Sunday, September 2, 2007

California 500


On the way to the California 500 I was early and made a quick detour to review the American Military Museum in El Monte. Yup, this is a keeper. A coupla acres at least of military hardware, a private 50 year old collection. Hundreds of major pieces. It was way too hot to visit today, but I took relief in the docent's HQ where we discussed how the entire yard of iron acts as a giant radiator. Yesterday he logged 112 degrees and at noon today he was already at 106.

But the time I got to the track it probably somewhere around 110 and climbing fast. They constructed an asphalt footpath leading from the Cal Steel employee lot across the SP mainline that lead into check-in for the water vendors. Along the way were posters elaborating how according to Prop 65 I was entering public hazard area. When the devil winds started swirling all this unknown matter into these mini dustbowls, I thought this is not good.

I did check in and immediately out, I told them I'd try again next spring.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Looky here! Now!


an ultra heretofore unknown photo of Grampa Ted looks like blowing trumpet probably around 1920. Ted eventually followed his son Norm from Chicagoland to California and settled in as a bookkeeper at one point in his career Ted was an was accountant for Mad Man Muntz!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Bethke Texas checks in!



Well well Bethke Texas checks in...


Should there be a World Bethke?

or wiki Bethkania?

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Westchester 4th of July!


Well this morning I was pleasantly surprised with the sounds of brass bands nearby. A block away was the route of the Westchester Day parade! The Gold Drum & Bugle Corps were on fire. The only mic handy was my Virgin Mobile cell phone so I grabbed 120 sec using the voice memo feature and uploaded it. Hear, ... it is Gold Drum & Bugle Corps

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Colin Fletcher, 2007

Must read for undergraduate museologists, Fletcher's Man from the Cave is a detail freak's delight.

RIP Colin Fletcher and Bill Simmons
LATimes.com's obit

Your archivist just started Katz' Life and Times of Pancho Villa. Excellent documentation. Consider this from the Parral Archive: Juzgado I de lo penal del Distrito de Hildalgo 53 "[re: intl Villa dossier] a white man of regular stature ...clear gray eyes...with a blond mustache, married and appx 28 yrs old."

Villa the great enigma.


Monday, June 11, 2007

100th anniversry of autochrome.


One hundred years ago the Lumiere brothers published for the first time a color rendering in their new photographic process.

Monday, May 7, 2007



Erik Bethke will be the keynote speaker for the Online Game Developers Conference this year in Seattle.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

The last California steamer



This seems to be around 1975[?]

Fat Sunday


Summer hit the beach early in Los Angeles this year. 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

Killer Sushi


More from Kinney.

All aboard!

Here's a view of the Southern Pacific RR Northridge Station as it appeared in 1938. [Courtesy of CSUNSan Fernando Valley History Digital Library].

Today it looks like this [0-6-0 SP yardbird by Mark Bethke Custom Locomotive]


Saturday, May 5, 2007

Abbot Kinney store fronts







Continuing from the bookstore of the future.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Neil, Norm & June Bethke


Here's a shot of the archivist and my folks, Norman Lloyd Bethke and June Rhea Shipe Follmer.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Monday, April 23, 2007

A bookstore of the future




While pedaling along through Venice recently the archivist found this store.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Ted & Ellen Bethke


My Grandfather Theodore Gustav Bethke was born near Chicago and married Ellen Anderson. His dad was a stone cutter in Posnan who emigrated to Illinois ~1870.

It may be argued that Ellen never worked a day in her life but after marriage Ted woke every morning of his life to the happy smell of warm fresh baked bread. Nuff' said!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

A monastary nestled into the Montsarrat


This resembles famous Stony Point in Chatsworth, California but is really a view of an old monastary in Spain.

Many of the early orders began in the ancient rocky range separating the Ibernian peninsula from the plain of France.

Your archivist dug this off the net preparing for the 2005 library exhibit.
There is a library of the future blog here.

A model fort


While visiting Pennsylvania a few years ago with my Sunburian mother June Rhea Follmer Bethke we tried to find this place but discovered it had washed away in a flood.

A museum now occupies the site so we file under places that don't exist anymore.


Mantis


Photo by [Erik Bethke?].

Korean War Memorial


Adjacent to the the US military base in downtown Seoul Korea is a huge museum and heavy duty hardware in the yard like Shermans, 155's & a B-52!.

This touching sculpture is near the main entrance.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Kyle Bethke at the Seoul Zoo, 2004


Kyle sees his father turning the camera sideways and adjusts to keep himself upright in the frame. [photo by Erik Bethke]

La Grande Station, Los Angeles, circa 1930


The Santa Fe Railroad opened La Grande Station at Second Street and Santa Fe Avenue in 1893. Due to severe damage from the Long Beach earthquake in 1933 the moorish dome was removed. In 1938 all passenger service was transferred to the new Union Station. [LMU Archives Images]

A flapper at the Venice Beach, circa 1925


Today this is the residential neighborhood on the strand south of Washington Blvd.
[unauthorized lift from LMU Archives]

Los Angeles City Hall, 1928

Here we must have the architect's model of the new city hall. Again LMU Archives Images

Hell's Angels opening night at Grauman's, 1930

Courtesy of LMU Von der Ahe University Archives Images

A Craftsman office building in downtown Long Beach


Beautiful working of the Craftsman style into a modern office building.

Long Beach Farmers & Merchants Bank Building, 2007

More Long Beach Grand Prix



The Long Beach Grand Prix 2007


It wasn't easy capturing these LeMans type racers - they get in and out of the corners fast!

Long Beach Aquarium


From the race course.

Saving a roof


This is right next to the Long Beach Grand Prix course.

No parking!


A vacant lot near downtown Long Beach

Rancho los Cerritos


The well maintained rancho is not easy to find located in the middle of the private Virginia Country Club.

more Rancho los Cerritos

The San Pedro cactus could be over 150 years old. The oldest growth appears to turn to hard wood.

Rancho los Cerritos


The rancho is located in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach

Bixby Knolls

On the way to the Long Beach Grand Prix I happened to wander through Bixby Knolls. If you look carefully this beautiful Craftsman needs a new roof.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007