Asilomar Conference Grounds Warnecke Historic District is located at the western edge of the City of Pacific Grove, overlooking Asilomar State Beach. The district consists of twenty-two buildings and associated landscape features designed by John Carl Warnecke & Associates after the State of California acquired the property in 1956. Originally a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) camp designed by Julia Morgan, Asilomar’s initial stage of development was between 1913 and 1928, which was designated Asilomar Conference Grounds Historic District National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1987. The resulting distinct architectural context and 1957 to 1968 period of significance permit a new... Continue reading

Historic American Buildings Survey Photographs of buildings lost to the wrecking ball or just lost to time. Continue reading

Traveling back in time with Street View 🕰️ I'm using this all the time for preservation and HABS pre production scouting. From the Google blog... Starting today on Android and iOS ... travel back in time right from your phone. Here’s how it works: When you’re viewing Street View imagery of a place, tap anywhere on the photo to see information about the location. Then tap "See more dates" to see the historical imagery we’ve published of that place, dating back to when Street View launched in 2007. https://petapixel.com/2022/05/25/historical-imagery-on-google-street-view-now-available-on-mobile/ Continue reading

... honored to be included in this short educational photography session sponsored by the California Preservation Foundation (californiapreservation.org) and the California Garden and Landscape History Society (cglhs.org). Continue reading

Ken Bernstein and Stephen Schafer, author and photographer of the Los Angeles Times bestselling book, Preserving Los Angeles, will be sharing an engaging visual tour of how historic preservation has helped transform Los Angeles, and can do the same for other cities. Extending beyond well-known Midcentury Modern dwellings by renowned architects, Preserving Los Angeles highlights hidden Modernist gems that will surprise even longtime Angelenos, while showcasing the city’s rich and varied built heritage, from bungalow courts and roadside landmarks to modest structures that reflect the social and cultural history of the city’s diverse communities. Los Angeles has become a testament... Continue reading

In partnership with the CGLHS, we are pleased to offer a free introduction to landscape photography, presented by landscape photographer and CGLHS member Millicent Harvey and HABS/HAER/HALS photographer Stephen Schafer. Using a camera to capture the beauty of a plant or place is just one aspect of photography. Capturing a historic landscape requires an intentional approach behind the camera, whether the goal is exhibition or documentation. Harvey and Schafer will share insights into their professional yet distinct practices and examples of their work at a free lunchtime talk on Wednesday, November 10th at noon. A Q&A with the photographers will... Continue reading

Book Club Event August 17th, 2021... Link To CPF Page “Preserving Los Angeles" BOOK CLUB hosted by CPF Aug 17 @ Noon Join author, Ken Bernstein and photographer Stephen Schafer as they discuss Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities. We'll be hosting a trivia quiz to challenge our audience with your knowledge of historic Los Angeles! Los Angeles has a diverse collection of historic resources, reflecting both the legacy of notable architects and the variety of its inhabitants. The city has broken new ground in its approach to historic preservation, identifying and protecting the places of... Continue reading

From the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DOCUMENTATION... The selection of the appropriate documentation level will vary from one project to the next... Continue reading

I'm teaching my in-person architecture workshop on October 17th, 2021 at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP) Continue reading

Authors on Architecture: Preserving Los Angeles SAH/SCC Zoom Presentation Saturday, May 8, 2021, 1-2:30 PM PST Bernstein & Schafer Preserving Los Angeles Book The book is available here: https://www.angelcitypress.com/products/prla ••• Continue reading

Coca-Cola Bottling Company 1334 S. Central Avenue Los Angeles Los Angeles County California Marvin Rand, Photographer 1972-77 HABS-CA-2022-1 GENERALVIEW HABS-CA-2022-2 DETAIL: SHIP DOORS AND PORTHOLE WINDOWS General View of building by Marvin Rand (Credit: Marvin Rand Photographer. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS) Detail View: Ship doors and... Continue reading

Barker Brothers Building 800 W. Seventh Street Los Angeles Los Angeles County California Julius Shulman, Photographer October 1980 HABS No. CA-2156-1 NORTH AND WEST FRONTS Barker Brothers by Julius Shulman, North and west fronts. (Credit: Julius Shulman Photographer. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS) Continue reading

72 Marlborough Street: Residential Hydraulic Elevator (Wheeler-Donelan House: Residential Hydraulic Elevator) Boston Suffolk County Massachusetts HAER No. - MA - 56 - 16 Jet Lowe, HAER photographer, January 7, 1985 VIEW OF ROBERT VOGEL, CURATOR, DIVISION OF MECHANICAL & CIVIL ENGINEER, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, SITTING IN... Continue reading

Los Angeles City Hall 200 North Spring Street Los Angeles Los Angeles County California HABS-CA-2159-7 - West front (partial view) and south side - Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA. (Summer 1981) Los Angeles City Hall HABS-2159 by Julius Shulman (Credit: Julius... Continue reading

The DARKROOM 5370 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles Los Angeles County California HABS-CA-2024-1 "Entrance" (Taken between 1972 and 1977) HABS-CA-2024-1 The Darkroom, 5370 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, By Marvin Rand Continue reading

Photography of The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner Building is part of the LAC+USC Medical Center campus in Lincoln Heights. Continue reading

Rita Cofield, a lifelong resident of L.A.’s Watts neighborhood, is working to protect a building designed by USC Architecture alumni Robert Kennard and Arthur (Art) Silvers that is right in her own backyard. via www.docomomo-us.org Glad to be part of this documentation project with Rita. Continue reading

Preserving Los Angeles – How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities – A book by author Ken Bernstein, photographed by Stephen Schafer. Continue reading

Check out this fun video for great tips on researching historic sites, preservation advocacy, and photography related info gathering. Continue reading

On November 5th, 2020 – during the Covid 19 pandemic – I volunteered for a day of documentation photography in Watts to support the nomination of the Watts Happening Cultural Center and the Mafundi Mural located at East 103rd Street in Los Angeles. It was a sunny day working with Rita Cofield and the staff at the WHCC. We were filmed by Parker Collins, a reporter from Spectrum News 1, who did a nice story about Rita and the significance of the Mafundi Center in Watts history. Here's a link to the new story and some of the nomination photographs... Continue reading

I'm teaching my architecture workshop on December 13th, 2020 at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP): Mastering architecture photography is a complex yet rewarding process. Like people, buildings have their best side, and choosing your perspective, composition and camera placement for both interiors and exteriors will be a focus. In this workshop we will examine the intricate relationship between architectural design, natural light and the weather, and explain approaches to artificial and natural lighting... LINK HERE: https://lacphoto.org/events/architecture-on-location-with-stephen-schafer-2020/ www.HABS.photo Stephen Schafer, Photographer Ventura, California 805-652-1000 schaf@west.net Continue reading