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SPANNING HISTORY:
THE BRIDGES OF THE LOS ANGELES RIVER
April 10 and 13, 2008

Fourth St. Bridge/Photo by Kevin Break

To raise awareness of the historic Los Angeles River bridges and the threats they face, the Los Angeles Conservancy held a two-part event in April 2008 partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute and Friends of the Los Angeles River.

Panel Discussion

Thursday, April 10, The Getty Center

Listen to recorded discussion (thanks to the Getty!)

Photo by Kevin Break

As part of its Conservation Matters lecture series, the Getty Conservation Institute hosted a spirited discussion about the history and potential future of the historic L.A. River bridges. Moderated by Larry Mantle, host of 89.3 KPCC's AirTalk, the panel included:

Glen Dake, a landscape architect and a leader in creating community-designed landscapes and transportation and school improvements in Southern California neighborhoods, where he has practiced since 1987. He was appointed to the Cultural Heritage Commision in 2006 by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Photo by Kevin Break

Eric DeLony, a private consultant for engineering and industrial heritage, and recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the history of bridges. He was principal architect and later chief of Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), a program of the National Park Service.

Larry Mantle, panel moderator and host of 89.3 KPCC's AirTalk, the longest continuously airing daily radio talk program in Southern California. A fourth-generation Angeleno, he has interviewed thousands of prominent guests on an extraordinary array of topics and has received numerous journalistic awards.

Photo by Kevin Break

Gary Lee Moore, City Engineer of the City of Los Angeles. He leads the Bureau of Engineering, which has a workforce of more than 1,100 engineers, architects, surveyors, and support staff and an annual operating budget of $126 million. He is closely involved with several projects that are expected to transform the face of Los Angeles. One of these is the Los Angeles River Rivitalization Master Plan.

"Bridge Mix" Tour and Activity Day

Sunday, April 13, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Four sites along the banks of the river

Hundreds of people came out in record heat for a fun-filled day of tours and activities for adults and kids, near four historic bridges spanning the river between downtown L.A. and Boyle Heights. Each site had a theme, and materials and activities were presented in both  English and Spanish. Events included:

First Street Bridge: Architecture and Engineering

Photo by Mark Lamonica

Guests learned how bridges are built, what makes them stay up and fall down, and how the L.A. River bridges compare and contrast to other iconic bridges in the U.S. Then they built their own out of paper, with the help of student volunteers from the John F. Kennedy High School Architecture Magnet in Granada Hills.

Fourth Street Bridge: History and Movie Lore

Photo by Kevin Break

Special guests Merrill Butler III (grandson of the bridges’ original designer) and Harry Medved (author of Hollywood Escapes) discussed and illustrated the bridges’ rich history and countless film appearances, from the 1954 sci-fi classic Them! to 2007’s Transformers.

Sixth Street Viaduct: River Science and Ecology

Photo by Kevin Break

Guest tried their hand at water testing and saw how a rare degenerative chemical reaction is affecting the iconic Sixth Street Viaduct, with experts from the Getty Conservation Institute and Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR).

Seventh Street Bridge: L.A. River Master Plan

Photo by Kevin Break

Guest saw the vision for the river and the bridges, and used interactive models to create their own, with representatives from the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, Tetra Tech, FoLAR, Latino Urban Forum, and Gallery 727.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Leader:

Partner:

Sponsors:
The Cygnet Foundation
Nabih Youssef Associates

Supporters:
Film L.A.
John A. Martin & Associates
The Office of Councilmember Jose Huizar
The Office of Councilmember Jan Perry
The Office of Councilmember Ed Reyes
Western Chapter, Association for Preservation Technology