The Stories of Los Angeles Storybook Architecture

When east coast sophisticates came west to partake in that sweet motion picture money, they mocked and marveled at our eclectic local architecture.

For as real estate developers scrambled to satisfy the needs of a booming population, they’d looked to Hollywood set designers for inspiration. And almost overnight, and on a single block, one could choose to live in a home styled in the vernacular of Ancient Egypt, Andalusian Spain, Norman France or Tudor England.

Among the most exuberant of L.A.’s oddball architectural styles is Storybook: a fantastical blend of medieval motifs and whimsical twists that seems ripped from the pages of a fairy tale. With their pitched roofs and undulating shingles, turrets and towers, Hobbit doors and stained glass portals, these daffy structures stopped traffic when new. And Storybook gems like the Spadena Witch’s House and Tam O’Shanter restaurant remain treasured landmarks today.

Join Esotouric, L.A.’s most eclectic sightseeing tour company, for a celebration of L.A.’s Storybook style and the fascinating stories attached to these unusual structures. You’ll meet the family of Steven Anthony, the ex-Marine Barney’s Beanery barman who took up arms to protect his beloved Storybook cottage across from the Hollywood Bowl when the County seized it by eminent domain. Then it’s out to the Eastside, where a bold new style of Chicano tattooing is perfected inside a wee Hansel and Gretel cottage. We’ll explore Hollywood’s Crossroads of the World and its surprisingly dark origins. And more tales from some of L.A.’s weirdest buildings, and the fascinating characters associated with them. Joining us is architectural historian Nathan Marsak.

This webinar is an illustrated lecture packed with rare photos that will bring the Storybook gems of Los Angeles to life. And you’ll find the look of an Esotouric webinar is a little different than your standard dry Zoom session, with lively interactive graphics courtesy of the mmhmm app.

So, tune in and discover the incredible history of Los Angeles, with the couple whose passion for the city is infectious.

Rights and permissions: By attending an Esotouric webinar, you acknowledge that the entirety of the presentation is copyrighted, and no portion of the video or text may be reproduced in any fashion.