This project, like its name sake, is impossible to grasp.  I am impressed by the sheer scope of it (wanting to photograph all of LA); but I am at a loss to know what to do with it right now in this early stage.  This multimedia web site is a database of photos by Robert Flick and “historical commentary” by Philip Ethington all organized online by Tomo Isoyama.  The focus is, of course, Los Angeles; in particular Pico Blvd and Central Ave.  This very fascinating venture’s use is hard to conceive in this nascent stage.  Right now it seems to be a good source of two things.  First, this site is a wonderful source for pictures of Los Angeles.  Second, this site can be used a way of investigating ethnicity in Los Angeles along Pico and Central.  However, as the project grows it could and will expand into unknown territory.

            As far as the presentation went I was only impressed with Tomo.  Tomo Isoyama’s work and presentation I liked.  I like pop and folk art and his pieces were very intriguing.  Flick was a flop as far as I was concerned.  At the beginning anyway, I thought he was a boring presenter that had little to offer.  However, I thought that during the question and answer period Flick really shined and we really got a glimpse of what he was trying to convey.  Ethington was okay, but it wasn’t ground shaking.  I enjoyed his presentation, in part I guess because of it being history and me being a historian.  He too was good in the question and answer time as well.      

            I have to agree with several of my other colleagues and say that I was very disappointed with his presentation; it didn’t come off as well polished at all.  First of all he knew he was talking for a LA lecture series and he mentioned the LA area a few times, and very rarely in more detail than an off handed comment.  He did bring up one case in particular and talked about it, but with him continually mentioning how many lynchings took place here you would think that his lecture could have reflected that.  The thing that bothered me the most was how he didn’t talk about the significance of lynching and how this kind of activity shaped the American mind and society.  This activity left many marks and scars on the American minds of all the races here to witness/experience this activity.

On the positive side, he has done very good job of compiling a great deal of important information to be studied and thought about.  He has greatly contributed to a very arduous, painful and sensitive topic by finding and organizing this data.