Rick Thomas
Author Rick Thomas is the former museum curator and vice-chair of education for the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation. He served on the South Pasadena Natural Resources Commission, helping to maintain a strict policy protecting the city’s great old-growth trees. Using touchstone photographs from his own collection—one of the San Gabriel Valley’s largest accumulations of historical images and artifacts—as well as national, state, and local historical archives, Thomas provides a window to his city’s past and an understanding of why its preservation is so important.
A World Less Certain | The Power of Routines
Two factors will help us manage our lives during the COVID-19 “lockdown” period: state of mind and personal routines. Maintaining daily/weekly rituals and routines improve efficiency and expand our available time for creative endeavor....
A World Less Certain | Coffeehouse Blues
Coping. We all must learn to cope at some point in our lives. Typically, after suffering trauma or loss of a loved one. The greater the personal loss, the more difficult the recovery.
Suffering...
A World Less Certain | TP is the Word!
Dear reader: I am a firm believer that sharing during a time of crisis is an act of love. It is with this “sharing is caring” spirit, a series of weekly articles about dealing...
Throwback Thursday | First Passenger Air Service in America
Roy Knabenshue established the first passenger air service in America by taking guests of the Raymond Hotel in his “Knabenshue Airship” on regular flights over parts of the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los...
Throwback Thursday | Feathers, Thrills & Spills!
Back in the day, ostriches were raised for their feathers. Not to eat. Instead, women flaunted feather plumes on their hats, boas, and hand-held fans.
South Pasadena’s Cawston Ostrich Farm was the largest producer of...
Throwback Thursday | Oranges and Motorcycles
During the late 1800s, the scent of orange blossoms fills San Gabriel Valley – until Southern California’s first real estate boom. Shortly thereafter, original storefronts are setback and dusty main streets are paved. As...
Throwback Thursday | Colorado Street Bridge: A Cultural Icon
Today’s date is 2-20-2020. Not a historically-relevant date, but an interesting number pattern of twos, zeros, and twenties. So, for no particular reason, I chose to celebrate my favorite regional historic landmark – the...
Throwback Thursday | The Cawston Girls
The widely anticipated 1906 spring catalog is out – revealing fancy hats adorned with beautiful Cawston ostrich feathers. This season’s fashion spectacular features none other than The Cawston Girls!
Throwback Thursday is written and produced...
Throwback Thursday | South Pasadena Photo Essay 2007
In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we visit a few local sites photographed by my daughter Lauren back in 2007. The images were taken as preparation for my first history book, South Pasadena.
Remember the used...
Throwback Thursday | Arroyo Seco Photo Essay 2007
In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we visit six sites along the Arroyo Seco taken by my daughter, Lauren Thomas, around twelve years ago (2007).
Only one structure no longer exists. Can you guess which one?
Answer:...
