You're Invited! 

Pasadena Museum of History is pleased to continue our annual celebration of the City's richly diverse population, organizations and talent with a look at Pasadena Now & Then on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Once again, PMH will partner with the City of Pasadena and numerous local individuals, businesses, and community organizations to present this special day devoted to all things Pasadena! 

Birthday cake with the Mayor and City dignitaries, arts & crafts workshops and storytelling for kids, Pasadena’s Centenarians, live music and entertainment, food carts, raffles and prizes round out a not-to-be-missed day of celebration.

Image: Eric Politzer Photography. Birthday crown by Madeit4u.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PASADENA - CELEBRATING NOW & THEN

Join us this year for an entertaining and informative afternoon of programs and activities suitable for all ages.  Our festivities will focus on six topics that capture our attention in 2012, just as they have in our City’s past.  Delve into the untold stories and surprising twists and turns of these hot topics:

ARTS

              Pasadena can lay claim to a long, storied literary past, a tradition that remains vibrant up to today. Renowned local mystery writers Naomi Hirahara (Mas Arai Mysteries) and Dianne Emley (Detective Nan Vining Thrillers) will clue you in on how they created their main characters and where all those story ideas come from. Representatives from Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena’s literary purveyor since 1894, will discuss the beloved store’s deep community roots. Don’t miss the special visual presentation on Pasadena’s historic theaters at this site.  

NEIGHBORHOODS

              Explore the unique character of Pasadena’s diverse neighborhoods, learn how they developed, and discover what makes them distinctive. Representatives from Pasadena neighborhoods, Neighborhood Connections, and architectural historian Tim Gregory will engage you in illuminating conversations about the historical significance and hidden treasures of our everyday environs. Vintage and modern photos and maps on display will illustrate the evolution of districts such as famed Bungalow Heaven.

SPORTS

              2012 is an Olympic year.  In honor of the summer games, we’ll celebrate past and present Olympians of the Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley. Meet our champions, learn about their demanding training regimens, hear their most treasured Olympic memories, and get the scoop on those traveling to London to represent us this year.  Our display will include Olympic memorabilia from years past, including the unforgettable 1984 Los Angeles Games.

TECHNOLOGY

              Anderson Business Technology – formerly Anderson Typewriter Company - has been providing the latest technology to businesses in the Pasadena area for the past 100 years.  Founded in 1912 by C. Elmer Anderson, Anderson Business Technology is currently owned and operated by Donald Anderson, son of the founder, and David Anderson, grandson of founder.  Time travel through the fascinating world of business technology with Anderson representatives and their display of state of the art office machines 1912 to 2012 – and don’t forget to wish them Happy 100th Birthday!

Additional information, including a technology timeline, early pictures, and current technology and programs may be found at www.andersonbt.com.

TRANSPORTION

              At this stop you’ll find Michael Patris and Steve Crise -- the team that created illustrated histories of the Pacific Electric Railway and the Mount Lowe Railway -- eager to share tales and tidbits about these historic gems.  But that’s not all! They’ll also regale you with stories about the Dobbins Cycleway, the bicycle path designed to connect Pasadena with Downtown Los Angeles, and our modern-day mass transit, the Metro Gold Line. Located right in the midst of our vintage cars exhibit, visual displays also feature historic and contemporary views of the Pasadena Freeway, photographs of the Pasadena & Pacific and Pacific Electric railcars, and vehicles from horse drawn wagons to bicycles and buses.

WATER

              What does it take to ensure that almost 170,000 people in one of the country’s driest regions can turn on the tap every morning?  Pasadena Water and Power celebrates its 100th anniversary of doing just that! Representatives will dive into issues of water quality, engineering feats, complex distribution systems and the ever-pressing need for conservation, as well as all the ways in which Pasadena’s thirst for water has transformed as the city has grown. Let’s celebrate Pasadena’s Water Centennial with a toast (pure water, of course!) to PWP!