Modernism 101: Via Lola: The Most Famous Street in Palm Springs, Then and Now: an Architectural History

Presented by Jade Thomas Nelson of the Palm Springs Modern Committee

An audiovisual history of modern architecture on the most famous street in Palm Springs: Via Lola. It will include work by architects Wexler, Kaptur, Jones and Emmons, Elrod, Rognstad, Clark/Frey, and such celebrities as Kirk and Ann Douglas, Henry Kissinger, Jack Warner, and various local personalities as well as the famed Don the Beachcomber. The period of discussion will range from the 1920’s to present day, with emphasis on Modernism. 

Jade Thomas Nelson is a Palm Springs native and 40-year resident. His ongoing love of history, architecture, food, art and culture was sparked by countless trips to museums, landmarks, restaurants and roadside attractions. While earning a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Hospitality Management at The Culinary Institute of America in New York, he led official campus tours of the Institute - a former Jesuit seminary on the Hudson – that further kindled Jade’s curiosity about the people and places of our past. For 13 years he co-managed Orbit In, a local midcentury modern hotel designed by Herbert W. Burns, for which he wrote the historic site nomination and helped secure the landmark plaque. Today, Jade leads both customized step-aboard guided coach tours and walking tours that focus on the rich history of Palm Springs. He has been a long-term volunteer for Modernism Week and serves as a board member of the Palm Springs Modern Committee (PS MODCOM) where he is active in its educational arm, the BEAM program, for local students. Jade currently chairs the City of Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB).

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