Pool Time at the Roosevelt

With temperatures in the 70s now, this 1956 image showing famous pool at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel seems appropriate. Both the hotel and the pool have been designated Historic-Cultural Monuments by the City's Cultural Heritage Commission. In 1988, famed British painter David Hockney completed a multi-million dollar mural on the bottom of the Tropicana Pool. Unfortunately, none of the photos in today’s post show that mural. Instead, you see three chaps lounging by the life-ring hanging on a palm tree. I wonder how often it got tossed into the pool during a drunken revel?



Another circa 1950’s shot of the pool, same angle:



These two ladies were kind enough to pose for the camera before they began soaking up some of that Hollywood sunshine.



A view of the pool taken during my first stay at the Roosevelt in 2008:



Like so many other Hotels in Hollywood, claims to have had the likes of Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn, Montgomery Clift, and other movie legends walk its historic halls. One thing that is verifiable is that the Hotel played host to the very first Academy Awards Ceremony in its Blossom Room on May 16, 1929.

See more Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel photos at my main website.

A Dip in the Disneyland Hotel Pool

As we get closer to summer and temperatures continue to rise, a dip in the pool sounds mighty good. How about the one at the Disneyland Hotel? This February 1959 image shows some suits standing at the edge of it, ignoring the beauty of the blue waters. What are those pink and aqua curtains?

At the entry area to the pool, you would have seen this sign for the Coral Club, which explains those exclusive little curtained cabanas in the previous shot:

10am to 6pm? There goes my early morning swim.

See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Mrs. Voorhees Goes To Palm Springs

Betsy Palmer, best known as the mother of Jason from the “Friday the 13th” franchise, posed here at the Palm Springs Biltmore Hotel in 1955:

FUN IN THE SUN — Betsy Palmer, Columbia actress and New York TV star, enjoys the desert sun while in California for Columbia’s Cinemascope Technicolor story of West Point, “The Long Gray Line,” in which she makes her film debut. Tyrone Power and Maureen O’Hara co-star and John Ford directed. Location scenes were photographed at West Point.

One year earlier, it was actress Virginia Mayo doing the same, revealing a bit more skin:

Virginia Mayo poses for the still cameraman beside the pool at the Biltmore Hotel in Palm Springs, where the company stayed while on location for desert scenes for THE SILVER CHALICE, a Victor Saville production for Warner Bros. Virginia co-stars with Jack Palace and Paul Newman in the film.

On the site Palm Springs Lost Buildings site, comes this info about the hotel which has since been demolished:

Once again the City of Palm Springs has had little regard for the City’s architectural history and stood by and let an important landmark be destroyed. The Biltmore Hotel designed by architect Fred Monhoff in 1948 and the last remaining grand hotel in Palm Springs went under the bulldozer [in 2003]. In a flagrant violation of California State Law, the City allowed Nexus Properties, who…purchased the Biltmore in bankruptcy court, to start demolition without so much as a permit to do so. The City claims that an abatement order issued in 2001 that required the then current owner to take action to resolve issues of neglect and vandalism was enough to allow the demolition even though the abatement specifically stated that a permit must be filed before any construction or demolition occurred. The California State law that the City violated, specifically the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), requires that historic structures must have an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared prior to issuing a permit for renovation or demolition — this was not done. The EIR specifically requires that alternatives to demolition be considered, including rehabilitation and/or adaptive reuse. The Biltmore Hotel was a well-known historic site, having been featured in several books on mid –century architecture including “Palm Springs Weekend;” a book that chronicles the unique mid-century modern architecture that has made Palm Springs famous. The Biltmore was also listed in the Riverside County Historic Resources Survey prepared in the 1980s and more recently in a 2001 Palm Springs Historic Structures Inventory. So claims by certain City officials that “they did not know” that the Biltmore was of significant stature architecturally are totally absurd.

I don’t know; I wouldn’t have messed with a property that had once been visited by Mrs. Voorhees.

See more Palm Springs photos at my main website.

Working Off The Beignets

Over the holidays, I packed on a number of unsightly pounds. It took awhile, but about a month ago I got back into my routine of hitting the gym and running. Then…along came a trip to New Orleans for the UCDA Conference. Shedding pounds and visiting The Big Easy are polar opposites. What to do? I began searching for gyms online, as my previous three trips to New Orleans (all pre-Katrina) had been exercise-free. The best choice seemed to be The New Orleans Athletic Club located on the edge of the French Quarter.



Built in 1929, this amazing facility couldn't have been any better. Hands down, it is the best gym I have ever gone to.



The historic swanky looking entrance:



The library reading room where you can relax with a cup of java while reading the newspaper before your workout:



Even though the building is from 1929, it is kept very clean.



Before we take a look at ALLLLL the equipment, let's look at the beautiful details, like this light fixture:



the tile:



an art deco arch above one of the cardio rooms:



the pillar with the New Orleans Athletic Club (aka NOAC) logo:



a historic cornerstone:



awards:



a vintage information board:



And now let's check out the facility itself. A workout room:



A dedicated leg room:



One of the largest workout rooms...



with a track above for running:



I LOVED the pool:





It looked like something out of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes":



Back to NOAC…a boxing ring:



Even a little restaurant:



This post doesn't even begin to cover all that is here, let alone the VERY nice staff. Thanks NOAC for helping me keep the pounds off!

Want to see more of this fantastic gym? Run on over to my main website to see the rest of my pictures.

More Arizona Biltmore

The right nighttime lighting can truly be transformational. The Arizona Biltmore Hotel is beautiful during the day, but add in a dark blue sky, dramatic lighting, and a huge Christmas tree and you really have something spectacular.



The ominous clouds and pink hues of sunset perfectly frame the back patio area.



This little sculpture shown below has a most interesting history. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and sculpted by Alfonso Iannelli, this Sprite was one of many created for Chicago's Midway Gardens in 1914. The Gardens went out of business and in 1929 all was bulldozed into Lake Michigan; fortunately a few of the Sprites were saved. Shipped to Taliesin West in Phoenix, they were restored and recast, with eight being sent to The Arizona Biltmore. This one resides near the pool.



These two can be found at the back of the hotel:



I spent a lot of time photographing the pool at night, too.



I ALMOST wished I had a tripod (I really despise them, as they make on-the-spot shots very difficult and take too much time to set-up), but instead used nearby objects for steadying the camera for the required long exposures.



The balcony view from my room, showing a different pool:



The nighttime lighting also brings out the contrast in sculptor Emry Kopta's concrete Biltmore blocks, used all over the property:



Sunrise at the property is pretty impressive, too.



My early morning swim in the heated pool felt fantastic. What a way to wakeup!



See more Daveland Arizona Biltmore photos at my main website.

Chateau Marmont Pool

Although the Chateau may not have the largest pool, it is certainly one of the most beautifully landscaped ones.

For more Chateau Marmont photos, visit my main website.