Occidental College
Campus Conversations
Best of Both Worlds: Old Hollywood and Pop culture
Join explorer emilyessie as she takes a look into one of the many dichotomies that exist around L.A.
If you are interested in pop culture, old Hollywood or photography then I highly recommend you visit both the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills and the Annenberg Space of Photography. Both venues are must-sees for people visiting Los Angeles. Although they are off the beaten track of most traditional LA hotspots, each are worth the drive. Last semester I spent a weekend watching old Carey Grant movie screenings and walking through rooms of costumes worn by Old Hollywood actors. My favorite one was a tuxedo worn by Fred Astaire. AMAZING! Other costumes featured in Debbie Reynolds collection include dresses worn by Judy Garland as well as suits worn by Clark Gable and Frank Sinatra. I suggest that you go and visit these spaces as soon as possible because more and more of these famous costumes are being auctioned off every couple of months. Another great part of the Paley Center is that they host premier parties, which are opened to the public as long as you buy the tickets in advance. This past fall, the Paley Center hosted an event featuring the Fall Television Premieres from networks like CBS, NBC the CW and ABC. I decided to attend one of the premiers and was fortunate enough to see the cast of Criminal Minds and listen to their thoughts about the upcoming season premiere.
The Annenberg Space for Photography is also one of my favorite places in Los Angeles. Although it is a small venue, their exhibits have always been astounding. The most recent exhibit I went to was entitled Beauty Culture and displayed images about the idealization of beauty in the fashion industry. It focused on how our perception of beauty has been altered in a negative way. There are also multiple lectures hosted at the Annenberg which you can check out at their website: http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/. The current exhibit at the Annenberg is called the Digital Darkroom and will be featured until May 28.
