Slab City, East Jesus

My road trip around the Salton Sea eventually lead me to Slab City, a transient community for squatters, campers, and snowbirds in the Southern California desert. Just down the road from Salvation Mountain, I made my way to the art garden, better known as East Jesus. 

Slab City gets its name from the concrete slabs that remain from the barracks of Camp Dunlop that stood here in the 1940s and 1950s. In addition to the art installations of East Jesus, landmarks in the area include The Shoe Tree and The Range, where talent shows take place every Saturday night. Although my time in Slab City was brief, I had a lot of fun exploring and chatting with locals who seem to be enjoying life on the fringe.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre Interior

This iconic theatre on Hollywood Boulevard attracts a lot of attention on the outside, however the interior of Grauman's (now the TCL Chinese Theatre) is even more impressive. In addition to the original painted murals and Chinese decor, the lobby also features programs from some of the Hollywood premieres that have been hosted here, as well as a collection of classic movie costumes. As an added bonus, I had a private tour of the space and captured these shots.

Marilyn Monroe's dress from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

Judy Garland's dress from "The Wizard of Oz"

Vivien Leigh's dress from "Gone With the Wind"

The tablets from "The Ten Commandments"

Around the Hat: Ghosting Images 3

Merging archival images with modern day photography is a really cool way of showcasing history. I've had a lot of success with my previous posts where I've ghosted my Medicine Hat, Alberta images from my Around the Hat series - see PART 1 and PART 2. Have a look at my latest additions below. How many of these locations do you recognize?

1. The above image shows 2nd Street, featuring the Beveridge Block and a ghosted facade of the Station Coffee Co. (1910s merged with 2014).

2. This is a ghosted image of the Flat Iron Building located across the street from Alexandra Junior High School. (1970s merged with 2013).

3. I love the horse-drawn carts in this ghosted image of 2nd Street. The Central Block and neighbouring building burnt down and revealed the red painted wall ad seen in the background. (1910s merged with 2014).

4. Swirls Ice Cream. (1980s merged with 2014).

5. This is one of my favourite ghosting images that I've done, showing a passenger train arriving at the train station. (1970s merged with 2014).

6. The demolition of Medicine Hat's original city hall is shown merged with the modern day BATUS Park (hence all the pine trees) in this ghosted image. (1980s merged with 2013).

7. Another view of 2nd Street. (1910s merged with 2014).

8. 3rd Street. (1930s merged with 2013).

9. Another view of 3rd Street after a blizzard. (1938 merged with 2014).

10. The refurbished Station Coffee Co. (Turpin Block) merged with the old store fronts. (1910s merged with 2014).

11. An early postcard of South Railway Street showing the Hargrave Sissons Block merged with a modern shot of the Assiniboia Inn at the other end of the block. (1900s merged with 2013).

12. Passengers boarding a train on one of the sidetracks at the train station. (1930s merged with 2013).