Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony: Night Sky and Light Painting Photos, Antelope Valley, CA, 18 January 2014
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This grain silo is part of 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 in 1911, obtaining over a third of the votes. 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. If you climbed inside the grain silo, and, ignoring the remains of a bonfire and the broken glass, laid down on your back and peered straight up, this is what you would see. I take these risks so you don't need to, and that's very sweet of me. |
Title: Tower of Utopia |
Title: The Fireplace of Forever |
Title: Sunset Tower |
Title: Hotel of the Stars |
Title: The Plain of the River Star Tower |
Members of the Llano Del Rio colony did not need to be agriculturists. Still, they brought a range of skills, some educators, athletes, thespians, or devout socialists. Title: Chimney Moon |
Today, signs of decay abound at Llano Del Rio. Although a designated California landmark, the site rots, its grain silo tagged, broken glass and automobile debris everywhere. A 150 pound plaque designating the site as a Historical Landmark was erected in 1982, only to be stolen two weeks later. It's never been replaced. Title: Llano Del Rio Star Trails |
According to the LA Times, County officials and members of Llano Community Association have proposed a county park that would preserve the site and provide a historical display. There is fear that the area could be leveled by a developer. But a park costs money, and the county does not have about half a million dollars that it would take. Even worse, the land where most of the substantial ruins are concentrated, including the hotel, commissary, bakery, post office, and horse barn, is owned by two doctors in Illinois, according to the LA Times. And unless the property is acquired, the ruins will continue to languish. Title: The Heart of the HearthPhotographer: Ken Lee Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 20 second long exposure, f/4 ISO 200. "Light painted" the old hotel chimney with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. 18 January 20214 9:47 pm. Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA |
 Title: Blue Light Tower Star TrailsPhotographer: Ken Lee Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 20 minute long exposure in total, "stacked" in Photoshop CS4 from 5 individual photos of 4 minutes each at ISO 200 f/8, using Triggertrap to control the camera for the star trails. "Light painted" grain silo with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. 18 January 2014 about 8:45 pm. Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA |
 Title: Cosmic HearthPhotographer: Ken Lee Info: Nikon D7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. 20 second long exposure, f/4 ISO 400. "Light painted" the old hotel chimney with LED flashlight and speedlight with gel. The streaks of light on the right are car lights from the nearby highway.18 January 20214 10:23 pm. Location: Llano Del Rio, California, USA |
 All but one of these following photos are...well, I'll be honest here, they're just awesome selfies, showing some of the great mysteries of the desert around Llano Del Rio. |
The walls near the silo of Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony. |
The grain silo at Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony. |
 Sunset over Llano Del Rio in the Mojave Desert. |
 A cottage near the grain silo and rock walls. |
 No selfies here, nosiree! |
 Sunset over Llano Del Rio in the Mojave Desert. |
 Sunset over Llano Del Rio in the Mojave Desert. |
 I want you. |
|
Ken's photos of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung
San Suu Kyi, as well as photos of Peru, Burma, India, Morocco, China, Thailand,
Ghana, Ecuador, and elsewhere, have appeared in many books, magazines,
websites, and galleries. Visit the
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Llano Del Rio Socialist Colony: Night Sky and Light Painting Photos, January 2014
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Contact photographer/musician Ken Lee
The desert holds many mysteries. One of these mysteries is Llano Del Rio.
The colony's local economy was almost totally self-sustaining. Their economy included agriculture, orchards, a paint shop, a print shop, and a fish hatchery. Despite the desert climate, their farms succeeded, their farmers using purchased water to create fertile farmland, and growing alfalfa, corn, and grain, stored here in this grain silo. By 1916, Llano Del Rio grew ninety percent of the food they ate. A world class rabbitry provided the colonists with their main source of meat; and a large stable complex just outside the colony could house up to 100 horses.
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.
The baseball team won most of its games while sporting bright red uniforms. Their brass band, apparently the best in the desert, played at parades or other special events throughout the Mojave Desert. 
The cooperative thrived, its population exceeding 1000, until their water supply was diverted by an earthquake fault. Faced with water issues, about 200 members relocated to Llano, Louisiana, which thrived from 1918 to 1939.
