My zeroeth birthday, January 28, 1956. No sign of geekness yet. Obviously thinking deep thoughts.Sometime in 1956, obviously after being abducted by Martians. Here I admire my Step-Grandfather “Ga’s” stamp collection. Ga’s name was really Harry Lee Davenport, but the first word I said to him was “Ga”, and the name stuck. So did the stamps, after I drooled on them.Steve, age 1, 1957, probably almost 2. I remember those stacking cups! This picture was taken at the apartment my parents lived in until I was 9 months old.Holding a potato bug when we still lived at the apartment on Stocker Street, 1956I liked TV better when I was 8 months old
This is film of my grandparents’ house in La Sierra near Riverside in 1956. Delbert Alcorn married Effie Truman. They had two sons, William (Bill) and Norvin (my dad) and a daughter Janice. William Alcorn married Louise and they had two kids, Ron and Judy. Janice married Earl Bishop (divorced by this time) and had two sons, Bill and Mike; Bill is the one carrying the dog, Gypsy. I think all of those people are in this film. My mother and my step-grandfather, Harry Lee Davenport (“Ga”) are also there.
The El Mirador House
In October, 1956, when I was nine months old, my parents moved into a house at 5216 El Mirador Drive, Los Angeles, 8, CA. (Yes, that 8 was the postal zone, then.) The phone number was AXminster 3-6916. I lived there until March, 1978, when I married Linda.
The house was designed by my father in the “Googie” style of architecture.
In 1988 I remodeled the house, and it was sold in 1989. These are pictures after the remodeling.
Street ViewPoolOriginal neighbors at the end of the street: Lawthers, Hamiltons, Poolis, HeffernansFamily RoomKitchenMaster BathMaster BedroomThe appraiser called this a “limited” city view. You can also see it from the top of the chimney.Back yardBack gateOur pool at El Mirador Drive, late 50sOur pool
Christmas Memories
Film of Christmas 1957:
Here’s film of another Christmas, probably 1960:
Christmas of 1959, already eyeing the department store Santa with suspicion. Nice hat, eh?Catharine and Norvin Alcorn, Christmas (maybe 1954?)My birthday, probably 1961
Baldwin Hills and Growing Up
The hills behind the house and LaBrea. This is now Baldwin Hills Park. El Mirador means “The Beautiful View”. The house was perched above what is now Baldwin Hills Park. One of my most vivid childhood memories is of watching the water from the Baldwin Hills Dam rush from the broken dam, down into the canyon, in 1963. It was part of the inspiration for the descriptions in my novel Everything In Its Path.
The first part of this film is me in about 1960 at Kiddieland / Beverly Park in Los Angeles. The end looks like maybe Jungle Land in Thousand Oaks, but I’m wearing the same clothes!
Ready to go CampingParents at costume partyThinking about joining the NRAYellowstone, probably 1961. I learned to read and write on this trip at the Yellowstone Lodge, and wrote a letter to Ga.East with Dad around 1960My Dad in Yosemite with his first wife, Williamette, late 1940s
Disneyland
Film of a visit to Disneyland in about 1961:
Disneyland with Ga (Harry Lee Davenport) about 1960Disneyland with my mother Kay (Catharine) about 1960. People got so dressed up to go to Disneyland in the early days!Disneyland about 1960Disneyland with my dad (Norvin) about 1960Disneyland with Ga (Harry Lee Davenport) and my mother (Kay) about 1960Disneyland with Ga (Harry Lee Davenport) about 1960
Family
Grandparents: Effie May Alcorn, Marguerite Vosburgh (Reynolds) Davenport, Harry Lee Davenport, Delbert AlcornHarry Lee Davenport and Marguerite Vosburgh (Reynolds) DavenportLinda, ca 1959
