As you might guess, Hollywood is known for its cinematic history and culture which has spread its influence world wide for almost 100 years. In the heart of Hollywood, there are lots of iconic places to visit, but some of them are hidden from the view of the casual tourist.
Last month, Mr. Scott Haskins and his team from Fine Art Conservation Laboratories were busy restoring a famous and important public art mural across from the Hollywood Bowl and up the street from the ultra-famous (Grauman’s) Chinese Theater. While working on the 1988 mural painted as a memorial to the successful research that controlled AIDS, entitled “Blue Moon Trilogy,” eventhough they work in the Hollywood area a lot, they were surprised to find these previously unknown amazing historical gems:
Its, of course, kind of a crazy neighborhood, located only a few blocks away from the epicenter of “Old Hollywood” where the handprints and inscriptions of mega Hollywood Stars are photographed by millions of tourists. Tourists crowd the streets at Hollywood Blvd. and Vine, where the police often block off the streets to automotive traffic and where so many activities are happening. In fact, during the time they were there working on this high-profile mural restoration project for the city of Los Angeles, there were a couple of red-carpet openings for new movies. Streets were shut down, the mega-search lights were brought out and the crowds went crazy to see the actors. Although the art conservators never joined, seeing all these activities made working in the area more fun.
And what is more interesting for a movie lover than discovering the first movie studio in Hollywood?!?!? Its discovery was a funny story… the studio is located in the same parking lot that they park in to do their restoration project? They didn‘t even know it existed until after a week that they were working there!!!
An old ranch-style building at the end of the parking lot turned out to be the first movie studio in Hollywood, and the famous director Cecil B DeMille had his office in this building. Director Cecil B DeMille was famous for the movies Cleopatra (1963) and The 10 Commandments (1956)! Among many other blockbuster, history making movies.
The 1st Movie Studio in Hollywood
Once it was discovered what the old building was, Mr. Haskins visited the historical museum to chat with the curator. Imagine a renown art conservator “talking shop” with a curator of old Hollywood about their incredible stories and who they know and have worked with!!! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall!”
And if you have seen the movies Cleopatra and The 10 Commandments, you can imagine the amazing and the valuable art collection that resulted from those movies. At one point, Mr. Haskins was left to himself (trusted as a professional not to touch anything!) by the curator and was allowed to explore the collectibles all out in the open on display without protection!
Art Conservator Scott M. Haskins
In 1948-1949, Director Cecil B. Demille asked Norman Rockwell for help in marketing a new motion picture called Samson & Delilah. Rockwell chose the film's climax, in which biblical Samson pulls down the temple's pillars, killing himself, Delilah, and the 3,000 Philistines who plotted against him. (Judges, Chapter 13-16)
The Samson and Delilah poster reminded Mr. Haskins of the original work of art
by illustrator Norman Rockwell he saw at the gallery of one of his clients.
