Newcomers and visitors alike are often initially drawn to South Pasadena because of the area’s rich and storied history. They also come for the unique flavor of its small town atmosphere, a mere 7 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Many longtime residents, it seems, never consider moving anywhere else. South Pasadena is a place that people love to love, from first chance encounter to umpteenth stroll down one of its beautiful tree-lined streets. And once they’re here, they may never want to leave.
Upon first glance, some of the distinctive characteristics of an older South Pasadena building or historical site can be appreciated to some extent, even the full background is not yet known. But no matter what, many important stories and deeper meanings lie hidden below the surface. That’s where knowledgeable thoughts from a skilled historian can be like manna.
For all its prominence in Los Angeles County, South Pasadena hasn’t seen a book covering the range of its history in the last 20 years, not since Jane Apostol’s masterful, and now hard-to-find South Pasadena: 1888 to 1988, A Centennial History. Unfortunately, the book is long out-of- print and until recently, the South Pasadena Library had no checkout copies left at all. But due to the support of the Apostol Family, the Library has recently been allowed to circulate photocopied versions of the unbeatable, award-winning history book that sold out many years ago --and now changes hands for large sums of money.
Thankfully, 2007 has brought the appearance of local historian and author Rick Thomas’ first two history books, South Pasadena and South Pasadena’s Ostrich Farm from the popular “Images of America” series. Previously, Thomas has written impressive articles about South Pasadena for various publications and is prominently featured in the DVD Stories From Home. Both Thomas titles are chock full of rare photographs culled from several different local collections, as well as lively captions full of perceptive descriptions. Prior to the publication of these two highly enjoyable books, new folks would need to find the Apostol book, not an easy task, or refer to a variety of sources, just to attain a beginner’s knowledge of understanding about the city’s past.
Thomas’ latest release, South Pasadena’s Ostrich Farm traces the finely feathered history of the world famous Cawston Ostrich Farm. The company’s mail order catalog carried the name of South Pasadena around the globe during an era when ostrich feathers were high fashion accessories on women’s hats, dresses, and bags. The attractive book displays illustrated catalog covers and pages depicting renowned actresses Jean Harlow, Gloria Swanson, Corinne Griffith, and many others. Nevertheless, those stars are just role players here. The real standouts of the book are the fair city and the gawky prehistoric birds from Down Under. Like its predecessor, South Pasadena, this book is sure to interest local residents, no matter how long they’ve lived here. |
