Legacy of Quincy and Elaine Jones Among Items at LAMA

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Many devotees of LA Modernism have wondered what would befall The Barn, the home of A. Quincy Jones and his spirited widow, Elaine K. Sewell Jones, on Santa Monica Boulevard…

Charles and Ray Eames 1953 “Hang-it-all"
Charles and Ray Eames 1953 “Hang-it-all" (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Many devotees of LA Modernism have wondered what would befall The Barn, the home of A. Quincy Jones and his spirited widow, Elaine K. Sewell Jones, on Santa Monica Boulevard at Fox Hills Drive. The modestly-sized house, whose low-key exterior belies a brilliantly designed interior, is located on a valuable piece of real estate and it looked as if it would end up in the developer’s maw. Happily it has been recently purchased by the Annenberg Foundation which has hired architect Frederick Fisher to restore the house with a view to opening it to the public.

While much of the interior will be retained, Elaine Jones has sold some of its contents over the years through the auction house, Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA). And this Saturday LAMA will hold a sale of art and design, that includes some items from the house, including this Charles and Ray Eames 1953 “Hang-it-all,” shown. Also for sale: Nakashima chairs from the collection of James and Gene Bishop, and an Ellsworth Kelly painting, “Yellow Over Black,” one of LAMA’s growing collection of paintings. You can preview the auction Friday and Saturday in readiness for the auction which takes place Sunday, starting at noon, at LAMA’s Van Nuys home at 16145 Hart Street, Van Nuys, CA  91406, and read more about it on LAMA owners, Peter and Shannon Loughrey, blog, here.