Featured Object 
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Image: LACRA Knitting Project at Pasadena. Donated by Victoria Holmes and Gus Seligmann. (accession #L2011-03-26)
The Archives recently received a photo album documenting WPA projects in Los Angeles County during the 1930s. There are fascinating photographs of construction projects, including work done to the Rose Bowl, the Rubio Canyon debris basin, and the demolition of Garfield School. This photo shows women employed by the Los Angeles County Relief Association (LACRA) to knit garments for relief distribution. They are standing in front of Pasadena's City Hall. Do you know anyone who was employed by LACRA to knit? If so, please email us. We are interested in finding out more information about the program.
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About the Museum
Founded in 1924 to preserve and share the rich history, art, and culture of Pasadena and neighboring communities, Pasadena Museum of History has developed into one of the country's premiere institutions of its size. PMH is an independent nonprofit cultural institution funded by generous gifts from foundations, corporations, businesses, individuals, and our members.
The Mission of the Museum is to promote an appreciation of history, culture, arts, and sciences relevant to Pasadena and adjoining communities.
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Our e-calendar, available to Members and Non-Members alike, is designed to keep our supporters informed about happenings and upcoming events at Pasadena Museum of History.
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Featured Event
Happy Birthday Pasadena - Celebrating 125 Years
Saturday, June 11, Noon to 7:00 pm
What better way to honor Pasadena's 125th birthday than with a community-wide party spotlighting the City's richly diverse population, organizations, & talent?
The festivities, which will take place throughout the grounds of PMH and the adjacent Avery Dennison, include:
- Continuous live music, dance, theatre, & storytelling, on two stages
- Special entertainment and activities for children & families
- A spectacular birthday cake created especially for the occasion by chefs from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena
- Appearances by local dignitaries & celebrities
- History displays & live presentations from some of the City's outstanding businesses & organizations
- A Food Patio featuring a variety of delicious cuisines prepared by favorite local restaurants
- Signature cocktails created especially for Happy Birthday Pasadena, available in the exclusive, stage-adjacent Bar Lounge
- Raffle opportunities for unique baskets filled with items designed to help you celebrate your own special birthdays
- Antique cars, fire truck, & more
- Fun for all ages!
Tickets: Free admission & entertainment; fees for select food items.
Parking: Free parking at Avery & Parsons.
Photo: Pasadena centenarian Ralph Gain poses with Annamarie von Firley of ReVamp Vintage. Eyegotcha Photography. 1956 Ford Thunderbird courtesy of Mudd and Michael Patris Collection. Cake: Vons, Pasadena (Allen Ave. & Washington Blvd.).
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Current Exhibitions
Mad for Hats! Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Gallery
Wed - Sun, Noon to 5:00 pm; Open through September 25
The popularity, size, and shape of hats has changed measurably over time. In past decades, a respectable lady or gentleman would not have ventured outdoors without one. The design of women's hats has been influenced by hairstyles, haute couture, new materials, even the popular use of the parasol. The impact of men's hat designs - such as the top hat and the fedora - has also been remarkable.
The exhibition Mad for Hats! explores women's hats as social and fashion phenomena. More than 100 hats and related photographs, selected from the Museum's collections, showcase the various materials, styles, and shapes of ladies' hats from the 1860s to the 1960s. Image: Detail of Mrs. E.L. Cord, June 26, 1931 (call # People- Cord, E.L.)  Pasadena Patron: The Life & Legacy of Eva Scott Fenyes
Willis B. Stork Gallery
Wed - Sun, Noon to 5:00 pm
In an era when well-to-do families took a special interest in creating significant and valuable collections, Pasadena's Eva Scott Fenyes devoted her discriminating tastes, vast knowledge, and ample funds to surround herself with furniture, textiles, china, silver, and art. Eva and her second husband, Dr. Adalbert Fenyes, filled their home with art and antiques they assembled from their travels worldwide.
Pasadena Patron offers an in-depth examination of the life and legacy of one of early Pasadena's most prominent and influential women. Themes covered in this special exhibition include Fenyes family history, Eva as an art patron and watercolorist, the influence of Europe and the East Coast on her collection, and the social milieu she created here in Pasadena. Exhibition highlights include items from the Fenyes collection never before on public display.
Image: Richard Emile Miller (1875 - 1943). "The Coral Necklace," 1917. Oil on canvas, 119 x 125 cm. (acc. # 2000.019.0028)
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Upcoming Events
 The Life and Art of Jean Mannheim: Lecture and Book Signing by Richard W. Reitzell
Thursday, June 16, 7:30 pm
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Mannheim's birth, his great-grandson Richard W. Reitzell has written and produced From a Versatile Brush: The Life and Art of Jean Mannheim, the first comprehensive book on the artist's life and art. A prominent member of Pasadena's artistic community of the early 20th century, Mannheim was both a portrait and plein air artist. This profusely illustrated book demonstrates the broad range and varying styles of Mannheim's portfolio created over nearly sixty years.
Books will be available for purchase.
Tickets: Members Free; Non-Members $5. Reservations suggested; please call 626.577.1660, ext. 10.
At Home Series for PMH Members Only -- All That Jazz: Conversations with William Kraft
Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 pm at a private residence in Altadena
Altadena's William Kraft is an internationally renowned composer, conductor, timpanist/percussionist, and teacher. Given that Kraft is considered a Los Angeles classical musician thanks to his long association with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, it may come as something of a surprise that jazz, not classical, was Kraft's first musical focus. Join us for an evening of reminiscences with this extraordinary musician about Los Angeles' early jazz scene, the sweeping changes that took place in post-WWII jazz, and how Kraft has assimilated this intrinsically American musical genre into his own compositions. The program will take place at a stunning English Tudor Revival home in Altadena; address and directions will be provided upon receipt of reservation.
Tickets: Museum Members $30. Reservations required, please call 626.577.1660, ext. 10.
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