Ebell of Los Angeles

Last updated
Ebell of Los Angeles
Ebell of Los Angeles, Los Angeles.JPG
Ebell of Los Angeles, Wilshire frontage
Location743 S. Lucerne Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
Coordinates 34°3′42″N118°19′27″W / 34.06167°N 118.32417°W / 34.06167; -118.32417
Built1927
ArchitectHunt, Sumner P.; Schofield Engineering & Construction
Architectural styleItalian Renaissance
NRHP reference No. 94000401 [1]
LAHCM No.250
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 6, 1994
Designated LAHCM1982-08-25 [2]

The Ebell of Los Angeles is a women-led and women-centered nonprofit housed in a historic campus in the Mid-Wilshire section of Los Angeles, California. It includes numerous performance spaces, meeting rooms, classrooms, and the 1,238-seat Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The Ebell works to uplift the Los Angeles community through arts, learning, and service.

Contents

The campus has been owned and operated since 1927 by the Ebell of Los Angeles women's organization, which was formed in Los Angeles in 1894. [3] Since 1927, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre has hosted musical performances and lectures by world leaders and top artists. Among other events, the Ebell was the site of aviator Amelia Earhart's last public appearance before attempting the 1937 around-the-world flight during which she disappeared. It is also the place where Judy Garland was discovered while performing as Baby Frances Gumm in the 1930s.

Formation and early years

Original Ebell Club, on Figueroa Street in Downtown L.A. Exterior view of the Ebell Club, a two-story Spanish colonial building on Figueroa Street, ca.1900-1909 (CHS-5319).jpg
Original Ebell Club, on Figueroa Street in Downtown L.A.

Ebell of Los Angeles was formed as a women's club in 1894, based on the principles and teachings of Adrian Ebell, a pioneer in women's education and organizing women's societies in the late 19th century. Harriet Williams Russell Strong was a founder of the club, serving as its president for three consecutive terms. The minutes of the first meeting of Ebell of Los Angeles identified its purpose "to interest women in the study of all branches of literature, art and science and the advancement of women in every branch of culture." [4] The club adopted as its motto, "I will find a way or make one -- I serve." [4]

Over the years, the group has conducted classes, and hosted lectures and seminars, on topics including psychology, parliamentary law, travel, literature, music, gardening, and science. [5] Even before moving to its current quarters, it actively promoted the arts, as when from May 23 to July 25, 1919, it sponsored a marathon ten-week series of chamber music recitals by the Zoellner Quartet. [6]

New building on Wilshire Boulevard

Mrs. Charles Hulbert Toll, 1922 President of Ebell of Los Angeles, Who's who among the women of California Mrs. Charles Hulbert Toll, 1922 President of Ebell of Los Angeles, Who's who among the women of California.jpg
Mrs. Charles Hulbert Toll, 1922 President of Ebell of Los Angeles, Who's who among the women of California

In 1923, the group announced plans to build a new clubhouse and theater west of downtown on Wilshire Boulevard. [7] Before construction began, the lot at Wilshire Boulevard and Shatto Place had appreciated and was sold for a profit; [8] a new lot at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Lucerne was purchased in 1925. [9] [10]

The group commissioned architect Sumner P. Hunt of Hunt & Burns to design the new facility, [11] which was designed in an Italian style with plaster facing and Italian clay tile roofing. [12] The new facilities consisted of multiple structures covering a site 160 by 450 feet (49 m × 137 m), surrounding a 65-by-120-foot (20 m × 37 m) patio area. [12] The new facilities included a new 1,300-seat auditorium at the rear of the property facing 8th Street. The two-story structure facing Wilshire Boulevard houses the group's clubhouse, including a large lounge, art salon, and dining room. [13] The dining room opens to a tile-roofed colonnade walkway and fountain. [5]

Ebell magazine from 1927 shows the new tile-roofed colonnade walkway. Ebell Magazine vol 1 no 1.jpg
Ebell magazine from 1927 shows the new tile-roofed colonnade walkway.

The clubhouse opened with a musicale tea in October 1927, [14] [15] [16] and the Wilshire Ebell Theater, originally known as the Windsor Square Playhouse, opened to the public in December 1927 with the west coast premiere of Sigmund Romberg's musical The Desert Song . [17] When the buildings opened, the group's president wrote in the club's newsletter:

The result of their tireless and unceasing labor may be seen at 4400 Wilshire Boulevard where a stately group of buildings now adorns a sightly eminence. The separated units have been so carefully designed as to form a magnificent mass, a colossal edifice, severely simple, classically correct, pleasing in its very ruggedness, elegant in its ornate adornment, suited to the purpose for which it was built. [18]

The total cost was $200,000 for the site, $650,000 for the entire structure, and $120,000 for the furnishings. [18] Another writer observed: "Nowhere in America is there a more magnificent women's club house than the new home of Ebell. ... Every modern convenience and appliance, together with furnishings of the finest quality, are within its walls. It is lavish, but not flamboyantly so. It is practical and it has beauty and inspiring charm." [19]

The 1,300-seat theater is known for its acoustics and its Barton pipe organ. [17] The Los Angeles Times in 2003 described the theater as "the grande dame of genteel grace," "a cultural centerpiece for Los Angeles," and "one of the area's most striking" auditoriums. [5]

Notable performances

A directional sign points the way to the theater, 2015. Wilshire Ebell Theater With Directional Sign in Background, 2015.png
A directional sign points the way to the theater, 2015.
Theater box office, 2015 Box office of Wilshire Ebell Theater, Los Angeles, 2015.png
Theater box office, 2015

In more than eighty years of productions, the Wilshire Ebell has witnessed performances by many stars and celebrities, but some stand out from the rest.

Renovation and historic designation

A major restoration of the Ebell complex commenced in 1989. The theater's seats were re-covered, the stage refitted, and new sound and lighting systems installed. [17] Renovation work also extended to the main dining room (also known as the Concert Hall), the Grand Salon and Lounge, the Galleria, and the Art Salon. [31]

In recent years,[ when? ] the events held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater have reflected the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood, with shows staged in Persian, Korean, and Russian. It has also been the site of annual "Divas Simply Singing" benefits for AIDS, featuring singers Nancy Wilson, Roberta Flack, Rita Moreno, and Toni Tennille. [5]

The building has been designated as a historic structure at the local, state and national levels, including the following recognition:

Notable Members

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Garland</span> American actress and singer (1922–1969)

Judy Garland was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She attained international stardom and critical acclaim as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Renowned for her versatility, she received a Golden Globe Award, a Special Tony Award and was one of twelve people in history to receive an Academy Juvenile Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miracle Mile, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA

Miracle Mile is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilshire Boulevard</span> Major thoroughfare in the United States

Wilshire Boulevard (['wɪɫ.ʃɚ]) is a prominent 15.83 mi (25.48 km) boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. One of the principal east–west arterial roads of Los Angeles, it is also one of the major city streets through the city of Beverly Hills. Wilshire Boulevard runs roughly parallel to Santa Monica Boulevard from Santa Monica to the west boundary of Beverly Hills. From the east boundary, it runs a block south of Sixth Street to its terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saban Theatre</span> Historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California

The Saban Theatre is a historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. It is an Art Deco structure at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive designed by architect S. Charles Lee and is considered a classic Los Angeles landmark. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 2012.

Mid-Wilshire is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It is known for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the Miracle Mile shopping district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pellissier Building and Wiltern Theatre</span> Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument

The Pellissier Building and adjoining Wiltern Theatre is a 12-story, 155-foot (47 m) Art Deco landmark at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The entire complex is commonly referred to as the Wiltern Center. Clad in a blue-green glazed architectural terra-cotta tile and situated diagonal to the street corner, the complex is considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. The Wiltern building is owned privately, and the Wiltern Theatre is operated by Live Nation's Los Angeles division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilshire Park, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Wilshire Park is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stiles Clements</span> American architect

Stiles Oliver Clements was an architect practicing in Los Angeles and Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumner Hunt</span> American architect

Sumner P. Hunt was an architect in Los Angeles from 1888 to the 1930s. On January 21, 1892, he married Mary Hancock Chapman, January 21, 1892. They had a daughter Louise Hunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilshire Center, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States of America

Wilshire Center is a neighborhood in the Wilshire region of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilshire Boulevard Temple</span> Reform Jewish synagogue in Los Angeles, California, US

The Wilshire Boulevard Temple, known from 1862 to 1933 as Congregation B'nai B'rith, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 3663 Wilshire Boulevard, in the Wilshire Center district of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Founded in 1862, it is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Theater</span> United States historic place

Golden Gate Theater is a California Churrigueresque-style movie palace built in 1927 on Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, California. In 1982, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater closed in 1986; the retail building built around it was damaged in the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake and demolished in 1992. The remaining theater building was left vacant for more than 20 years as preservationists fought with owners and developers over the future of the building. It was finally converted into a drugstore and reopened in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Nurses' Club</span> United States historic place

Los Angeles Nurses' Club is a clubhouse and apartment building for nurses located in the Westlake district of Central Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday Morning Club</span> United States historic place

The Friday Morning Club building is located in Downtown Los Angeles, California. It was the second home of the women's club also named the Friday Morning Club (FMC), for 61 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Tilden Norton</span> American architect

Samuel Tilden Norton, or S. Tilden Norton as he was known professionally, was a Los Angeles–based architect active in the first decades of the 20th century. During his professional career he was associated with the firm of Norton & Wallis, responsible for the design of many Los Angeles landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan, Walls & Clements</span> Los Angeles architectural firm

Morgan, Walls & Clements was an architectural firm based in Los Angeles, California and responsible for many of the city's landmarks, dating back to the late 19th century. Originally Morgan and Walls, with principals Octavius Morgan and John A. Walls, the firm worked in the area from before the turn of the century.

Silas Reese Burns (1855–1940) was an American architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebell Club of Santa Paula</span>

The Ebell Club of Santa Paula is a 1917 mansion, built as a women's club with the aim of the advancement of culture, and now serving as the home of the Santa Paula Theater Center. The Santa Paula chapter, formed in 1913, was the ninth California women's club; the first was established in Oakland by Adrian Ebell in 1876, and the movement was involved in a range of progressive campaigning on social issues.

State Theatre (Los Angeles) Historic site

The State Theatre, formerly known as Loew's State Theatre, at 703 S. Broadway, is a historic movie theatre which opened in November 1921 in the Broadway Theatre District of Downtown Los Angeles.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments | Office of Historic Resources, City of Los Angeles". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  3. 1 2 Jennier Steinhauer, "A Sanctuary for Women, Even Today", The New York Times , Aug. 9, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Ebell's History Is Rich in Culture, Philanthropy" (PDF). The Ebell of Los Angeles. June 1994.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bob Pool (2003-11-27). "Surroundings Wilshire District: Showplace From Another Era Is an Active Heirloom; Built by women, the Wilshire Ebell Theare has been a beehive of entertainment and learning since 1927". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ↑ University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa Digital Library, advertisement for Zoellner Quartet from Musical America [ permanent dead link ], August 16, 1919, accessed June 3, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Activities and Interests of Women, in and Outside of Homes: Ebell to Build New Home; Spacious lot on boulevard acquired by directors; construction of $500,000 structure planned". Los Angeles Times. 1923-02-16.
  8. ↑ "Ebell Highlights" (PDF). Los Angeles Public Library. 1969-07-10.
  9. ↑ "Ebell Obtains Building Site: Handsome Lot Purchased on Wilshire Corner; Campaign for Clubhouse to Open This Fall". Los Angeles Times. 1925-08-16.
  10. ↑ "Of Interest to Women: Ebell Building Starts at Once; Location Wilshire Boulevard at Burck Place; Property Will Have Value of $1,225,000; Club's Investments Have Realized Profits". Los Angeles Times. 1925-10-21.
  11. ↑ "Hunt Named Ebell Club Architect: Work on New Building at Lucerne and Wilshire to Await Plans Completion". Los Angeles Times. 1926-03-13.
  12. 1 2 "Ebell Club to Start Building: Work on New Structure to Begin Next Month; Cost of Enterprise Placed at $700,000; Contract Awarded as Plans Are Completed". Los Angeles Times. 1926-11-21.
  13. ↑ "Ebell Lays Its Corner-Stone: Club Women Conduct Rites at Wilshire Building; Mrs. William Read Gives History of Function; Contractors and Architects Join in Ceremony". Los Angeles Times. 1927-03-01.
  14. ↑ "Clubhouse to Open with Tea: Ebell Schedules First Event in Home October 3; Initial Week Reserved for Members Only; Musicale to Follow Honor Reception Hour". Los Angeles Times. 1927-09-11.
  15. ↑ "Los Angeles Ebell Club's New Home on Wilshire Dedicated: Tribute Paid to President; Packed Auditorium Listens to Little Symphony; Education Fund Donated by Flints Acknowledged; First Department Luncheon to be Held Today". Los Angeles Times. 1927-10-04.
  16. ↑ "Musical Tea to be First Ebell Party: Launch Ebell Fall Program with Brilliant Afternoon Function" (PDF). Ebell. October 1927.
  17. 1 2 3 "Wilshire Ebell Theater Is Scene of Premiere Musical, Theatre Events" (PDF). The Ebell of Los Angeles. June 1994.
  18. 1 2 "The President's Greeting: Ebell Enters Period of Dazzling Enterprise, Says Mrs. Read" (PDF). Ebell. October 1927.
  19. ↑ "Marking Another Ebell Milestone: New Edifice Stands as One of America's Finest Club Buildings" (PDF). Ebell. October 1927.
  20. 1 2 "Adrians, Juniors Assist in Furthering Ebel Programs" (PDF). The Ebell of Los Angeles. June 1994.
  21. ↑ Ronald L. Davis (2005). Just making movies: company directors on the studio system, p. 71 . Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN   1-57806-691-3.
  22. 1 2 Gerold Frank (1999). Judy, p. 57. Da Capo Press. ISBN   0-306-80894-3.
  23. ↑ Ron Larson. "A Convergence of Legends at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre". Masters of Harmony.
  24. ↑ "Wilshire Ebell Theater". LA.com. Archived from the original on 2007-06-14.
  25. ↑ "Korean Artist Dances Tonight on Ebell Stage". Los Angeles Times. February 2, 1938.
  26. ↑ Martin, John (November 7, 1938). "Sai Shoki is Seen in Korean Dances: Young Oriental Artist Offers Her Second Program Here". New York Times.
  27. ↑ "Famed Korean Dancer". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 1938.
  28. ↑ "Stan P. Poray, Painter Dies". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1948. p. 14. ProQuest   165880521 . Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  29. ↑ Bazzana, Kevin (2004). Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould . Oxford University Press, USA. p.  22. ISBN   0-19-517440-2..
  30. ↑ "YouTube - An NATv EXCLUSIVE: Ninoy Aquino's memorable speech in Los Angeles! (1 of 9)". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  31. ↑ "Restoration Committee Returns Building to Original Elegance" (PDF). The Ebell of Los Angeles. June 1994.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America . Retrieved 8 August 2017.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.