header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
April 4
1893 - Large earthquake centered in Pico Canyon; locals believed oil drilling caused it [story]
map


In December 2012, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will open “Becoming Los Angeles” (working title) in a permanent hall that illustrates the city’s transformation by exploring its cultural and ecological histories — and illuminating their interconnectedness. Powerful storytelling, contemporary design, exceptional objects, and multi-media will allow visitors to interact with the exhibition, and by extension, contemporary Los Angeles, in real time.

“When Becoming Los Angeles opens a year from now, Los Angeles County will have, for the first time, a permanent museum exhibition dedicated to telling the stories of Southern California, providing residents and tourists with a major resource for understanding L.A., and how L.A., in turn, shapes and influences the rest of the world,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

The Museum’s unparalleled collection of early Southern California artifacts, as well as its extraordinary scientific specimens, will be the foundation of the new 14,000-square-foot exhibition, delving into 500 years of Los Angeles history from European contact to its rise as a global capital.

Inside a suite of four galleries in the Museum’s newly-renovated 1913 and 1920s buildings, a visually striking canopy will symbolize the sweep of history and lead visitors through the exhibit’s major sections or historical eras: the pre-Spanish landscape; Mission Era; Mexican Rancho Era; the early years of the American Period; the emergence of a new American city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; and L.A. as a global city of the 21st century. This canopy will touch down at four points, triggering the walkthrough experience from once section to the next. Iconic objects at these trigger points include a cross from Mission San Gabriel and an inscribed sword from the Mexican war of independence. Other important objects in the exhibit include a wooden oil well pump from a 1920s Los Angeles city oil field, and Walt Disney’s animation stand that was built in his uncle’s L.A. garage in 1923. (Disney used it to film “Steamboat Willie,” the first cartoon released that featured Mickey Mouse.)

The exhibition ends with a summation of recurring themes and an interactive multi-media experience that combines historic themes with a real-time component. By juxtaposing the past and present, the exhibition engages visitors in imagining what the future holds for Los Angeles.

Becoming Los Angeles follows the successful openings of Age of Mammals and the new Dinosaur Hall, and will be a key museum experience leading up to the Museum’s centennial in 2013. The exhibition is a dynamic collaboration among NHM experts, designers, and educators — with lead curator and NHM History and Anthropology Division Chief Dr. Margaret Hardin; lead historian and History Department Chair and Curator Dr. William Estrada; and NHM Creative Director Simon Adlam, who is responsible for design, development, and project management.

“There are a lot of ways to tell the stories of a city, but nobody has told one quite like this,” said Dr. Jane Pisano, NHM President and Director. “We will use our historical treasures as touchstones to explore the development of Los Angeles, weaving its natural and cultural developments into one narrative. And we’ll illuminate the causality between them — people’s actions and their impact on the environment, and the way natural events spiral back to affect human society.”

 

Unraveling Los Angeles at NHM

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has been collecting Los Angeles history for generations, and will use a wide spectrum of material culture — family heirlooms, everyday housewares, tools, toys, cars, movie- making equipment, and other machines dating back to before the founding of the city in 1781 — creating a visceral experience of Angelenos and their stories. In fact, throughout much of the Museum’s nearly 100-year history, it was the only place pioneering L.A. organizations and families could donate their historic treasures.

A number of extraordinary collections came to NHM from the Chamber of Commerce, for example, and families including the Coronels, Temples, and del Valles.  Rare objects, many of them never before  displayed in public, will be on view from the Native American, Spanish colonial, Mexican, and early American periods, the emerging motion picture industry, early L.A. city and county government records, automotive and aviation history, and photographs that document the landscapes and communities of Southern California in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The design and multimedia components of the new exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to get up close to the objects and hear the first-person stories that bore witness to the historic events that have shaped Los Angeles. Some of these stories are well-known, such as how the acquisition of water through the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 influenced our contemporary suburban sprawl. Other natural and human influences might surprise visitors: how cattle, the Gold Rush, floods, plagues of grasshoppers, railroads, and outlandish booster campaigns all played a part in transforming the region into an agricultural empire. “The Museum has always been L.A.’s repository for housing its rich treasures from the past,” says exhibit lead historian, Dr. William Estrada. “It is now time for these treasures to come out and tell their stories.”

During  NHM’s centennial year (2013), the stories of Los Angeles’ transformation told in the exhibit will be complemented with an extensive series of public and educational programs, and partnerships with local historical organizations. Panel discussions as well as a social media series are some of the components that will surround the opening of the new exhibition hall.

Becoming Los Angeles, presented in the Kevin Sharer Hall, has been made possible by grants from The Ahmanson Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and the W. M. Keck Foundation.

 

About the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County serves nearly one million families and visitors annually, and is a national leader in research, exhibitions and education. The Museum was the first dedicated museum building in Los Angeles, opening its doors in 1913. It has amassed one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history — with more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years. The Natural History Family of Museums includes the NHM (Exposition Park), the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Hancock Park/Mid-Wilshire), and the William S. Hart Park and Museum (Newhall, California).

NHM is located at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90007. For more information, visit NHM’s website at www.nhm.org or call (213) 763-DINO.

 

The NHM Next Campaign

NHM is now more than halfway through its transformation. The milestone re-opening of the Beaux Arts 1913 Building began in Summer 2010 with Age of Mammals and new exhibitions inside the iconic Haaga Family Rotunda. In Summer 2011, the Museum opened its new Dinosaur Hall. Becoming Los Angeles will open in December 2012. The year of NHM’s 100th anniversary, 2013, will see the debuts of: the North Campus, 3½ acres of nature and urban wildlife experiences that will increase the Museum’s public space by 50 percent; the Nature Lab, their indoor component; and the glass-encased Otis Booth Pavilion.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


LOS ANGELES COUNTY HEADLINES
Friday, Apr 4, 2025
The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector reminds Santa Clarita Valley residents that the second installment of the 2024-25 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes delinquent if not paid by Thursday, April 10.
Thursday, Apr 3, 2025
April 30 will be the final day for submitting comments regarding the updating of Los Angeles County Floodplain Management.
Thursday, Apr 3, 2025
Among several important issues presented at its Tuesday, April 8 regular board meeting, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear recommendations on establishing a unified permitting authority for the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Permitting Center relating to properties impacted by the Eaton Fire.
Wednesday, Apr 2, 2025
Los Angeles Health Services has released its 2024 Annual Report, showcasing a year of exemplary achievements in patient care, innovation, and community health.
Wednesday, Apr 2, 2025
The LA County Arts Internship Program will invest over $1.6 million to fund 228 university and community college internships, providing students with paid on-the-job experience in the arts and creative sector at over 170 nonprofit organizations starting this summer. Applications for interested students are open now.

Keep Up With Our Facebook
Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
The Santa Clarita Valley Family History & Genealogy Fair, an annual free genealogy fair hosted by the Valencia FamilySearch Center, will be held on Saturday, April 26, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
April 26: SCV Family History, Genealogy Fair
The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector reminds Santa Clarita Valley residents that the second installment of the 2024-25 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes delinquent if not paid by Thursday, April 10.
April 10: Second Half of L.A. County Property Taxes Due
The 52nd Annual Frontier Toyota Henry Mayo Golf Classic will host a $20 per ball Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 at Valencia Country Club.
May 10: Frontier Toyota Henry Mayo Golf Classic Golf Ball Drop
Residents wanting to wear their Santa Clarita pride can now shop online at the city of Santa Clarita City Store. The store offers a variety of city-branded merchandise options, including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, totes and more.
Santa Clarita Opens Online Merchandise Store
Explore the world by traveling to the Canyon Country Community Center for the Celebrate event series. Experience different customs and cultures, no plane ticket needed.
Travel the World in 2025 with the Celebrate Passport
After three successful years guiding the Teton Ranch Conservancy, Executive Director Jaron Cramer will be stepping down from his position effective Friday, April 18.
Tejon Ranch Conservancy Leadership Transition Announced
The Santa Clarita City Council will meet in open session on Tuesday, April 8 at City Hall to consider sending a letter, signed by all city council members, to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors regarding Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy vacancies and encouraging the board to make investments in enhancing LASD retention and strengthening recruitment efforts.
April 8: City Council to Discuss Letter on LASD Vacancies to County Supes
1893 - Large earthquake centered in Pico Canyon; locals believed oil drilling caused it [story]
map
California State University, Northridge’s Department of Theatre will host Native Voices, the only professional theatre company in the United States devoted to bringing Indigenous playwrights, 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, to perform “To Indigeneity and Beyond!”
April 7: Native Voices to Perform at CSUN
The William S. Hart Union High School District has announced that Anthony Eslao, a senior at Golden Valley High School, has been awarded the distinguished California Scholarship Federation Seymour Award. Additionally, Matthew Thomas De Guzman, also from Golden Valley, has been recognized as a Seymour Award finalist.
Golden Valley Student Wins CSF Seymour Award
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo’s bill, D-Chatsworth, the Expediting State Housing Permits Act (AB 301) was passed as part of a major package of housing legislation aimed at tackling the state’s housing crisis.
Schiavo Joins Forces with Rivas to Expedite Housing Development
The Department of Water Resources conducted the all-important April snow survey on Wednesday, April 2, the fourth measurement of the season at Phillips Station.
DWR April Snow Survey Shows California at 110% of Average
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites you to an elegant evening of wine, dinner and song atthe annual Cabaret & Cabernet benefit “The Beat Goes On,” on Saturday, April 26, 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Valencia.
April  26: ‘The Beat Goes On’ Master Chorale Cabaret & Cabernet Benefit
Visit the Santa Clarita Public Library Valencia branch, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 for a "Alice's Looking Glass" crafting session.
April 8: ‘Alice’s Looking Glass’ Craft Session at Valencia Library
Join the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce for a Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting at Monarch Beauty Academy, Thursday, April 24 at 4 p.m.
April 24: Monarch Beauty Academy Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting
For the third year in a row, The Master's University's basketball player Kaleb Lowery has been named an NAIA All-American, this time on the First Team.
Lowery Named First Team All-American
Lief Labs, a premier formulation and product development innovator and manufacturer of dietary supplements, has announced the launch of its 2025 Brand Boost Guide which offers tips, guidance and resources to support dietary supplement brands in identifying potential sales growth and risk management strategies.
Lief Labs Launches 2025 Brand Boost Guide
The Master's University men's volleyball team completed the sweep of its old rival with a 25-11, 25-21, 25-19 controlling of the Arizona Christian Firestorm Saturday afternoon, March 29 in Glendale, Arizona.
Mustangs Complete Sweep on Arizona Trip
Arbor Day is more than just a celebration, it’s a commitment to our future. Every year, communities across the world come together to plant trees, promote environmental stewardship and enhance the landscapes that make our cities and towns more beautiful and livable.
Jason Gibbs | Celebrate Arbor Day in Santa Clarita
April 30 will be the final day for submitting comments regarding the updating of Los Angeles County Floodplain Management.
April 30: Deadline for Comments on Floodplain Management
Among several important issues presented at its Tuesday, April 8 regular board meeting, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear recommendations on establishing a unified permitting authority for the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Permitting Center relating to properties impacted by the Eaton Fire.
April 8: Supes to Consider Altadena One-Stop Recovery Permitting Center
1917 - Castaic post office established inside Sam Parson's general store [story]
General Store
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a nationwide initiative that highlights the dangers of distracted driving and promotes safer driving habits.
April 7-14: CHP MEP for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
One of the things that makes the city of Santa Clarita such a great place to live, work and play, is the wide range of amenities we offer our community.
Ken Striplin | A Library Without Walls for a City Without Limits
SCVNews.com