John's Cafe'
2010 Mixed Media
in 24 x 41 x 4
I've started a new series of works depicting buildings in Hollywood that either no longer exist or that have been extensively remodeled. The following, "John's Cafe" is the first and represents the first restaurant in Hollywood. According to Gregory Paul Williams, author of "The Story of Hollywood," John Carvellas started with a peanut and popcorn stand at Hollywood Blvd. and Cahuenga. That was a Red Car stop for folks going to work over the hill at the Universal Pictures Studios. Business was brisk enough that he decided to open a restaurant. It became one of the first celebrity hangouts, a favorite of Charlie Chaplin.
I used a photo from Gregory Paul Williams book that was dated 1917. I had to invent the colors and the objects in the windows.
