March 06, 2010

Litto's Hubcap Ranch


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photo by Donald Kinney

A couple days ago I showed you some shots of the mustard covered Napa Valley, but I failed to mention my destination in the Napa Valley -- Litto's Hubcap Ranch in Lytton Springs, near the top of lake Berryessa.

Depicted in the center of the hubcap above is Mercury, the God of speed.



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photo by Donald Kinney

Litto's Hubcap Ranch.
California Registered Historical Landmark #939.

((( the sign reads: )))

This is one of California's exceptional Twentieth Century Folk Art environments.   Over a period of 30 years, emanuele "Litto" Damonte (1892 - 1985) with the help of his neighbors, collected more than 2,000 hubcaps.

All around Hubcap Ranch are constructiions and arrantgements of humbaps and bottles and pulltops which proclaim that "Litto, The Pope Valley Hubcap King", was here.




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photo by Donald Kinney

Well, if you're 62 years old like me, then you probably remember DeSotos...   They were clunky but dependable.   And a lot of kids ended up with them as hand-me-downs because, as I remember, DeSotos were durable and long-lasting.



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photo by Donald Kinney

But don't be caught dead driving your date to the prom in a Rambler.   Jeeeezzzzz... Absolutely no class or style -- just a fairly dependable car.   A car more suited for rambling than romance.

Another great, but not so hip, car was the Studebaker -- now, if you had to drive your date to the prom in a Studebaker you were probably (((almost certainly))) a real loser.

In what car did I drive my date to the prom?   Well, if the truth be told, I never went to the prom (((that's a surprise to you?))), but if I had (((yuck, yuck, yuck))) it would have been in my 1949 Ford coupe -- a genuine hot-rod!   rOoM RoOm!



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photo by Donald Kinney

When you've been hanging on a fence for a long, long time you begin to rust.



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photo by Donald Kinney

If memory serves me, this is the Cadillac insignia.   When I was a kid most everybody considered Cadillacs to be the cream-of-the-crop.   Luxury, quality, and attention to detail at it's finest.   Back in the early '60's your dad could, if he was much richer than mine, pick a Caddy up -- fully loaded -- for six or seven thousand.


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Your comments are invited and welcome.

2 comments:

photowannabe said...

This looks like an awesome place to visit. Love the hub caps.
My first car was a little Nash Rambler. It was a terrific car, not much on style but got me where I wanted to go.

Anonymous said...

a few years ago my dad decided to get rid of his hubcap collection. i could not bear to see them go ,so i said i wanted them. now they hang on my chain link fence in the back yard and every winter they make so much racket. growing up we had a rambler and a studebaker. my first car and favorite of all time was a pinto.
bonnye in west sacramento

 
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