Welcome to our Spring newsletter and to all our new members. This is my first official welcome to you as the new President of our Board of Directors.
I moved to Rancho Mirage in 2019 after coming to Palm Springs on vacation over the years. As a new resident, I knew little about Rancho Mirage’s architectural and cultural history and immediately became enamored with it. After reading Mod Mirage, attending a Preservation Mirage event in late 2019, and learning more about the city, I knew I wanted to get involved with this organization. And now, four years later, I’m excited to be working with our amazing board and members like you to continue to move the organization forward. We will celebrate and advocate for the protection and promotion of the city's cultural and architectural heritage with more educational and exclusive member-only events, historical tours throughout the community, and a strengthening partnership with our city. |
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The first two months of the year were a busy and exciting time for Preservation Mirage. We introduced a new resident Welcome to the Neighborhood guide for all new homeowners in Rancho Mirage and mailed 1500 to all new residents since January 1, 2022. Back by popular demand, we hosted a Tamarisk Walking Tour over the first weekend of Modernism Week 2023 highlighting the unique history of the club and some exquisite historic homes around the course. This year we added several new stops along the way to give those who had been on the tour added history and information. The reception was fantastic! The tour also allowed us to showcase and offer for sale our first limited-edition Michael Weems porcelain tray showcasing the iconic Maranz House. Speaking of Maranz, our first member-only event took place on Sunday, February 26th at the dramatic house built for Tastee-Freez inventor, Leo Maranz, by Val Powelson and Robert Marx. It was a perfect location to host the sold-out event. Members were able to tour the house and guesthouse and mingle around the pool with wine and hors d'oeuvres. The evening culminated with a presentation of a Maranz tray and framed photo of Robert Marx holding a gifted tray to our hosts and homeowners, Judi and Jack Missett (and Poncho the dog). Lastly, I want to thank each of you. Our membership has grown exponentially in the past six months. It is because of your passion and support of Preservation Mirage’s mission that allows us to continue to educate and advocate for our city’s architectural and cultural heritage. |
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10/21/23: SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR FALL SEASON OPENER FUNDRAISER |
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Last year we marked the significant next chapter in our organization with a Season Opener Fundraiser at the Hurd Residence. This year we are going even bigger! To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rancho Mirage, we will be restoring and securing a historic designation for the most iconic landmark in our city, the Rancho Super Car Wash ‘pink elephant’ neon sign on Highway 11 which was installed in 1966. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 21st when we will be hosting a fundraiser to pay for the restoration and ongoing sign maintenance. | | |
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The 'Preserve the Pink Elephant' event will be held at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater in partnership with the City of Rancho Mirage, the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, and car wash owners Randy and Lorraine Barnes. The fundraising event will ensure that the ‘Pink Elephant’ neon sign is preserved for the next 50 years. More details to follow - but we guarantee this is an event you won't want to miss! A special thank you to Steven Harris and Lucien Rees Roberts who made an initial $5,000 contribution to the Pink Elephant Fund to aid in the restoration. |
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4/11/2023: WE'RE OPENING THE GATES OF DESERT BRAEMAR |
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For the first time, Preservation Mirage, in collaboration with Desert Braemar, will open the gates of this unique midcentury community to the public. Desert Braemar was designed by John C. Lindsay, AIA in 1956. Join us on Tuesday, April 11th for a talk, walking tour, and reception. Tickets are $40 per person and include wine, soft drinks, and appetizers. | | |
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One of the first as well as the largest cooperative apartment and townhouse complexes in the valley, Desert Braemar features 100 one, two, and three-bedroom residential units, designed in a village-garden setting in twelve acres of landscaped grounds. Melissa Riche, Preservation Mirage founder and author of ‘Mod Mirage’ and Adele Cygelman, author of ‘Arthur Elrod: Desert Modern Design’ will speak about the innovations of this community and its influence beyond, featuring vintage photographs and advertisements. |
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5/16/2023: PRESERVATION SESSION – “GOING, GOING, GONE” – ARCHITECTURE AND PRESERVATION IN RANCHO MIRAGE |
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Join us on Tuesday, May 16th at 5:00 PM for our next Preservation Session held via Zoom. During Modernism Week, Melissa Riche gave a talk about significant architecture in Rancho Mirage that’s been lost to demolition or aggressive remodels in the last 40 years. | | |
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The 1930s and 1940s homes by Albert Frey and John Porter Clark are among the casualties. Frey’s Hatton Residence was lost to developers in the 1970s, and there have been numerous casualties in more recent times including, of course, the legendary Maslon House by Richard Neutra. Although the pace of losses has slowed somewhat, preserving the city’s important architecture is more important than ever. Many who could not attend the Modernism Week talk in person asked if we would host a virtual Preservation Session, a great opportunity to learn more about our city’s rich architectural history. |
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SUNNYLANDS EXHIBITION: A PLACE AT THE TABLE We want to give a special shout-out to our friends and neighbors at Sunnylands to sing the praises of their new exhibition, A Place at the Table: Dining at Sunnylands, a look at the exquisite china, flatware, and table settings that Walter and Leonore Annenberg used to entertain the parade of notable guests who visited their Rancho Mirage estate. |
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The Annenbergs’ fondness for birds is evident in the use of the Rothschild Birds pattern by Herend for their private breakfasts, often taken in Walter's office. Credit: David Loftus for The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. |
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The new exhibition highlights five dishware patterns that were the most frequently used at Sunnylands when entertaining world-famous figures from the business, political, and entertainment fields, including an official White House dinner and a luncheon visit from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the exhibition free of charge 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, on display through June 4, 2023. |
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ADVOCACY UPDATES Firestone ResidenceThis stunning house was sold last year for $12.5 million. It’s one of famed architect William Pereira’s very few residential commissions - his second for tire magnate Leonard Firestone - and is one of the most important homes in the entire desert. Naturally, when rumors started to spread about its future, Preservation Mirage had to look into them. When rumors circulated twice within a 9-month period, we took them very seriously. To that end, Dan Allen and Melissa Riche met recently with the new owner’s realtor, John Nelson, at the house. We’re happy to report that rumors of anything bad happening to the house are false; in fact, the new owner’s plans are to restore the house to Pereira’s original vision (hence the high-ticket value which spurred the gossip) including changes to finishes inside and out but won’t affect the overall appearance or structure. |
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Thunderbird Cottages by William F. CodyOur advocacy for the 1954 cottages at Thunderbird, designed and master planned by William F. Cody, dates back to the origins of Preservation Mirage, five years ago. In 2018 we were contacted by members of Thunderbird Country Club who were concerned about plans to redevelop the whole site where the 12 remaining cottages stand, adjacent to the clubhouse. Since then, following a long chain of events that included Covid, financial uncertainties resulting from the pandemic, and legal consultation, the project has been abandoned. The ‘Friends’ of the historic Cody Cottages at Thunderbird and Preservation Mirage join in celebrating Thunderbird’s decision not to go ahead with the redevelopment for this invaluable and sole remaining piece of the club’s history. |
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FREE SHIPPING ON OUR LIMITED-EDITION PORCELAIN TRAY In February we launched the ‘must-have’ collector’s item of Modernism Week, the first in an annual collaboration with local artist Michael Weems to produce architectural porcelain trays featuring iconic Rancho Mirage architecture. The inaugural home is one of our city's most instantly recognizable buildings, the Maranz Residence. Only 150 of these limited-edition collectibles were made and we only have 25 left. We are offering free shipping on the remaining trays using promo code ‘MARANZSHIP’ at checkout, get them while you can! | | |
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PRESERVATION MIRAGE BOARD & COMMITTEE UPDATE This January we elected new officers to our Board; Dan Allen has assumed the role of President taking over for our Founder, Melissa Riche, who will be temporarily acting as our Secretary. Margaret Spaniolo was elected as Vice-President taking over for Craig Traupane. Nathan Jacroux has been appointed our Treasurer taking over for Andrew Kyaman, who was a volunteer. We want to thank Melissa, Craig, and Andrew for their service as officers on our board. We also welcomed Philip Monaghan to the board as our new Events committee chair, taking over for Dan Allen. Philip is a retired Marketing and Creative Director in the fashion retail sector. His passion for mid-century style was fully manifested in his restoration of Andrew Geller’s 1961 Rudolph Frank House in Fire Island Pines, New York. Working closely with architect Rodman Paul, the house was thoughtfully restored. Monaghan now lives in Park Vista at Mission Hills Country Club. We have one volunteer opportunity available on our Marketing & Merchandise Committee, learn more and apply at the link below: |
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NOW ACCEPTING STOCK DONATIONS Charitable giving doesn’t only mean cash, we also now accept stock donations. You avoid the tax on the gain while deducting 100% of the value of the contribution. We have partnered with Donate Stock to enable our supporters to make stock donations fast, safe, and easy directly from your existing brokerage account. Preservation Mirage is a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 82-3717476), please consult your tax adviser or the IRS. |
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PRESERVATIONIST MEMBERS We would like to thank our PRESERVATIONIST members for their generosity and support: Joseph Bartush, Mike Boone, Susan and Tom Corson, Annette Cumming, Scott and Ella Goldstein, Lyn Goldstein, Lori Goldstein, Patrick Jordan, Scot and Lance Karp, Stephen and Margie Kulp, John A. MacMahon, Ken and Ann Moyle, Perry and Kim Shwachman, Kurt and Kelly Walecki |
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We are a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 82-3717476) and your donation may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes, please consult your tax adviser or the IRS. |
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