Hollywood & Highland at Christmas

Opened in 2001 as part of the Hollywood & Highland complex in Los Angeles, California, the Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak Theatre) is a popular attraction on Hollywood Boulevard. It's been the official home of the Academy Awards since March 2002, and the grand staircase has seen countless celebrities ascend as they make their way into the Dolby Theatre for the Oscars each year. It has also hosted numerous concerts, the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Daytime Emmy Awards, and the finals for American Idol. 

I toured the location just before Christmas, and despite being here several times before, it was a different experience with all of the decorations. The large tree, lights, and music had me feeling festive. It's probably why I ending up buying an ornament for my tree here. It was the only souvenir I picked up on my trip. I previewed one of my pictures on Instagram and Twitter just before Christmas and it seemed to be a hit. Hollywood & Highland was kind enough to tweet it.  

The Centre is neighbored by the iconic Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and you can't help but get swept up in movie history while touring here. A large part of the design for the Hollywood & Highland complex was inspired by the Babylon set from D.W. Griffith's 1916 film, Intolerance. It was built on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset, and was one of the largest sets ever constructed for a single film in movie history. Over 3000 extras were needed to populate the Babylon scenes. History like that is just one more reason to love Hollywood & Highland and the Dolby Theatre.
   

Intolerance film set ca. 1916

Looking at the Hollywood Sign in the distance from Hollywood & Highland was a bit surreal, only because just a few hours earlier I had hiked from the Griffith Observatory to directly behind the iconic sign. In contrast to that experience it suddenly seemed so small.

Earl Kitchener School Interior: Part 3

It was roughly a year ago that I was invited inside the former Earl Kitchener School by the Anderson family to see the abandoned space that they were about to transform into their home. Even then the potential of the space was clear, but there was also no question that there was a lot of work to be done on this century old property. That's no longer the case.

Last week I reconnected with the Anderson family and was invited over for a personal tour of their property. "Wow" seemed to be the word of the night as I was lead into each room. The transformation is nothing short of incredible. Naturally, now that it's a private residence I was more selective about what to share - hence I only photographed the main living areas. Regardless, I think it's clear to see the hardwork that went into this renovation.

The wooden floors are original, as are the exposed brick walls, and both were cleaned up nicely and incorporated into their design. The main thing that makes the home so impressive is the scale of everything. The ceiling heights, the width of the main hallway, the rooms themselves, even the light fixtures and accessories are all big to fit the space. It may seem surprising, but it actually all feels very cozy and warm. I was blown away with how well it all came together - especially having the before images as my only point of reference.


I want to thank the Anderson family for their invitation and for allowing me to photograph and share their home. I hope others seeing what was accomplished here use it as inspiration for what could be possible for some of the other historic properties located in downtown Medicine Hat, Alberta. It was a lot of work, but there's no denying that this home is truly one of a kind.

Click here to see the vacant interior I photographed one year ago.

Click here to see my images of the exterior when the property was still vacant.