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Architecture

Egyptian Revival at 2700 Glendower Avenue

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Egyptian Revival at 2700 Glendower, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Revival at 2700 Glendower, Photo Romi Cortier
Terrace at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy Redfin
Terrace at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy Redfin 2014
2700 Glendower, Dining Terrace off kitchen, Image courtesy Redfin 2014
Dining Terrace off kitchen at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy Redfin 2014
Living Room, Top Floor at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Living Room, Top Floor at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Dining Room at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Dining Room at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Fireplace at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Fireplace at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Kitchen at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Kitchen at 2700 Glendower, Image courtesy MLS 2010
Guest unit & back patio at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2010
Guest unit & back patio at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2010

This Egyptian Revival Residence at 2700 Glendower Avenue in Los Feliz is my former residence.  Granted, I lived in the mother-in-law apartment behind the house, but it made my first few years in LA pretty special.  My view was of the golf course on the north side of the hill, with the ability to hear concerts at the Greek Theater… like Ms. Tina Turner.

Michele, who owned the house, was one of LA’s few female stunt car/precision drivers. Remember those Mercedes Benz commercials with Cybil Shepard in the 90’s? That was Michele’s handy work. I was living in an 8 week sublet when I met Michele at the salon and heard about her ‘room for rent’.  I couldn’t move in fast enough. She also had 3 beautiful dogs that roamed the gated compound, so there was never any need to lock the doors. I’m going to do my best to dig up some photos from my archives of my time there. In the meantime,  I’m using  current and past MLS photos for this post, plus the ones I took from the street recently.

When I was taking photos at the Egyptian Theater this week, the trapezoid shapes triggered my memory of Michele’s home. So I decided it was time for a drive by to see how the house was looking. I was surprised to see that the home was for sale, and even more stunned to read it described as a Contemporary Brick & Glass Masterpiece. That’s not how I remembered it, so I looked it up on the MLS when I got home. Usually I’m all for renovating and updating, however, in this case, I think it was a huge mistake. Some homes are meant to have old world charm, and this is one of those homes. Michele had spent years working with a British Blue Blood Designer making the home into a rustic southwestern styled retreat. I realize that by now, that look was probably dated as well. However, the new images I’ve posted below from the current MLS listing show a remarkable change. The white kitchen looks like it belongs in a cape cod styled home. And the 60’s mod/hollywood regency great room looks ridiculous. It appears the fireplace as been removed, which makes me wonder about structural support. I was living in this home during the NorthRidge earthquake, and we came through it fairly unscathed. In fact, we had a large feast at the dinner table that night with about half a dozen of us, celebrating our good fortune.

My favorite room in this entire residence was the upstairs living room with the panoramic views. Sadly, the recessed soffits that echoed the exterior shape of the curved stucco trim, are completely gone. The room had previously been styled with vintage and rustic furniture that included an oval shaped wrought iron coffee table, previously used for a child’s casket. I know, sounds grim, but it was pretty damn cool. Her downstairs office was also lined with cowhide, there were rough hewn wide planks floors through out the home,  with an overall casual elegance to it.

The home was built in 1924, and was completed about 6 months before Frank Lloyd Wright’s  Ennis Brown Home down the street. I can only imagine what the ridge must have looked like in the 20’s & 30’s with only those Egyptian and Mayan structures. Michele had told me that the home was built by a Saudi Prince for his Mistress, however, research shows that it was built by contractor Arthur Holiday as his personal residence, and is sometimes referred to at the Arthur Holiday Residence… I think I like Michele’s story better.  Also Michele had mentioned that she could have bought the lot across the street for about $15,000 in the early 70’s to ensure her view. She thought why bother, who could possibly build in the middle of that ravine. But this is LA, she should have known better. Once the home across the street was finally built, it took years to sell… lets chalk it up to bad feng shui.

The home was listed on 5/15/2012 by Carol Dotson at 310.927.4107, and was recently reduced by $200,000  to $2,395,000. I guess I’m not the only one who isn’t in love with the cape-cod/mid-century makeover. Hopefully it’ll sell to  someone who has the  vision to restore some of what’s been lost… this is after all, one of LA’s only Egyptian Revival homes.

Upstairs Living Room at 2700 Glendower, Photo Courtesy MLS 2014
Upstairs Living Room at 2700 Glendower, Photo Courtesy MLS 2014
Great Room at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2014
Great Room at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2014
Kitchen at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2014
Kitchen at 2700 Glendower, Photo courtesy MLS 2014

Architecture, Decorative Arts

Courtyard Murals of Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater

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Egyptian Theaters Ticket Office, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theaters Ticket Office, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Mural at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood,  Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Egyptian Theater Mural with Pharaohonic head detail, Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier

Have you ever seen the Courtyard Murals of Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater? They’re pretty amazing and worth a visit.

Grauman’s Egyptian Theater (yes the same guy who built Hollywood’s Chinese Theater) opened in 1922   just 2 weeks before the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb.  The original theater plans called for a Spanish Decor,  with an Oriental influence, which proved to costly to build. So the developer turned to something less expensive that also capitalized on the euphoria surrounding the multiple expeditions searching for Tut’s Tomb.

As many of you know, Egyptophilia is a term used to describe the obsession or fascination with all things Egyptian. Structures built in the Egyptian style are referred to as Egyptian Revival. However, because of the association with Art Deco, many Egyptian structures are also referred to as Art Deco.  The ziggurat, or terraced steps of the pyramidal structure, also influenced skyscraper designs in the 1920’s. The stair step feature allowed for less canyonization of the streets below, by allowing more light onto the street. That concept has all but disappeared in high rise construction today, however, that design element is also referred to as an Art Deco defining feature.

Other design features that I’d like to point out in the images above, include the zig-zag patterns on the wall mounted light fixtures, as well as the trapezoid shape of the ticket office windows,  waterfall and wooden door. Zig zag patterning is a hallmark of art deco, and is often referred to as zig-zag moderne and can be seen on several building facades on Hollywood boulevard.  It exemplified the exuberance of the jazz-age 20’s prior to the stock market crash of ’29. After that, art deco styles shifted to streamline moderne, with low slung horizontal lines… sometimes referred to as depression era deco.

During the 80’s and 90’s Hollywood was suffering an economic decline.  The theater fell into disrepair and was given to the American Cinematheque in 1996 for $1, yes one dollar, with the provision that the landmark building be restored  to its original grandeur and re-open as a movie theater. The theater reopened on December 4, 1998 after a $12.8 million renovation. One of the benefits of that restoration, was the completion of the large scale mural (2nd from the bottom), that had never been completed. All of these murals are inspired by actual Egyptian gods, pharaohs and hieroglyphs. They’re not simply made up for the sake of entertainment.

During my recent visit to the Egyptian Theater to take these photos, I was saddened at how few tourists actually noticed the building or stopped for photos. Hollywood boulevard was crammed with hot sweaty people checking out the trashy stores and the stars embedded in the sidewalk, but the Egyptians courtyard was empty.  Therefore, I feel like there’s a missed opportunity with this wide open courtyard, that is sadly starting to look very shoddy. (I will admit I did a little photoshopping to clean up my images for this post). What about a relaxing garden cafe or seating area attached to the Pig & Whistle next door? Or the restoration of the water fountain with a some public seating areas and a  few tall Palm Trees as one vintage post card shows?  So much could still be done to capitalize on the history of this grand movie theater that predates the Chinese Theater just down the street, and bring in more tourism. Maybe that’s not the objective of the American Cinematheque. I will say that I’m very grateful that the murals have not been graffiti tagged and are in such excellent shape.

Stay tuned for my next blog post, which will include an Egyptian Revival home in the Hollywood Hills. It’s one of Hollywoods best kept secrets and is currently for sale.

If you’d like to read more about this theater, the Coincidental Dandy has an extraordinary blog post from 2011 that’s truly informative.

Architecture, Decorative Arts

Gates in the Hollywood Hills

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Gate with 4 Diamonds, Photo Romi Cortier
Gate with 4 Diamonds, Photo Romi Cortier
South Western Styled Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
South Western Styled Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Palm Tree Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Palm Tree Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Claridge Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Claridge Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Rotunda Gate, Photo Romi Cortier
Rotunda Gate, Photo Romi Cortier


Photographing Gates in the Hollywood Hills was a passion of mine in the mid 1990’s.  I lived in the Los Feliz section of the Hollywood Hills  when I first moved to Los Angeles.  I was so enamored  by the gorgeous gates I’d see on  my evening walks,  that I thought I’d try photographing them with an old canon camera I got from my sister. One after another, my collection grew. Then I thought, why not publish a book?

As I talked to people about my idea, the reasons for NOT publishing a book were many: you need the home owners permission, you need the architects permission, you need the designers permission, coffee table books don’t make money anymore, they no longer make black and white film,  everything is digital now.  The list goes on, and the photographs get older.   But what I find fascinating is that every time I pull these images out and look at them, they’re still exciting. There’s also something very refreshing about seeing these images in Black and White. It reminds me of Hollywoods Golden Era when things were more glamorous and less pedestrian.

I’ve heard rumors over the years about what celebrity might live behind which gate, but that’s irrelevant to me.  What’s more interesting is Los Angeles’s culture of the gate. It’s like a calling card for the home, possibly indicating what you might find on the inside. Yet they always achieve the same thing, keeping unwanted guests out  and giving homes perched on the edge of a cliff a modicum of privacy. I’ve shared a few of my favorites here, and I hope you enjoy them. If by chance you’re reading this, and one of these belongs to you and I’ve broken some law or crossed the line, please let me know. Otherwise I invite you to enjoy the beauty of these ‘total works of art’.  Bravo to these amazing designers and architects.

Architecture

The Heart of John Lautner’s Harvey Residence

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Harvey Residence, Main Entry, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey Residence, Main Entry, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey Residence, Foyer, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey Residence, Foyer, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey House, Circular Main Room, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey House, Circular Main Room, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey Residence, Living Room, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey Residence, Living Room, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey House, Mid-Century Lighting, Photo Romi Cortier
Harvey House, Mid-Century Lighting, Photo Romi Cortier

The remarkable Central column above might be the Heart of John Lautner‘s Harvey Residence ,  or it might also be Actress Kelly Lynch and Mitch Glazer who are committed to mid-century preservation.  In 2008 they opened their home to the public via the MAK Center and the Hammer Museum in conjunction with the Lautner retrospective ‘Between Earth and Heaven’.

Marked as a tear-down,  the couple bought the home in 1998 and set to work restoring the 1950 residence.  No two Lautner homes are alike, even if this concentric design reminds you of his iconic Chemosphere home.  While Lautner had a strong preoccupation with geometric forms, such as the circle and triangle, his homes are ultimately rooted in the concept of integrating the home into its location, creating an organic flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces.  If the words ‘Organic Architecture’  ring any bells, you might be thinking Frank Lloyd Wright whom Lautner apprenticed under at Taliesin .

The fact that all of this might be lost because the home sits on a remarkable piece of property with a 180 degree view, or more, is unthinkable. Imagine sitting in the grand central room while listening to chamber music as the lights of the city twinkle behind the performers… it’s pure magic. As luck would have it, several years ago one of my clients gave me her tickets for The Da Camera Society, who specialize in Chamber Music In Historic Sites.  Therefore, I’ve been in this home twice, and Kelly and Mitch as usual are remarkable hosts.  They wouldn’t know me if I walked in through their doors again, but that’s not the point. The point, is that they’ve restored this remarkable home and kept the doors open, even to the public.