Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles

 During my travels, museums are always of interest. Walking along pathways in various, and often eclectic museums is a wonderful experience. There is so much to learn; so much to take in. But sadly, there never seems to be enough time to explore every nook and cranny. 

Exploring every nook and cranny can find the adventurer locating a hidden treasure or a very large and hungry rodent. 

And each structure containing historical knowledge is different. Laureen and I learned this recently during a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

One of the first things that grabbed my attention was when a very friendly and attentive docent who walked up to me with a drool bucket. 

“Why did she hand me this?” I asked Laureen.

As I turned, a bright and shiny 2005 Bugatti Veyron hypercar came into view. My chest started getting tight, tears slowly slipped out of the corners of my eyes, and I felt light-headed.

Laureen handed me a napkin. “You’ve overflowed your drool bucket.”

Who wouldn't feel faint of heart looking at these cars

The Petersen Automotive Museum was opened on June 11, 1994. It was first located within the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County before moving to a defunct but historic department store along Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

If my research is correct, the original site of the car museum was Ohrbach’s, a part of the Seibu Department Store worldwide chain. I have no idea what they sold, but probably this and that since it was a department store. It was a large and strangely windowless building, but when it closed in 1986, and Robert Petersen purchased the property in 1992, it was perfect for his dreams.

And why would Robert Petersen want to buy a windowless building? The answer was quite simple.

But first, who was Robert Petersen?

He was born in 1926 in East Los Angeles but later moved to the High Desert where he graduated from Barstow High School in 1942.

Yes, Barstow High School. How cool is that? Then again, First Lady Bess Truman, actress Jean Harlow, and many other famous folks join the ranks of those who graduated from small public schools.

There you go, big city types with your big city schools. 

During World War II, Robert served in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he moved back to the Los Angeles area where he worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as a publicist.

A lifelong car enthusiast, his father had been a mechanic and Robert often worked alongside him on various vehicles, his heart belonged under the hood.

After being laid off from MGM, Robert decided to put his energies in the realm he loved, automobiles, especially hot rods which were taking America like a large thundering storm.

But in a good way.

Also having a great knowledge in the media market, along with a few fellow associates, he decided to publish a magazine called, Hot Rod. The publication coincided with the first ever hot rod exhibit in Los Angeles, if not the entire United States, during the late nineteen forties.

The magazine was sold at the hot rod exhibit for a price which barely covered the cost of publishing, but its popularity grew so quickly that soon over fifty thousand copies were being sold on the open market per month.

His knack for publishing what the public wanted was uncanny. Throughout his publishing career, Robert oversaw the publications of Car Craft, Sports Car Graphic, Motor Trend, Guns & Ammo, Motor Life, Teen, Tiger Beat, and many others.

The bottom line: he was extremely successful and his love for the automobile never faltered.

So, in 1992, when Robert and his lovely wife, Margie bought the defunct Ohrbach’s, it was the ideal location for an automobile museum.

With no exterior windows, Robert knew the extreme sunlight would not pour through the building causing damage to the vehicles he wanted to be put on display.

Each year, more and more vehicles went on display: Hollywood celebrity cars, exotic foreign vehicles, unique one of a kind prototypes of vehicles, futuristic imaginations, and the more the merrier for the Petersen’s.

The crowds loved the museum and soon it was decided that the museum needed a new look. Not just any new look but an entirely new and innovative design.

Petersen Automotive Museum

What else would the Petersen’s want.

In 2015, over one hundred million dollars in renovations took place, totally changing the entire look of the complex.

The architectural firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox was hired and went to work on the old building. What they came up with, in my opinion, is a mixture of modern art meets modern art.

But then, I’m a writer, not an artist.

The design which was created must have been what Robert and Margie had hoped for. A unique setting to house their inventory of automobiles.

The new exterior façade of the building consisted of one hundred tons of 14-guage type 304 steel in 308 sections, 25 supports and 140,000 custom made stainless-steel screws.

The museum reopened on December 7, 2015.

It is rumored that the first guest stated, “The building looks so awesome.”

The second guest may have said, “The Petersens are artistic geniuses.”

The third guest, who may have been a Los Angeles police officer may have replied, “This building looks like its speeding down the highway. Time for a ticket.”

As one approaches Petersen’s, the red and stainless-steel ribbons enwrapping the building are a cause to stop in amazement. Though the appearance may seem radical, a closer look allows a view that shows the imagination behind the entire entity. An automotive museum which features not only vehicles from pretty much every decade of the industry, but one not afraid to venture into the future of where vehicles may be going.

Even flying machines may be on display

“This is going to be fun,” I slurred to Laureen, as we were directed to the third floor to start our self-guided tour of the museum.

She only shook her head. “Stop over there with all the other guys and empty the drool bucket before we get in the elevator.”

The Petersen Automotive Museum covers probably about a billion square feet over three floors, each jammed packed with every conceivable vehicle ever produced nationally or internationally.

Real snow-mobiles

Of course, there is the Vault in the basement of the building, where more exotic, famous, and expensive vehicles are stored. An additional fee is charge for that entry, and when I went to the purchase the tickets, the lady in the booth looked at me as if in recognition.

“I’ve read your articles,” she said.

I smiled. “How nice.”

“I don’t like some of them,” she replied. “No vault for you.”

We returned to the elevator.

As the doors of the elevator opened on the third floor, there was nothing but vehicle after vehicle all lined up allowing the visitors to inspect up close and personal.

We walked in front of, alongside, and to the rear of some of the most beautiful vehicles I have ever seen. And some others were just fun; they brought back memories.

I took a million photos, jotted down notes but then forgot about everything and just enjoyed the ride from massive floor to massive floor.

There was the Batmobile, the Ghostbusters’ hearse, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and so many more Hollywood vehicles.

There were luxury sedans, coupes, and some pretty fancy camping trucks. It was as though the rich and famous had decided to use the third floor as their own parking lot.

I was again lightheaded.

On the next floor was something truly special. A tribute to Bond, James Bond aptly entitled: Bond in Motion.

John R Beyer assisting James Bond

It should be noted that the museum changes 'special' attractions throughout the year - we made it just in time for the Bond exhibit.

In 1958, the author Ian Fleming published ‘Dr. No,’ and four years later the beginning of a cinematic legacy was born. This exhibit of Bond film vehicles was in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of that first look at MI6 special agent 007.

In 1962, the film Dr. No was released starring the Scottish actor, Sean Connery. 

“I thought he was British,” I said to Laureen.

“Who cares, he was so handsome,” she replied.

A couple of women near us nodded in agreement. I believe it was the beginning of a conspiracy.

The adventures of James Bond were on full display with the incredibly wide variety of vehicles that had shared the silver screen with the character in the twenty-five movies released thus far.

The 1964 Aston Martin GB5, the 1977 Lotus Wet Nellie, the Neptune submarine, and so many more that it took an hour just to inhale the history of this not-so-secret agent of British Intelligence.

The Original Aston Martin

All were choregraphed in order of appearance on the big screen, with descriptions of the film in which the vehicle was featured. A classic walk through time starring some of the most iconic vehicles known to movie goers.

A little action on the set

The bottom floor was just as awesome, though. There were hyper-cars, super-cars, electric cars, and motorcycles from the past to the future.

No idea - but looks incredibly fast

This Petersen Automotive Museum is not just for car lovers, but for all who respect the imagination it took to create such works of automotive genius and beauty.

For further information: https://www.petersen.org/

What's In a Name?

Often times a subject to espouse upon just comes to the wordsmith. Case in point, while attending a recent conference in San Diego on the utilization of technology in education, J actually went and learned a thing or two about the value of technology.

What he took away was simple - as long as education pushes technology that is fine and beneficial for the student, but when technology pushes the use of technology for technology's sake then the concept of learning to gain knowledge no longer exists.

His words, not the presenters, at the Innovation Summit.

This is actually rather creepy!

Back to the concept of this blog. After the conference ended each day, J would take a leisurely stroll along the Embarcadero. Stretching his legs and thoughts while peering at the hundreds of yachts tied near the waterside beside the Marriott and Sheraton just southwest of the Gas Lamp District.

Tens of millions of dollars worth - probably more - of every make and year of vessel resting gently on the waters of the San Diego Bay while tightly secured by mooring lines attached to the floating docks.

Lots and lots of money in boats in San Diego!

While enjoying the afternoon sun, J started to ponder the various names on the aft section of the boats. It seemed that every yacht was named this or that - not really 'this' or 'that' but a name which must have been dear or at least meant something to the owner of the yacht.

Then the question arose during that leisurely stroll - why were boats named and those names forever painted on the rear end of the boat? People didn't name their cars in the same fashion. People didn't name their RV's - motorhomes or travel trailers in the same fashion. People didn't place large letters on the side of their homes in the same fashion.

Oh, Captain - that does not work anywhere

Then why boats?

This called for research - that's what we do here.

Seems there is no definite time when seafarers started naming boats but it goes back to the idea of identity. Before the invention of instantaneous communication - that technology thing - people needed to know what boat a person was traveling on. You couldn't just say, "I'll be on the wooden boat with masts in the harbor." That really wouldn't have helped anyone in Boston in 1790 when all boats were wooden with masts now would it?

Uh - we're on the third boat to the left - can't miss us

So, slap a name on the rear of the boat and voila you knew where the person you were looking for was.

The love of naming boats never went away even when satellite phones came into existence and a person could talk to someone on the 'Big Kahuna' half way between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

One reason, and this could just be myth, is that naming a boat is good luck and not is not - good luck that is.

Somewhere back in the day (not sure what that means but heard a lot of that terminology at the conference - "back in the day when rotary phones made sense . . . ") people believed that the gods of the oceans, Poseidon or Neptune (choose your culture) kept a ledger of every ocean bearing boat that sailed. A name meant the boat was being watched over by either one of these two gods and that was a good thing.

Better name your boat and give me a drink while you're at it!

If they didn't know the name of your boat or it didn't have one then that would be a bad thing which could ultimately include sinking and drowning - a very bad way to ruin an ocean cruise.

So, name the boat and the captain and crew were probably safe except for possible hurricanes, monsoons, typhoons, rogue waves, pirates, running aground, and the occasional sea monster.

Technology is everywhere

And don't think of changing the name of the boat - that means bad luck. Of course, some seasoned sailors believe that is nonsense but let's stick with the myth. Much more exciting.

An example to illustrate the point - a husband wants to purchase  a yacht for his spouse for her birthday. A lovely thought but it would be unwise to give her a vessel with another woman's name on it. That could entail, depending on the strength of the marriage, disagreements or even yelling about what he was thinking?

Original thinking - yes

It should be noted that at one time pretty much every boat had a woman's name on it - the reason a ship is called a 'she' and not a 'he' - gender bias yes but that's they way of the sailing world back in the day (last time promise). That and the fact that in many languages, nouns have a gender, and boats are generally feminine. Hence, she's a beautiful ship. But I digress.

Can a boat's name be changed the husband would ponder prior to leading his lovely spouse down the gangway to view her new expensive gift? The answer is yes - - but there are a couple things that need to be done first.

Original thinking - probably not

All mention or telltale visage of the former boat's name must be vanquished. Get rid of every shred of evidence that boat was ever named anything but what the current name is to be. Be thorough - very thorough. Change the name on every legal and non-legal document.

Then and only then can the boat be renamed - Poseidon and/or Neptune will then wipe out the old name from their ledger and replace it with the new name and all will be well.

Forget to do this and the boat will sink and all will drown. Okay - maybe not but perhaps the motor will break or the BBQ will fall overboard with the night's dinner firmly attached to the grill.

Oh yes, there's some sort of ceremony and chants to the sea gods that go along with the whole ritual and even pouring libations into the surrounding waters to appease the alcoholic gods. So, chant away "Oh mighty and great ruler of the seas and oceans - blah, blah, blah," and pour away to rid your boat of any bad karma.

We at J and L highly recommend being a bit stingy on the pouring and then empty the bottle into two crystal flutes and toast the newly named yacht.

Just our opinion.

Not enough chanting or booze obviously