Julius Shulman Los Angeles: The Birth of a Modern Metropolis
Text by Sam Lubell and Douglas Woods, Foreword by Judy McKee, Photographed by Julius Shulman
This is a new book, published by Rizzoli, featuring photographs taken in Southern California by Julius Shulman. The book’s intent is to emphasize those photographs that have received less attention over the years, yet have stories to tell. The LA Times highlights the above shot as one of Sam Lubell’s favorites included in the book. This particular photograph was taken in San Diego, California at the once-glamorous El Cortez Hotel. In the LA Times article, Lubell explains, “You can sense how taken Julius was by such places. In the picture you see some of San Diego’s major landmarks. But more than the individual elements and the now-wonderful historical information, it’s the sense of magic and possibility and the almost dreamlike quality of it all that makes this picture special. It’s an architectural picture, but it’s telling a story. That’s what Julius’ most successful pictures all did. At heart he was a storyteller more than anything.”
Truly, the photograph shows one of San Diego’s popular signature views looking past the Marina and “North Island” to the point of Cabrillo National Monument, the most southwesterly spot in the contiguous United States. The Cabrillo peninsula is an alluring location bordered by steep cliffs and tide pool zones. The top of the point is lined with trails, dotted with overlooks and home to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Beyond the cliffs, sailboats often race back and forth over the boundaries of the northern Pacific and the entrance to the San Diego Bay with foredeck crews anxious to jump the spinnaker halyard and hoist the chute in order to round a windward mark once again. But faster this time.
for Jordan and Claire (please come back to us after sailing the Virgin Islands), for Kathy (in remembrance of our prior views from CMW) and for a past tactician, who defined halyard as something that I jam when we’re winning (you know who you are).