Reevaluating The Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego

When it comes to tourism, the Gaslamp Quarter is just behind the beaches when it comes to gravitational pull. Especially at night, tourists flock to this downtown area for the many restaurants and bars that fill the historic streets of this once “colorful” (aka seedy) part of town.



Walking around with a camera, you will find plenty of architectural details to shoot.



The kind you don’t find in the newer boxy high-rises that are popping up all over town, ruining the skyline and character of the quaint San Diego neighborhoods. And let’s not get into what they are doing for the street parking and traffic…



Back to the topic at hand…



Small branded details like this are a huge plus with me:



The fact that gritty art like this can still be found not only harks back to the once not-so-family friendly nature of the Gaslamp, but also helps give a quirkiness that counters the homogenous feel of some of the national chains that have invaded here over the years.



Last weekend, I got out of my introverted bubble to attend the Gaslamp Pet Parade, thanks to my friend Thomas.



Beau is not an introvert.



The parade was adorable. This type of thing is so California.



Santa was on hand…



and one of his elves, handing out candy canes (I wonder if they are organic?):



The pets and their owners were quite creative:












After the parade finished, I snapped a few more shots of the historic buildings that have survived, like this one from 1913:



closer:



…and closer for the interesting details one would typically miss from the street, just walking (or staggering) by.



I have often avoided the Gaslamp for its touristy reputation, but it pays to revisit and reevaluate every so often. I had a blast!
 
See more Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and Santa

Back in the day, famous stars like Shirley Temple had to do their share of holiday publicity shots. This darling photo from 1934 (before the Twentieth Century as added to Fox!), little Shirley sleeps through Santa’s visit. The stylist for this photo was on point; notice the clock has been set to midnight.



While I was overwhelmed in trying to find out info about the Nativity painting hanging over the mantel, I was able to find the Popeye toy in the stocking on ebay; it’s a J. Chein Popeye Boxing Punching Bag Wind-up Toy. J. Chein & Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1903 through the 1980s, best remembered for their mechanical toys made from stamped and lithographed tin produced from the 1930s—1950s. If you’d like one of these for yourself, there’s currently one on ebay for the bargain price of $1,495!



Couldn’t match the paper doll book either. Am guessing it was one of the many that Saalfield publishers printed.



By 1937, Shirley was old enough to be awake at midnight. Wait! The clock says two-thirty; who was in charge of styling this photo?!? I am surprised that no Shirley dolls are in sight under the tree; I guess 20th Century-Fox was not interested in promoting the Ideal Toy Company.



Shirley’s last Christmas shoot at Fox was in 1939; Santa was relegated to a silhouette, and Shirley was sound asleep!



If you celebrate, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

See more holiday Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Christmas at the Lafayette

At Thanksgiving, I saw the Lafayette install a sleigh and reindeer on top of their sign out front of the Hotel. I incorrectly assumed that they were doing a token nod to Christmas.



I couldn’t have been more wrong. Going back for an early breakfast at Beginner’s Diner this weekend, it appeared as if I was at the North Pole! This incredible gingerbread house (patterned after the historic hotel itself) sits inside the entrance:



The lobby was adorned with ornaments and garland. Too much? Well, it is the Lafayette, and their theme does appear to be “more is more.” It works.



This empty little area that sits to the side of the lobby is normally empty and a bit sad looking, devoid of purpose.



Now, it appears to be the perfect place for a visit to Santa; or maybe just a Christmas selfie. I didn’t see any signage about appearances by Mr. Claus.



On the right side of this nook are a variety of vintage Christmas albums; do you see any that you recognize from days gone by?



Another selfie opportunity awaits in the courtyard outside the Gutter bowling alley and bar:



Inside the trophy case sits Santa; do you see your name? Looks like Steve has nothing but coal in his future.



The lobby bar has trees, too…HANGING FROM THE CEILING!



Garland has been strewn across the Olympic-sized Johnny Weissmuller pool:



There are nods to the Jewish faith as well, near the pool:



…and on the lobby mantel:



If you’re in the San Diego area over the holidays, be sure to stop by the Lafayette!

See more Lafayette Hotel and Club photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and Santa

Every star/starlet had to do their share of publicity photos, and Shirley Temple was no exception to the rule. For the 1939 holiday season, Shirley posed for these shots at 20th Century-Fox. This would be her last Christmas shoot for the studio before her first “retirement” in 1940. Even though Shirley musters all the excitement and anticipation of a little girl peering through the stairs to catch a glimpse of Santa, we all know it’s a lot of hooey. As Shirley herself admitted years later:

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.



I call this one “O Holy Night.” Yes, stars were allowed to do religious photos.



These two previously posted shots show a much younger Shirley, this time posing as Santa Claus herself:



Shirley looks like she could barely squeeze through this chimney; how would Santa have ever made it?!?



In later years, Shirley authorized The Danbury Mint to produce a porcelain doll that faithfully recreated the vintage still and appropriately titled it “Santa’s Helper”:



Final one for today shows Shirley posing with a gigantic teddy bear, wearing the beautiful red velvet coat ensemble from “Heidi”:



Selling for $10,000, this beauty came up for auction in 2015:



From the Theriault’s catalog description:

RED VELVET COAT, BONNET AND BOOTS WORN BY SHIRLEY TEMPLE IN THE 1937 FILM "HEIDI"

Of luxurious burgundy velvet, the coat features a fitted double-breasted bodice with soutache loop closures and flared skirt. The coat is decorated with rich sable collar and hem border. Along with a matching bonnet with silk streamers and a pair of high velvet boots with sable trim. The extraordinary luxury costume, designed by Gwen Wakeling, was worn by Heidi (Shirley Temple) during a winter sleigh ride through Frankfurt when suddenly she hears Grandfather calling out for her, and she frantically begins to look for him.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

That’s What I Want For Christmas

This is definitely a different holiday season than those experienced in years past. Many are separated from family members and friends because of the pandemic. Today’s post shows photos from my first white Christmas, circa 1966. My brothers wore a different kind of mask back then. Mom bundled us up like the Michelin Man so that we could brave the cold weather that our San Diego family had not yet grown accustomed to.

I’m not sure which department store this was, but most likely it was Wanamaker’s or Gimbels.

So many details to look at here! In the background is a brand new sled, which would not have been practical for us when we lived in San Diego. For Philadelphia and the hill in our backyard: perfect! I still remember that game, Bop the Beetle; if you weren’t careful, the mouth would clamp down hard on your hand. Ouch!

My Fisher-Price school bus is in the foreground. I put a lot of miles on that toy! In the background is the Hot Wheels racetrack that we were also given that year.

It’s now been a year since I have been able to see my mom in person; she’s still on the East Coast. My Christmas wish this year is that things clear so that we can all travel to those that we care about. While Zoom and other programs provide a virtual connection, nothing replaces a hug or an in-person visit.

My Christmas portrait with Willis from last year.

While I know that some of my readers don’t celebrate Christmas, I still hope that they can enjoy the spirit of the season, which is universal no matter what religion you do or don’t subscribe to. Let’s be grateful for blessings, be kind to others, and do our best to spend time with those that we care about (whether in-person or virtually). This once-a-year reminder is a good start to what we all hope is a better year. I will leave you with one of my favorite holiday songs, “Ave Maria,” sung by the incomparable Karen Carpenter. Yes, I love her voice and I’m a geek. Deal with it.

See more Daveland photos at my main website.