Podcasts about Bradbury Building

A little performance art, a couple of classic Los Angeles locations, happy birthday to my mom, a unforgettable glowing suitcase, a classic Los Angeles evangelist, our imperfect memories, a Matthew Perry moment, one (and I mean one) moment of insight from Trump, a mea culpa to Jai Courtney, Paul Dano still sucks, and c'mon and join our convoy. Stuff mentioned: Nadya Tolokonnikova POLICE STATE (WAREHOUSE at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 https://www.moca.org/program/nadya-tolokonnikova-police-state), Bradbury Building (304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013), Double Indemnity (1945), Chinatown (1974), Wolf (1994), Blade Runner (1982), Newhart (1982-1990), Angels Flight Railway (351 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013), Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), Criss Cross (1949), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Generation X "Kiss Me Deadly" (1981), Generation X Kiss Me Deadly (1981), Pulp Fiction (1994), Repo Man (1984), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Highway Patrolman (1991), La La Land (2016), Perry Mason (2020-2023), Orphan Black (2013-2017), Angelus Temple (1100 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026),  Claire Hoffman Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson (2025), Pavement Slanted and Enchanted (1992), Matt Bai The Unbearable lightness of Elon Musk (The Washington Post, June 1, 2025 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/01/musk-doge-defeat-washington-bureaucracy), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), Terminator Genisys (2015), Die Hard (1988), Dangerous Animals (2025), The Loved Ones (2009), The Devil's Candy (2015), Dead Calm (1989), and C.W. McCall "Convoy" (1975).

Dystopian fiction is all the rage these days. But back in the 1800s one of the bestselling books in the United States was a work of utopian fiction, about a guy who falls asleep in 1887 and accidentally time travels to the year 2000. The book, called “Looking Backward” launched political parties, communal living projects, and inspired a generation of architects and city planners. Check out the Bellamy House in Chicopee, the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, and read Looking Backward for free on Project Gutenberg. 

In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood's undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure's character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?Clever Confidential is Clever's offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.Many thanks to this episode's guest experts Kim Cooper and Richard Schave of Esotouric!Images and more about the Bradbury Building at cleverpodcast.comPlease help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEYHead to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and more episodes of Clever Confidential.Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Credits: Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew WagnerWriting and research: Amy Devers & Andrew WagnerGuests: Kim Cooper & Richard Schave of EsotouricProduction: Devers EndeavorsEditing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier RecordsLogo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

McCoy ist den flüchtigen Replikanten dicht auf den Fersen...vielleicht zu dicht. Die Fährte führt in die DNA – Gasse zum Augendesigner Hannibal Chew und von dort aus weiter ins alte Bradbury Building zu einem von Tyrells wichtigsten Mitarbeitern, J.F. Sebastian. Die Tür steht offen, die Wohnräume sind verwaist doch irgendetwas huscht durch die Schatten und es sind nicht seine Roboterspielzeuge. Wir verfolgen die Eindringlinge auf das Dach. Hier muss sich McCoy seinen übermächtigen Gegnern geschlagen geben und seine gesamte Existenz in Frage stellen. In den Fängen der Replikanten wird unserem Protagonisten die Saat des Zweifels in den Kopf gepflanzt bevor er entkommen kann und sich seine Karten neu mischen. Viel Spaß beim Hören wünschen Marius, Fabian, Tim und Ringo HIER findet ihr uns im Netz!!!

Messing up names, the genius and madness of Philip K. Dick, more human than human, the dangers of falling for a robot, adjusting our fate, looking into the future with Nicolas Cage and Christopher Walken, a goofy ass movie with Ben Affleck that I love, a French Dick movie, Philip K. Dick and the impact of his deceased twin sister, a really great Paul Newman movie that never gets mentioned, the craziness of the amazing Total Recall, there's nothing better than Fright Night, a big time Spielberg adaptation, a science fiction movie I adored as a kid, the allure and absolute destruction that amphetamine abuse can cause, Philip K. Dick predicted our future in so many ways, a ridiculous moment at a midnight movie, and some quotes. Stuff mentioned: Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968), Blade Runner (1982), Fight Club (1999), Electric Light Orchestra "Yours Truly, 2095" (1981), Bradbury Building (304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013), Union Station (800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012), 2nd Street Tunnel (620 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012), Ennis House (2655 Glendower Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027), The Shining (1980), Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2007), Blade Runner: Director's Cut (1992), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Philip K. Dick Adjustment Team (1954), Source Code (2011), Screamers (1995), Philip K. Dick Second Variety (1953), Alien (1979), Blue Thunder (1983), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Screamers: The Hunting (2009), Next (2007), Saturday Night Live: Ed Glosser, Trivial Psychic: Limited Usefulness (October 24, 1992 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-xz0z1gU1M), The Dead Zone (1983), Philip K. Dick The Golden Man (1954), Impostor (2001), Philip K. Dick Impostor (1953), Paycheck (2003), Philip K. Dick Paycheck (1953), Philip D. Dick Confessions of a Crap Artist (1975), Barjo (1992 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf-wG85iLgA), Philip K. Dick We Can Remember It for You Wholesale (1966), Total Recall (1990), Fort Apache the Bronx (1981), Total Recall (2012), Fright Night (1985), Fright Night (2011), The Man in the High Castle (2015-2019), Philip K. Dick The Man in the High Castle (1962), Sugar (2024), Philip K. Dick The Minority Report (1956), Minority Report (2002), Flash Gordon (1980), Queen Flash Gordon Original Movie Soundtrack (1980), Queen "Flash's Theme" (1980), Elliott Smith "Speed Trials" (1994), Elliott Smith Either/Or (1994), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Philip K. Dick A Scanner Darkly (1977).

IN THIS EPISODE: Legend has it a ghost told the building's architect to take the job. We'll look at the creepy history behind the construction of the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles. (The Occult And The Bradbury Building) *** You expect strange on-the-job tales from those who work in or near graveyards, or those who are close to the dead such as mortuaries, and even hospitals. But the brave men and women in law enforcement have a few stories of their own to tell. (Police and the Paranormal) *** Did 16-year-old Grace Marks of “Alias Grace” fame, actually help murder her employer and his lover — or was she unfairly locked away? (The True Story Behind ‘Alias Grace') *** A woman finds a ghostly companion in her bed – every night. (Possibly Friendly Entity) *** A man's love for a woman lasts even past her death, to the point of his living with her corpse. (Strange Love) *** AND NUMEROUS OTHER TRUE PARANORMAL STORIES!SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Occult and the Bradbury Building” by Bianca Barragan: https://la.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461516/bradbury-building-downtown-occult-history“Strange Love: The Morbid Obsession of Carl Van Cosel” by Troy Taylor:https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/voncosel/“The True Story of ‘Alias Grace'” by Gina Dimuro: https://allthatsinteresting.com/grace-marks-alias-grace“Possibly Friendly Entity”: https://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=25653“Police And The Paranormal”: http://ghostsnghouls.com/2011/09/18/cops-share-real-ghost-stories/,http://ghostsnghouls.com/2012/08/18/police-on-duty-ghost-stories/“The Hanging of Betsey Reed” Written by Paul Spangler “Trapped In The Catacombs” Original story posted at BBC.com, rewritten and adapted for use by Darren Marlarhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40278564“Mummies Of Venzone: Ancient Bodies That Never Decompose” Posted at MessageToEagle.comhttp://www.messagetoeagle.com/strange-mummies-venzone-ancient-bodies-never-decompose-remain-unsolved-mystery/“Creepy Light In The Woods” Posted at GhostsNGhouls.com http://ghostsnghouls.com/2017/06/12/creepy-light-in-woods/“The Haunting In Deer Park” Written by FredisFred to YourGhostStories.com http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=24554Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library= = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: November 05, 2017 and September 14, 2018CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/carlvoncosel/

Trent (Robert Culp) is a man with no memory of his life before the previous ten days. His left hand has been replaced by an advanced computer shaped like his missing hand and protected by some transparent material. Three fingers are missing; the computer tells him they must be reattached before it can tell Trent what is going on. Trent is being hunted by a handful of humanoid aliens called the Kyben; they have the missing appendages. The action takes place in a large rundown office building (the historic Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles) which the Kyben have sealed off from the world. In this deadly game of hide-and-seek, Trent enlists the help of Consuelo Biros (Arlene Martel), a woman who works in the building. For reasons unknown to him, Trent was sent into the past via a "time mirror", located in the building. A captured Kyben tells Trent that both of them are from a thousand years in the future. In that future, Earth has been conquered by the Kyben, but all the surviving humans except Trent have mysteriously vanished. The aliens are being obliterated by a "radioactive plague" that is killing all of the Kyben occupation force, a plague apparently unleashed by the humans in a last-ditch effort to repel the invasion. In a desperate attempt to find a cure for the plague and to extract whatever knowledge is stored in the hand/computer, the Kyben have followed him back in time with the missing fingers. Eventually, Trent defeats all of his Kyben hunters by ripping off the medallion-shaped devices they wear to anchor them in the past. Trent successfully destroys the mirror and recovers the missing fingers, one by one. When the computer is whole, he learns the terrible truth: he is not a man, but a robot. Brain-scans of the human survivors have been digitally encoded onto a gold-copper alloy wire wrapped around the solenoid in his thorax. Immune to disease, he must protect his precious cargo for 1,200 years, after the Kyben invasion, by which time the plague will have dissipated. Then he will resurrect the human race. Trent had thought he was a man, as he and Consuelo had begun to develop feelings for each other. With the truth revealed, she leaves him, pity mixed with horror in her eyes. Trent is left to face 1,200 years of lonely vigil.

We are half way to Halloween — time to get spooked, L.A.! We dug into the audio archives and found a few scary tales that were once told to a colleague long ago... (ok, like 2018). These stories span the decades and take us from Kagel Canyon to Koreatown to the L.A. Zoo. Oh, and you'll learn a little bit about the making of the Bradbury Building in Downtown LA. Enjoy! 

Jackie and Greg get soaked in the perpetually rainy, smog-choked Los Angeles of the future for Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER from 1982. Topics of discussion include a comparison of the many different cuts of the film, how it works better as a mood piece than a detective story, the elaborate sets and special effects, and a debate on the age-old question: is Deckard a replicant?#69 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list.https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-films-all-time-2012#54 on Sight & Sound's 2022 "The Greatest Films of All Time" list.  https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-timeArbelos Films Shop (use promo code SCENEHEARD for 15% off -- good thru October 12, 2023)https://shoparbelosfilms.comCheck us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sceneandheardpodCheck us out at our official website: https://www.sceneandheardpod.comJoin our weekly film club: https://www.instagram.com/arroyofilmclubJP Instagram/Twitter: jacpostajGK Instagram: gkleinschmidtGraphic Design: Molly PintoMusic: Andrew CoxGet in touch at hello@sceneandheardpod.comSupport the showSupport the show on Patreon: patreon.com/SceneandHeardPodorSubscribe just to get access to our bonus episodes: buzzsprout.com/1905508/subscribe

It's a glorious Torgo-less episode as Quark's Most Famous Bartender joins the crew as we talk about 80s Jeff's and Darren's big geeky trip to Los Angeles, John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl, Dopl mini figures, Angel's Flight, the Bradbury Building, Scum & Villainy, geek museums, pickled eggs and pigs feet, almost Walt Disney's house, Lords of Waterdeep, Hogwarts Legacy, Stellaris, Dungeons & Drag Queens, Roll20 and Deb's D&D campaign, Comic-Con the Cruise, James Cameron vs AI, Vanderpump Rules (really?), Chuck, Faith movies and the Hollywood strike, and the rest of the week in geek news.  Pour yourself an oversized Saturday morning bowl of Geekios, it's time for GeekShock!

My sister Sunday and I share the same birthday. She was nice enough to invite me to see the fantastic troubadour James Taylor at the Santa Barbara Bowl. On this Grubcast we get a chance to talk about the concert and discuss all of the many eateries we were able to try along the way. Join us to hear about the Grand Central Market in DTLA, Bradbury Building, Ketel One Martini, Spinach Artichoke Dip and BBQ ribs at Houston's in Pasadena, Pastrami on Rye at Brent's Deli in Westlake Village, Java Junkie, Beer Battered Onion Rings at Cold Creek Tavern, Solvang, CA and a little car talk. Sunday tells about her favorite car. 1978 Convertible Karmann VW Bug.

It's that time of year again so we just HAD to tell a few local ghost stories. We dug into the audio archives and found a few scary tales from L.A. that were once told to a colleague long ago... (ok, like 2018). These stories span the decades and take us from Kagel Canton to Koreatown to the L.A. Zoo. Oh, and you'll learn a little bit about the making of the Bradbury Building in Downtown LA. Enjoy! 

 Today we are going to talk about Bridget “Biddy” Mason, the grandmother of Los Angeles, one of the most influential Black women in California. She overcame unimaginable prejudice and inequity and was one of the first prominent landowning citizens of Los Angeles. Briget was born into slavery in Georgia on August 15 of 1818. Her parents were of mixed African American and Native American descent. She wasn't given a last name. Because of this common practice with slaves, many African Americans can only go back so far in their ancestry. Stolen. One of her several slaveholders in Georgia and South Carolina started calling her Biddy. Biddy spent much of her childhood enslaved on John Smithson's plantation in South Carolina, performing tasks in the cotton fields, the South's most important crop. Biddy was forbidden to learn to read or write but she learned about herbs and midwifery from the older enslaved women. Smithson gave her, two other female house servants, and a blacksmith as a wedding gift to his cousins, Robert and Rebecca Smith. The Smiths were successful landowners in Logtown, Mississippi. Biddy was 18. Smith was Mormon convert who cultivated cotton and traded slaves. Although, Mormons were better known as opponents of slavery.  For the Smith family, Biddy did domestic work, toiled hard in the cotton fields and performed farm labor. At other times, she worked as a midwife and house nurse — a job she liked. Biddy took care of Rebecca Smith, who was often ill and helped her during the birth of her six children.  During her years in Mississippi, Biddy gave birth to Ellen, Ann and Harriet, aged ten, four, and a newborn. It's likely that Smith himself fathered these children. Like countless other enslaved women, Biddy was almost certainly the victim of sexual violence. In 1848, Smith decided to follow the call of the church with his fellow Mississippi Saints in the great Mormon Exodus to Utah. He moved his family and his 14 slaves west to the Salt Lake Valley where Joseph Smith established a new Mormon community seventeen years prior. The area was still part of Mexico at the time but would soon become Utah.   Smith, his wife and children sat in the wagon on the journey while  Biddy, her daughters and the other slaves walked barefoot behind the 300 wagon caravan. Biddy was in charge of herding the animals for the 1,700 mile trek.   While they walked from Mississippi through Illinois and Colorado towards Salt Lake City, Biddy had a ton of responsibilities, including herding the cattle, preparing and serving the campfire meals and setting up and breaking down camp. All this while acting as the midwife and herbalist for the party, and still tending to her three young daughters. The trail must have been disturbing, frightening and strange. There were moments when surely there was a chance to escape, and for this reason, Biddy's value increased on the trail. With young children, she didn't have the option to leave. They lived in Utah for three years until Governor Brigham Young authorized another Mormon community, this time in San Bernardino. Brigham Young warned Smith that California, had been admitted to the Union as a free, non-slave state the year prior. Smith ignored his warnings and set out with his family and slaves and a 150-wagon caravan in 1851, to establish the Mormon settlement and extend the reach of his Church.  When Smith arrived in San Bernardino, he became one of the counselors to the bishop and owned a very large property. He was among the wealthiest settlers in San Bernardino. Held in bondage in the Mormon colony were dozens of African Americans as well as an untold number of local Native Americans, as well as an untold number of local Native Americans. San Bernardino was built, in part, by enslaved laborers like Biddy. Even though California was technically a free state, it was a land made up of unfree laborers of various kinds. Many indigenous people weer being forced to work in the Los Angeles "slave mart." This "slave mart" was the second most important source of municipal revenue in Los Angeles after the sale of licenses for saloons and gambling venues. On the weekends, local authorities would seek out and arrest intoxicated natives on dubious vagrancy charges. The Native Americans were thrown in a pen, and their labor for the coming week was auctioned off. If they were paid at the end of that week at all, they were usually paid in alcohol so they could get drunk, be arrested and continue the cycle.  In California, Biddy met two sets of couples who were free blacks. Charles and Elizabeth Flake Rowan and Robert and Minnie Owens. They urged her to legally contest her slave status in California. But she did not. Biddy remained enslaved in a “free” state for five more years as Smith maintained his southern way of life in California. He found himself increasingly at odds with fellow colonists and his own church who favorably disposed toward the practice of slavery. In 1855, the leaders of the Mormon colony in San Bernardino thought they were paying top dollar for 80,000 acres of land but had purchased only 35,000 acres. Fine print fuck up. When the colony sued the people who had sold them the land, they lost. The court allowed them to choose up to 35,000 acres anywhere in the larger area. The church chose Smith's ranch. It was turned over to them without any compensation and Smith was pissed. Without his property in California and in fear of losing his slaves, he sold off his cattle and conspired a plan to quietly leave the colony and move to Texas. Biddy and her fellow slaves did not trust Smith and they feared they were going to be sold and separated from their children. Smith lied to Biddy, promising her and her family's freedom in Texas. He needed her cooperation to get there and considered her valuable property. Without his land, he needed a place for them to all stay as he secured provisions for the ride east. He chose a camp of settlers originally from the American South in the Santa Monica Hills. Surely a more hospitable place for a slaveholder than Mormn san Bernardino.  One of Biddy's daughters was romantically involved with the Owens son. In December, Robert Owens and Elizabeth Rowan tipped off the local authorities. There was a group of Black Americans that were being illegally held in Santa Monica Canyon and they were about to be taken across state lines to the slave state of Texas. The sheriffs from San Bernardino and Los Angeles approached Judge Benjamin Hayes. Hayes issued a writ of habeas corpus, widely used against slaveholders in free states. Late on the night of New Year's Eve 1855, as Los Angeles residents celebrated the new year, sheriffs raided Smith's camp in the Santa Monica mountains.  Biddy's children were taken into protective custody at the city jail at the corner of Spring and Franklin Streets in downtown L.A. They let Biddy stay with the Owens family. Judge Hayes ordered Smith to bear all costs associated with the case and caring for those placed in guardianship of the sheriffs as they prepared for trial.  Los Angeles was then still a small town and the three day court hearing, starting on January 19, 1856 was a huge event.   Smith argued that Biddy and the rest of his slaves wished to go to Texas with him. Under state law, Black Americans could not testify against white Americans. Judge Hayes brought Biddy  and her eldest daughters into his chambers along with two trustworthy local gentlemen who acted as observers. Hayes asked Biddy if she was willingly leaving for Texas and Biddy told him, “I always do what I have been told, but I have always been afraid of this trip to Texas.”  Biddy also told the judge about the kind of treatment they had been subjected to over the years. Hannah, who was one of the women enslaved by Smith, gave an unbelievably damaging testimony in the courtroom. She reluctantly said that she wanted to go to Texas. There were long silences. Hannah had given birth to a baby boy only two weeks earlier and was terrified of what Smith would do to her if she refused to go with him to Texas. Hayes sent the San Bernardino sheriff up to talk with her and she said, I promised I would say in court that I wanted to go but I don't want to go. If you bring me back to court, I'll say I want to go but I don't want to go. The sheriff returned with an affidavit saying that, in fact, she did not want to go. Smith's behavior before and during the course of the hearing made it clear she had good reason to be afraid. It was awful. He threatened the Owens family, a neighborhood grocer and a doctor in the courtroom yelling “If this case isn't resolved on Southern principles, all people of color will pay the price.” A gang of Smith's sons and workers went to the jail and tried to intimidate the jailer and lure Biddy's daughters away from the jail with alcohol. Biddy's lawyer abruptly withdrew from the case after being  threatened and offered a bribe of $200.  Judge Hayes was furious with Smith, and clearly rattled by what he had heard. His family was behaving like thugs. Robert Smith was lying about trying to take them out of California and this disturbed Hayes. Smith, who was not being held, was a no-show on the last day of the trial, Monday, January 21. He ran off to Texas. He knew his reputation was ruined and was unwilling to pay court costs. Judge Hayes stated "all the said persons of color are entitled to their freedom and are free and cannot be held in slavery or involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crimes, shall ever be tolerated in this State. It is therefore argued that they are entitled to their freedom and are free forever."    Amasa Mason Lyman was the mayor of San Bernardino and a Mormon Apostle. Biddy was a friend of Lyman and was fond of the Lyman family. Biddy took the surname Mason. It was her first last name.  With Smith gone, her daughters were released from protective custody and Mason moved her family into the Owens family home. They were now citizens in rough-and-tumble Los Angeles, where only around 80 of its 4,000 residents were Black. Her oldest daughter, Ellen, married the Owens' son, Charles. Owing to her experience and quality of work, she became one of the most popular midwives of that state, using the skills she learned as a slave.  Judge Hayes had a brother-in-law famous for being one of the first formally trained doctors in Southern California. Dr. John Strother Griffin, the “Father of East Los Angeles”. Griffin was impressed with her nursing skills and hired her as a nurse and midwife. She made $2.50 per day. That would be about $85 dollars in 2022. About 10 bucks a day for an 8 hour day. Griffin's office was on Main Street in the same county building as the jail in which she'd taken refuge with the 13 other enslaved people fighting for freedom. She offered her services to the prisoners free of charge. Biddy delivered hundreds of babies in Los Angeles and braved a smallpox epidemic, risking her life to tend to the sick. In her big black medicine bag, she carried the tools of her trade, and the papers Judge Hays had given her affirming that she was free. Biddy Mason worked as a midwife for ten years, saving her earnings carefully. When she was 48, she purchased her own property on the outskirts of Los Angeles where there were more gardens and vineyards than paved streets. She was the first African American woman to buy property in Los Angeles. It had a water ditch, and a willow fence running around the plot. Two lots for $250. Mason initially used the land for gardening and lived with the Owens. This purchase made her one of the first pioneers of Los Angeles. A remarkable feat for a woman who had spent the first 37 years of her life enslaved.  In her home, she established the city's first child care center for working parents. The First African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest African American church in the city. It was established on her Spring Street property. The initial meetings were held in Mason's home in 1872. She paid taxes and all expenses on church property to hold it for her people. The permanent church was eventually erected on land she donated at Eighth and Towne. Mason was quickly beloved and “known by every citizen” as “Aunt Biddy.”   She was also well received in the Los Angeles Spanish-speaking community. She could not read or write, but had become a fluent Spanish-speaker. She befriended Pio Pico, Mexico's last governor in California. Pico, Owens and Griffin were involved in real estate and all encouraged her to invest her money wisely and purchase property. Biddy invested in real estate in what is now the heart of downtown L.A. Finally, in 1884 Mason finally moved to her own land at 311 Spring Street and what is now Broadway. On one of the two lots, she built a two-story brick building which she rented the first floor to commercial interests and lived in an apartment on the second. Los Angeles was booming, and rural Spring Street was becoming crowded with shops and boarding houses. She sold the north lot for $1,500. A gain of nearly $13,000 today. She sold a property she had purchased on Olive Street for $375 in 1868, for $2,800. $82,000 today. Basically, in 1884, Biddy had over a 100,000 year in today's numbers. There were dirt streets and unpaved sidewalks, with curbs and gutters. The drainage system was primitive. Water was still channeled through the city through open ditches and bricklaid channels. Only fifteen streets had sewers running below their surface via riveted iron pipes. Three hundred foot tall poles holding electric lights had recently been erected on the major streets, illuminating with 3,000 candle power. Early that year, storms in February of 1884 caused the Los Angeles River to swell and cut new channels and the city's streets began to flood. The Aliso Street Bridge broke in two, part of the bridge was pushed down the river with half a dozen homes and they all lodged against the First Street Bridge,  creating a dam. The water rose, the river overflowed its banks and flooded the streets. Finally, the pressure from the rising water and the piled up homes and portion of bridge was too much for the First Street Bridge.  The west bank eroded when the First Street Bridge collapsed and thirty-five more houses were carried away. Along the riverbed, people sifted through the debris. Cradles, baby wagons, doors, cupboards, fences, pigs. Looking for something. Someone. Brooms, chickens, orange trees, beds. It was a dreadful sight. People were killed. Obviously, city lighting could not slow fooding, but it would aid in the recovery from the storm that had put a third of the city under water for hours. After the flood, Biddy arranged a deal with a grocer on Fourth and Spring. All of the families who lost their home were able to sign off for all of their groceries. Biddy Mason would pay the tab. Biddy owned land on San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo and was renting to over twenty tenants on three large plots near the now Grand Central Market. For the next three decades, she continued her real estate venture,  participating in the frontier town's transformation into an emerging metropolis. She used her wealth, a fortune of $300,000, the equivalent to $9.5 million in 2022 to feed and shelter the poor. She would visit the jail to leave a token and a prayerful hope with every prisoner. She opened a foster home, an elementary school for black children and a traveler's aid center. She was charming, effective and was deeply appreciated. In so many ways, she became the backbone of society. She helped her family buy properties around the city. She deeded a portion of her remaining Spring Street property to her grandsons “for the sum of love and affection and ten dollars.” She signed the deed with her customary fancy “X.” Still, never learning to read or write. Too busy making that cash.  Her success enabled her to support her extended family for generations.  Los Angeles had become a bustling city with 50,000 residents in the late 1880's. She was so well-known, at dawn each morning, a line would form in front of Mason's gate. Swarming with people in need of assistance. Her neighborhood developed quickly around her homestead and by the early 1890s, the main financial district of Los Angeles was one block from Mason's property. As she grew old and became too ill to see visitors, her grandson Robert was forced to turn people away each morning.  On January 15, 1891 Bridget “Biddy” Mason died at her beloved homestead in Los Angeles. She was 73 years old, one of the wealthiest Black women in the country. When she was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights, her grave was left unmarked. The family held onto Mason's cherished “first homestead” until the Depression. Today the Broadway Spring Center Parking garage stands on the site.  Ninety-Seven years after her death, L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, and members of the church she founded held a ceremony, during which her grave was finally marked with a tombstone. Biddy Mason Memorial Park in downtown Los Angeles was erected one year later in her honor. Behind the Bradbury Building near Third and Spring, a memorial on an 80-foot-long poured concrete wall shows the timeline of Biddy Mason's life. November 16 was declared “Biddy Mason Day” in Los Angeles. Jackie Broxton said this, "She showed people what could happen when they were free and could set their own destiny". Jackie Broxton is the CEO & President of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation. The Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation was established in 2013 and began as an outreach ministry of the church Biddy founded. The Foundation caters to current and former foster youth in the local community. It should also be noted that Biddy's success story was the exception and not the rule. I believe that she attained so much, because she gave so much. As she navigated multiple levels of oppression, Biddy advocated for her community. When it comes to movements advancing our communities, culture, and policies in more equitable directions, it seems that women have always been at the forefront. Biddy Mason once said, “If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives.” She is an inspiration that when given the support and opportunity, it is possible to overcome even the toughest of circumstances. Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and triumph. The fight continues today against the inherited systemic racism, sexism, and each and every intersection.  Sources: Los Angeles Almanac  Free Forever: The Contentious Hearing That Made Biddy Mason A Legend By  Hadley Meares The Life of Biddy Mason: From Slave to a Master by Fareeha Arshad Biddy Mason Collaborative National Park Service Biddy Mason: One of LA's first black real estate moguls By Hadley Meares Los Angeles Western Corral Honoring the legacy and 200th birthday of slave-turned-entrepreneur Biddy Mason by Michael Livingston Negro Trail-Blazers of California by Delilah Beasley  The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History by Dolores Hayden https://kentakepage.com/bridget-biddy-mason/ Bridget "Biddy" Mason: From Bondage to Wealth - Kentake Page Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation  

In a world dominated by fast fashion, Brunello Cucinelli keeps it slow, creating hand-crafted, ultra-luxury womenswear and menswear that elevates the well-being of those who wear his garments and those who make them.“Beauty is not only in how you dress, but how you behave…making sure that the community benefits from the presence of all of us,” says his daughter Carolina Cucinelli, co-president and co-creative director of the company. She talks with host Pari Ehsan on Episode 4 of Rodeo Drive: The Podcast about the Italian brand and continuing its humanistic philosophy of fashion and social responsibility.Ms. Cucinelli describes a childhood in Solomeo, the small hamlet that is home to her family and the company headquarters in Umbria, Italy. There she grew up with the artisans who create the one of a kind, exquisitely tailored, heirloom pieces in cashmere, shearling leather and soft cottons. She explains how Brunello Cucinelli invests in the community, through arts, culture and a School of Contemporary Arts and Crafts for a new generation of tailors. This is the definition of sustainability, she says. “I think the younger generation want to buy less, but buy better.”Field Correspondent Jason E.C. Wright visits the Brunello Cucinelli boutique on Two Rodeo Drive, taking listeners on an audio tour through the highly-curated retail experience. He describes the calming colors and textures of the interiors and and furnishings; the silky mens' jackets and blazers; and the women's Opera collection, featuring cardigans and suits threaded, he says, “with sequins that reflect the light in such a way that you don't notice them immediately. And then it looks like a million cameras have flashed.”Finally, Carolina Cucinelli explains the company's attraction to Los Angeles and why they chose two of its architectural landmarks – the Stahl House and the Bradbury Building – for a recent photoshoot. “For us (it) is that perfect union of Solomeo and L.A., because it's a majestic place with a beautiful history.”Season Three of Rodeo Drive – The Podcast is presented by the Rodeo Drive Committee with the support of the City of Beverly Hills, The Hayman Family, Two Rodeo Drive, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau, and MCM.Listen to Rodeo Drive – The Podcast and subscribe, rate and review wherever you get your podcasts.Watch moments from the series here and on YouTube.Check back in regularly for what's next in the series.Season Three Credits:Executive Producer: Lyn WinterHost: Pari EhsanField Correspondent: Jason E.C. WrightScriptwriter and Editorial Advisor: Frances AndertonEditor and Videographer: Hans FjellestadTheme music by Brian BanksProduction Assistant: Grace Fuh See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anne and Ryan welcome producer, writer and film fanatic Andrew Grissom, to take a bite out of Mike Nichols' WOLF starring Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and James Spader. Released in the summer of 1994, WOLF's mix of horror, romance, and satire opened to middling reviews, but has since garnered fascination due to its odd mix of sophisticated humor, Rick Baker creature makeup, and hypotonic Ennio Morricone score. Grissom brings his research A-game to the discussion (he's seen Wolf three times within the last year), as we delve into the film's writing (which went through an uncredited punch-up from Elaine May), locations (including Downtown LA's Bradbury Building), and fortuitous release date (which happened on one of the most memorable days of 1990s). It's a howlingly good conversation you don't want to miss! WOLF (1994) is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Congrats to Adam Bomb, who won week 3 of #moxiemillion, by sharing the show to help it reach 1 million downloads this month! Necessity is the mother of invention and these inventions had real mothers!  Hear about Black female inventors, the tribulations of research, and a story I didn't expect to find and couldn't pass up. 01:00 L'histoire  06:36 Martha Jones's corn husker 07:55 Mary Jones de Leon's cooking apparatus 08:56 Judy Reed's dough kneader-roller 10:30 Sarah Goode's folding bed-desk 11:40 Sarah Boon's ironing board 17:15 Lyda Newman's hairbrush 19:33 Madam CJ Walker's Wonderful Hair-grower 22:03 Biddy Mason Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs.  Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter,  or Instagram.  Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi.  Or buy the book and a shirt. Music: Kevin MacLeod, David Fesilyan, Dan Henig. and/or Chris Haugen. Sponsors:  What Was That Like, Reddit on Wiki, Sambucol Want to start a podcast or need a better podcast host?  Get up to TWO months hosting for free from Libsyn with coupon code "moxie."   The first Africans arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. They were recorded as “20 and odd Negroes.” These Africans had been stolen from a Portuguese slave ship, transported to an English warship flying a Dutch flag and sold to colonial settlers in American.  The schooner Clotilda (often misspelled Clotilde) was the last known U.S. slave ship to bring captives from Africa to the United States, arriving at Mobile Bay, in autumn 1859[1] or July 9, 1860   The end of the Civil War and the passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments meant that all black inventors now had the right to apply for patents. The result over the next few decades was a virtual explosion of patented inventions by black mechanics, blacksmiths, domestic workers, and farm laborers — many of them ex-slaves. By 1895 the U.S. Patent Office was able to advertise a special exhibit of inventions patented by black inventors. The list of new inventions patented by blacks after the Civil War reveals what kinds of occupations they held and in which sectors of the labor force they were concentrated. Agricultural implements, devices for easing domestic chores, and devices related to the railroad industry were common subjects for black inventors. Some patented inventions developed in the course of operating businesses like barbershops, restaurants, and tailoring shops. started here Researching African-American history is far tougher than it should be.  Marginalized stories don't get written down, and then there was the whole Lost Cause thing, actively eradicating what stories had been recorded.  For those in far-flung parts fortunate enough not to have have attended a school whose history books were written or chosen by these [sfx bleep], the Lost Cause was people like the Daughters of the Confederacy purposefully rewriting history.  Their version of events was that civil war generals were heroes, slaves were generally treated well and were happy to work for their enslavers, and that the war was about state's rights, not the immorality of owning another human being.  It was from this movement that my hometown of Richmond, VA got a beautiful tree-lined avenue of expensive row houses and every third block had a statue of a civil war general.  the number of Confederate memorial installations peaked around 1910 — 50 years after the end of the Civil War and at the height of Jim Crow, an era defined by segregation and disenfranchisement laws against black Americans. Confederate installations spiked again in the 1950s and 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement.  It weren't nothing to do with celebrating ancestors who fought for what they believed in, which you shouldn't do if your ancestor was so stunningly wrong in their beliefs, it was about telling African-Americans that you haven't forgotten when they were under your boot and you'd bring all that back tomorrow if you could.  The statues are on my mind today because I was just in a networking event with Noah Scalin and Mark Cheatham, the artists who created a now iconic (regionally) iconic image of the empty plinth where the Robert E Lee statue stood.  Scalin was the guy that started the Skull A Day website, if you ever saw that, and my husband helped him do an art installation in Times Square.   But my squirrel brain was talking about the inherent difficulty of researching this topic.  Details were sparse for the male inventors and it wasn't uncommon for me to find the same photo used on articles about different people, and if I ever, say, shared an image of Benjamin Montgomery with the caption Henry Boyd, many many apologies for the inconvenience.  But in researching black *women inventors, I'd be lucking to *find a picture, misattributed or otherwise.  Or their story or even enough of a bio to fill out aa 3x5 index card.  I got nothing, bupkis, el zilcho.  Well, not nothing-nothing, but not a fraction of what I wanted to present to you.  One of my goals with YBOF is to amplify the stories of POC, women, and the LGBT (see my recent Tiktok about the amazing Gladys Bently for the trifecta), but I guess if I really mean to do that, I'm going to have to abandon Google in favor of an actual library, when I no longer have to be wary of strangers trying to kill me with their selfishness.  That aside, I love a library.  I used to spend summer afternoons at the one by my house in high school – it was cool, quiet, full of amazing knowledge and new stories, and best of all, my 4 little sisters had no interest in going.  When you come from a herd of six kids, anything you can have exclusively to yourself, even if it's because no one else wants it, immediately becomes your favorite thing.   So I don't have as much as I wanted about Black female inventors of the pre-Civil War era, but I did find one real gem that I almost gave the entire episode to, but we'll come to her.  As with male inventors, it can be a little sketch to say this one was first or that one was first.  There are a number of reasons for this.  Black people kept in bondage were expressly prohibited from being issued patents by a law in 18??.  Some would change their names in an attempt to hide their race, some would use white proxies, and of course many Black inventors had their ideas stolen, often by their enslavers, who believed that they owned not only the person, but all of their work output, that they owned the inventor's ideas as much as they owned the crops he harvested, the horseshoes he applied, or the goods he built.     The other big thing that makes early patent history tricky is something I've dealt with personally, twice - a good ol' fashioned structure fire.  A fire broke out in a temporary patent office and even though there was a fire station right next door, 10,000 early patents were lost, as were about 7000 patent models, which used to be part of the application process.  Long story short, we don't, and probably can't, know definitively who was the first, second, and third Black woman to receive a patent, so I'm going to take what names I *can find and put them in chronological order, though surely there are some inventors whose names have been lost, possibly forever.   Martha Jones is believed to be the first Black woman to receive a U.S. patent in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, for her improvement to the “Corn Husker, Sheller.”  Her invention made it possible to husk, shell, cut and separate corn all in one step, saving time and labor.  This would be for dry or field corn, the kind used to make cornbread, not sweet corn, the kind you eat on the bone in the summer.  This invention laid a foundation stone for advancements in automatic agricultural processes that are still in use today.  I can show you the schematics from Jones' patent, but as for Jones herself, I've got sweet Fanny Adams.  But I can tell you that her patent came 59 years after the first white woman got hers in 1809, for a weaving process for bonnets, which I think also illustrates what constituted a “problem” in each woman's life.  On the gender side of things, Jones' patent came 47 years after Thomas Jennings became the first black man to receive a U.S. Patent in 1821 for the precursor to dry-cleaning, whose details we lost in that fire.   Next up, or so it is believed, was another Jones (it's like Wales in here today), Mary Jones De Leon.  In 1873, De Leon was granted U.S. patent No. 140,253 for her invention titled ”Cooking Apparatus.”  De Leon, who lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and is buried outside Atlanta, GA, created an apparatus for heating or cooking food either by dry heat or steam, or both.  It was an early precursor to the steam tables now used in buffets and cafeterias.  Remember buffets?  We'll be explaining them to our grandkids.  You'd go to a restaurant and eat out of communal troughs with strangers for $10.  By the way, if I were to say ‘chafing dish' and you thought of a throw-away line from the 1991 movie Hot Shot, “No, a crock pot is for cooking all day,” that's why we're friends.  If you didn't, don‘t worry, we're still friends.   The third patent in our particular pattern went to Judy Woodford Reed, and that patent is about the only records we have for her.  She improved existing machines for working bread dough with her "Dough Kneader and Roller" in 1884.  Her design mixed the dough more evenly, while keeping it covered, which would basically constitute sterile conditions back then.  Reed appears in the 1870 Federal Census as a 44 year old seamstress near Charlottesville, Virginia, along with her husband Allen, a gardener, and their five children.  Sometime between 1880 and 1885, Allen Reed died, and Judy W. Reed, calling herself "widow of Allen," moved to Washington, D. C.  It is unlikely that Reed was able to read, write, or even sign her name.  The census refers to Judy and Allen both as illiterate, and her patent is signed with an "X".   That might have actually worked to her favor.  Lots of whites, about 1 in 5, were illiterate back then, too, and an X reveals neither race nor gender.   The first African-American woman to fully sign a patent was Sarah E. Goode of Chicago.  Bonus fact: illiteracy is why we use an X to mean a kiss at the bottom of a letter or greeting card.  People who couldn't sign their name to a contract or legal document would mark it with an X and kiss it to seal their oath.  Tracing the origin of O meaning hug is entirely unclear, though, and theories abound.   Sarah Elisabeth Goode obtained a patent in 1885 for a Cabinet-bed, a "sectional bedsteads adapted to be folded together when not in use, so as to occupy less space, and made generally to resemble some article of furniture when so folded."  Details continue to be sparse, but we know that as of age 5 in 1860, she was free and living in Ohio.  She moved to Chicago 10 years later and 10 years after that, married a man named Archibald, who was a carpenter, as her father had been.  They had some kids, as people often do, though we don't know how many.   If they had many kids or lived in a small space for the number of kids they had, that could have been what motivated Goode to create a very early version of the cool desk that turns into a bed things you can see online that sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars.  Goode's invention had hinged sections that were easily raised or lowered. When not functioning as a bed, the invention could easily be used as a desk with small compartments for storage, ideal for a small city apartment, especially if there were hella kids in there.   We have a bit more on another Sarah inventor, this time Sarah Boone of NC.  Born into bondage in 1832, Sarah may have acquired her freedom by marrying James Boone, a free Black man, in 1847.  Together, they had eight children and worked to help the Underground Railroad.  Soon the family, along with Sarah's widowed mother, made their way north to New Haven, Connecticut.  Sarah worked as a dressmaker and James as a bricklayer until his death in the 1870s.  They'd done well enough for themselves to purchase their own home.  Far removed from the strictures and structures of enslavement, Sarah became a valued member of her community and began taking reading and writing lessons.     It was through her workaday life as a dressmaker that she invented a product you might well have in your home today, the modern-day ironing board.  Quick personal aside in an episode that's already chock-full of them–did anyone else marry military or former military and make your spouse do all the ironing because you assume they'd be better at it from having to do their uniforms?  I can't be the only one.  Back to Sarah Boone, who wanted “to produce a cheap, simple, convenient and highly effective device, particularly adapted to be used in ironing the sleeves and bodies of ladies garments.”   You might think the ironing board didn't *need to be “invented,” that it was just one of those things everybody kinda just had, but no.  Prior to Boone, you'd put bits of wood between the backs of two chairs, like a makeshift sawhorse.  And anyone who's ever used a makeshift sawhorse only to have it slide apart out from under them or end up sawing into their dining room table will attest that there was indeed room for improvement.  She began by creating a narrower, curved board that could slip into the  sleeves of dresses and shirts, with padding to stop the texture of the wooden base from being imprinted onto the fabric, and the whole thing collapsed for easy storage.   With a bit of help from other dressmakers, she finalized the design for which she'd be awarded her patent in 1892.  Such a simple device was a boon to many a homemaker, though there remains the extent to which she profited from the invention, particularly as they became a product for mass distribution by companies. Even so, we know that it was soon an indispensable household device and made manufacturers wealthy.   MIDROLL   Lyda Newman is remembered for two things, patented the first hairbrush with synthetic bristles in 1898 and her activism in the women's voting rights movement of the early 20th century – she was a key organizer of a Black branch of the Woman Suffrage Party, which was trying to give women the legal right to vote.  We know she was born in Ohio sometime between 1865 and 1885, which is a helluva range for history so relatively recent, and that she spent most of her life living in New York City, working as a hairdresser.      As a hairdresser, and an owner of a head of hair herself, Newman wanted the process of brushing hair to be more hygienic and efficient.  Most hairbrushes at the time were made using animal hair, the same kind you might get in shaving brushes or paint brushes.  Now imagine trying to get knots out with a shaving brush.  Animal-based bristles were too soft for the job, which is where we get the old trope/advice of 100 strokes – it took that many to get the job done.  And that was for white woman.  These brushes were practically useless for the thicker textures of African American hair.  Animal hair also harbored bacteria like it's nobody's business, which is unfortunate since it was also used to bristle toothbrushes and, oh yeah, back in the day, you'd have a single household toothbrush that everyone shared.  Newman's brush used synthetic fibers, which were more durable and easier to clean, in evenly spaced rows of bristles with open slots to clear debris away from the hair into a recessed compartment.  The back could be opened with a button for cleaning out the compartment.     This wasn't a gimmick or fly-by-night idea.  Newman's invention changed the hair-care industry by making hairbrushes less expensive and easier to manufacture.  This paved the way for other Black inventors in the hair-care space to actually *create the black hair care industry, chief among them, Sarah Breedlove.  Don't recognize the name?  What if I call her Madam C.J. Walker?  Well, I'm gonna tell you about her either way.  Breedlove, born in 1867 in Louisiana, was the first child in her family born into freedom, but found herself an orphan at age seven after both parents died of yellow fever.  She lived with a brother-in-law, who abused her, before marrying Moses McWilliams at age 14 to get away from him.  Sarah was a mother at 17 and a widow at 20, so on the whole, not having a good time of it.  And to top it all off, her hair was falling out.   She developed a product to treat the unspecified scalp disease that caused it, made of petroleum jelly, sulfur, and a little perfume to make it smell better.  And it worked!  She called it Madame C.J.Walker Wonderful Hair Grower (she was now married to Charles Walker) and along with Madame C.J.Walker Vegetable Shampoo, began selling door-to-door to other African-American women suffering from the same disease.  5 years later, she set up the Madame C.J.Walker Manufacturing Company in the US, and later expanded her business to Central America and the Caribbean.  She recruited 25,000 black women by the early 1900s to act as door-to-door beauty consultants across North and Central America, and the Caribbean.  Walker was the first one using the method known today as direct sales marketing to distribute and sell her products, a method adopted later on by Avon, TupperWare, and others.  And she paid well, too!  You could earn $25 a week with Walker, a damn site better than $2 per week as a domestic servant.  Her workforce would grow to be 40,000 strong.  So don't be telling me that paying a living wage is bad for business.   Walker didn't keep her success to herself, but used her wealth to support African-American institutions, the black YMCA, helped people with their mortgages, donated to orphanages and senior citizens homes, and was a believer in the power of education.  Now be sure you don't do as I am wont to do and accidentally conflate Madame CJ Walker with Maggie Walker, the first African American woman to charter a bank and the first African American woman to serve as a bank president, and an advocate for the disabled, because she deserves coverage of her own.    As I was searching for black female inventors, I came across one listicle with a paragraph on a woman the author claimed helped “invent” the city of Los Angeles.  That's a bit of a stretch, I thought to myself, but as I read the story of Bridget “Biddy” Mason, I became so utterly fascinated, I almost flipped the script to do the episode entirely about her.  I did not, as you've plainly noticed, since I'd already done primary research for the first six pages of an eight page script. Biddy was born into slavery in 1818 in Georgia, maybe.  We do know she spent most of her early life on a plantation owned by Robert Smithson.  During her teenage years, she learned domestic and agricultural skills, as well as herbal medicine and midwifery from African, Caribbean, and Native American traditions of other female slaves.  Her knowledge and skill made her beneficial to both the slaves and the plantation owners.  According to some authors, Biddy was either given to or sold to Robert Smith and his wife Rebecca in Mississippi in the 1840s.  Biddy had three children, Ellen, Ann, and Harriet.  Their paternity is unknown, but it's been speculated that Ann and Harriet were fathered by Smith.   Smith, a Mormon convert, followed the call of church leaders to settle in the West to establish a new Mormon community in what would become Salt Lake City, Utah in what was at the time still part of Mexico.  The Mormon church was a-okay with slavery, encouraging people to treat the enslaved kindly, as they were lesser beings who needed the white man's protection.  In 1848, 30-year-old Mason *walked 1,700 miles behind a 300-wagon caravan. Along the route west Mason's responsibilities included setting up and breaking camp, cooking the meals, herding livestock, and serving as a midwife as well as taking care of her three young daughters aged ten, four, and an infant.  Utah didn't last long for the Smiths and 3 years later, they set out in a 150-wagon caravan for San Bernardino, California to establish another Mormon community.  Ignoring warnings that slavery was illegal in California, Smith gathered his livestock and people they treated like livestock and schlepped them along.  Although California joined the United States as a free state in 1850, the laws around slavery were complicated and there was a lot of forced labor to be found.  Indigenous people could be forced to work as "contract laborers."  How, you ask?  Well this made we swear loudly when I read it.  Every weekend, local authorities would arrest intoxicated Natives on dubious charges and take them to what was essentially a slave mart and auction off their labor for the coming week. If they were paid at the end of that week, they were usually paid in alcohol so they could get drunk and be arrested to be auctioned off again.   Along the way, biddy Mason met free blacks who urged her to legally contest her slave status once she reached California, a free state.  When they got to Cali, Mason met more free blacks, like her lifelong friends Robert and Minnie Owens, who told her the same thing.  Smith must have noticed this, because a few years later, fearing the loss of his slaves, he decided to move the whole kit and caboodle to Texas, a slave state.  This was obviously real bad news for Mason and the other enslaved people, but thankfully Mason had the Owens on her side, particularly since her now 17 year old daughter was in love with their son.  The law was on her side, too.  The California Fugitive Slave Act, enacted in 1852, allowed slave owners to temporarily hold enslaved persons in California and transport them back to their home state, but this law wouldn't have covered Smith because he wasn't from Texas.  When Robert Owens told the Los Angeles County Sheriff that there were people being illegally held in bondage and being taken back to a slave state, the sheriff gathered a posse, including Owens, his sons, and cattleman from Owens' ranch, and cut Smith off at the pass, literally Cajon Pass, and prevented him from leaving the state.  The sheriff was armed with a legal document, a writ of habeus corpus, signed by Judge Benjamin Hayes.   On January 19, 1856 she petitioned the court for freedom for herself and her extended family of 13 women and children.  Their fate was now in the hands of Judge Hayes.  You wouldn't expect Hayes to be on Mason's side in a dispute against Smith.  Hayes hailed from a slave state and had owned slaves himself, plus in his time as a journalist, he's written pro-Mormon articles.  The trial started with a damning statement from Biddy's eldest daughter Hannah, herself a mother of a newborn, saying she wanted to go to Texas.  The sheriff spoke to her afterwards and found she was terrified of Smith and had said what she was told to say.  She wasn't wrong to be scared.  Smith threatened Mason's lawyer and bribed him to leave the case.  Smith's son and hired men trail hands went to the jail where Mason and her family were being kept safe and tried to intimidate the jailer.  They also threatened the Owens family and a neighborhood grocer and a doctor. They said 'If this case isn't resolved on Southern principles, you'll all pay the price, all people of color.'    Judge Hayes…he wasn't having any of this.  Technically, Mason and her children had also become free the minute they stepped into California. The new California constitution stated that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude unless for the punishment of crimes shall ever be tolerated in this state.” However, lacking options and probably unaware of her full rights, Mason continued to serve in the Smith household.  Smith claimed Mason and the others had stayed because they were “members of his family” who voluntarily offered to go with him to Texas.  Mason, as a non-white person, was legally barred from testifying against the white Smith in court, so Judge Hayes took her into his chambers along with two trustworthy local gentlemen who acted as observers to depose her.  He asked her only whether she was going voluntarily, and what she said was, 'I always do what I have been told, but I have always been afraid of this trip to Texas."    Smith fled to Texas before the trial could conclude.  On January 19, Judge Hays ruled in favor of Mason.  "And it further appearing by satisfactory proof to the Judge here, that all the said persons of color are entitled to their freedom and are free and cannot be held in slavery or involuntary servitude, it is therefore argued that they are entitled to their freedom and are free forever."  He hoped they would “become settled and go to work for themselves—in peace and without fear.”   Okay, now we're getting to the part of Biddy Mason's story that the listicle writer used to include her in a gallery of inventrixes.  Mason and her family moved to Los Angeles, then a dusty little town of only 2,000 or so residents, less than 20 of whom were black, where she worked as midwife and nurse.  As the town grew, so did her business.  Basically, if you were having a baby, Biddy Mason was delivering it.  Well, her friend Dr. Griffin probably helped, but we're hear to talk about Biddy.  After tending to hundreds of births and illnesses, she was known about town as Aunt Biddy.  As a midwife, Mason was able to cross class and color lines and she viewed everyone as part of her extended family.  In her big black medicine bag, she carried the tools of her trade, and the papers Judge Hayes had given her affirming that she was free, just in case.    By 1866, she had saved enough money to buy a property on Spring Street.  Her daughter Ellen remembered that her mother firmly told her family that “the first homestead must never be sold.”  She wanted her family to always have a home to call their own.  My family is the same way – if you can own land, even if it's an empty lot, do.  Mason's small wood frame house at 311 Spring Street was not just a family home, it became a “refuge for stranded and needy settlers,” a daycare center for working women, and a civic meeting place.  In 1872, a group of black Angelenos founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church at her house and they met there until they were able to move to their own building.     She also continued to invest in real estate, while always making sure to give back. According to the Los Angeles Times: “She was a frequent visitor to the jail, speaking a word of cheer and leaving some token and a prayerful hope with every prisoner. In the slums of the city, she was known as “Grandma Mason,” and did much active service toward uplifting the worst element in Los Angeles. She paid taxes and all expenses on church property to hold it for her people. During the flood of the early eighties, she gave an open order to a little grocery store, which was located on Fourth and Spring Streets. By the terms of this order, all families made homeless by the flood were to be supplied with groceries, while Biddy Mason cheerfully paid the bill.”   Eventually she was able to buy 10 acres, on which she built rental homes and eventually a larger commercial building she rented out.  That land she invested in and developed is now the heart of downtown L.A. three substantial plots near what is now Grand Central Market as well as land on San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo.  Mason was a shrewd businesswoman too.  Los Angeles was booming, and rural Spring Street was becoming crowded with shops and boarding houses. In 1884, she sold the north half of her Spring Street property for $1,500 and had a mixed-use building built on the other half.  She sold a lot she had purchased on Olive Street for $2,800, turning a tidy profit considering she'd bought it for less than $400.  In 1885, she deeded a portion of her remaining Spring Street property to her grandsons “for the sum of love and affection and ten dollars.”  She signed the deed with her customary flourished “X.” Though she was a successful real estate pioneer and nurse, who stressed the importance of education for her children and grandchildren, and taught herself Spanish, she had never learned to read or write.   Bridget “Biddy” Mason died 1891, one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles.  For reasons never fully explained, she was buried in an unmarked grave at Evergreen Cemetery.  While you can't visit her grave, you can visit the mini-park created in her honor.  Designed by landscape architects Katherine Spitz and Pamela Burton, an 80-foot-long poured concrete wall, created by artist Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, displays a timeline of Biddy's life, illustrated with images like wagon wheels and a midwife's bag, as well as images such as an early survey map of Los Angeles and Biddy's freedom papers, from the northernmost end of the wall with the text “Biddy Mason born a slave,” all the way down to “Los Angeles mourns and reveres Grandma Mason.”  If you're ever down near the Bradbury Building on Spring street, get some pictures for me.   Sources: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mason-bridget-biddy-1818-1891/ https://la.curbed.com/2017/3/1/14756308/biddy-mason-california-black-history https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/biddy-mason-memorial-park https://alliesforracialjustice.org/shark-tank-in-the-1800s-black-women-reigned-in-household-inventions/ https://interestingengineering.com/black-inventors-the-complete-list-of-genius-black-american-african-american-inventors-scientists-and-engineers-with-their-revolutionary-inventions-that-changed-the-world-and-impacted-history-part-two https://www.ipwatchdog.com/2021/02/08/revolutionizing-cooking-mary-jones-de-leon/id=129701/ https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/lyda-newman https://interestingengineering.com/black-inventors-the-complete-list-of-genius-black-american-african-american-inventors-scientists-and-engineers-with-their-revolutionary-inventions-that-changed-the-world-and-impacted-history-part-two https://laist.com/news/la-history/biddy-mason-free-forever-the-contentious-hearing-that-made-her-a-legend-los-angeles-black-history  

Don't miss out on the next WeAreLATech podcast episode, get notified by signing up here http://wearelatech.com/podcastWelcome to WeAreLATech's Los Angeles Tech Community Spotlight!   “Jon Ferrara of Nimble”WeAreLATech Podcast is a WeAreTech.fm production.To support our podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/believe To be featured on the podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/feature-your-la-startup/Want to be featured in the WeAreLATech Community? Create your profile here http://wearelatech.com/communityHost,Espree Devorahttps://twitter.com/espreedevorahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/espreeGuest,Jon Ferrarahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonvferrara/Listener Spotlight, Abel Hernandez https://www.instagram.com/abelproductFor a calendar of all LA Startup events go to, http://WeAreLATech.comTo further immerse yourself into the LA Tech community go to http://wearelatech.com/vipLinks Mentioned:Nimble, https://www.nimble.comTrello, https://trello.comThe Getty, https://www.getty.edu/visit/center/Sandstone Peak, https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/sandstone-peak/Bradbury Building, https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/bradbury-buildingHollywood Bowl, https://www.hollywoodbowl.comPhone Burner, https://www.phoneburner.comThink and Grow Rich, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30186948-think-and-grow-richCredits:Produced and Hosted by Espree Devora, http://espreedevora.comStory Produced, Edited and Mastered by Cory Jennings, https://www.coryjennings.com/Production and Voiceover by Adam Carroll, http://www.ariacreative.ca/Team support by Janice GeronimoMusic by Jay Huffman, https://soundcloud.com/jayhuffmanShort Title: Jon Ferrara

We are in a series where we revisit all of the Wish You Were Heres that have been shared on our podcast, this time broken down by location. This week we're revisiting locations from Los Angeles. 4:25 Angel's Flight, Los Angeles, CA 10:40 La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, CA 15:40 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Los Angeles, CA 24:30 The Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA 28:45 Perch LA, Los Angeles, CA 30:25 Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA 33:10 Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, CA 34:55 Bradbury Building, Los Angeles, CA Follow us on Twitter & Instagram: @tmwypodcast  Leave us a voicemail (or text message): (406)763-8699  Email: tmwypodcast@gmail.com 

Follow Weird Darkness at https://facebook.com/weirddarkness and https://twitter.com/weirddarkness. Please SHARE Weird Darkness with someone who loves paranormal stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do! Recommending the show to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing the show!IN THIS EPISODE: (Dark Archives episode with stories from September 14-15, 2018) *** Legend has it a ghost told the building's architect to take the job. We'll look at the creepy history behind the construction of the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles. (The Occult And The Bradbury Building) *** You expect strange on-the-job tales from those who work in or near graveyards, or those who are close to the dead such as mortuaries, and even hospitals. But the brave men and women in law enforcement have a few stories of their own to tell. (Police and the Paranormal) *** Did 16-year-old Grace Marks of “Alias Grace” fame, actually help murder her employer and his lover — or was she unfairly locked away? (The True Story Behind ‘Alias Grace') *** A woman finds a ghostly companion in her bed – every night. (Possibly Friendly Entity) *** In 1845 twenty thousand people gathered in Lawrenceville, Illinois, to witness the hanging of Betsey Reed for poisoning her husband. Considered a witch by some, a victim by others. (The Hanging of Betsey Reed) *** A man's love for a woman lasts even past her death, to the point of his living with her corpse. (Strange Love) *** AND MORE TRUE STORIES! SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…(Note: Over time links can and may become invalid, disappear, or have different content.)“The Hanging of Betsey Reed”: (link no longer available) “The Occult and the Bradbury Building” by Bianca Barragan: https://tinyurl.com/vjz6u9t “Strange Love: The Morbid Obsession of Carl Van Cosel” by Troy Taylor: https://tinyurl.com/s3p4aua “The True Story of ‘Alias Grace'” by Gina Dimuro: https://tinyurl.com/w9tb3h9 “Possibly Friendly Entity”: https://tinyurl.com/w2qu299 “Police And The Paranormal” from GhostsNGhouls.com (link no longer available)Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music, EpidemicSound and/or AudioBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and/or Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission. 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WANT TO ADVERTISE ON WEIRD DARKNESS?Weird Darkness has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They're great to work with and will help you advertise on the show. Email sales@advertisecast.com or start the process now at https://weirddarkness.com/advertise = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness™ - is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, 2021.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Mark Comon from Torrance based Paul's Photo and the Creative Photo Academy joins Jefferson Graham to talk the art of photographing downtown Los Angeles for a Photowalks Talks edition. Hollywood and Beverly Hills may get the lion's share of tourists, but when it comes to photo spots, the downtown area of Los Angeles (DTLA) is a photographer's paradise, with Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dodger Stadium, the Bradbury Building, Los Angeles City Hall and Union Station among the standouts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jeffersongraham.substack.com

Episode 67 - Read Across America - Library / Book related reading selections The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman and The Library Book by Susan Orlean   This entire month is National Reading Month and the first week in March is Read Across America - celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Read Across America was launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA) and guided by a committee of educators; NEA’s Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. While it is a year-round initiative, every month in March has special programming to encourage children to read. Here is an example of week one this year: 8 non-Seuss ideas for celebrate Read Across America Monday: Read a book about families. Tuesday: Read a funny book. Wednesday: Read a book about an inspiring leader. Thursday: Read an #ownvoices book. Friday: Read a book that celebrates books.   Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here.   Tami Read The Library Book by Susan Orlean Amie Read The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman Central Library Los Angeles, California The Richard J. Riordan Central Library in downtown Los Angeles is both a leading public research library and a major architectural landmark. Comprised of the original 1926 library now called the Goodhue Building and a 1993 addition named for former mayor Tom Bradley, it ranks with the Bradbury Building and Union Station as a treasure of the city’s historic downtown. The library has been designated a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument (#46) and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The images on our website are of the exterior, highlighting the tiled pyramid with the light of learning at its apex. Next are three images of the fire both internal and external. Susan Orlean is pictured displaying one of the damaged books that was kept in the library and the final two images are interiors after the building was restored. Click HERE for a link to a YouTube video interview with two librarians that worked at Central Library at the time of the fire. Books Mentioned Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour Bookstore by Robin Sloane The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George  Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky  Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell 1984 by George Orwell  Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev Sites Mentioned The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles, California - this place looks PHENOMENAL (Road Trip!) The UCLA Library - Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 at this library Media Mentioned Ray Bradbury video from THE BIG READ - great video!  Read Across America - National Education Association - FAQ’s here Dr. Seuss's Birthday Bookmarks on Etsy Silver Spoon Book Mark  Check out our patreon page and become a supporter—early access to all episodes, fun videos, polls, exclusives…it’s all on patreon.

In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood’s undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure’s character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?See images and read the show notes!Clever Confidential is our offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.Many thanks to this episode’s guest experts Kim Cooper and Richard Schave!More about Esotouric: Although Esotouric's in-person tours have been paused since March 2020, Kim and Richard can be found every Saturday at 12p PST, presenting an all-new immersive cultural history webinar to Los Angeles history lovers around the world. Past webinar themes (all available On-Demand) include Raymond Chandler, The Black Dahlia, Angels Flight Railway, Grand Central Market, Cafeteria History and Lost Bunker Hill. And their first, naturally, was about the greatest building in Los Angeles: the Bradbury!Many thanks to our sponsors: HelixTo all our designer friends out there, Helix is one of the only “mattress in a box” companies that offers a designer trade discount—and it’s a good one at that! Just go to http://helixsleep.com/clever, sign up for the trade program, and once approved you will receive 25% off all products at all three of their brands. For regular customers, Helix is offering a great promo where you can receive up to $200 off your order plus 2 free dream pillows. Just visit http://helixsleep.com/clever to take the quiz and save up to $200 on your dream mattress SkillshareCuriosity is what drove us to create Clever and curiosity about design, creativity and the human experience is what keeps us going. We never stop learning, so whether you’re a beginner, a hobbyist, or a seasoned pro, there is always another skill to master, or technique to perfect. A new year is the perfect time to start. Skillshare is an online learning community for everyone. And they’re giving Clever listeners a free trial of their Premium Membership. No matter what 2021 brings, you can spend it creating something meaningful with Skillshare’s online classes—from design to film and photography, illustration, business, writing and more. Explore your creativity at Skillshare.com/Clever, where our listeners get a free trial of Skillshare’s Premium Membership. Start now at Skillshare.com/clever Please let us know what you think on social: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We revive a pre-lockdown theme we shelved while we tried to make sense of the world; Raymond Chandler’s iconic character of Philip Marlowe. We start with James Garner as barrel-chested Marlowe in Paul Bogart’s Marlowe (1969). Next up is Elliot Gould as schlubby, besuited Marlowe in Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973). We finish with Robert Mitchum as transposed to London, expat Marlowe in Michael Winner’s The Big Sleep (1978) and ask why, just, why?Also: Amiability. The Rockford Files (1974). Chandler’s Ten Commandments. Bruce Lee. Rita Moreno. EGOTs. Leigh Brackett. The Bradbury Building. Inherent Vice (2014). Henry Gibson is always the bad guy. Arnold Goddamn Schwarzenegger. Joe’s Hemingway impression. Farewell My Lovely (1974). Death Wish (1974). Strong opinions about Michael Winner. Dempsey and Makepeace (1975). We play a game of “Name That Dick”.

Two new projects are putting their own design or architectural twist on LA landmarks. We visit the famed Bradbury Building in downtown -- a popular location for shooting films such as "Blade Runner." There’s a new tenant here: the coworking space NeueHouse. Avishay Artsy recaps the history of the Bradbury, and Frances Anderton talks to the company's CEO and the designer about moving into such a storied LA building. And we visit the Beverly Center at the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Its  new tenant is The Webster. We talk to the fashion retailer's founder, along with the designer, about brick-and-mortar retail in the internet age, and why place matters.

In the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles, famous as the shooting location for science fiction films set in the future, I talked with the author and public intellectual Venkatesh Rao about his mind-bending and time-bending project on the history and possible future of temporality. For full show notes, go to: http://thaddeusrussell.com/podcast/102/

If you’re already a Weirdo family member, please share the podcast with your friends and family on social media, email, and text to invite them to give it a listen!Tired of commercials interrupting your listening experience? For just $5 per month you can listen to all past, present, and future #WeirdDarkness episodes commercial-free – plus BONUS AUDIO and news about the podcast! Learn more at: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO.IN THIS EPISODE: (Dark Archives episode with stories from September 14-15, 2018) *** Legend has it a ghost told the building’s architect to take the job. We’ll look at the creepy history behind the construction of the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles. (The Occult And The Bradbury Building) *** You expect strange on-the-job tales from those who work in or near graveyards, or those who are close to the dead such as mortuaries, and even hospitals. But the brave men and women in law enforcement have a few stories of their own to tell. (Police and the Paranormal) *** Did 16-year-old Grace Marks of “Alias Grace” fame, actually help murder her employer and his lover — or was she unfairly locked away? (The True Story Behind ‘Alias Grace’) *** A woman finds a ghostly companion in her bed – every night. (Possibly Friendly Entity) *** In 1845 twenty thousand people gathered in Lawrenceville, Illinois, to witness the hanging of Betsey Reed for poisoning her husband. Considered a witch by some, a victim by others. (The Hanging of Betsey Reed) *** A man’s love for a woman lasts even past her death, to the point of his living with her corpse. (Strange Love) *** AND MORE TRUE STORIES! 
UPCOMING EVENTS & CONTESTS...Next WEIRDOS WATCH PARTY: Sun. 01/19/20, 11pm CT (http://EerieLateNight.com)Next ON-LOCATION LIVE SCREAM: Sat. 02/08/20, 2pm CT (http://weirddarkness.com/events)SUPPORT THE PODCAST…Become a PATRON (Official Weirdo): http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/WEIRDO Leave Your Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/weirddarkness Visit my sponsors: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/sponsors STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES...(Note: Over time links can and may become invalid, disappear, or have different content.)“The Hanging of Betsey Reed”: (link no longer available) “The Occult and the Bradbury Building” by Bianca Barragan: https://tinyurl.com/vjz6u9t “Strange Love: The Morbid Obsession of Carl Van Cosel” by Troy Taylor: https://tinyurl.com/s3p4aua “The True Story of ‘Alias Grace’” by Gina Dimuro: https://tinyurl.com/w9tb3h9 “Possibly Friendly Entity”: https://tinyurl.com/w2qu299 “Police And The Paranormal” from GhostsNGhouls.com (link no longer available)Weird Darkness opening and closing theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Shadows Symphony (http://bit.ly/2W6N1xJ), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ), used with permission. MY RECORDING TOOLS…* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD * MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg * SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E * HARDWARE (iMac Pro): https://amzn.to/2suZGkA I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***WeirdDarkness™ - is a trademark and creation of of Marlar House Productions. Copyright © Marlar House Productions, 2019."I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 *** How to escape eternal darkness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYmodFKDaM

“THE MORBID OBSESSION OF CARL VAN COSEL” and More Strange True Stories! #WeirdDarknessThe man wired the woman’s bones together using coat hangers, and fitted her face with glass eyes. As her skin began to decompose, he replaced it with silk cloth that had been soaked in wax and plaster. When her hair fell out, he fashioned a wig using her real hair which he was able to obtain after her funeral. He filled her dead and decaying body with rags in order to try and keep her original form and he dressed his corpse girlfriend in her own clothing, stockings, jewelry, and gloves. He also used copious amounts of perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents to mask the odor and slow the decomposition of the body. He had to – because he kept her body in his own bed. IN THIS EPISODE: Legend has it a ghost told the building’s architect to take the job. We’ll look at the creepy history behind the construction of the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles. (The Occult And The Bradbury Building) *** You expect strange on-the-job tales from those who work in or near graveyards, or those who are close to the dead such as mortuaries, and even hospitals. But the brave men and women in law enforcement have a few stories of their own to tell. (Police and the Paranormal) *** Did 16-year-old Grace Marks of “Alias Grace” fame, actually help murder her employer and his lover — or was she unfairly locked away? (The True Story Behind ‘Alias Grace’) *** A woman finds a ghostly companion in her bed – every night. (Possibly Friendly Entity) *** A man’s love for a woman lasts even past her death, to the point of his living with her corpse. (Strange Love)If you like what you hear, please share a link to this post on your social media, tell your friends about the podcast, and please leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts; I might read your review here in a future episode! SUPPORT THE PODCAST...*Advertise your product/service on Weird Darkness; visit http://www.bgadgroup.com or call 770-874-3200.*VISIT OUR SPONSORS: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/sponsors WEIRD DARKNESS STORE: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/store AUDIOBOOKS NARRATED BY DARREN: http://www.WeirdDarkness.com/audiobooks BECOME A PATRON at http://www.patreon.com/marlarhouse  STORY CREDITS AND/OR SOURCES…“The Occult and the Bradbury Building” by Bianca Barragan: https://la.curbed.com/2017/10/11/16461516/bradbury-building-downtown-occult-history “Strange Love: The Morbid Obsession of Carl Van Cosel” by Troy Taylor: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/voncosel/ “The True Story of ‘Alias Grace’” by Gina Dimuro: https://allthatsinteresting.com/grace-marks-alias-grace“Possibly Friendly Entity”: https://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=25653 “Police And The Paranormal”: http://ghostsnghouls.com/2011/09/18/cops-share-real-ghost-stories/, http://ghostsnghouls.com/2012/08/18/police-on-duty-ghost-stories/ WEIRD DARKNESS MUSIC PROVIDED BY Midnight Syndicate http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ and Shadow’s Symphony http://www.facebook.com/shadowssymphony/ - all music used with permission. All rights reserved.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 ESV

‘90s Musical Acts Return in Unexpected Ways: There is a saying: what was once old is new again.  And there is nothing that gets people worked up more than a pair of ‘90s musical acts coming out with something new. The Spice Girls have been teasing their fans for years about a possible reunion.  Justin Timberlake is transitioning into country music, using a one-of-a-kind music video with Chris Stapleton as the launch pad. Justin, as you may recall,  was active with the boy band N’Sync from 1995-2002. Timberlake and  Stapleton teamed up for the video to the hit song “Say Something” and used a sixty-person choir inside the historic Bradbury Building. The Dudes answer an important question ... What in the hell is a XENNIAL? While the Dudes were talking about this months ago, other media outlets are finally catching on to the new term.  The Dudes explain what Xennials are, and link the whole thing to porn, because really, it usually comes down to porn. Nick rebuilt a porn found on the side of the road, and Rob bought a VCR with a BIG surprise in it... Be sure to visit our sponsors, get free and discounted stuff: go to gameflyoffer.com/dudesfromdallas and get a free 30-day trial subscription to play video games on any console and handheld you desire. If you wanna save money on nerdy stuff, go to trylootcrate.com/dudesfromdallas and use the promo code bridge10 to save 10% on a new subscription.  Pick your crate and save money. Tell your friends and help them find the show on Stitcher, iTunes or Google Play Be sure to follow Dudes from Dallas on all the social media platforms and share with all of your friends. Facebook.com/dudesfromdallas Instagram: dudesfromdallas Twitter: @dudesfromdallas Also, be sure to go to www.dudesfromdallas.com to keep up with all of the latest information on what the Dudes are talking about, and reach out with your thoughts and comments. Dudes From Dallas: Where the News Abides

Do you want to start your own practice, but aren't sure how to go about getting work?  Ginger Tanzmann knows how you feel, and she asked herself those same questions.  In 1978, Ginger had $20,000, two rooms in the Bradbury Building, and the passion to pursue her dream of owning her own architecture business.  In this interview with Virginia (better known as Ginger) Tanzmann, FAIA, we hear the stories of Ginger’s long and illustrious career, including how she built The Tanzmann Associates from 1978-1997.  At its peak, Ginger had over 25 employees and work in all types of sectors.  Work at the firm included projects like the Los Angeles Mission and the North Hollywood Metro Red Line Station.  A graduate of Syracuse University, Ginger made her way to Los Angeles, working in various places including Dworsky Associates and Metro (formerly Southern California Rapid Transit District).  After closing her firm, Ginger continued her career in architecture, working in large corporate environments such as Cal State and WSP (formerly Parsons Brinkerhoff), working on award-winning projects like the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). Ginger also brought passion to service work, volunteering in many non-profits like 211 Los Angeles, United Way, YWCA, AIA, AWA+D, and AWAF. She currently serves on the Taxpayer Oversight Committee for Measure M.

Sorry, not sorry: Die Sonne über Altona findet Blade Runner 2049 deutlich schlechter als Blade Runner. Dafür sorgen eine aufgeblasene Story mit wenig Inhalt und Spannung, mehrere überflüssige Charaktere, Regeln, die der Film aufstellt und dann wieder bricht, und nicht zuletzt reichlich unnötiges Augenfutter für männliche Zuschauer, i.e. nackte Brüste wohin man auch sieht. Auch etwas Diversity hätte dem Film gut getan. Und vielleicht einfach mal jemand, der sagt: Leute, wir liegen über der Zeit. Sehr gut gefallen haben uns der Look, und einige coole Bilder. Aber auch hier: konnte Blade Runner besser, is so. 99% Invisible-Episode zum Bradbury Building, in dem Blade Runner gefilmt wurde Upgrade-Segment zu Blade Runner Upgrade-Extrasegment mit John Siracusa (yeah!)

This week, Lee, Ian, and Josh get together to chat about Tinder, Ubereats, possible upcoming guests, kicking people out, the Bradbury Building in L.A., Lego buying adventures, Louis CK at TIFF, the Elgin cinema sign, the Psycho remake, and being in an elevator with Udo Kier. They also mention the movies screening the week of September 29th - October 5th: The Women's Balcony, Baby Driver, Viceroy's House, The Time Of Their Lives, Stray Cat Rock: Beat '71, and a special 35mm Saturday Night Sinema!

In Trekker Talk Episode 14 we discuss Sins of the Fathers Parts 3-4 from the Trekker Color Special by creator, writer, and artist Ron Randall.  We also share your feedback in Trekker Transmissions and talk about seeing Blade Runner: The Final Cut on the big screen.    99% Invisible on The Bradbury Building:  http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-location/    Film and Water Podcast Episode 18 on Blade Runner:  http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/the-film-water-podcast-episode-18-blade-runner/    Captain Marvel 75: The World’s Mightiest Mortal:  http://worldsmightiestmortal1.blogspot.com/    Let’s Talk Shazam:  https://m.facebook.com/LetsTalkShazam/    The Shazam Cast:  http://www.shazamcast.com/    The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour:  http://www.supermancaptainmarvel.blogspot.com/    Promo #1: The Hammer Strikes Podcast  Promo #2: The LanternCast    Website: http://www.trekkertalk.com/  E-mail: TrekkerTalk@gmail.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekkertalk  Twitter: https://twitter.com/trekkertalk  iTunes: http://apple.co/1IHsiqH  Stitcher: http://bit.ly/1HbUsVl  TuneIn: http://bit.ly/1HphCuw  Podbean: http://trekkertalk.podbean.com/    Thank you for listening and please consider leaving a review to help promote the show! 

In Trekker Talk Episode 14 we discuss Sins of the Fathers Parts 3-4 from the Trekker Color Special by creator, writer, and artist Ron Randall.  We also share your feedback in Trekker Transmissions and talk about seeing Blade Runner: The Final Cut on the big screen.    99% Invisible on The Bradbury Building:  http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-location/    Film and Water Podcast Episode 18 on Blade Runner:  http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/the-film-water-podcast-episode-18-blade-runner/    Captain Marvel 75: The World's Mightiest Mortal:  http://worldsmightiestmortal1.blogspot.com/    Let's Talk Shazam:  https://m.facebook.com/LetsTalkShazam/    The Shazam Cast:  http://www.shazamcast.com/    The Superman & Captain Marvel Power Hour:  http://www.supermancaptainmarvel.blogspot.com/    Promo #1:  The Hammer Strikes Podcast  Promo #2:  The LanternCast    Website: http://www.trekkertalk.com/  E-mail: TrekkerTalk@gmail.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekkertalk  Twitter: https://twitter.com/trekkertalk  iTunes: http://apple.co/1IHsiqH  Stitcher: http://bit.ly/1HbUsVl  TuneIn: http://bit.ly/1HphCuw  Podbean: http://trekkertalk.podbean.com/    Thank you for listening and please consider leaving a review to help promote the show! 

November 10-16, 1984 This week Ken welcomes actor, comedian, and friend Nate Johnson to the show. Ken and Nate discuss the relative insanity of Ken's home, being a network guy, Joan Collins, Dynasty, drunken eye doctors, Diff'rent Strokes, who the Gooch is, Danny Cooksey, TJ Hooker, Puttin' On the Hits, Nell Carter's sass, hating Joey Lawrence, blackface, Love Boat, getting a jewel thief to retire, Mike Hammer, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Morgan Fairchild, Nautilus, Silver Spoons, Erin Grey, The Bermuda Triangle, Knight Rider, Vegas, "I Married a Centerfold", Star 80, Kate Jackson, Charlie's Angels, White Slavery, Scarecrow and Mrs King, Remington Steele, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, "Assaulted Nutz", Kate & Allie,  Newhart, The A-Team, Vehicles for breasts, Riptide, Paper Dolls, John Waite, The Fall Guy, Michael J. Pollard, Angels, Charles in Charge, pre-teen girls' obsession with horses, Ha! + The Comedy Channel= Comedy Central, Rich Hall, Facts of Life, "Nightmares", The Bishop of Battle, horror anthology series, Ellis Island Mini-Series, It's Your Move, C. Thomas Howell, the Hitcher, the cinematic career of Eric Red, The Cosby Show, Lisa Bonet's role in Angel Heart, The Bradbury Building, Jim J. Bullock, the horror of sexual assault on Too Close for Comfort, people who can't use Q-Tips right, Cheers, Shelly Long crushes, Night Court, John Larroquette, Benson, V: The Series, The infamous Hulk Out List, paper mache driven programming choices, Webster's Thanksgiving, Ben Vereen, Dallas, the hateful violence of Fred Dyer's Hunter, Tracey Walter, and Jeering Gimme a Break for being too timid to embrace breakdancing. 

Join us this week as we slip into the Bradbury Building and find actress Dale Raoul lurking on a mezzanine, in the mood to museContinue Reading

Bradbury Building (304 S. Broadway)

Bradbury Building (304 S. Broadway)

Architectural One Hit Wonders: George Wyman and Willis Polk each designed a building that is so great, it overshadows their career. Wyman's Bradbury Building (1892) is in Los Angeles and few interior spaces in the world even come close to its magic. He almost didn't take the job, until a Ouija board told him he must. Polk's Hallidie Building (1917) in San Francisco is wrapped in a early use of a glass curtain wall -- and Polk did it so well there has not been a glass curtain wall since that is as beautiful as the Hallidie's. These one-hit wonders have much to teach us about bridging the past and future with bold and thoughtful designs. The Bradbury Building is located at 304 S. Broadway in Los Angeles. The Hallidie Building is at 130 Sutter Street in San Francisco. And visit www.tedwells.com.