News
The Backroom Series Volume 2: Meeting and Leaving
About The Backroom Series Volume 2: Meeting and Leaving These songs tell little stories of meeting someone interesting for the first time or leaving someone painfully for the very last time; of happily reconciling with your girl after she returns from a business trip or sadly saying goodbye when ... [Read More]
On The Road with Darryl Holter: Watch the JC Whitney Interview
Welcome to JC Whitney's "On The Road" Podcast! Join us as Darryl Holter shares his journey growing up around cars and insights from his new book, featuring a foreword by Jay Leno. Darryl talks about how LA’s car culture was sparked by visionary entrepreneurs and risk-takers. Learn about the bicycle ... [Read More]
On The Road with Darryl Holter: Watch the JC Whitney Interview
Join us as Darryl Holter shares his journey growing up around cars and insights from his new book, featuring a foreword by Jay Leno.
The Backroom Series Volume 1: Voyages through Time and Space
About The Backroom Series: Unreleased, Unfinished Tracks I have been playing the guitar, singing, and writing songs since I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis. My father, a self-taught guitar player, showed me how to play basic guitar chords and tried to instruct me to read music. But I ... [Read More]
On the passing of Spider John Koerner
I was really saddened to learn that John Koerner had died. He was an extremely talented guitarist and folksinger who was a mentor to young Bob Dylan and a fixture in the music scene in Minneapolis, especially on the West Bank (of the Mississippi River). John was the last of ... [Read More]
Driving Force: named WINNER Historical (Non-Fiction) at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900-1930, was named WINNER Historical (Non-Fiction) at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
The Los Angeles New Year’s Flood of 1934
Ninety years ago, on New Years Eve, a powerful thunderstorm swept through the San Gabriel Mountains. It unleashed a violent flood of water, rocks, and mud that roared down the canyons, uprooted trees, destroyed homes, swept away cars, and resulted in nearly a hundred deaths. Five years later Woody Guthrie ... [Read More]
LARB Review: L.A. and the Birth of Car Culture
The driving force of car consumption was much more than just an American “natural” love of automobility (or even their promotion, via massive advertising). The vanguard of the new consumer culture was the car, and its leading edge was arguably the car dealer. And Driving Force argues that Los Angeles was home to some of the most important retail innovations.
Video: Society of Architectural Historians Interview ‘Driving Force’ Authors
Video: Society of Architectural Historians Interview Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee Co-Authors of "Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900–1930". The Society of Architectural Historians is a nonprofit membership organization that serves an international network of institutions and individuals who, by profession or interest, focus on the history of the built environment and its role in shaping contemporary life.
Video: Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall
Video: Author and CEO of The Shammas Group, Darryl Holter, discusses the early auto industry, how it shaped LA, and how LA changed the industry. The conversation is moderated by Corporate Archivist at the Automobile Club of Southern California, Morgan Yates.
Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee Interview on KPCC/LAist 89.3 FM
Listen as Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee guest on AirTalk with Larry Mantle / KPCC/LAist 89.3 FM - talking about their new book Driving Force: Automobiles and The New American City, 1900–1930, The First Major History of Car Dealers at Work.
A Book to Check Out – The H.H. Franklin Club
Thanks to Roger Moffat, the ACN has been introduced to a newly published book that has some distinct Franklin connec- tions: specifically Ralph Hamlin. Following is a synopsis of the book and a few photos and quotes from the book. Released on May 9, 2023, Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900–1930 (Angel City Press) reveals how the city’s passion for automobiles was ignited by an unlikely mix of entrepreneurs and risk-takers.
The Backroom Series Volume 2: Meeting and Leaving
About The Backroom Series Volume 2: Meeting and Leaving These songs tell little stories of meeting someone interesting for the first time or leaving someone painfully for the very last time; of happily reconciling with your girl after she returns from a business trip or sadly saying goodbye when ... [Read More]
On The Road with Darryl Holter: Watch the JC Whitney Interview
Welcome to JC Whitney's "On The Road" Podcast! Join us as Darryl Holter shares his journey growing up around cars and insights from his new book, featuring a foreword by Jay Leno. Darryl talks about how LA’s car culture was sparked by visionary entrepreneurs and risk-takers. Learn about the bicycle ... [Read More]
On The Road with Darryl Holter: Watch the JC Whitney Interview
Join us as Darryl Holter shares his journey growing up around cars and insights from his new book, featuring a foreword by Jay Leno.
The Backroom Series Volume 1: Voyages through Time and Space
About The Backroom Series: Unreleased, Unfinished Tracks I have been playing the guitar, singing, and writing songs since I was a kid growing up in Minneapolis. My father, a self-taught guitar player, showed me how to play basic guitar chords and tried to instruct me to read music. But I ... [Read More]
On the passing of Spider John Koerner
I was really saddened to learn that John Koerner had died. He was an extremely talented guitarist and folksinger who was a mentor to young Bob Dylan and a fixture in the music scene in Minneapolis, especially on the West Bank (of the Mississippi River). John was the last of ... [Read More]
Driving Force: named WINNER Historical (Non-Fiction) at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900-1930, was named WINNER Historical (Non-Fiction) at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
The Los Angeles New Year’s Flood of 1934
Ninety years ago, on New Years Eve, a powerful thunderstorm swept through the San Gabriel Mountains. It unleashed a violent flood of water, rocks, and mud that roared down the canyons, uprooted trees, destroyed homes, swept away cars, and resulted in nearly a hundred deaths. Five years later Woody Guthrie ... [Read More]
LARB Review: L.A. and the Birth of Car Culture
The driving force of car consumption was much more than just an American “natural” love of automobility (or even their promotion, via massive advertising). The vanguard of the new consumer culture was the car, and its leading edge was arguably the car dealer. And Driving Force argues that Los Angeles was home to some of the most important retail innovations.
Video: Society of Architectural Historians Interview ‘Driving Force’ Authors
Video: Society of Architectural Historians Interview Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee Co-Authors of "Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900–1930". The Society of Architectural Historians is a nonprofit membership organization that serves an international network of institutions and individuals who, by profession or interest, focus on the history of the built environment and its role in shaping contemporary life.
Video: Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall
Video: Author and CEO of The Shammas Group, Darryl Holter, discusses the early auto industry, how it shaped LA, and how LA changed the industry. The conversation is moderated by Corporate Archivist at the Automobile Club of Southern California, Morgan Yates.
Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee Interview on KPCC/LAist 89.3 FM
Listen as Darryl Holter and Stephen Gee guest on AirTalk with Larry Mantle / KPCC/LAist 89.3 FM - talking about their new book Driving Force: Automobiles and The New American City, 1900–1930, The First Major History of Car Dealers at Work.
A Book to Check Out – The H.H. Franklin Club
Thanks to Roger Moffat, the ACN has been introduced to a newly published book that has some distinct Franklin connec- tions: specifically Ralph Hamlin. Following is a synopsis of the book and a few photos and quotes from the book. Released on May 9, 2023, Driving Force: Automobiles and the New American City, 1900–1930 (Angel City Press) reveals how the city’s passion for automobiles was ignited by an unlikely mix of entrepreneurs and risk-takers.
Darryl Holter grew up playing the guitar and singing country and rock and roll songs in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His current brand of Americana music draws from country, blues and folk traditions and often tells stories about people, places and events.