Architecture Field Trip - Alhambra and San Gabriel

On occasion I am in Alhambra and neighboring San Gabriel, mainly to eat at a favorite Vietnamese restaurant or to shop at an Asian market. I try to combine my errands with a little art/architecture spotting.

Here in this post, some planned site visits and a couple roadside finds.

Alhambra City Hall 111 S 1st St. Architect: William Allen, 1960

The Alhambra City Hall is in the architecture style of New Formalism. You can’t go wrong with viewing from 1st or 2nd St. - the building presents well from both elevations, breezeblock interest on all sides.

First Baptist Church of Alhambra 101 S Atlantic Blvd, 1960

This mid-century church was a roadside find in Alhambra with the tall steeple catching my eye from afar.

Norge Cleaners of San Gabriel          905 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel CA

This globe marks Norge Dry Cleaners and Laundry. I found the following info @roadarch_com website:

“Norge Village Laundry & Dry Cleaners was a nationwide laundromat chain that originated in Chicago. The laundromats used equipment produced by the Norge Appliance Company division of the Borg-Warner Corporation. Norge was a well-known and reliable brand by the 1950s. The first Norge Village Laundry opened in 1960.

In 1962, Rohm & Haas developed these plexiglass signs with polka dots. They are commonly referred to as "Norge Balls." They are about four feet in diameter. While the polka dots remind many people of Wonder Bread wrappers, they most likely represented soap bubbles. These signs revolved and were lit from the inside. They were usually mounted on freestanding poles but many were also installed on the laundromat's roof.”

Jeffs Sporting Goods 865 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel CA

I’ve passed by the Googie sign for Jeff’s Sporting Goods before but only recently had a chance to stop for a photo.

This LA Magazine 2013 article details how Goody's coffee shop was converted into Jeff's sporting goods. The store has been family owned and operated since 1947 but moved to this location in 2013.

Millard Sheets mural, Alhambra, CA 401 E. Valley Blvd

I was out Millard Sheets mural spotting before a shopping errand. The good people at the Las Tunas Chase Bank pointed me to this mural at the Alhambra Branch.

The initial “SH” in lower left of the mural refer to artist Susan Hertel who worked in Sheets’ studio. Hertel was a student of Sheets's at Scripps and graduated in 1952. In the mid-fifties she went to work for him and stayed on for 30 years, as both an artist and administrator, taking over as president after Sheets retired. She was responsible for many of the stained glass pieces in the Home Savings buildings and was also "the primary designer of mosaics," working closely with Dennis O'Connor.

Huntington Palms, Garden Apartments at 1600 W Huntington Dr.

Great mid-century detail abounds at this garden apartment on Huntington Dr. On the exterior: Eye-catching apartment font on the exterior and door handle, stone facade on front and under staircase, entryway wallpaper, light fixture and plantings.