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Places, Earth |
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Throughout the country, state parks, historic sites, homes, buildings, museums, and similar institutions are struggling to continue operating. Because of general financial problems, many of these institutions are operating on a reduced schedule or in danger of closing. Some are being forced to sell off artifacts and property. Many will not weather these hard times without your help. Places Earth urges everyone to support these vital and important public resources any way you can. Please donate your treasure, time, and talent. Write to your governor and other elected officials telling them to find a way to keep state parks open. It will be your loss. Public Service Announcement | Test space for future ad if donations don't increase. |
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La Guna de San Gabriel
All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2007 - 2012.|
In the back corner of Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel, adjacent to Alhambra Wash, lies a Laguna, it has a variety of names by the children and adults who know it. While often called "Monster Park," "Dragon Park," or "Dinosaur Park," it is a collection of sea serpents, an octopus, a pink whale, dolphins, a pirate ship, light house, and a number of other aquatic creatures. Benjamin Dominguez was in his 70s when he began this project. In his early years he was active in Guanajuato, Mexico. He attended La Academia de Artes Plasticas of the University of Mexico, about 1894. He was prolific during the 1950s and 1960s in Mexico and the Western United States. He designed bullfighting rings, stadiums, and a hotel with a second floor pool in Mexico and may be best known for the lion and tiger cages for the Mexico City Zoo. He worked a time for the City of El Paso, Texas. Two earlier US work still existing are at Legg Lake in Whittier Narrows and Atlantis park in Garden Grove. Dominguez had 13 children. La Laguna, built in the 1960s, (1965?) may be his best work in whimsical concrete characters. It is a large sand filled area of sea monsters, a pink whale, an octopus, starfish, a pirate ship, and more, fourteen in total. In late 2006, the City of San Gabriel began to explore plans to demolish this jewel in favor of plastic play structures, a soccer field, and a riverside enhancement. The citizens rose up in mass to protest this potential loss of this work of art. In 2007, Friends of La Laguna presented its findings to the City and the playground's demolition was removed from the master park plan. La Laguna Playground was placed on the San Gabriel register of historic places and is under review for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources. |
 La Guna de San Gabriel is in the back corner of the park, barely visable as you approach. |
 Entrance. |
 Creatures. |
 Ship with light house and whale beyond. |
 Serpent slide and climbing serpent. |
 Oscar the octopus, serpents, and boat. |
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| Pink whale with steps to climb inside and slide out the mouth. | |
 Oscar the octopus. |
 Two faces, pirate ship and octopus. |
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| Close up of octopus. | |
 Climbing up the lighthouse. |
 The lighthouse - serpent slide. |
 Serpent - lighthouse slide. |
 Pirate ship and lighthouse-serpent slide. |
 Head of lighthouse-serpent. |
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| Pirate ship. | |
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| Bow of pirate ship. | |
 Green serpent slide. |
 Green serpent slide with beyond, Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. |
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| Green serpent slide with beyond, Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. | |
 Green serpent with pink whale beyond. |
 Green serpent with Porpoise beyond. |
 Serpent tail with Porpoise and snail beyond. |
 Green serpent with blue serpent beyond. |
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| Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. | |
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| Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. | |
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| Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. | |
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| Blue serpent for climbing on and crawling under. | |
 Serpents beyond octopus. |
 Octopus between serpents. |
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| Serpent slide with seal, pirate ship, other serpents and figures beyond. | |
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| Green serpent slide with lighthouse-surpent slide and pirate ship beyond. | |
 Green serpent slides with other figures beyond. |
 Porpoise, starfish, snail. |
 Porpoise. |
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| Peeking around a corner and the sand sea of creatures. | |
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| Starfish and snail slide. | |
 Starfish and snail slide. |
 Starfish and snail slide beyond climbing serpent. |
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| Snail slide. Many of these creatures include slides. | |
 Looking at the playground through trees. |
 This is what the City would prefer. Nice safe boring plastic. |
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| Los Angeles County Main Page |
This page last updated: Wednesday, 03-Mar-2010 14:26:14 EST
| Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice. |
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This web site started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ... | ||
 You can buy candles from my wife. |
 Or donations can be mailed to the address on the contact page. |
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This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson. Copyright © 2004 - 2012, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved. Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website. |
| This site is a non-commercial alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. There is no advertising and I make no profit. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com. |
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