The Krotona Colony's First Session: A Photographic Discovery
The photograph above depicts the opening assembly of the Krotona Colony in 1912. It appears in Joseph Ross's Krotona of Old Hollywood, Vol. I (Montecito: El Montecito Oaks Press, 1989) as well as in my documentary, "Under the Hollywood Sign," and seems to represent the ideals and aspirations of Beachwood's new utopia. A heavily female, racially integrated group sits politely in the Colony's amphitheater, facing the stage--but who was on it?
The answer was a mystery until I came across this photo in the Augustus Knudsen Archive of the Kauai Museum and recognized it as a photo from the same event. According to the notation on back, Knudsen (at the tree stump podium) was the first speaker.
Thanks to Eric James for the cleanup on the first photo.
Here's a link to a new book on Krotona by Joseph Ross: http://www.amazon.com/Krotona-Theosophy-Krishnamurti-Theosophical-California/dp/0925943150/ ____________________ For more about the Krotona Colony, purchase the documentary "Under the Hollywood Sign" at http://hopeandersonproductions.com/?page_id=3361 The film is also available for rent at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/uths