CROSSING OVER A BRIDGE? You can do so in many places, of course. You might be driving over a river, or a freeway, or a street, or an arroyo. You could even be rolling luggage into an airport along a terminal-connecting bridge or passing between two skyscrapers on foot. But coming upon a bridge at a hotel? Call it an interesting sight that isn't all that common. And it so happens an uncommonly beautiful and petite bridge has graced a Southern California hotel for nearly nine decades, adding cheer and charm to its already charming story. It's...
THE PICTURE BRIDGE, found near the swimming pool at the Langham Huntington Pasadena, that we're rhapsodizing over, a short, outdoor span that once featured a series of original oil paintings by artist Frank M. Moore (and, for sure, those paintings gave the bridge its lovely and enduring moniker). If you had been staying at the Oak Knoll Avenue icon back in 1933, you may have seen the paintings, "a living storybook for the state of California," as they were installed. For decades the artworks faced the elements, and in 2013, the paintings came down "to halt their deterioration." The new home of these Golden State-celebrating treasures? They've been placed inside a climate-controlled facility, where they remain protected after decades of delighting guests.
BUT THE DELIGHT SHALL CONTINUE, for impressive facsimiles were created and installed exactly where the original paintings were formerly displayed. Those new additions to the much-photographed bridge, which still boasts its authentic vintage character, were unveiled earlier in November 2020. As for the stretch of covered walkway they line? The Picture Bridge "... underwent a multi-million-dollar structural upgrade amid the property's temporary suspension of operations during the pandemic." Meaning years of slow strolls, wedding photographs, and artwork-admiring moments are still to come for a storied span enjoyed by generations.