Being Our Vintage Best: How Ordinary Folks Can Inspire Us

[LocktownDog]

"The Houdini Estate is available for long-term rentals, film shoots, and charity benefits".....Leads me to believe that it would be available for just about any event.

And why not make it a charity event? Proceeds for the preservation of a building or films or such.

 

[Tomasso]

And why not make it a charity event? Proceeds for the preservation of a building or films or such.

A fine idea but be warned there's a good amount of paperwork involved with charity events.

 

[dhermann1]

Don't kid yourself. Charity events can and occasionally do lose money.

 

[sheeplady]

The pictures are beautiful. Very nicely done, I really appreciate the effort.

There's probably no hopes of seeing an event like that near where I live (this area is just not the place for it), but it's nice to think about attending such an event or having a crowd like that to visit with on occasion.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Might I also suggest Hart Park in Orange as a potential venue for events? Built by the WPA between 1935 and 1937, Hart Park has a very vintage look that includes a band shell. I think it would be well suited for anything from a modest get-together to a larger event such as a vintage 4th of July Picnic. Also it's just down the street from Old Towne Orange (aka the Orange Circle) as well as a few miles from Disneyland. Perhaps an event at Hart Park could also coincide with one of the Old Towne Orange historical walking tours.

1950 View (It looks pretty much the same today)

 

[nihil]

Absolutely brilliant!
It must have been quite something to have attended that event.

The closest thing you come to a 20s-40s around here is the various burlesque events that are very varied in quality. And then a few reenactment events here and there, and it's not really the same.

 

[samtemporary]

Wow. Fantastic pics! I guess something like that down here in South Florida is out of the question (we do have the Biltmore and the Breakers...hint, hint). I can't wait for Havana to open up again - at least the fist few years after it opens up should be fantastic - before the art deco/vintage atmosphere is taken over by The Gap and McDonald's.

The Breakers in West Palm Beach, FL:

The Biltmore, Coral Gables, FL:

 

[Yeps]

For the D.C. area, if any interest here ever drummed up. I can't afford to fly and stay anywhere on my budget yet. Well, maybe the East Coast.

I would definitely show up in the best kit I could muster.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Well, NO. Why must we always be in CA?

What about Stan Hywet? http://www.stanhywet.org/rental/rental.aspx

 

[jamespowers]

Well, NO. Why must we always be in CA?

Because we like it here. It doesn't snow or get crazy hot.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Some great possibilities popping up here!

 

[Miss Sis]

I'm going to boast here - I was there and I made the orange jumper in this picture.

I am very good friends with the people who organised this event and I know the time, effort and grief that goes into it, well over a year and a half of work to get it together and appear so seamless. We have had marvellous events here before, but there has been a change in management who made many things this time difficult, which is a huge shame as it means we will likely not have another event in the same setting. We had about 100 people taking over the whole hotel. Yes, it IS slightly exclusive, because that is the style of the event, to re-create a period in time specifically, rather than appeal to a general 'Vintage' crowd. There is plenty of that going on in London. This is not to say that other similar events will not be arranged somewhere else, although perhaps on a slightly smaller scale. Plans are in the works as we speak....

I have also attended events in Switzerland which have a similar aim and Napier in NZ, as I am a Kiwi! Going to Napier next month, infact. That is a completely different kettle of fish. That is to commerate the event that led to it being rebuilt in various Deco styles and is meant to be 'Not Too Serious' and inclusive. Really, it is up to the organisers of any event to decide what their aim is and who they want there.

 

[Patricia Lynn]

What an amazing event. And inspiring photos to boot.

 

[WH1]

another site which might be very good for this kind of event is the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. It is a 1920's hotel rumored to have been very popular with the Hollywood crowd, supposedly Rudoph Valentino stayed there. My wife and I honeymooned there. It is only an hour from Portland which has some excellent venues as well and the region is beautiful.

http://columbiagorgehotel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=32