This etching was discovered in a trash can near Park La Brea more than 50 years ago, and now it hangs the dining room of advertising production managers Vivian Green and Truda Kinniburgh.
Little Boatyard, Venice is one of numerous etchings by Lionel Barrymore, who’s remembered more often as the cheerless, bank-run-inducing Henry F. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life than as an artist with an affection for boats, docks and ports.
Here’s how Viv’s mom found it. Toward the end of World War II, she came to California to take care of her younger brother, an army major and development engineer. Viv’s mom had a lot of wartime experience herself, having worked on The Manhattan Project and at a facility in Downey, which was later revealed to have had a nuclear reactor. In the evenings after work, brother and sister would unwind by going for long walks around Miracle Mile, looking at the trees and houses. Viv’s mom especially loved Wednesdays because that was the night when neighbors put out their trash for Thursday collection. During one of those Wednesday night strolls, Viv’s mom found Little Boatyard, Venice.
Speaking of Barrymores... Drew Barrymore had a great interview with NPR’s Terry Gross regarding her portrayal as Little Edie Beale in HBO’s Grey Gardens. To hear it, download the podcast from iTunes: NPR 04-14-2009 Fresh Air or listen to it here.
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