Announcing Preserving The Soul of Los Angeles, an Esotouric Salon at Lummis House... for people who believe in this city, past, present & future
A New Salon Series at the Historic Home of Southern California Preservation
Just announced! We hope that you will join us on Sunday, August 11 for the debut of an Esotouric Salon series in Highland Park. Inspired by our new Saving Los Angeles Landmarks Tour (September 7) and our belief that one way to get this messed up city back on track is to bring together people who care in inspiring historic places, Preserving The Soul of Los Angeles stakes a claim on this town we love, and that we're not going to watch go down the drain without a fight.
ABOUT THE SALON: In 1895, the journalist, author and collector Charles Fletcher Lummis gathered a crew of history-loving friends to form The Landmarks Club of Southern California, dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the endangered places that told the story of the Southland.
Without their passionate advocacy, the derelict adobe Missions would have melted away before the century turned.
Today, Southern California’s landmarks are threatened by corporate developers who seek to extract the maximum value from every inch of land, their demolition and spot-zoning requests enabled by well-greased politicians. Often, the only thing standing in the way of the wrecking ball is a dedicated citizen-activist fighting for a place they love too much to lose without a fight.
They might not realize it, but every local preservationist stands on the shoulders of Lummis.
We invite you to gather in the spirit of Charles Fletcher Lummis and in his beloved arroyo home El Alisal, to encourage and learn from preservation activists, mix and mingle with fellow history lovers, enjoy tasty snacks, tour the historic home and gardens and imagine the Los Angeles you want to live in.
Our special guest for the August 2019 debut salon is preservation activist Steven Luftman, appearing in conversation with Esotouric’s Richard Schave. Steven will share his personal path to loving and saving old buildings, including his successful landmarking of Kurt Meyer’s Lytton Savings (1960), continued threats to the “protected” building from Frank Gehry’s mega-project, his efforts to preserve and designate L.A.’s unique bungalow courts, vernacular apartments and Tom Bergin’s Irish pub, and tips for picking the landmarking battles that will feed your soul. A no-holds-barred Q&A follows. Plus, Professor Jeremiah Axelrod, Director for the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA) at Occidental College, with a status report on the proposal to base ISLA at Lummis House, and poet Suzanne Lummis with some thoughts about her extraordinary grandfather, Charles Fletcher Lummis.
Come be part of a supportive and creative preservation community, as we reactivate El Alisal and draw on the home’s long tradition of activism, storytelling, social justice and good fellowship. It wouldn’t be the same without YOU!
But that's not all... Join us for these Coming Attractions:
Eastside Babylon True Crime Tour (6/29)
Pasadena Confidential True Crime Tour (7/13)
Forensic Science Seminar: The Night Stalker (Sold out with waiting list, 7/14)
Wilshire Boulevard Death Trip True Crime Tour (7/20)
The Real Black Dahlia True Crime Tour (Sold out with waiting list, 7/27)
The Lowdown on Downtown Architecture History Tour (8/3)
Curse of the She-Devil True Crime Tour (8/10)
The Birth of Noir Film & Literary History Tour (8/17)
Boyle Heights & Monterey Park Cultural History Tour (8/24)
Mansonland True Crime Tour (8/31, 1 ticket left)
Saving Los Angeles Landmarks Tour (9/7)
Los Angeles Book Land, 1939 Literary History Tour (9/14)
Hotel Horrors & Main Street Vice True Crime Tour (9/21)
Eastside Babylon True Crime Tour (9/28)
We hope to see you soon, for adventures into the secret heart of the city we love! - Kim & Richard, Esotouric