Culinary Tours in Laguna Beach

Get a taste of Laguna Beach’s history paired with the town’s delectable delights, on a tour with Flavors of Laguna. 

Barnaby Rudge Booksellers & DVD Rental

A mix of antique books and DVDs are items you may not necessarily think go together, but when you step inside Barnaby Rudge Booksellers & DVD Rental, you will see why they do. Spend a little time browsing and talking to owner and long-time Laguna Beach resident Ed Postal and you begin to see how they go hand in hand.

The story of how Barnaby Rudge Booksellers began dates back to the early 90s when Ed first started purchasing antique-like books. His interest began to turn into a passion and then a business of seeking out, purchasing and selling antique books, dating as far back as the 15th century, was created. Barnaby Rudge sells books to Universities and major libraries all over the world. as well as many museums, including The Getty. Book appraisals and restoration are also part of the services that Barnaby Rudge provides. They are also members of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, one of only 400 bookstores in the US. Barnaby Rudge is the only antique bookstore left in Orange County.

For many of us history can seem fragmented and isolated when no connection to the present or the future is made. Ed has found just the opposite to be true when you’re able to interact with antique books. He says, “You begin to see how all of history is inter-related and connected (when looking at antique books). Without hundreds of thousands of years of over editorializing you begin to see historical events from both sides.” And for some of us we relate to historical events through film.

Seeing a historical movie can bring an event to life. In many films, the Set Decorators seek out authentic, historical props, like books, to add to films. Barnaby Rudge has been involved in 15 movies and about a dozen TV shows. Ed helped recreate the John Quincy Adams library in the 1997 film Amistad. Another example was in Pirates of the Caribbean II, where a Bible from the late 1700s was featured. You can spot the Bible in a scene where two pirates are reading passages from it while on a dingy boat. Barnaby Rudge sold that Bible to the Set Decorator for the scene.

Barnaby Rudge houses a large independent film selection, a strong classic film section and has all of the “Best Picture” Academy Award winners available. Ed and his staff prescreen all movies that come into the store, so they can truly recommend the right one and give accurate reviews about each film. His clientele like being able to ‘touch’ (it seems like everything is viewed digitally these days!) and hear about what they are going to watch before making a decision. DVD rentals are $3.50 for two nights, or pre-paid packages of 10 for $30, or 20 for $50 are also available.

Whether you’re looking to view a piece of history or watch a highly recommended film, drop in to Barnaby Rudge Booksellers & DVD Rental for a mix of the past, present and future.

Barnaby Rudge

1445 Glenneyre Street

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Toll Free (866) 840-5900, (949) 497-4079

info@barnabyrudge.com

Fun Fact: Barnaby Rudge is a character from a Charles Dickens book of the same name. In 1841, Edgar Allen Poe was the editor of the publication ‘Graham’s Magazine.’ Besides submitting his own writings for the magazine he also reviewed books, one of which was ‘Barnaby Rudge.’ The character Barnaby Rudge always carried a raven in his basket named Rip, and that was the inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe’s poem ‘The Raven.’

By Anne-Marie S.

California Art at Laguna Art Museum

The Laguna Art Museum has deep ties to the history and culture of Laguna Beach. It was in 1918, when a group of artists formed the Laguna Beach Art Association as a way to highlight some of the great artwork that was being produced in Laguna Beach. By 1929, they opened a gallery and in 1951 they expanded that gallery. In 1971 they had obtained non-profit status as a museum and had a healthy collection of artwork. It was in 1986 when the association formally changed their name to Laguna Art Museum. The focus of the Museum is American art with an emphasis on the art of California. In their mission statement they say, “Working within the tradition of the oldest cultural institution in Orange County, Laguna Art Museum documents regional art and places it in a national context. The Museum maintains its historic ties to the community and is responsive, accessible, and relevant to the area’s diverse population.” The Museum now, after 90 plus years, holds one of the most comprehensive collections of California art.

Currently at the Laguna Art Museum, are three exhibits that capture the historical, contemporary and pop culture of Californian and American art.

Extract: Developing Exhibitions from the Collection

OSKAR FISCHINGER ‘Criss-Cross’ 1939, Oil on canvasboard

“Over the years, Laguna Art Museum has been fortunate to take into its collection significant holdings by underrepresented individual artists who, though they have had little art historical attention thus far, have made significant contributions to regional and national art. These holdings have inspired a curatorial interest in the artists' work, enough of an interest to explore the possibility of future exhibitions.

Extract will consist of several small, one-person shows from the Collection by Florence Arnold, George Brandriff, Elanor Colburn, Laddie John Dill, Jules Engel, Oscar Fischinger, Tom Holland, Peter Krasnow, Ruth Peabody, David Simpson, Vic Joachim Smith, Jean St. Pierre, and Chris Wilder. The exhibition will include brief curatorial statements on the importance of each artist's work, and will aim to assess the potential for fully-formed monographic exhibitions.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

While walking through this exhibition, I was struck by the diversity of the works in front of me. Some used non-traditional multi-media mediums, others, modern and geometric in their expression, and even some, like Chris Wilder’s work, ‘White Monochrome Fur Painting,’ were humorous and thought provoking. In fact, On Sunday April 10^th at 1pm visit the Museum for a chance to hear Laddie John Dill and Chris Wilder speak about their work. Click HERE for more information. 

Landscape and Figuration from the Collection: Early to Mid-Twentieth Century 

ELSIE PALMER PAYNE, ‘A Decent Burial’ c. 1942, Watercolor on paper

“Feature exemplar twentieth century works from the Collection ranging from impressionism to modernism. Works from the early part of the century will include several of the Museum's popular impressionist paintings, among them The Old Post Office (c. 1922-23) by Joseph Kleitsch. The exhibition will also feature works by artists who aligned themselves with a more modernist approach in both landscape and figurative works. There will also be several paintings on view that have not been exhibited in many years, including signature works by McClelland Barclay, Conrad Buff, Leland Curtis, Phil Dike, Elsie Palmer Payne, Lee Randolph, Anna Katharine Skeele, and Elmer Wachtel.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition! Seeing some of the landscapes such as McClelland Barclay’s ‘Beach in Moonlight,’ drew me in and made me feel connected to the beauty of the ocean and the spectacular area in which we live.

When you visit the Laguna Art Museum, be sure to take note of the floors in the Museum’s lower level gallery, where the exhibition is located. You’ll notice that the large cement tiles have names stamped into them. The Museum discovered these by accident when they were stripping the floors of carpet to replace with wood. After a bit of research, they found out they were donor tiles from the 30s. No one had any idea that they were there! Some of the families and their stories were identified after the list of names were published in the local paper requesting information on their identity.

Brad Coleman: Reproductions

‘Sheep 1’ 1998, Charcoal on paper

“An attentive look at one series of drawings, Coleman's Sheep series. Upon first glance, the Museum's upper gallery will appear to be occupied by twelve identical drawings of one sheep image. However, with careful observation viewers will begin to see differences in each drawing and will eventually see a noticeable difference between the first and last drawing. The works are inspired by the sheep Dolly, the world's first cloned animal (1996). Coleman begins with a photograph of Dolly. He then makes a drawing based on that photograph. In the next drawing, he attempts to make a meticulous copy of the previous drawing. He continues the cycle with each drawing being a copy of the preceding drawing. Through this rigorous endeavor, slight unintentional variances occur, producing a series that begins with a drawing of a sheep and becomes a drawing of a drawing.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

This was a fascinating exhibition! It was so interesting to watch Coleman take one image and then replicate it once a year for 12 years and base it solely on the previous work. It was amazing to see the metamorphous. You can see subtle differences when looking at each image side by side. Then comparing the first one to the last, you see stark contrasts. Don’t miss this exhibition, you too will be fascinated!

All these wonderful and diverse exhibits are on display until May 15^th.

Visit on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday at 2pm and get a chance to have a guided tour of the exhibits by a docent (FREE with paid admission.)

Have a smart phone? Use it to check-in at the museum and tag a friend and one of you will get in FREE!

The museum is open LATE on FIRST THURSDAYS ART WALK until 9pm. Be sure to drop in for a visit!

By Anne-Marie S.

 

Stepping Back in Time: The Murphy-Smith Bungalow

On a sunny Saturday afternoon I headed to The Murphy-Smith Bungalow  to learn some of the history and stories of our art colony. The unassuming Murphy-Smith Bungalow is situated at 278 Ocean Avenue, between Wells Fargo Bank and Whole Foods. Although it may not appear to be much, once you hear its history and see some of the historical paraphernalia on the inside of the home, your appreciation grows. The Bungalow happens to also be the home of the Laguna Beach Historical Society which has volunteer docents available on weekends to speak with visitors.

It is estimated that the Murphy-Smith Bungalow was built around 1923, and the architecture was very typical of the time. Up until the 50s much of the downtown area on and around Ocean Avenue (now shopping and restaurants) was residential. The Murphy-Smith Bungalow was built for the Murphy family and at the time it was constructed, it didn’t have running water. In fact, they used a cistern for water. It was Blanch Clapp Smith who added running water to the home.

Much of the kitchen is still working.

Inside, the Bungalow is decorated in a 20s and 30s style, has hardwood flooring, and several cases of historical artifacts from Laguna Beach.

The docent on the day of my visit, Kathy Smith (no relation to the Smith family associated with the Bungalow), was a delight to talk with about the history of the Bungalow. She has a passion and love for history, art and Laguna Beach. She pointed out a photo taken in 1938, showing Franklin Roosevelt on PCH during a parade through town. I had no idea that he had ever visited Laguna Beach. Another photo was from 1928, showing the school house and all of the children gathered in front. Many of the children were barefoot, probably from running on the beach. A display case in the living room held other interesting pieces of history. There were bathing suites from the early 20s, thickly woven, nearly full body suites.

Several copper pieces from the 1930s up until the 1960s. Many were made from the copper factory that was in the canyon.

Kathy also told me the story of the Bungalow’s cellar.It is said that during the time of prohibition that the cellar was used by Mr. Murphy to store and sell bootlegged liquor. Kathy lifted up a corner of the area rug and showed me the ‘trap door’ for going below, into the cellar.  Mr. Murphy was also quite the ladies man. Below is a picture of him in the front yard of the house with two Flapper girls.

Mr. Murphy and Flapper Girls

Eventually, the Bungalow was sold to Claudia Clapp who then sold it to her daughter, Blanch Clapp Smith. During World War II, Mrs. Clapp Smith rented out one of the bedrooms of the house to service personnel and their wives who could not find housing. She was a very traditional lady and rumor has it that she requested that the husbands sleep in the living room on the couch, while the wives were to stay in the bedroom.

Guest room used for boarders during WWII.

Mrs. Smith remained living in the Bungalow until her death in 1990. She was a fixture in the community and some residents still remember her sweeping her front porch, gardening in her backyard and chatting with neighborhood folks.

The Historical Society is constantly adding new items to the Bungalow and are always happy to answer your questions. The Bungalow is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.

On your next visit to Laguna Beach be sure to schedule in a visit to The Murphy-Smith Bungalow and take a step back in time.

By: Anne-Marie S.