Cross at Cahuenga

[Hat Tip to Hope] This landmark is often referred to as the Hollywood cross. The cross, illuminated at night, sits atop a hill overlooking the 101 freeway in Hollywood directly across the freeway from the Hollywood Bowl complex.

Quoting Hope’s “Lights, Camera, GOD!” blog:

The history of the cross dates back to the 1920’s when an heiress, Christine Wetherill Stevenson, who was instrumental in building the Hollywood Bowl, wanted to build a theater specifically for religious pageants.

… When she died in 1922, Christine Wetherill Stevenson was remembered with a stone cross, which stood atop the hill over-looking the Pilgrimage Theater. [Originally the cross] was lit only during Easter. [in 1965] the cross was damaged by fire and was replaced by a new cross, made of steel and Plexiglas. [By 1984] the cross suffered the detrimental effects of vandalism, followed by a windstorm, which knocked it over. The following year, 1985, volunteers erected a new cross 17-feet in height. In 1993 High Adventure Ministries built the current cross standing 33 feet tall. Finally, in 1997, the Church on the Way took over the care and maintenance of the cross…

The cross sits adjacent to the Ford Amphitheater and with a little effort you can hike up to where it stands.

Retaining Wall

This bas relief (manufactured as it may be) is one of many like it located on the retaining walls that split the lanes of traffic on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles [map]. The city has stripped this image of a Christian Mission of all Christian symbols, but we all know that the missions where hear spreading the Gospel of Christ. It may seem strange to include this relief, but it is a public reminder of Los Angeles’ Christian heritage. I estimate the image to be 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall. The media are concrete and stone - the color is brought in by embedded stones. I took this picture on July 15, 2008 with my enV2 cell phone camera, no flash.

Full Mural

This mural is found on the side of Salazar’s Market at 13306 Rosecrans Ave in Norwalk, CA [map]. The mural contains an image of Mary in her apparition as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe is a 16th century Roman Catholic icon depicting an apparition of the Virgin Mary. It is Mexico’s most beloved religious and cultural image. Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day is celebrated on December 12, commemorating the account of her appearances to Saint Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City” [more]

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The image of Mary is only a part of a larger mural that fills the front wall of the market. I would estimate the height of the mural to be around 20 feet. The width at around 60 feet. [click the images to enlarge]

The Word Mural

This mural is titled “The Word” by Kent Twitchell and is found on the side of the science building at Biola University in La Mirada, CA [map]. The mural was originally painted in 1989-90 with the assistance of the Biola art department. “The Word” depicts Christ extending the Bible to the viewer. We learn in John 1 that Christ is the Word made flesh and the Bible is referred to as the Word of God, so I believe the title of the mural is referring to both.

The Word Close-up

The shadow work is fantastic and creates the illusion of a third dimension by showing, in shadow, the Bible in His outstretched hands. The building is two-stories high so I would estimate the height of the mural to be around 30 feet. The width, including the shadow is around 50 feet. [click the images to enlarge]

Christ Teaching

This mural is called “Christ Teaching” and is found on the grounds of the San Gabriel Mission towards the back of the Campo Santo Cemetery on a wall near the museum [map]. The original was painted by Buckley McGurrin. Hendrik Keyzer, Professor emeritus of chemistry, renovated the mural in 2004.

The Tidings Newspaper said, “The triptych features symbolic images including the Tree of Life, Noah’s Ark and crosses, as well as animals from Eskimo, Australian, South American and African cultures. Many other details make the mural specifically Californian: an image of the first locomotive in California, a verbal musical scale and flowers in the hands of Dominican teaching nuns. Butterflies and moths loosely connect the three panels.”

In the upper left-hand corner is a medallion with the image of Junipero Serra, the Franciscan monk best known for planting the missions in Southern California. The right-hand pane of the mural seems to have an image of St. Gabriel the Archangel. Picture taken with env2 cell phone - no flash - on July 5, 2008. Estimated size is 10 feet tall and 16 feet wide. [click the image to enlarge]