Retro California Treasures! Shag , Wienermobile & House of the Future Suite

Hi, I'm Pat Patterson. Welcome to The Best of California. Today, I've got the Wienermobile to take off in. And this is the best of retro California. I'm Pat Patterson and I love California. So I'm so excited to be here with the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. And these are the people that get to travel around all the time in this wonderful thing. I got Callie Polk and Colin Jay. And you guys tell me a little bit about your adventures in this incredible machine. Yeah, we are two lucky dogs. We are the hot doggers that get to travel all over the country with the Wienermobile. And so our stop is in Los Angeles this week and we've been having a great time. You're gonna drive me around to these retro places. And Colin, when did you start doing all this? Yes, so we started this job in June. So it's actually a year long. So we go for 12 months. We go to a new city every single week. We were just in Tucson, Arizona a couple of days ago and we're headed to San Diego next. What's the most asked question about this thing? Do you guys sell hot dogs? And we actually don't. It's a myth. Yeah, it's a myth. It is a giant hot dog, but we just serve up smiles and the wiener whistles. We expect you to be a good humor truck or something. And what are some of the other things people ask? Well, people ask too if we personally own it, which is pretty funny to me, but we actually do work for Oscar Mayer. So we work for Oscar Mayer. The Wienermobile has been around for 86 years. So there's been one on the road since 1936 when Carl Mayer, the nephew of Oscar Mayer, created it in the Great Depression to make people smile. We're still smiling. And I remember when I was a kid driving around Southern California, that's an older version of this. It was a real modified looking car kind of thing. And in terms of people using the vehicle, I mean, I'm amazed we can kind of call you up and you'll come. That's incredible. They're like medics with the wiener. So tell me, how do people book you? Yeah, anyone can request the Wienermobile on oscarmayer.com. It's just a matter of if our boss can make it work on our schedule, if we're in the area. There's only six nationwide, so it can be a little tough. Yeah, and what do you usually go to? Are you going to supermarket openings, that kind of thing? Yeah, so it's actually a different thing basically every single week. So this week we're doing a lot of supermarkets. We obviously get to talk to you, which is great. But last week we were doing a lot of classic car shows, which was really fun. We do festivals, fairs. We did one of the cooler things we did was we did a parade in San Juan Capistrano a couple weeks ago, the Swallows Day Parade, which was really cool. So everything and anything, yeah. Hot dogs, of course, that's it, yeah, yeah. So let's open it up and take a look. Check this thing out, this is incredible. We're gonna go inside to the Wienermobile, retro California. This is the mothership, this is incredible. Tell me a little bit about how this thing works. Yeah, this is where the magic happens. This is the iconic Wienermobile and we have a lot of cool Wienermobile stuff. So we have our bun box right here, which is fully operational for all the goodies that we have inside the Wienermobile. We have bun roof up here that we use for parades sometimes, which is pretty cool. Blue skies on the ceiling because there's always blue skies in the Wienermobile. Ketchup and mustard seats and a lot of more hidden features. Callie, what's your favorite element of the Wienermobile? Oh, that's tough, there's so many cool things. I really like the seat you're in, it's shot bun. You get all the good views when you're driving, you get to wave to all the people as you're on the interstates. It's definitely a meaty magic up there. It's meaty magic, this is a whole different language to me. So now when you are going places, how do you work your itinerary? I mean, you guys have to be on top of timing and telling people, we gotta go, and that kind of thing, what's that like? Yeah, absolutely. So we go to New City every week, obviously, and Monday is usually the day that we drive there. And our bosses do all the hard work of scheduling the events for us. So we get the fun job of- Turning people down. Exactly, we just get to say yes, put a smile on our face and make people happy. And if we're having fun, then everyone else is having fun, so it works out. And today we're gonna go to Anaheim and see the house of the retro future suite at the Howard Johnson's, very famous retro Howard Johnson's down there. We're gonna go talk about the Helms Bakery truck, a project out in Acton. We're gonna see the 3D space in LA. So let's get in the Wienermobile and take off. Let's go. So Colin, let's get going. All right, let's do it. I'm Pat Pattison and I love California. I'm here with Jonathan Whitehead at the Howard Johnson's in Anaheim. And this is the house of the retro future suite. And Jonathan, you gotta be so proud of this. Yeah, everything just exceeded our expectations about how it turned out with all the elements, yeah. You're working with designers. I know you're working with the artist Shag, who we're gonna also talk to. But tell me your favorite elements here in the house of the retro future suite. My favorite, the iconic element is the TV frame that looks just like the original Monsanto house of the future design from the fifties. And I know we have things in here. We got a microwave, things that were not even in existence back then, but just the design and feel. Now tell me some of the other designers you worked with. So we worked with the interior designer, Caroline McLean from Scotty Dog Studios. She and I worked on all the designs for the furnishings and the whole design of the room. And then we worked with a bunch of other mid-century designers or artists that did artwork throughout the suite as well. And I know you've kind of been able to, you brought back the orange ceilings. Remind me the architect that designed this building. So that was William Pereira, who's famous for the kind of steam building looks like a spaceship at LAX. Oh, of course. Oh my gosh, that was incredible. And so in terms of your personal connection to retro, what does this bring up for you? Well, I grew up in a mid-century ranch house in Fullerton where my parents, my mom's design aesthetic was kind of these streamlined, clean looks. And we had one of those bomb, you know, steel fireplaces in our family room. So I grew up, you know, really appreciating that design. One of the great aspects of this is I'm overlooking what? Yeah, it's a view of our garden pool that we just renovated. It's a great place for families to play together. Show me what's behind this. I mean, this is just a counter, right? You might think that, but we've actually added in the LP, the vinyl with some records to play as well. That is incredible. And tell me, I mean, this kind of sums it up. Space Escapade. So it's a space age, you know, modern, retro-modern kind of music that we include in the room as well. Show me the bedroom. So the bedroom in the original Montano House of the Future wasn't that exciting. So we wanted to do something that just evoked that, you know, mid-century space age kind of look to it. So it's, you know, very mid-century with these circles and just this unexpected delight. The incredible thing about this suite, there's something behind every door. This is the bathroom. And then come on in. I mean, even behind this door, there's some incredible graphics. You gotta come down and check it out to see what it is though. I'm excited. We are here in Anaheim at the Howard Johnson's. We are in the House of the Retro Future suite that they have here at the Howard Johnson's. And I have Mr. Retro right here next to me. The artist, Josh Agle, otherwise known as Shag is how you're gonna know him. And Josh, you have a centerpiece here. Tell me about it. Well, I was lucky enough to be asked to do sort of a signature piece of artwork for the suite. They had sent me renderings and photos of the space before the suite was completed, plus pictures of the original Monsanto House of the Future. Kind of went off of that. The suite overlooks a pool. So that's why I have the kid where, you know, putting on the flippers and wearing the mask. And then the rest of the family kind of sitting around, enjoying tea and enjoying this incredible space. Does it have a name? I call it the suite of the future. Suite of the future. I named it before the official name of the suite, the House of the Retro Future Suite. And you have done so much for the appreciation of mid-century modern. Tell me a little bit about what this means to you. The acceptance of mid-century modern as a treasure. I'm really happy to see people sort of get a renewed interest in mid-century modern architecture and design. I know I'm looking forward to staying in the suite. Are you coming over to stay here? Yes, I will be staying here as well. What are other projects that you're up to? I know you have a studio or a gallery out in Palm Springs. What are your current projects? Well, I am working with Warner Brothers on a couple pieces. I'm doing a Scooby-Doo anniversary piece of art. I'm also working with the city of Palm Springs on some new city identification artwork. And probably my favorite project right now is the Shag House, which is a house I'm designing in Palm Springs. Well, I'm here with the artist Shag. We are at the Retro Future Suite here at the Howard Johnson's. Let's see what's next. I'm here with David Shelby, Critical Car Care out in Lancaster. And David, tell me about this truck. How did you find it? Well, I found it just driving down the local street about almost 30 years ago. I just found it on the side and I seen it. And I just had to buy it. Yeah, and have a donut. Yeah, so I bought it and restored it. And here's where I'm at today. And it's a beautiful project. I mean, we'll show you around, but David has left a lot of the original stuff. And there was even, you're gonna show me some of the materials were still left with a sign. And I can't believe the coin changer. Oh yeah, the coin changer was still left in it. It was broken, but I left the wood in the back, all the same. And in fact, you could still smell donuts if you open it up. You've got all glazed donuts and pies and cakes. And this is one of the wrappers for the bread. And I remember the story that the Helms Bakery was part of the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. That was their big claim to fame. And this is just incredible. And show us the money changer. Where's the money changer? Oh, the money changer is down here. This actually came with it. The driver would have this wrapped around his belt. He'd have it on the side, yeah. Because everything was less than a dollar. Yeah, buddy. Yeah. And what is this up here? Now, that there was, that's where they put their specials. But when I purchased it, that's the way it came. I never erased it. It had cold drinks, candy, tortillas, cookies, cakes. Wow. And you said this had been, somebody had taken house paint and painted over it. They rolled over the whole car, the whole entire truck. And you could read it from the side. You could still see Belfast. Wow. Yeah. So that was your detective mission, to dig into the archeological dig with this truck. Exactly. Plus on the windows were the licensing. And some of them say Southgate, San Gabriel. And my favorites, Linwood, California, because I was born there. And that had to be one of the trucks. Tell me about this trailer, David. Well, this trailer is a 1955 Rod and Reel made in Cypress, California. And I've owned it for a while. And I restored the inside. The wood was rotted. The floor and the back and the sidings were, they punched holes in it. And I did a lot of cool stuff. Wow. And so, and you mentioned it had been picked and you'd restored it. Oh, I had to pick the sides. I put new sides on it from here down. And I even made the paint look like it was weathered. And then I put satin clear over it. And rust. And rusty paint in the front. Yes. On the propane tank and all that good stuff. And so now, do you take this to shows? Do you live in it? Yeah, right. Is this where you live, David? No, hopefully not. But yeah, we take it to shows. And it's a hit when you go anywhere. Back in the COVID days, we would go to the restaurants because they were closed. And they would deliver food to us in the mall parking lot. And we were the only one there eating dinner in this thing. So now, what draws you to these older vehicles and trailers and whatnot? Is it nostalgia from your childhood? Yeah, you know, believe it or not, my family traveled almost every weekend to the High Sierras. And it was in one of these. And I can tell you stories and a half about it. And that's just me right now. And my son is the same. He's grown up in the same area. Outdoors, obviously. Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah, you love to get out there. Well, we're gonna show you a little bit of the interior of this incredible rod and reel trailer from 1955. Yeah, 1950. It's almost as old as I am. Let's take a look. David, this is your living room and your kitchen. Oh, sweet home. What kind of shape was this in when you? It was ugly. I have pictures before. And in fact, some of the, the sink is original. The stove is still original. Okay. And a Dixie stove. Yeah. Man. That was in the 50s. That's the kind. And then the marble refrigerator still works. I plugged it in first and that was all. It still works. And we left the, everything is original that we had. The only thing I had to do was the wood. Okay. It was all dry rotted. Okay. Is this new? I did this. It's the same table. This looks old. I did a design back. Some marbling. If you was to do that. Yeah. Wow. And we did the flooring. I stained the wood. Cause it's new to match the old wood. So there's not a big variance of the difference. Yeah. Wow. Here we are. And David Shelby's rod and wheeler 1955 trailer. Well, thank you, David Shelby. Critical car care here in Lancaster. Helms truck, rod and reel trailer. You're a mid-century modern maven. Well, I appreciate it. Thanks for coming down and checking us out. You bet. I'm Pat Patterson and I love California and I'm seeing double. I am with Eric Kerlin at 3D space at Echo park. And Eric, this is wild. Thanks for coming by Pat. Oh, this is incredible. So I I'm going to, I can't wait a minute. Oh, whoa. Okay. Wait a minute. There we go. So this is basically a living museum. I feel like some of the stuff you've even shown me is research. How did you start this 3D space? Yeah. First of all, what does 3D space stand for? 3D space is the center for stereoscopic photography, art, cinema, and education. And we're a 501C3 nonprofit with a museum here in Los Angeles dedicated to the art and science and history of everything that you see in 3D. Wow. And you shared with me, you have a professional background in 3D photography. Tell me a little bit about that. Yeah. I've worked as a stereographer on a number of projects, several music videos for the band OK Go. And I was the stereographer for the Simpsons theatrical short. Oh my gosh. How incredible. And I mean, I think most of us, particularly of a certain age, we kind of think of the fifties 3D. Sure. But take us back into history a little bit about how 3D really got started. Sure, sure. Way back in 1838, a British scientist named Sir Charles Wheatstone, he was the first to theorize that we see the world in three dimensions because we've got two eyes set a couple of inches apart and each eye sees a slightly different view of the world. So he opted to prove this. He built a device that used mirrors and geometric drawings from two perspectives. And you'd put your nose up to the mirror, your left eye would see a drawing from a left point of view, your right eye would see a drawing from a right point of view. And these flat drawings suddenly had depth. So he was able to use this as his proof. And he coined the term. What year again? That was 1838. So he coined the term stereoscopic, which comes from the Greek. Scopic means to see. And stereo sort of means solid as in like sculpture or in relief. So stereoscopic means to see something in relief. So some of the earliest photographers realized they could take a picture from a left point of view and then move their camera over and take a picture from a right point of view, put those images into the stereoscope and actually see depth in their photos. Stereoscopes were sort of the home entertainment system. And photographers would travel the world chronicling far away lands and places that people at that time couldn't really travel to. But you could go down to your general store and you could buy a pack of cards from the Egyptian pyramids. And it was like you were there. Just moving forward, I grew up with a view master. Yes, yes. William Gruber, in the 1930s, he wanted to revive the stereoscope. And he had this brainstorm that if he used 16 millimeter frames and put them on a disc, he could actually fit seven pairs onto a disc. He designed a viewer for it so that you could rotate through them and get back to where you started. He had a chance encounter at the Oregon Caves with a gentleman named Harold Graves. Mr. Graves was the president of the Sawyers Company of Portland. And they were the largest photo finishing lab on the West Coast. Like they were, outside of Kodak, they were the biggest processor of Kodachrome film. And they also had a big business doing travel postcards. So, you know, a tourist attraction would have Sawyers postcards. So they saw the potential of this stereoscopic reel as a tourism souvenir. What's really interesting is those early reels, this was all shot on Kodachrome. So over 80 years later, the images hold up beautifully. And you can actually, the form factor for the reels hasn't changed. So you can take an 80 year old view master reel, pop it into a modern viewer and look at them like they were taken yesterday. The technology is digital now, but we're really using it for the same purpose it was used for back then, to be able to see places and visit things that you wouldn't be able to see otherwise. What can people do to support you? Well, we have a website. You know, for obvious reasons, during the pandemic, we had to close our doors for a year and a half. We have reopened. So if you're in the Los Angeles area and you'd like to visit, you can visit our website and you can check out our online schedule and book a visit. Well, Eric Curlin, thank you. This is an incredible space. Look their website up, come down and see this here and support the 3D space. We need to keep all the heritage of our arts alive here in California. And that's our look at retro California. Thanks to the Oscar Mayer people and the Wienermobile. Hope you enjoyed it. Tune in next time. You love everything retro. Tell me why. Jonathan is blown away by this question.