1. Art and Diseño

Call for Submissions: Contemporary
Artwork and Curious Creations
Sought for Exhibition at the Los Altos History Museum
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect
With this exhibit we strive to bring together history and art, as both are ways to
tell stories and interpret what is going on in the world around us.
Objects and documents held in museum collections prompt stories and can help us connect to contemporary issues and
perspectives. We seek artists, creators and makers who will use items from the Museum Collection as inspiration to
create original pieces. Whether it is serious or quirky, they all tell stories. Please see below for selected collections items
and dates to see them in person. This is a curated, juried exhibit; not all pieces submitted will be included.
Exhibit Dates: May 7, 2015 – October 4, 2015
An opening reception will be held on Sunday, May 10, 2015, 2 – 4pm. Prize ribbons will be awarded.
Location:
The Los Altos History Museum is located at 51 So. San Antonio Road, Los Altos (next to the Library). A
secured, climate-controlled facility, we are open to the public Thursday-Sunday, 12 -4pm and for
Museum and community events and programs. Staff are present Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. The works
selected will primarily be displayed in the 1,200 sq. ft. changing gallery (wall height is 9 feet), though
there may be space outdoors for a few larger pieces that can withstand the elements.
Eligibility:
Local artists, creators and makers living/working in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and bordering communities
(Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, etc.) may submit up to three (3) works for consideration in any
medium. All works must be original in concept; no compositions taken from published or copyrighted
materials.
Media/Types - suggested but not limited to:
Photography
Creative writing
Painting
Robotics
Sculptures
Book art
Submission
Guidelines:
Costuming/textiles
Digital arts/multimedia
Jewelry
Papier-mâché
Furniture
Ceramics
Please email/mail a copy of the entry form with jpeg images of your submissions. *Each individual entry
submission requires a separate entry form. Digital submissions strongly preferred; please name your
files as follows: firstinitial.lastname.title.jpg. Color photos (300dpi) only; NO slides, please. Minimum
hard copy size: 5x7” – preferably 8x10”. Forms, biographies & digital images must be received at the
Museum by mail/email on or before Monday, March 23, 2015. Only complete submissions will be
considered. There is no fee to participate.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
Page 2
Call for Submissions, continued
Artwork Size
Minimum 8x10”/80 square inches, maximum not to exceed 50” framed in either direction. All wall-
& Presentation: mounted work must be framed, wired and ready for hanging. No frames with pressure spring clips or
frameless exhibition “L” pins. Wire must be in good condition and not too long. No saw tooth hangers.
Plexiglas glazing preferred. Include your name, title of piece, and medium on backside of actual piece.
Exhibit pieces may not include any perishable items, liquids or flames.
Sale:
Works in the show will not be for sale at the Museum, but your name, bio and contact information will
be available to the public.
Delivery &
Pick-up:
You will be notified when and where to deliver your piece. Plan ahead for a designated agent if you
cannot personally deliver your work. Accepted entries may not be removed until close of the exhibition;
no exceptions! You will also be notified when and where to pick up your work after the close of the
exhibit. Designate an agent if you are not able to personally pick up your work. The Museum will not
hold or store works.
Calendar:
Thursday, February 12, 2015, 1-4pm, and Saturday, February 28, 10am-1pm
– View the collections pieces in person
Monday, March 23, 2015 – Submission deadline: Entry forms, Images, Bio all due
Friday, April 3, 2015 - Acceptance/Non-acceptance notification by email or phone
Monday, April 27, 2015, 10am – 2pm - Delivery Date: hand-deliver works to the Los Altos History
Museum
Sunday, May 10, 2015, 2 – 4pm: Opening Reception, Los Altos History Museum. Guests are welcome.
Prize ribbons will be awarded.
Monday, October 5, 2015, 10am – 2pm - Pick-up Date: Pick up works at the Los Altos History Museum
Information:
Johanna Fassbender, Collections & Exhibitions Manager
[email protected], 650-948-9427 x 16
www.losaltoshistory.org
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Artist Agreement and Entry Form
PLEASE PRINT! Please fill in ALL blanks. Retain a copy of this form for your files before mailing.
Name:
Street Address:
City, State, ZIP:
Phone: (H):
(C):
E-mail Address:
Title of Piece:
Medium (including finishes):
Measurements (with frame if applicable - h” x w” x d”) _______________________________ Total Weight:
How did the object inspire your piece? (80 words max.)
Short Artist Biography: (80 words max.)
Where did you hear about this exhibit?
Release: The undersigned hereby releases the Los Altos History Museum from liability for loss, theft, or damage of any kind to works entered into this
exhibit. Insurance is the responsibility of the creator. The undersigned agrees to leave his/her work in the exhibit until end of final closing day. The
undersigned also agrees that any art may be photographed (for information, promotional and online use) by the Los Altos History Museum. The
undersigned also agrees that any work may be moved during the course of the exhibit to accommodate events at the Los Altos History Museum.
Signature: ____________________________________________________
(Unsigned submissions will be disqualified.)
Date: _____/_____/2015
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Where Art + History Intersect: Inspiration
The following pieces from the collection of the Los Altos History Museum have been chosen to inspire your
work for the exhibit. Some of the items are well documented and come with great stories; others,
unfortunately, are without a specific story, but we can still learn a great deal about the time period they were
used in and about the people using and making them. All photos by Joel Bartlett.
Pick one of these collection pieces, let your imagination soar -- and start creating!
To view the objects in person, stop by on Thursday, 2/12, 1-4pm, or Saturday, 2/28, 10am-1pm.
Skirt Hoop
[1993.041.001] Mid 1800s
Fashion is constantly changing -- and has been for a long time. In the mid-1800s, full-bodied skirts were in style. To achieve the
impression of a full skirt, several petticoats had to be worn which could be incredibly hot during the summer months. With the
invention of hooped underskirts, or crinoline, women only had to wear one petticoat which was a lot less warm and heavy. The
hoops were made of metal or whalebone with strips of linen holding them together.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Lug Box
[LOAN-2014-009-008] Ca. 1930s
This lug box bears the name of Paul Kraljevich who was born on February 17, 1891 in a small town called Majkovi in Dalmatia, a
historic region of Croatia, then part of Austria-Hungary. Kraljevich immigrated to the United States in 1910, and in June of 1917, he
was drafted into World War I at the age of 26. In the 1930 census, Kraljevich is living with his wife, Kate, and their two children,
daughter Anna, and son Peter, on their farm. The census, taken on Bryant Avenue in Mountain View, indicates that the Kraljevich
orchard was located near downtown Mountain View, somewhere on Bryant Avenue. Photos of fruit stands in the Los Altos area
often show lug boxes with Mountain View stamps on them.
Meat Tenderizer
[1998.027.001] Ca. 1910
Meat tenderizers were commonly used in cooking to prepare big slabs of meat. Pounding the meat breaks up the fibers and results
in shorter marinating and cooking times. There are various forms of meat tenderizers – this one makes use of sharp blades which cut
into the meat and puncture the fibers.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Sewing Machine
[1994.061.001] Late 1920s
This Singer sewing machine was a wedding gift to Los Altos residents Harriette and Mark Pesek. Pesek was an engineer who worked
for the city for 15 years, and was in charge of subdivisions and coordinating land development. “He’s an excellent, dependable
employee,” said Pesek’s boss, City Engineer Ron Gruenwald. “Mark has just generally been the hub of the wheel.” Mark and his wife
have two children and also several grandchildren. Mark retired at the end of 1970 and said about Los Altos: “I’ve traveled quite a lot,
and I think enough of this city to live here for the rest of my life.”
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Cherry Pitter
[1997.037.010] Ca. 1930s
Patented on November 2, 1937, this cherry pitter improved over previous pitters ensuring one-handed operation, leaving the other
free to hold the fruit: “the device is provided with a seat on which the fruit is placed, the pitter or plunger is operated and then
withdrawn, which withdrawal causes the fruit to engage a stripper which allows the pitter or plunger to retreat still further leaving
the fruit free. The pitter can thus be operated to deposit pits in one receptacle and the fruit in another receptacle.”
Gas Mask
[1984.007.001] Ca. 1930s
This gas mask was used as a smoke mask by the Los Altos Fire Department until about 1955/1960. In 1922, Tom Woodworth helped
form the first organized fire-fighting unit in Los Altos and put a chemical hose cart into service - at his own expense and with
volunteer help. All of the equipment was stored at his feed and fuel shed and later at George Ramsey’s Los Altos Garage. The first
Monday evening of each month was practice day at the department.
The mask is an MSA Industrial Gas Mask (Burrell Type) and was last serviced on October 20, 1938; the lid of the box says “Los Altos
Fire Dept.” Instructions inside the lid read “Be familiar with your gas mask and know its limitations before an emergency arises.
Study the instructions. Practice using the gas mask periodically.”
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Egg Beater
[2011.073.006] Late 1930s
This eggbeater includes the inscription, “High Speed Super Center Drive Beater - Made in the United States of America" by A & J
Manufacturing Co. of Binghamton, New York – at the time the largest producer of kitchen tools. A & J Manufacturing Company,
founded in 1909, was bought by the Edward Katzinger Company in 1929. The inventor was Myron J. Zimmer, and the original
assignee was Edward Katzinger Company. The patent claims “this type construction prevents any lateral play or displacement on the
part of the gear and at the same time spaces and braces the sides of the egg beater frame. The gears of the prior art including hubs
made up of a number of separate parts has been difficult and expensive to construct and assemble.”
Recipe Card
[1997.013.001] Mid 1930s
Julian Gilbert Smith was born in Oregon on October 27, 1876. In 1901, he bought five acres along what is now San Antonio Road. He
personally built his redwood farmhouse and planted an orchard of Blenheim apricots. At the age of 55, Gilbert married his childhood
friend, school teacher Margaret Hill. When Los Altos incorporated as a town in 1952, the couple was still farming their land. The
Smiths sold nine acres of their land to the City of Los Altos for the building of the civic center and promised the rest of their land to
the city upon their deaths to be used for historical purposes. The recipe card is Margaret’s and shows a recipe for lemon ice box
cake. She was extremely social; it is said that her cake was very popular with various ladies’ groups in Los Altos.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Vanity Set
[1997.006.001 a-g] Ca. 1920s
This vanity set was given to school teacher Ruth Anderson as a gift for her wedding in 1923. Her husband Dr. Earl T. Anderson
worked as a doctor in town. In 1937, the Andersons bought 36 acres in the Los Altos Hills, together with Earl’s brother, Dr. Dewey
th
Anderson. The set is made from celluloid, a form of plastic, developed in the late 19 century. Celluloid was very inexpensive and
often used as a substitute for rare and expensive materials, such as tortoise shell and ivory, which made it affordable for a growing
middle class.
Spring Shoes
[1996.123.001 a-b] Ca. 1930s
These spring shoes were used by Los Altos resident Ruth Lundquist in the 1930s. They were made by RU Spring Shu Company, and
went through several iterations over the years. Various patents tried improving the stability and therefore safety of these types of
shoes; however, children kept twisting and breaking their ankles which resulted in an end of their manufacturing in the 1960s.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Typewriter
[1976.011.002] Ca. 1915
This typewriter was used in the Woodworth Feed and Fuel Store from 1920 until 1945. The store was owned by Thomas Woodworth
who is also credited with starting the volunteer fire department in Los Altos. Woodworth began his fuel and feed business on the
east side of First Street and built a house next door. Soon he extended his business to a warehouse across First Street, located next
to the freight depot.
Underwood typewriters are seen as the first modern typewriters. In 1895, John Thomas Underwood bought the typewriter patent
from Franz Xavier Wagner, the inventor of the typewriter. The Underwood Typewriter Company was headquartered in New York
City and dominated the American typewriter market for many years.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Bathing Suit
[2010.065.002] Ca. 1920s
In the 1920s, bathing suits for men and women looked very similar; oftentimes both had a modesty skirt attached. This particular
bathing suit was made for a woman and the label promises “guaranteed pure 100% wool.” It probably fit well while it was dry, but
one can only imagine what happened to the fabric when its wearer jumped into the water and the wool started absorbing water.
Dress Form
[NN.2015.00001] Ca. 1930s
The L&M (or Ellanam) Adjustable Dress Form Company in New York City made a name for itself with its flexible dress form around
th
the beginning of the 20 century. The dress form was heavily advertised to housewives, because it could be easily adjusted to
accommodate each person’s personal measurements. The form is made of cardboard covered with fabric, and turning the wheel at
the top shrank or expanded the form. The photo on the right shows a view of the inside with its adjustable braces and wingnuts.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Trainman’s Lantern
[1997.114.018] Ca. 1950s
This lantern was manufactured by the Star Headlight and Lantern Company in Rochester, New York. The company was founded in
1889, and is still in business, now making LED lanterns. This type of lantern was used by conductors and brakemen to communicate
with hand signals to the engineer, who responded with a particular whistle depending on the message. It has two bulbs, one for
focused light (light a flashlight) and the small light bulb was used to signal. Replacing kerosene lamps, this lantern was battery
operated and bears the owner’s initials, L.W.W.
Application
[NN.2015.00002] 1892
This is Paul Shoup’s application to the Southern Pacific Company in 1892. He rose from ticket agent for the railroad to president of
the Southern Pacific Company in 1929. Together with a few other people, Shoup seized the real estate opportunity to establish the
town of Los Altos along the railroad tracks in 1907. Even though he was transferred to Los Angeles to run the new interurban system
in 1913, Shoup is recognized as the “Father of Los Altos.” Paul and his wife Rose lived at 500 University Avenue; she and the family
lived there until her death in 1942. He died on August 1, 1946 in Los Angeles.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
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Barbed Wire
[1996.001.002] Ca. 1880s
Barbed wire played an important part in the American West as a tool to divide land and create physical barriers for animals and
humans. The Homestead Act of 1862, the Civil War and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad resulted in a large migration
of people to the western states and territories. Ranchers often ordered wire different from their neighbor’s so they could identify
their ranch lands and deter wire theft. It continued to develop over the years, which resulted in many different types, many of which
were patented. This piece found near Permanente Creek and Wooded Glen Way in Los Altos, may be Crandal Zigzag wire patented
on November 4, 1879 by Edward M. Crandal of Chicago and is described as “two twisted strand wire with interlocked multi-point
sheet metal strip.”
Printer’s Block
[2013.036.053] Ca.1905
Michael (1855-1924) and Eliza Farrell (1855-1926) were married on May 20, 1880 in San Luis Obispo, California. Michael was the
foreman for the Martin Murphy, Jr. Rancho from 1875 to 1892 and also owned his own land where he grew apples and grain. In
1911, Farrell acquired 12 acres on El Monte Avenue and Springer Road, on the border of Mountain View and Los Altos, which they
called The Elms. Eliza was chairman of the Mountain View Auxilliary of the American Red Cross, a charter member and president of
the Mountain View Grange, a member of the board of directors of the Catholic Women's Center of San Jose, and a trustee of the
Mountain View school board from 1912 until 1921, serving as president for a greater part of that time. She also worked as governess
for the children of Martin Murphy, Jr. for four years. In tribute to Eliza, all stores and businesses closed their doors for an hour
during her funeral on Dec. 26, 1924. This was the first tribute of this kind to be held for a woman in Mountain View.
Reflect + Create: Where Art and History Intersect, on exhibit the Los Altos History Museum, May – October 2015
FROM THE ORAL HISTORY OF: Miyake
Page 14
FURUICHI
Excerpt 1:
Miyake: I can remember when I was going to San Antonio Grammar School, a whole bunch of us would… We didn't
maybe "steal" it, but there were apricots, so we'd go into the orchard and pick some. And we had no need to,
'cause we had apricots at home. We were reported.
Interviewer 1:
They tasted better from somebody else's orchard.
Miyake:
I always hoped that he'd guess, Mr. Smith. And he used to come to the nursery on a bike, you know, I mentioned it
a couple of times, and he couldn't remember, but I remembered it well. And we ended up in the Principal's office.
Excerpt 2:
Interviewer 1: They were born in Japan?
Miyake:
Yes. See, my father left my mother in Japan with four children. And they called her over in 1914. And she came
over here with four kids.
Interviewer 1:
Why did he settle here? How did he choose the Bay Area?
Miyake:
That I never asked him. But he landed in San Francisco right after the earthquake. He was taken in by a Seventh
Day Adventist family in Mountain View. They needed gardening, and the family moved to Almond Avenue. And
then he had an opportunity to buy this place, and he couldn't. By that time Frank was born. And then I came along.
And so the property was in both Frank and my names for a while. Because I was a girl, he took me off.
Interviewer 1:
But because he was an alien he wasn't allowed to own land.
FROM THE ORAL HISTORY OF:
Raphael MEYERS
Excerpt 3:
Interviewer: What was your transportation?
Meyers:
We had a stable with a couple of horses. I used to ride a horse, but I started driving very early---about 14 years of
age.
Interviewer:
Was that legal?
Meyers:
I think 16 was. I still have my driver’s license, good until revoked!
Interviewer:
There were no policemen then to . . .
Meyers:
No, nobody. I had several different cars. I learned to drive on my mother’s electric car. She had a Rauch & Lang
electric car, because she felt she couldn’t manage a gasoline operated car. The _________ family, who were
neighbors living on Almond Avenue, they had a Baker electric car, so my mother got interested in that and bought
a Rauch & Lang electric car. It would go about 30 to 35 miles per hour. Cars were expensive at that time, about
$5,000.
Interviewer:
You didn’t save any of them, did you?
Meyers:
No, I wish I had. But after that, I bought a Chevrolet and became interested in racing. The Wideman boy had a
cut-down Ford, which was similar to a racing car, it had no body on it. My mother bought that, and then I did build
a racing car later on. That’s what led to flying, because she said “Well, if you’re going to kill yourself, I’d rather you
had a chance in an airplane, as to racing, because you’re sure dead in that!”
Excerpt 4:
Meyers: Oh, I forgot to mention the Spinks family. They had the water company in Los Altos. We didn’t get water
from them because we had our own, we had a well. I remember this thing was drilled 190 feet deep and we had
about 100 feet of water it and then people started to irrigate, and that lowered the water level of the whole valley.
We finally didn’t have any water and we had to buy it after that from the Los Altos Water Company. We never
bought from Spinks; he supplied the lower end of San Antonio Road, toward El Camino.