Local Architecture Author Night at South Pasadena Library on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m.

An Author Night with Stephen Gee and Debi Howell-Ardila will be presented at the Library on October 24 at 7 p.m. The program will carry a distinctive Los Angeles/South Pasadena area architectural theme.  Gee’s new book, “Iconic Vision: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles” convincingly demonstrates that John Parkinson (1861-1935) created the look of America’s most dynamic metropolis, long before the world recognized the city’s importance. Among Parkinson’s four hundred buildings in the City of Angels are Los Angeles City Hall, the most iconic building in California; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the world’s only modern stadium to host two Olympic Games;  and Union Station, the masterpiece that brought California’s railroad lines together. Iconic Vision, the first biography of the master architect, documents Parkinson’s monumental contributions to the city he loved. Parkinson designed more landmark buildings in Los Angeles than any other architect and Stephen Gee’s biography penetratingly tells the story of a man who envisioned our tomorrow.

Stephen Gee has worked on numerous award-winning television productions and coverage of high-profile news stories, including four U.S. presidential elections. Experienced in television production, Gee was the lead cameraman and producer for a series of documentaries for National Geographic. A graduate of London's City University, he has lived in Los Angeles since 1995.

Debi Howell-Ardila serves on the Cultural Heritage Commission in South Pasadena and works as senior architectural historian with Sapphos Environmental in Pasadena. She holds a Master of Historic Preservation from USC, where her thesis explored Southern Californian Mid-Century Modernism and the history of the USC School of Architecture.

Howell—Ardila will be making a presentation on nationally-acclaimed South Pasadena architect Whitney R. Smith (1911-2002), who received a bachelor's degree in architecture from USC in 1934.  For the firm of Smith and Williams, Smith worked on the Unitarian Church in Pasadena, the central power building at Caltech, the dining facility at Camp Curry in Yosemite, and the Japanese teahouse at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. Smith operated his own private practice in South Pasadena until the mid-1980s. His personal projects include the auditorium for the Huntington Library, the Pasadena Neighborhood Church, and the art studio and gymnasium at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena. Smith taught architecture and planning at USC and at Scripps College in Claremont. He also served on the Planning Commission and the Community Redevelopment Agency of South Pasadena.

The free program is presented by the South Pasadena Public Library and the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library. The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. No tickets or reservations are necessary. Refreshments will be served and autographed books will be available for purchase. Special thanks to Angel City Press, the South Pasadena Cultural Heritage Commission, and the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation.