Saturday, September 20: "Havana Before Castro" booksigning with author Peter Moruzzi at La Luz de Jesus Gallery September 20, 2008

LA LUZ DE JESUS GALLERY
4633 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90027, 323-666-7667 Fax: 323-663-0243

“Havana Before Castro” booksigning with author Peter Moruzzi

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 6 - 8 pm
La Luz de Jesus
4633 Hollywood Bl.
Los Angeles California 90027
(323) 666-7667
http://laluzdejesus.com


“Havana Before Castro” richly illustrates Cuba’s astonishing pre-Castro history

Through vintage and contemporary photographs, brochures, and artifacts evocative of time and place, Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground (Gibbs Smith, $30.00, Paperback with Flaps, August 2008) by Peter Moruzzi, tells the story of the city that was the most popular exotic destination for Americans during the forty years between World War I and Castro’s revolution. With the resignation of Fidel Castro as Cuba’s leader in February, the world is turning its attention to the former “Paris of the Caribbean” with increasing curiosity towards it amazing pre-revolutionary past. Havana Before Castro satisfies this curiosity through 256 pages and more than 500 color and black & white images. In addition to illustrating Havana’s mid-century history, the book gloriously depicts – through “then and now” photographs – what still remains for rediscovery in the 21st century. Witness how Havana evolved from America’s Prohibition haven to a heady blend of nightclubs, outrageous cabarets, all-night bars, and backstreet brothels. Visit the seamy Shanghai Theatre as well as the glamorous Tropicana, Montmartre, and Sans Souci nightclubs. Celebrate Cuban music's influence on American popular culture and explore the city's little known mid-century Modern architectural heritage.

Born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1961 and raised in Hawaii, Peter Moruzzi graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and later attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. An architectural historian by profession, Moruzzi is a writer and lecturer who is an acknowledged expert on mid-century Modern architecture and design. Moruzzi resides in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles and in Palm Springs, California. He has been obsessed with the history of Cuba since 1987.

Founded in 1969, Gibbs Smith specializes in beautifully illustrated lifestyle books covering topics such as interior design, architecture, cooking, children’s, home, green/sustainable and many more. Additional books from Gibbs Smith include the Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister and Picturing Los Angeles. Contact: Jennifer King Publicist 801-927-2171 [email protected], www.HavanaBeforeCastro.comRum, Rumba and Roulette

La Luz de Jesus is located at the Soap Plant/Wacko building, in Los Feliz at 4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Gallery hours are Monday – Wednesday: 11am – 7pm, Thursday – Saturday: 11am – 9pm and Sunday 12-6pm. For high resolution jpegs, interview requests and more information contact: Lee Joseph Publicity, 359 E. Magnolia, Suite F., Burbank, CA 91502, [email protected], p (818) 848-2698 f (818) 848-2699.

Official Website: http://laluzdejesus.com