Underrepresented California: A pilot preservation grant program to inspire inclusive designations

Posted Jan 12, 2013.

 

 

Helping Students Achieve their Preservation Dreams

 

Help CPF Help Students! Spread the word among your friends and colleagues!

 

Watts Coffee House at Watts Happening Cultural Center. Photo by Stephen Schafer

 

Underrepresented California

A grant program to inspire inclusive designations

 

Site nominations and student applications due February 27th, 2023

 

According to a 2020 Congressional Research Service study, less than 8% of roughly 86,000 sites included on the National Register were associated with African American, American Latino, Asian American, American Indian, and other Indigenous communities. The benefits to the community at large include a more holistic and integrated approach to the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of sites that represent the history of people from all levels of the economic ladder and all cultural backgrounds. The immediate effect of the project serves the stewards and owners of the built resource as well as the employed student. 

Watts Happening Cultural Center. Photo by Stephen Schafer

 

This preservation grant program is open to Los Angeles region community groups, non-profit organizations, students, and other individuals who want to pursue historic designation of their  sacred site, community building, park, or other publicly available structure such as a school or library. Structures and buildings can qualify if historically significant at the local, regional/state, or national level. The pilot 2023 grant program CPF position will be out-of-office but focused in the Los Angeles area (with plans to expand statewide).

Professional National Register of Historic Places nomination photography of the site in the Los Angeles area will be provided by HABSPHOTO.com

One student selected for the program will be employed by CPF  for a six-week period to research and complete a nomination for a historic designation on the local, state, or national level. 

Applications are now open and will close on February 27, 2023. The site and student will be selected by March 7th, 2023, and will begin work on the project between June and October of 2023.

 

Link to Underrepresented site nomination form

https://californiapreservation.org/advocacy/underrepresented-ca/

 

This program is generously supported by a gift from Stephen and Sherry Schafer, Liz's Antique Hardware

 

www.habsphoto.com

A Picture Perfect New Year 2023

Here's a fresh project. Many of my HABS/HAER/HALS photo projects are embargoed while moving through the regulatory process, so sometimes I don't know what I have shared and what I forgot to share.

HABS Photography of front facade of the former Fotomat Booth on Glendale Avenue in Glendale, California.

Here are some new 5x7" large format HABS photos from New Year's Day, 2023 (24 hours ago).

HABS Context Photo of former Fotomat booth across Glendale Avenue in Glendale California.

Since there is no client, and I'm donating these negatives (and a few more) to Heritage Documentation Programs at the National Park Service for inclusion in the Historic American Buildings Survey collection at the Library of Congress, I can show you this very, very recent project.

HABS Photograph of former Fotomat booth, facade with 12' scale.

 

HABS Photograph of a former Fotomat booth, Oblique.

I don't know if this Fotomat booth is threatened (Aren't they all really?). But it seemed like a relatively unmolested specimen and since there are no Fotomat booths documented in the Library of Congress... a trip to Glendale was in order.

(The Ansel Adams clouds don't hurt either.) 

Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital PDA Award

Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital The Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital of San Francisco is a winner for the 2022 Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation. We created photographs for Project Lead Mike Garavaglia of Garavaglia Architecture in San Francisco.

About the Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital The former Immigration Station Hospital was rehabilitated for adaptive re-use as a museum for the immigrant story as well as a small conference center operated by California State Parks. The interpretive exhibits connect the past to current immigrant stories.

The 10,000 sf Hospital, constructed c.1908, represents a major part of the immigrant experience for those entering the United States on the West Coast. The Program Document and updated HSR, guided the team of preservation architect, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers, and cost estimator to develop an overall rehabilitation design. The mix of funding sources and timing of funding required phasing of construction and the installation of the museum and interpretive elements.

 

If you’d like more information about architectural photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: schaf@west.net

 

TIMES MIRROR HABS (2019)

A few of my projects didn't get shared here in a timely way because of that C-19 thing. But here is a HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY project that was really interesting and only about 50 years old. I did the forty-four, 4x5 large format HABS photographs in April 2019, and the report and captions are now up on the Library of Congress HABS website, but alas, the photographic scans will probably not be digitized for years. I have a few photos here but I have placed the entire set of black and white, large format HABS photographs up on my Adobe Behance Portfolio page so you can scroll through them in order, or look at them as a full-screen photo grid.

BEHANCE PHOTO GRID: https://www.behance.net/gallery/151825209/HABS-No-CA-2935-TIMES-MIRROR-BUILDING

TIMES MIRROR BUILDING, HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY

HABS No. CA-2935

HABS Context Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-1

 

TIMES MIRROR BUILDING AND PARKING STRUCTURE, 234 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, California.

(Selected text from 26 page report)  Architect: The Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure were constructed in 1970-73 for the parent company of the Los Angeles Times, the Times Mirror Company, and designed by William L. Pereira & Associates. Charles Kratka Interior Planning and Design was engaged in 1970 to design the interiors of the company’s corporate offices, which were initially located on the fifth and sixth floors of the Times Mirror Building.

HABS Overview Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-8

 

In 1970-71, William L. Pereira & Associates designed the Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure, which required significant alterations to the Times Press Building.20 The Times Press Building was structurally strengthened in 1970.21 A portion of the fourth floor was subsequently demolished and the skylights over the third floor were removed and the openings infilled in 1970- 71 The 1970-73 portion of the Times Mirror Building was constructed along the north exterior wall and above the third floor of the Times Press Building. The Parking Structure was constructed along the south exterior wall. The exterior of Times Press Building was reclad in granite. The window openings on the S. Broadway façade were reconfigured into three horizontal bands and new window sash installed. While the main entrance to the Times Press Building remains in the same location, the door opening has been recessed and the door replaced with new infill. An exterior walkway connecting the Times Mirror Building to the Parking Structure was constructed through the Times Press Building at the second floor. The interior of the remaining floors of the Times Press Building was entirely remodeled with new features and finishes except for the sub-basement, basement, stairwells, and former lobby, which retain original features and finishes.

HABS Oblique Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-12

 

The Times Mirror Building is significant for its association with the Times Mirror Company, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times. The southern portion of the building was originally constructed in 1931 to house the Times Mirror Printing and Binding House and the American Engraving Company, both subsidiaries of the Times Mirror Company. This 1931 building, known as the Times Press Building, was later incorporated into the design of the Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure in 1971–73. The Times Mirror Building served as the headquarters of the Times Mirror Company from its completion until it was sold to the Tribune Company in 2000.

The building is also significant for its association with Otis Chandler. Chandler served as the publisher for the Los Angeles Times between 1960 and 1980 and has been recognized as one of the most important newspaper publishers in the United States. He kept an office on the sixth floor of the Times Mirror Building from 1973 until he was ousted as the chairman of the Times Mirror Company in 1986.

HABS Interior Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-30

 

The Times Mirror Building and Parking Structure were determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C and the California Register of Historical Resources under Criteria 1 and 3 as contributors to the Times Mirror Square Historic District. The Times Mirror Square Historic District occupies a city block in Downtown Los Angeles and is composed of five structurally distinct, but internally connected buildings that include the Times Building, Plant Building, Mirror Building, Times Mirror Building, and Parking Structure. It is significant for its association with the Los Angeles Times and Times Mirror Company under Criteria A/1 as well as representing a significant and distinguishable architecturally significant entity under Criteria C/3.

HABS Facade Photograph of Times Mirror Building. Number HABS CA-2935-16

 

The Times Mirror Building was determined individually eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources under Criterion 1 for its association with the Times Mirror Company and under Criterion 2 for its association with Chandler.

HABS Parking Garage Photograph. Number HABS CA-2935-41

 

The Parking Structure was not identified as individually eligible for listing in the National Register or the California Register because it is a purely functional building and is not directly associated with the activities of the Times Mirror Company or Chandler; however, it is within the boundaries of the historic district comprising buildings associated with the Times Mirror Company...

Report by: Emily Rinaldi, GPA Consulting, July 29, 2019

Entire HABS CA-2935 captions, maps and report can be found at: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ca/ca4300/ca4382/data/ca4382data.pdf

 

For more information take a look at the

Frequently Asked Questions 

section of our website if you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS

 

www.HABS.photo

Stephen Schafer, Photographer

Ventura, California

805-652-1000

schaf@west.net

 

 

Asilomar Warnecke Historic District nominated to NRHP

Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District is located at the western edge of the City of Pacific Grove, overlooking Asilomar State Beach. The district consists of twenty-two buildings and associated landscape features designed by John Carl Warnecke & Associates after the State of California acquired the property in 1956. Originally a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) camp designed by Julia Morgan, Asilomar’s initial stage of development was between 1913 and 1928, which was designated Asilomar Conference Grounds Historic District National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1987. The resulting distinct architectural context and 1957 to 1968 period of significance permit a new standalone nomination rather than amending the earlier nomination with additional documentation.

Master architect John Carl Warnecke’s Asilomar design embodies distinctive characteristics of Second Bay Tradition architecture, a movement distinctively tied to both the time and place. The master plan for the site, which he developed in concert with landscape architect Michael Painter, exhibits dual harmony with both the natural environment and Asilomar’s older buildings. The district is an exceptional example of the contextualism that became a defining feature of Warnecke’s early career.

In Warnecke’s Master Plan, he expressed the importance that new buildings do not mar “the easy relationship of buildings to land.” Warnecke’s Master Plan called for a series of small complexes with a combination of lodging and conference buildings, which would nestle within Morgan’s site plan without making it crowded and serve as contained conference centers. At Asilomar, the work of fitting into the existing environment was twofold, as Warnecke aimed for harmony with both the natural environment and the site’s existing Julia Morgan-designed buildings.

The Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places at the August 5, 2022 State Historic Resources Commission Meeting. Text taken from the nomination written by Kara Brunzell. National Register of Historic Places photography by Stephen Schafer

 

If you’d like more information about National Register photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: schaf@west.net

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If you’d like more information about National Register photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: schaf@west.net

HABS and HAER Photographs of Lost History

New Online Portfolio

https://www.behance.net/stephenschafer

This is a link to my portfolio of places lost to time or the wrecking ball; documented for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) and transmitted to the Library of Congress HABS collection.

HALS Photography of Parker Center Police Headquarters. HALS-CA-138-4

 

If you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: schaf@west.net

Look Back at early (2007) Google Street Views On Your Phone

Traveling back in time with Street View 🕰️

I'm using this all the time for preservation and HABS pre production scouting.
From the Google blog... Starting today on Android and iOS ... travel back in time right from your phone. Here’s how it works:
When you’re viewing Street View imagery of a place, tap anywhere on the photo to see information about the location. Then tap "See more dates" to see the historical imagery we’ve published of that place, dating back to when Street View launched in 2007.

https://petapixel.com/2022/05/25/historical-imagery-on-google-street-view-now-available-on-mobile/

Introduction to (landscape) Photography video now available. (Free)

I just uploaded a new video of the Landscape Photo educational webinar from Nov, 10, 2021.

HALS Photography of the Lovelace Garden by Stephen D. Schafer. This Historic American Landscapes Survey project was featured in the video.

You never know when you volunteer for an online presentation, but I'm really pleased with how this webinar came out and that CPF made it freely available. And also really honored to be included in this short educational photography session sponsored by the California Preservation Foundation (californiapreservation.org) and the California Garden and Landscape History Society (cglhs.org). Photographer Millicent Harvey and I share our methods for photography in general, and landscape photography in particular, and since our approaches, techniques and clientele are so varied, the two presentations and lively Q&A show the diversity of our styles, and the range of creative approaches to photographing the landscape. 

https://youtu.be/5YnP6kG08P0

Millicent and I have been working as professional photographers for over 30 years, and we both clearly love what we do, but from start to finish our process is different (except when it's the same). It was a fun, spontaneous, presentation and an unscripted Q&A that should be educational for everyone  who wants to learn about what career photographers do.

 

 

If you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography take a look at our website.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Architectural Photography,

Ventura, California

Ph: 805-652-1000

E: schaf@west.net

 

 

MODERNISM WEEK: The Preserving Los Angeles book tour: A Kaleidoscopic Tour of L.A.’s Built Heritage

 

Ken Bernstein and Stephen Schafer, author and photographer of the Los Angeles Times bestselling book, Preserving Los Angeles, will be sharing an engaging visual tour of how historic preservation has helped transform Los Angeles, and can do the same for other cities. 

Extending beyond well-known Midcentury Modern dwellings by renowned architects, Preserving Los Angeles highlights hidden Modernist gems that will surprise even longtime Angelenos, while showcasing the city’s rich and varied built heritage, from bungalow courts and roadside landmarks to modest structures that reflect the social and cultural history of the city’s diverse communities.

Los Angeles has become a testament to the power of adaptive reuse, repurposing historic structures to revitalize its Downtown, create new sources of affordable housing, and transform residential neighborhoods.

Preserving Los Angeles showcases every community in Los Angeles, reminding us that remarkable architecture and cultural history is all around us, often in unlikely places. The book is an authoritative chronicle of urban transformation, a guide for citizens and urban practitioners alike who hope to preserve the unique culture of their own cities. 

Ken Bernstein directs the City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources, which is responsible for Los Angeles’s historic preservation policies and programs, and was previously Director of Preservation Issues for the Los Angeles Conservancy, the nation’s largest local non-profit historic preservation organization.

Stephen Schafer is an HABS* photographer with a preservation distraction, who crisscrosses America documenting historic buildings, landscapes and engineering. 

A book signing will immediately follow this presentation.

At Modernism Week 2022, February 19, 2022, at 9:00AM.

*WHAT IS HABS PHOTOGRAPHY?
The Historic American Buildings Survey, Historic American Engineering Record and Historic American Landscapes Survey are US federal government programs administered by the Heritage Documentation Program Department of the National Park Service (abbreviated HABS/HAER/HALS). Photographic documentation for these programs meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Architectural, Engineering and Landscape Documentation (SIS Doc Standards). In short, these programs document the historic built environment and cultural landscapes in America and work with the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division to archive the architectural plans, reports and photographs for the public in perpetuity. HABS, HAER and HALS are considered the gold standard of photographic documentation programs.

 

For more info to take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website if you’d like more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography.

HABSPHOTO.com

Stephen Schafer, Photographer

Ventura, California

805-652-1000

schaf@west.net

 

 

An Introduction to Landscape Photography | California Preservation Foundation

In partnership with the CGLHS, we are pleased to offer a free introduction to landscape photography, presented by landscape photographer and CGLHS member Millicent Harvey and HABS/HAER/HALS photographer Stephen Schafer.

Using a camera to capture the beauty of a plant or place is just one aspect of photography. Capturing a historic landscape requires an intentional approach behind the camera, whether the goal is exhibition or documentation. Harvey and Schafer will share insights into their professional yet distinct practices and examples of their work at a free lunchtime talk on Wednesday, November 10th at noon. A Q&A with the photographers will follow the presentation. 

About our speakers

via californiapreservation.org

Join me in November...