Art & Inspiration Traditional images that need no explanation.

1962 Dragmaster.

 

A-holes on here and elsewhere, like to talk about the 1 (800) gold-chainers buying shit on line, but it seems traditional hot rodding was ordering parts from catalogs, waiting 4 to 8 weeks for delivery and paying COD. Hmmm.

 

Hello,

A long time ago, my wife and I combed through most of the shops in the City Circle in downtown Orange, CA. They had the most complete shops for old stuff. They probably still do as a center for antiques and memorabilia. Since those 20 something days, the area has lost some luster. There are several hot rod shops near the circle and are still there in restored old buildings.

But, as far as the photo with the roadster, it was taken near this one particular shop we frequented due to the store being the only one that sold old architectural stuff. We bought several old doors, stained, leaded glass windows and various parts of structures that no one else had at the time. It was not a curio old dish set type of store. They went to old buildings being torn down in the whole area and found architectural pieces to sell.

The larger colorful stained-leaded glass window frames were wall art in some rooms, while other frames were decorations in our backyard shaded structure. A slight clear matted spray kept the rain/fog from making the 50 plus years old frames from corroding outside. It made for a colorful old garden in our backyard.

Jnaki
The photo of the old building in the city of Orange had quite a history. Several commercial wire companies ran their businesses for many years. But, this city is well known for businesses taking over old structures, making them up to date on structural specifics and have become restaurants, parts supply stores and a variety of shops. The city wants to keep the surrounding city center as if is is still in the 30’s-40s.

We have gone to many nice restaurants in this section (prior to covid...) and the outside looks as if it is still 1950. The insides are a superb, modern running restaurant with outstanding food and service. So, it is a not a tear down type of city to preserve its rich history.

So, what does a large city property do to expand their facilities without building a modern tall glass structure to house their growing needs? Well, Chapman College way back then, is now Chapman University and has expanded their locked-in facilities by purchasing surrounding out of business buildings. They have converted them into classrooms and lab facilities for the incoming core classes offered.

The building in the photo is now called: The Digital Media Arts Center – known on campus as “the DMAC,” will be honored in the restoration category. A former manufacturing plant for California Wire and Cable Co., the DMAC underwent a complete renewal.

“The California Wire Company then became Anaconda Wire Company in 1930. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Old Towne Orange National Register Historic District. Among the distinct elements of the design was the restoration of the original brick façade, and the renovation of both the clerestory windows and the interior cross-strut beams. Housed inside are state-of-the art studios, classrooms, a screening theater, motion capture stage and walls whose surfaces are designed to be doodled on. The merging of the building’s industrial character with its new life as a high-tech center for digital storytellers.”