California Crazy with Jim Heimann

ABOUT THE BOOK:  At the dawn of the automobile age, Americans’ predilection for wanderlust prompted a new wave of inventive entrepreneurs to cater to this new mode of transportation. Starting in the 1920s, attention-grabbing buildings began to appear that would draw in passing drivers for snacks, provisions, souvenirs, or a quick meal. The architectural establishment of the day dismissed these roadside buildings as “monstrosities”.

Yet, they flourished, especially along America’s Sunbelt, and in particular, in Southern California, as proprietors indulged their creative impulses in the form of giant, eccentric constructions ― from owls, dolls, pigs, and ships, to coffee pots and fruit. Their symbolic intent was guileless, yet they were marginalized by history. But, over the past 40 years, California’s architectural anomalies have regained their integrity, and are now being celebrated in this freshly revised compendium of buildings, California Crazy.

Brimming with the best examples of this architectural genre, California Crazy includes essays exploring the influences that fostered the nascent architectural movement, as well as identifying the unconventional landscapes and attitudes found on Los Angeles and Hollywood roadsides which allowed these buildings to flourish in profusion.

In addition, California Crazy features David Gebhard’s definitive essay, which defined this vernacular movement almost forty years ago. The California Crazy concept is expanded to include domestic architecture, eccentric signage, and the automobile as a fanciful object.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:  Jim Heimann is a native Angeleno who, in addition to his past career as a graphic designer and illustrator, currently is an educator and author, and serves as the executive editor of Taschen Publishing America LLC based in Cologne Germany. He has been active in the arts field for the past 50 years. In conjunction with his design work he has authored over 45 books including three editions of California Crazy, Roadside Vernacular Architecture, which was originally published in 1980. He has been called one of the the leading authorities on this subject.

ABOUT THE CLUB: Founded in 1925, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club still thrives with food, friendship, and fun. Our meetings are held in our clubhouse, Friendship Auditorium, located at 3201 Riverside Drive, near the corner of Los Feliz Boulevard, in Griffith Park. Best described as a variety show, attendees enjoy a catered breakfast, silly songs, club traditions, and an interesting presentation from a guest speaker.

TICKETS: Sales on LAbreakfastclub.com close 48 hours before breakfast. Non-members are $25 and Members receive a 25% discount when logged into their Membership Portal. 

Please arrive between 6:45 - 7:00 AM sharp! Doors close at 7:15 AM. Your admission includes a buffet breakfast, enjoyment of our 97-year-old club traditions, plus a special presentation from our Speaker of the Week!

COVID-19 SAFETY:

- Surgical disposable face masks or medical-grade masks (i.e., KN95, KF94, N95) are strongly recommended when not eating or drinking, especially during the cold and flu season, and will be provided on request.

- The Los Angeles Breakfast Club requires proof of full vaccination, along with a government or education issued photo ID, upon arrival. Per the guidelines set by the CDC, full vaccination means that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the final dose of an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine. For anyone who is eligible, the LABC also requires attendees to have received booster shots. A one-month (30 day) grace period is given to those eligible but have not yet received booster shots. Booster shot eligibility is defined as:

• People ages 12 years and older are recommended to receive one updated Pfizer or Moderna (bivalent) booster. This includes people who have received all primary series doses and people who have previously received one or more original (monovalent) boosters.

For more information, please see the CDC’s guidance on boosters: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html.