite state as the one located at 1830 Verdugo Vista Dr., Glendale, California. Yet it does, in perfect California Spanish-Mediterranean style. On November 9, 1937, Paul Wright, aviation manager at the Union Air Terminal, found his wife, Evelyn Wright, locked in steamy sexual embrace with his… Continue reading Everything In Me Exploded: 1830 Verdugo Vista Dr., Glendale, CA
Author: Lee Wallender
Deception, influence, fakes, illusions, themed environments, simulations, secret places, secret infrastructure, imagined places, dreamscapes, movie sets and props, evasions, camouflage, studio backlots, miniatures.
The Grandeur and Faded Glory of Elvis’ Private Jet Rotting in the Desert
It’s not the Lisa Marie and it’s not the Hound Dog II, both of which were in top condition and on auction in 2015. It’s a third Elvis jet that had been sitting on an airport tarmac for the last 35 years in Roswell, NM. Sold recently for $430,000.
Hogan’s Heroes Set at 40 Acres Backlot: Then and Now
Sure, the Cuningham Group of Culver City, CA-based architects may try to blow smoke in our direction with such slogans as “We exist to Uplift the Human Experience,” but we know better. Back in the Cuningham Group’s past lies the depravities of Nazi Germany–a prisoner of war camp, complete with guard towers, barbed wire, fierce… Continue reading Hogan’s Heroes Set at 40 Acres Backlot: Then and Now
Mountain in the Middle of L.A.: Paramount Studios’ Western Street and Its Fake Mountain
Once there was a mountain in the middle of Los Angeles. Most movie studios, in their backlots or in movie ranches in the San Fernando Valley or in environs close to L.A., had a Western town. It was simply part of the time. Starting with The Squaw Man in 1913 (or The Great Train Robbery,… Continue reading Mountain in the Middle of L.A.: Paramount Studios’ Western Street and Its Fake Mountain
Fantastic Department Store Cutaway, 1950s
Yet another mind-blowing cutaway from master illustrator Frank Soltesz. Few people realize that half of a department store is devoted to areas they never see. Behind the familiar counter and displays are large areas used for stockrooms and other services that supply the selling floors out front. there is a fur vault, complete bake shop,… Continue reading Fantastic Department Store Cutaway, 1950s