Lost and Found

Based on my 2017 book and exhibit, in 2020 I curated a self-guided tour, or “trail,” for the nonprofit Friends of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles (FORT: LA).

Called Lost and Found, the trail pairs five historic homes that were demolished with ones that still stand. Each pair has something in common, like the architect, style, or purpose:

  • Designed by Irving Gill: Dodge House and Miltimore House

  • Iconic mansions: Pickfair and Greystone

  • Victorians: Salt Box/Castle and Haskins House

  • Celebrity retreats: Von Sternberg House and Oakridge

  • Designed by R. M. Schindler: Packard House and Van Dekker House

The profiles include a brief blurb about the place and why I chose it, plus nearby attractions and links to more info.

But Wait, There’s More!

After the trail, you’ll see a wealth of more information (seriously—like 100 pages) about each site compiled by the FORT: LA research team. Amazing photos, little-known facts, timelines, and links to even more info.

The trail comes as a PDF document and will eventually appear on an app, now in the planning stage.

How to Get It

Lost and Found is free with an email subscription to FORT: LA. Just visit fortla.org, enter your email address, and click on Trails.

After signing up, you get instant access to not just Lost and Found, but a ton of other content.

My trail is just one of many, all curated by knowledgeable people with a passion for L.A.’s residential architecture. Just a few examples:

  • Photographer Tim Street-Porter picks one home from each decade of the twentieth century

  • Architect and historian Barbara Lamprecht explores small homes designed by Richard Neutra

  • Architectural historian Sian Winship discovers the residential work of overlooked Japanese American architects in postwar L.A.

  • FORT: LA Founder Russell Brown envisions a night in 1920s Los Angeles through the city’s remarkable homes

And there’s so much more to come. FORT releases a new trail every month, as well as a series of FORT Films, intimate portraits of area homes with commentary from residents.

As with my trail, each FORT trail comes with a vast trove of additional info (in both the PDF doc and the online Discovery Center).

I’m exhausted just writing about all FORT: LA has to offer. See for yourself!