Sometimes I like to lose myself down an internet rabbit hole because that’s where you discover the most interesting things. It’s also the best place to be if you’re feeling nostalgic. Back in my day, people and places were lost to time, you just REMEMBERED them, but now you can do something about it. You can just pick a topic and lose yourself for as long as you’d like. I was on such an exploration when I came across a fantastic feature on South On Spring about the Warner Theatre Huntington Park, a historic landmark. The theater was designed by B. Marcus Priteca, the same man who designed the Pantages and was built in 1930. Over the years, as the demographics of the city changed, the theater became less profitable and was subsequently closed in the 90’s. With the sale of the building, South on Spring got the opportunity to get inside and capture the beautiful images below (make sure to check out their original post for all the photos and more info on the Warner).
But I didn’t let my snooping stop there. I dug a little deeper and came across the Friends of Warner Facebook page. They had linked to a Tumblr named Ghost Princess which had posted pictures from inside the theater (super illegal) and also showed them spray painting the walls (see below). I have to admit, the old person in me had the same those-darn-kids-nowadays reaction, but then I started to think about it. Yes, this is a historic landmark, but the owners are pitching this as commercial real estate, which means that Forever 21 could move in there tomorrow. They’re going to be doing some demolition inside anyway, so was this really that bad? I say, good for them. The photos are hauntingly beautiful, and it makes me happy that these kids reclaimed the space in the name of art, even if only for a few hours.
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