Exhibit ready at Leonis Adobe

THE WAY IT WAS--The Plummer House was moved from West Hollywood in 1983 to the Leonis Adobe Museum site in Calabasas. The structure is now home to a permanent exhibit showing life in 19th-century California.

A Getty Museum designer has created a permanent exhibit illustrating life as it was lived in the 19th century at the Leonis Adobe Museum in Calabasas. The installation will open next month in the museum's 1887 Plummer House, a state historical landmark.

Robert Checchi, a senior designer at the Getty, has renovated the house with display furniture that helps create an interactive experience for visitors while maintaining the home's 19th-century Victorian style.

The Plummer House was relocated to Calabasas in 1983 from Plummer Park in West Hollywood for use as a visitor center.

The Leonis family visited the Plummers at their home when it was located on the huge Rancho La Brea land grant, site of the La Brea Tar Pits. In later years, before the move, it had become known as "the oldest house in Hollywood."

Checchi, of the Santa Monica-based firm E. Octavius Design, said of the new exhibit, "When visitors open the drawer to view an artifact, it pulls them back into the era, giving them the sense they are the ones to have discovered the historic item.

"Selected artifacts and photos from the museum's collection have been set into tabletops or placed into antique frames interpreting the history in a way that does not diminish the historic home's integrity," Checchi said.

Museum General Manager Angela Schwanz said the $30,000 installation will give visitors an overview of local history with a focus on the Leonis Adobe's past.

A pair of pin iron revolvers will be displayed, along with bullet casings and other artifacts found on the property and in its old well. Broken china and household discards were discovered in the well, which can still be pumped by hand but does not draw its water supply from underground.

Schwanz said the museum's large historical archive reveals the story behind the Leonis Adobe's preservation.

"The new exhibit has a section dedicated to San Fernando Valley philanthropist Kay Beachy, who was instrumental in saving the adobe from demolition in the 11th hour.

"Without her involvement, a living history museum depicting the Old West would not be here today," she said.

Schwanz worked with Doris Butler, a 10-year veteran museum docent, and local history writer Judi Uthus to develop descriptive text panels for period photographs of the area.

Checchi's custom displays are designed to give visitors an introduction to the adobe's history before they tour the property with a museum docent.

As Butler said, "The exhibits give the public and students the background they need, so when they step out into the museum's 1880 ranch yard, it truly is a step back into time--they are ready to imagine themselves in the setting as docents tell them the story about the Leonis family." She said 10,000 students visit annually on field trips, along with about 3,000 members of the public.

Organizers credit the exhibit to a community effort. Sponsors include businesses and individuals, among them John Leonis and Leonis Malburg, direct descendents of Miguel Leonis, the so-called "king" of Calabasas, whose legacy is depicted.

"It's an exciting time for the adobe. The way history is presented is key to making it relevant in today's world and for the future," said Leonis Adobe Association President Don Adams, who has been on the board for more than 20 years.

Adams said "this is just the beginning of many exciting projects to update the museum and share the historical information that is available here."

A private dedication and recognition ceremony for the installation will be held for members from 6 to 8 p.m. Fri., May 4. It opens to the public at 10 a.m. Sat., May 5.

The Leonis Adobe Museum is at 23537 Calabasas Road in Old Town Calabasas. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.leonisadobemuseum.org.