The Neptune fountain, a 3/4 size replica of the fountain in Bologna, Italy was placed in Malaga Cove Plaza in the late 1920's. I just realized that Neptune is facing West.
One of the most notable Palos Verdes landmarks is the Neptune fountain - a 3/4 scale replica of the one in Bologna, Italy. Here is what Walter Swindell Davis (an notable Los Angeles architect - 1887-1973) said about the aquisition of the fountain in the "oral history" interview by Florence Sullivan (spring of 1969):
Sullivan: When was the statue of Neptune erected? There were only a few buildings there [at the plaza] when that was done.
Davis: Cheney was responsible for the fountain. There was an antique dealer down on Figueroa between Wilshire Blvd. and 7th Street. The depression had caught him with the fountain of Neptune. Cheney made him a propostion to trade it for some lots down on Paseo del Mar that runs along the ocean... Cheney traded three or four lots for the fountain. It was a wonderful bargain... To erect the fountain cost 50 to 75 thousand, they got the statue and its base of four Nereids. The steps and pavement had to be carved in Italy and shipped here. [Source: Palos Verdes Library - Local History Collection]
The obvious contrast is the light/dark shading in the photo. What also struck me is that the only contrast, at the plaza from the 1920's to today, is cars.
"THIS REPLICA OF AN ANCIENT FOVNTAIN IN BOLOGNA ITALY WAS DONATED TO THIS COMMUNITY BY PALOS VERDES PROJECT"
From the Neptune fountain at Malaga Cove Plaza. Here is the link to the photo of the original bronze in Bologna, Italy
Nathalie of Spacedlaw recently posted a different view of the original Neptune fountain in Bologna, Italy of which the one in PVE is a replica. (You can click on 'fountain' under labels for my previous posts of the fountain.)
Neptune fountain at Malaga Cove Plaza.
The first shopping area in Palos Verdes is now a home to multiple realty offices. A corner market, where my husband used to get breakfast or burgers as a kid, still survives and is popular with retiree "breakfast clubers", bikers, and those going for a drive around the peninsula.
Neptune fountain, a 3/4 scale replica of the bronze original in Bologna, Italy is located in the center of Malaga Cove Plaza. The fountain was first installed in the 1920's and replaced in 1969 with one additional alteration from the original - anyone care to guess what it is? (Hint: It's not the soda can on the trident.)
