Preserving The Soul of Los Angeles – an Esotouric Salon

“Once it’s gone, it’s gone” is the rallying cry of preservationists everywhere, and often the only thing standing in the way of the wrecking ball is a dedicated citizen-activist fighting for a place they love too much to lose without a fight. This salon style gathering at the historic home of journalist, historian and activist Charles Lummis (credited for – among other things – starting The Landmarks Club of Southern California and saving the adobe missions) will bring together a community of preservationists to discuss the past, present and future of battling over Southern California landmarks.

The special guests for the August 2019 debut salon is preservation activist Steven Luftman, appearing in conversation with Esotouric’s Richard Schave. Luftman will share his personal path to loving and saving old buildings, including his successful landmarking of the 1960 Kurt Meyer-designed Lytton Savings and continued threats to the “protected” building from the recently approved Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use complex, his efforts to preserve and designate L.A.’s unique bungalow courts, vernacular apartments and Tom Bergin’s Irish pub, and tips for picking the the battles that will feed your soul. Q&A to follows. Plus, Professor Jeremiah Axelrod, Director for the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA) at Occidental College, with a status report on the proposal to base ISLA at Lummis House, and poet Suzanne Lummis with some thoughts about her extraordinary grandfather, Charles Fletcher Lummis.