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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Los Angeles Union Station


1940's Mother of Pearl Sweetheart pin
My jacket isn't dirty, I was trying to be clever and "age" the photo!
Last weekend we attended a wedding at the downtown Los Angeles Union Station. This vintage train station is one of my favorite Golden Era venues, so it was a treat to attend an event there! The train station opened in 1939, and was one of the last large train stations built – commercial air travel was fast becoming the transportation mode of choice, and airports were being built instead of train stations. The LA Union Station still gets quite a bit of use though – it’s the hub for several local train lines, Metrolink and Amtrak. We were quite surprised at how busy it was on a Saturday afternoon!
Los Angeles Union Station
Image Source: Wikipedia
 
Waiting Room in Union Station
Image Source: Wikipedia

We tried to arrive a little early to snap some photos before the ceremony, but darn LA traffic got the better of us and only had time for a few photos. (Yes, we did drive to the train station. We don’t live near a train stop!)

I wore one of my Make and Mend projects – this dress needed some repairs and the hem was long and uneven. On Chris’s suggestion I took the extra fabric from the hem and made a belt, since the original was missing. I did some dancing in this dress, and did rip the sleeve (yikes!) but it was on the seamline and is easily fixed. Back into the mending pile it goes!


If you want to learn more about the history of Union Station and want access to some of the areas usually closed off to the public, I highly recommend the walking tours run by the Los Angeles Conservancy. I’ve been on several of their tours, and even though they are all volunteer-led, the docents are highly knowledgeable and have a real passion for the architecture. I’d go on any of the tours a second or third time!
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8 comments:

  1. LaurenOctober 19, 2011 at 12:07 PM

    Great photos, and great idea to use the extra fabric for a belt!
    I had to do a double take in my blog reader, because the person's post who showed up right before yours was also wearing a gray jacket with a sweetheart pin. I was wondering how your pics showed up on another blog! LOL!

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  2. Mr. TinyOctober 19, 2011 at 1:24 PM

    That pin is so neat! I love Union Station; it makes me happy to see a part of LA History that is still functioning as its intended purpose. I honestly didn't know that it could be used for private events - what a great venue!!!!

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  3. wundermaryOctober 24, 2011 at 10:11 AM

    Thank you for the post! Snitching the hem for a belt is a great idea.
    I am wondering if you might post a clearer photo of the pin. I am very interested in these pins. As I understand it, they were commonly sold at county fairs. I have one that belonged to my mother. It is her name, with a small heart and rhinestone. Her date purchased it as a gift and she said the man whipped it up right there, while they watched. I am learning wire work and I am thinking that I would like to learn to make these, as my skills progress :)

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  4. BethOctober 25, 2011 at 10:12 PM

    wundermary, that's so interesting about your mother having a name pin made for her at a fair! sometimes you see very unusual names, and I wonder why those ones were commercially produced. I guess they weren't! I'll post some better pics soon when I get a change. :)

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  5. wundermaryNovember 1, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    I went back and looked at the pin, it has a bead rather than a rhinestone. The rhinestone is on another fair pin that is made from a nail. Wire has been twisted around it to form a sheath and sword. That doesn't sound that great, but, it's really very graceful! She said they came from the same vendor.

    I showed the name pin to a friend of mine, who promptly identified it as a fair pin. Apparently, it was very common during the 30s and 40s to see wire work vendors at fairs that would make these. She said they would have common names and endearments made up immediately available to drum up business and would make whatever you wanted, while you watched.

    Thanks so much for sharing photos!

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  6. LisaNovember 2, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    I love that pin. I love it! And your outfits are also awesome.

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  7. The Retro NaturalNovember 16, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    I love Union Station, I used to take the train home in college and I always stared at the ceilings and the walls. Such art! :) It is pretty busy on Saturdays, lots of hustle and bustle. I'd like to take a ride one day for old time sake.

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