May 28 2022
Happy birthday, Small World! 🎈 The colorful “It’s a Small World” attraction first opened in Disneyland on this day, May 28, 1966, following its successful showing at the New York’s ’64-’65 World’s Fair UNICEF salute at the Pepsi-Cola pavilion. In the opening ceremony, children from around the world in traditional costumes joined Walt Disney. Water that …
May 24 2022
On May 24, 1941, American legend of song and 2016 Nobel Literature Prize winner Bob Dylan was born. With music of gold and his lyrics of pure poetry, Dylan has been an influence on artists of all walks of life and will continue to shine for a long, long time. Take Bringing It All Back …
May 24 2022
George Katsutoshi Nakashima created wood furniture with reverence and patience, sometimes keeping boards of wood around his workshop until their true essence was revealed to him. The furniture designer was born in Spokane, Washington on May 24, 1905 and passed away on June 15, 1990. Even though he started designing furniture opposed to the popular concept of modern …
May 02 2022
Born into a talented Indian family, Satyajit Ray is not only regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, but he was also a screenwriter, author, music composer, illustrator, and calligrapher. His most well known films include his debut self-financed film Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), Apur Sansar, (The World of Apu) (1959), The Music Room (1958), The Big …
Apr 27 2022
Walking the Streets of Moscow (Я шагаю по Москве, Ya shagayu po Moskve) is a lighthearted look at everyday city life in Moscow for youth in the ’60s. We see an opening scene in the airport, city sidewalks in the rain, taxi rides through the streets, evening traffic flows, and a concert in Gorky park. …
Apr 26 2022
Happy birthday to minimalist architect Peter Zumthor, born on this day April 26, 1943 in Basel, Switzerland. Peter Zumthor designed a graceful, stilted building to tell the story of Norway’s Allmannajuvet Gorge Zinc Mine, which operated from 1881 to 1899. He also designed the nearby café for the museum with the same elegant grace. Zumthor commented …
Apr 24 2022
Happy birthday to the illustrious Shirley MacLaine, born on this day April 24, 1934 in Richmond, Virginia. In celebration, I’m sharing one of my favorite Shirley MacLaine classics, Gambit, starring the exceptional duo of MacLaine and Michael Caine. Between the superb acting and the wonderful 1960’s design, I can’t help but be drawn to it. And …
Apr 08 2022
Born on this day April 8, 1892 in Vienna, renowned architect Richard Neutra, a prominent figure in the mid-century modern movement, was revered for his harmonious approach to architecture. His iconic designs, known for their balance between form and function, have influenced the architectural landscape. Particularly noteworthy is his masterpiece, the Kaufmann Desert House in …
Feb 22 2022
We are used to the words “totem pole” to mean those long poles with carved figures on them. Usually we see totem poles with wings from birds or other animals. But in the Pacific islands, these pole structures are called Tiki poles or Tiki totem poles. Tiki totem poles from the islands of the Pacific …
Feb 13 2022
Two people are credited with bringing all things Tiki to North America. They are Victor Bergeron and Ernest Gantt. Gantt later change his name to Donn Beach. It was rumored he wanted a more Pacific type of name. Don the Beachcomber started traveling the South Pacific, the Caribbean, and other tropical places to find anything …
