Join
SAH/SCC for an exploration of Los Angeles’ famed Bunker Hill. Nathan Marsak, author
ofBunker Hill Los Angeles: Essence of Sunshine
and Noir(Angel City Press, 2020), will take us on a fascinating virtual
tour of the history of the highest point in Downtown Los Angeles.
This story of shifting cultural
demographics traces how the rich moved into Bunker Hill and built grand homes
in the florid Queen Anne and Beaux-Arts styles. When the wealthy residents
moved westward, apartment buildings then sprang up. During the years, residents
included poets, writers, artists, and activists. In yet another shift, the area
was razed for redevelopment in the 1960s. Bunker Hill is now the location of
important contemporary architecture, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall (Frank O.
Gehry and Associates, 2003) and The Broad (Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2015).
Marsak studied under the renowned
historian Reyner Banham at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and
completed his work at University of Wisconsin, Madison, with scholar Narciso G.
Menocal, noted for his study of Louis Sullivan, FAIA, and Frank Lloyd Wright,
FAIA. Marsak worked on the curatorial staff of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los
Angeles, and served as an historian for the Los Angeles Police Museum archives.
He is also the author ofLos Angeles NeonSchiffer Publishing 2002).
Many people’s first impressions of
Bunker Hill are from classic noir movies, such as “Kiss Me Deadly” or “Criss Cross.” However, the neighborhood was
far from the blighted slum suggested by film and described by pro-redevelopment
forces. Tune into this talk to get the whole story.
Authors on Architecture: Marsak on
Bunker Hill—Saturday, November 14, 2020; 1-2:30PM Pacific; $5; pay via PayPal link above or mail-in order form with
check; Zoom connection information sent upon registration.
