Pasadena Museum of History

Some local history on a national holiday: These photographs were taken during Martin Luther King, Jr.'s second visit to Pasadena. It was the first of two occasions when King would speak at Friendship Baptist Church. On February 28, 1960, he delivered the sermon, "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." The complete transcript of the sermon is available online through The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu//three-dimensions-compl (J. Allen Hawkins Collection; JAH19072n8, JAH19072n7, JAH19072n2)#MLKDay

SUB-FREEZING WEATHER COMES IN WITH SNOW screamed the headline in the Pasadena Star News on January 11, 1949. Read all about the historic snowfall in Pasadena's otherwise sunny history in our new blog.

Today, most of us are downloading music from the library's website. But in 1950, library patrons could check out LPs. Do you still have vinyl records at home? This photo shows a young man looking at a phonograph record at the Central Library on Walnut in Pasadena. (J. Allen Hawkins Collection, JAH5793p2) http://collection.pasadenadigitalhistory.com///1649/rec/10

While we cannot not ring in 2021 with the usual fanfare, the Pasadena Digital History partners wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the floral history of New Year's Day festivities in Pasadena with the new exhibit Celebrating with Roses. While the images in this exhibit span from 1893-1981, the majority show the parade and related events from the 1950s. https://www.flickr.com//50910702@/albums/72157717384002753

It is a tradition at PMH to celebrate the year-end holidays by adding period-appropriate seasonal embellishments inside the 1906 Beaux Arts-style Fenyes Mansion. While we are unable to offer holiday tours this year, with this episode we invite you to enjoy glimpses of seasons past. These videos are presented in partnership with Pasadena Media. https://youtu.be/1bQ4mlN7pig

Double your impact this Giving Tuesday. Donations to PMH received now through December 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Paloheimo Foundation. https://pasadenahistory.org/support/donate-now/ Pictured are the Banbury Twins, Jessie and Jennie. Two of Pasadena's early residents, the twins were also the first school's first pupils. This 1936 photo by Hiller, a Pasadena studio that was located on Colorado Street (now Boulevard), is part of the Museum's photo archives. The collection contains an estimated one million images of Pasadena and surrounding areas. (Main Photo Collection, People)

Thanks Macaroni Kid Pasadena! Have you toured the Fenyes Mansion virtually yet? Let us know what you think.

There's still time to make a donation and have your gift to PMH doubled. https://pasadenahistory.org/support/donate-now/

Need some costume ideas? Check out these three women in elaborate costumes beside a fountain, ca. 1946. (J. Allen Hawkins Collection, JAH1498n2)

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation that Americans should recognize the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving." Did you know that over 1,100 Civil War veterans settled in the Pasadena area after the war? To learn about their stories, visit our blog: https://pasadenahistory.org/category/civil-war-soldiers/ Image: Pasadena G.A.R. in Memorial Park, circa 1920 (Special Collections)

If you missed the 15th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on Saturday, you can still enjoy many of the event's offerings including the online exhibition When I Think of Home: Images from L.A. Archives. PMH was one of nearly fifty institutions who contributed to this exhibition. https://scalar.usc.edu/works/when-i-think-of-home/index

Looking for something to do with the kids while they're off school this week? Check out the new Virtual Fenyes Mansion Tour for Youth - kids and their adults can now explore the Fenyes Mansion while discovering kid-friendly fun facts about the historic home. This virtual tour was created by former PMH Junior Docent Amanda Kiesel so that children can enjoy the same excitement she experienced the first time she stepped inside this historic residence. https://pasadenahistory.org/virtual-youth-tour/

Artist Charles Frederich Ulrich (1858-1908) was #BornOnThisDay in New York to German immigrants. As a young man, he studied at the National Academy of Design. Ulrich later traveled abroad to Munich, where he was strongly influenced by the realist movement. He returned to New York some time after 1879, where he produced many of his most famous works. This portrait was painted at his studio in New York. Charles Frederich Ulrich (1858-1908). Eva Scott Muse (Fenyes), 1882. Oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in. (Fenyes Collection, 2000.019.0102)

Today 8 am-8pm! PMH is delighted to participate in the 15th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, which is entirely virtual for the first time in its history! We are especially pleased that a newly-digitized fillm, Tournament of Roses Parade, 1937 will be shown for the first time since PMH accessioned it. Look for it in the 5-8 pm Home Movie Day session (our film will be featured around 6:50). PMH is also represented by select images from our Archives and our History at Home video on 1920s photojournalist Helen Lukens Gaut, which will be available in the virtual exhibitors booth. For more information and a full schedule of the day’s fascinating offerings, please visit https://laassubject.org/archives-bazaar. Please note that some events require an RSVP.

Happy Birthday to artist Granville Perkins, who was #BornOnThisDay in 1830. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Granville Perkins started his art career early at the age of 15. He painted scenery for a local theater company. He traveled the world as a young man, visiting such places as Cuba, Jamaica, and Central America. Perkins later worked as an illustrator for Harper's Weekly and other illustrated newspapers in addition to painting in oils and watercolors. Granville Perkins (1830-1895). Crashing Surf, 1894. Oil on canvas, 24 x 45 in. (Fenyes Collection, 2000.019.0118)

Our new blog describes a Pasadena staycation in 1899, when a group of locals chose a well-shaded spot of fine Live Oak trees in the Arroyo for a close-to-home campsite. The merry campers spent three weeks at "Camp Idle a While."

Are you going to treat yourself to a sweet treat for National Dessert Day? This photograph from the J. Allen Hawkins Collection was taken in 1950 at Alpha Beta Food Market on 245 N. Los Robles and shows the bakery display by Swift and Company. (JAH6021) #NationalDessertDay

A 1923 city bond issue financed the construction of Pasadena's Beaux Arts-style Civic Center, consisting of the Central Library, City Hall, and the Civic Auditorium. Jesus Meza (pictured in the second photo with his friend Esso) was among those who worked on the construction of the Civic Auditorium, which opened in 1932. (Main Photo Collection, M2-9d,9b) #HispanicHeritageMonth

We are thrilled that we can contribute to students' art education while distance learning with our book Painting the Beautiful. Students can also view our series of mini My Masterpieces art lessons on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist

Did you know that the Model T was introduced #OnThisDay in 1908? This photo from the PMH Archives shows a Model T Ford Runabout at the Biedebach Ranch in the Arroyo Seco. (Main Photo Collection, T8-44)

Wondering what to watch next? Check out these recommendations from PMH Volunteers. Suggested films include a romantic drama, a musical comedy, and a musical independent film.

#NationalCookingDay encourages us to try something new. Why not try a century-old Hungarian dish? This blog features Eva Scott Fenyes' recipes for milk dumplings and strudel paste - no doubt for Eva's Hungarian husband Adalbert Fenyes.

For the Museum's 100th blog, here is a selection of 100-year-old sketches. Get a glimpse of what 1920 was like for the artist, Eva Scott Fenyes.