The Italian American Museum to present Vintage

On Saturday, June 11, 2011, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles will present Vintage!, a fun-filled evening of living history organized to benefit the Italian American Museum and the continued preservation of the building it calls home: the Italian Hall.

Taking place in one of the city's most historic and architecturally significant locations, the 1869 Pico House and its charming cobblestone plaza, Vintage! will take you back in time to the era of flappers and swing music, when gasoline cost only ten cents a gallon and gentlemen wore hats and ties to the ballgame!

The evening will feature a variety of entertainment, including live music and dancing to the swinging sensations Big Lucky (as seen on HBO's Entourage) and a performance by the 1920's revue "the Atomic Cherry Bombs". Guests will be invited to enjoy classic cocktails prepared by expert mixologist Jay Perrin (formerly of Hollywood's star studded Tar Pit), wine selections by the historic San Antonio Winery and delectable cuisine by one of Los Angeles' most celebrated chefs.

The event will also include a fashion show with designs from the famous vintage revival fashion house reVamp Clothing, which has dressed celebrities including Salma Hayek, John Travolta and James Gandolfini and has been featured on Saturday Night Live, Big Love, As the World Turns, and in many other films, television shows and theatrical performances. Guests are encouraged help celebrate the evening by wearing 1910's to 1940's attire and are invited to enter the costume contest.

Why a 1910's-1940's themed event? "Vintage! is a celebration of the decades during which the Italian Hall existed at the heart of the Los Angeles' little Italy and served as the community's cultural center," says Italian American Museum director Marianna Gatto. "We chose this theme to raise awareness of the history of Italians in Southern California, which dates prior to California's statehood. Vintage! will be fun, educational and benefits a very important cause."

Tickets can be purchased online at or by calling (213) 485-8432. Contributions are tax-deductible and L'Italo Americano readers may inquire about discounted presale tickets (if purchased prior to May 29.) The oldest remaining structure from the city's little Italy, the Italian Hall, built in 1908, is home to the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Slated to open in 2012, the Italian American Museum will be a 21st century, interactive museum that documents the history and continuing contributions of Italian Americans and Italians to Southern California and the nation.

Featuring interactive exhibits and variety of educational programming, the Italian American Museum will provide visitors of all ages and origins a meaningful understanding of the complex, multi-cultural fabric of the United States. Established in 1993, the Historic Italian Hall Foundation is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization dedicated to supporting the Museum and continued preservation efforts of the historic Italian Hall. It presents exhibitions and other cultural and educational programming and events, such as the ever-popular Taste of Italy, held annually in October. Taste of Italy in 2010 drew an excess of 1,500 people and featured dozens of the region's finest restaurants and wineries.