The semester and the academic part of my year abroad had come to an end. After the most amazing time living the American dorm life I had to move out and onto the next phase of the year. It was really sad to say goodbye to so many people but it was made easier by the fact that my friend Abbi had finished her year in North Carolina and had come to stay with me for the weekend. It was kind of chaotic as I had to pack up all my stuff and move but we managed to fit in some fun things that weekend and it made my transition easier. I had about a month before I had to leave Long Beach and head home and I wanted to make the most of my time left.
On Thursday, after handing in my final essay of the year we went to pick up Abbi from LA. I then showed her around the Long Beach campus and took her to 2nd street where we had one of my American food favourites, Yogurtland! The next day I showed Abbi downtown Long Beach and we relaxed in the sun with a smoothie at Shoreline Village. On Saturday which was a really nice day, I took her to Huntington Beach where we had a lovely walk along the beach, the pier and also around the shops.
Views from Huntington Pier:
On the Sunday, Abbi, Sara and I took the Metro to LA. We visited a cool spot called the Last Bookstore where we had fun seeing the unusual set-up, the impressive building and looking at the books. There are also some interesting shops and art pieces to see. It is definitely worth a visit to see the quirky arty side of LA.
The Last Bookstore:
Colour-coordinated:
We decided to continue our book theme by going to see LA's library, a 1920s building, as shown by its architectural features. The Library is surrounded by LA's downtown skyscrapers which are quite a contrast. The library, although somewhat dwarfed by the surrounding structures, is an example of the LA area's rise to importance at the beginning of the 20th century. The building holds its own amongst the modern and this is also shown by the interior which has impressive artwork covering the walls and ceilings which was completed in 1933.
"In the world of affairs we live in our own age, In books we live in all ages."
The Hollywood Museum was next on our to-do list and well worth a visit to experience some of Hollywood's history and also view its impressive collections of costumes, props and autographs. Hollywood, with its extraordinary reputation, can be somewhat underwhelming if you just visit the Walk of Fame. However, visiting places like the Hollywood Museum make you realise you are in the iconic and creative place where so many films have been made and where so many stars have lived and worked.
The museum building itself was originally owned by Max Factor, who was the original make-up artist to Hollywood's actors and actresses. Opening in 1935, designed in an art deco style, the building became a place where make-up was now acceptable for the higher classes and many stars went there to be prepared for their roles. Inside the museum are old make-up sets and brushes used by the stars and also authentic make-up rooms where actresses such as Marilyn Monroe were transformed into the iconic images we know today. There is also an invention of Max Factor's, The Beauty Calibration Machine, which spotted where corrections needed to be made with make-up, showing just how innovative for the times Max Factor was.
The Hollywood Museum:
Max Factor Make Up:
The Max Factor Beauty Calibration Machine:
The museum has many of the most iconic props and costumes in film and television history, including Dorothy's Red Shoes from
The Wizard of Oz, boxing gloves from
Rocky and the red swimming costumes from
Baywatch. It also features a piece of the original HollywoodLand sign which stood from 1923 to 1978. The sign deteriorated over the years as it was intended to stand for less than 18 months, not for over 50 years, however it continued to represent the film industry. It was decided in 1978 that it was to be replaced with a long-standing structure due to its iconic significance and today it remains one of the most important landmarks in Los Angeles.
Dorothy's Red Shoes:
A Piece of the Original HollywoodLand Sign:
There are items featured from Hollywood's beginnings to its most recent productions. The museum has featured items from TV shows as recent as Breaking Bad, Modern Family, Once Upon a Time and The Walking Dead. The combination of the restoration of the Max Factor building with its purpose as a museum in which you can learn about the rich history of Hollywood makes this one of the best attractions for the film industry in LA.
Breaking Bad Costume and props:
A LOST Costume:
Next up: Road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, Malibu and Santa Barbara!
