Esoteric Survey

I was in Bakersfield a couple months back and happened upon this beiged out Streamline Modern building.  It was built in 1939 by Paul W. Gilbert, local builder, contractor, real estate, insurance and booster for the La Cresta Lomita-Verde area of north Bakersfield.  Source: Bakersfield Californian, 1941 What are the chances that this car would drive by while I was there? I'm no car guy but as far as I have been able to figure out this is a 1938 Chevy. Source: Bakersfield Californian, 1939 Source: Bakersfield Californian, 1939 Gilbert seemed like he was quite active in the build to suit arena. Source: Bakersfield Californian, 1939 It was a salon until at least the mid-1970's Prather News-Service was also a tenant. So was the Kern Neon Company.  Source: Bakersfield Californian, 1946 I don't know the date of this photo. More recently it was a Fireworks store. It has seen better days but still has so much potential. My Bakersfield buddy David Coffey  commented on it's conti

  Robert Maxwell, La Gardo Tackett for Architectural Pottery,  Meridian Howard Miller Clock and table by Luther Conover Enamel by James Parker

Marilyn Kay Austin, David Cressey, Robert Maxwell and Bill Curry Design Line lamp. This bowl seems pretty special. It's a typical Cressey flame glaze but I don't remember seeing a piece decorated on the inside like this. This weekend of picking was really good but this Ubunji Kidokoro chair is what I was most excited to find. It's made of bamboo and was designed in 1937. I included a similar design in a post I did on  Charlotte Perriand in Japan .  Early Peter Voulkos Tapio Wirkkala Puukko Knife   I had one of these years ago and had to throw it away. I brought it with me to a trip to Arcosanti and accidentally left it in my bag until my next trip, which was to Detroit. TSA made me throw it away. I'm glad to have one back in my life. It's the ultimate package opener. Large Soleri bell

Paul Darrow and Friends at OBJCT This past weekend I visited  Modern for All in the Claremont area and paid a visit to their neighbor, OBJCT Art + Design.   David Shearer is the gallery owner and also happens to be the executive director of Claremont Heritage .  The current sales exhibition has  works by Claremont artist Paul Darrow, early furniture by Sam Maloof and a selection of ceramics. Some of the artists represented are Karl Benjamin, Harrison McIntosh, Paul Soldner, and Peter Voulkos.  All the pieces are from the Darrow family's personal collection.  Paul Darrow (1921-2019) was born in Pasadena and came to Claremont to study art at Claremont Graduate School after serving in WWII. In addition to being included in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions , he was a professor at Scripps College from 1954 to 1992.  This is the cabinet Paul used to store his paint and brushes. Sam Maloof built it for his own home in 1949, but later traded it to Darrow for a painting. Paul was al

  Bill Curry, Gordon Martz lamp, Albert Larsson table in a jar, Jens Quistgaard and wall valet by Adam Hoff & Poul Østergaard