Hotel of the Stars

You're looking at the 100 year old ruins of Llano del Rio Colony, a socialist utopian community, established in SE Antelope Valley in 1914. Llano del Rio was founded by Job Harriman, a young lawyer who almost won a bid for mayor of Los Angeles. Not trusting the political system to enact social change, Harriman founded the community out in the desert north of Los Angeles. The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. They had one of the country's first Montessori schools, hosted a fertile intellectual and cultural climate, and had innovative low-cost housing, Social Security, minimum-wage pay, and universal health care services that predated the rest of the country by decades. Although Llano del Rio is today considered Western American history's most important non-religious utopian community, there is unfortunately no protection for the site despite being a California Historic Landmark.
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Llano Del Rio opened on May Day of 1914, its first inhabitants members of the Young People's Socialist League. In the beginning, only the community center had been constructed, and during much of the colony's existence, very few permanent structures were ever built. Many people lived in canvas tents, able to do so because of the warm desert climate.
Llano Del Rio held a parade, dances, and had a champion baseball team and other sports. They also had a drama society, staging black-face minstrel shows. And Llano were chivalrous and gentlemanly, not allowing f-bombs in the presence of women and children. Liquor was not allowed unless granted permission by a doctor. I illuminated the scene with a handheld LED flashlight and speedlight with gel while the camera shutter was open.

2014Antelope ValleyCaliforniaD7000HarrimanKen LeeLlano Del RioMojave DesertNikonghost townnightphotographyurban explorationurbexutopian society