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L.A. Stories: Community Spotlight

Solar Motor at Cawston Ostrich Farm

Though many Angelinos may have heard of Cawston Ostrich Farm, most are probably not familiar with the the solar energy experiments run by Edwin Cawston at the turn of the 20th century. The story of Cawston's solar motor is not widely known, despite the fact that Cawston was one of the earliest investors in solar energy. Pictured here is a solar motor at the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, Calif. The motor was used as power for a 15 horsepower engine.

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Los Angeles is known for its recognizable entertainment landmarks such as the Hollywood sign, the TCL Chinese Theatre, and the Santa Monica Pier, just to name a few. But the hundreds of landmarks of Los Angeles are also rich in culture and have added to the diverse and unique history of southern California.

Featured here are places in which significant developments and innovations occurred. In 1925 at Pasadena’s Throop College of Technology (now known as Caltech), for instance, the Cosmopolitan Club was founded to promote fellowship among students from different nationalities such as Japan, Australia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Philippines, and Mexico. In 1901, at Pasadena’s popular tourist attraction Cawston Ostrich Farm, founded in 1886, the farm made history as the world’s first successful experiment using a solar-powered motor for commercial use.

Explore the gallery to discover other landmarks and significant events from the Natural History Museum, downtown Burbank, and downtown Los Angeles.
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1. The beginnings of Caltech’s Cosmopolitan Club Caltech and its predecessor Throop College of Technology initially drew its students from local schools, but received few international students already in the 1910s, representing Japan, Australia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Philippines, and Mexico. More came in the 1920s from many other countries. Thus the Cosmopolitan Club was created in 1925 to promote fellowship among students of different nationalities and foster the universal peace movement. Club activities included themed dinners dedicated to learning about specific countries.
2. Arabian Oryx
  The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County took part in “Operation Oryx,” an international effort to establish captive breeding programs focused on returning Oryx populations to their native habitats. The NHM worked with the LA, San Diego, and Phoenix Zoos - as a repository for endangered Oryx that died in captivity, emphasizing connections between conservation, zoos, and museums.
  The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is one of the first and oldest museums in Southern California and a Los Angeles. NHMLAC maintains the only active, large-scale diorama program in the country, still employing a full time taxidermist and displaying 63 habitats from Africa and North America.
3. Solar Motor at Cawston Ostrich Farm Though many Angelinos may have heard of Cawston Ostrich Farm, most are probably not familiar with the the solar energy experiments run by Edwin Cawston at the turn of the 20th century. The story of Cawston's solar motor is not widely known, despite the fact that Cawston was one of the earliest investors in solar energy. Pictured here is a solar motor at the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, Calif. The motor was used as power for a 15 horsepower engine.
4. Major League Burbank
5. "Ready for the Parade"

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The South Pasadena Public Library (SPPL) was founded on September 10, 1895 and is governed by the City Council-appointed Board of Trustees.

The Local History Collection at SPPL collects and preserves our community's memory for current and future generations. The collection consists of a variety of materials relating to many aspects of South Pasadena history. Some major categories include: Historic Photographs, South Pasadena Newspapers and Quarterly, Local Yearbooks, City Records and Directories, Biographical Files, Home Research, Obituaries, City Landmarks, and early Library History.

https://www.southpasadenaca.gov/library/
Contents of this tag:
1. Solar Motor at Cawston Ostrich Farm Though many Angelinos may have heard of Cawston Ostrich Farm, most are probably not familiar with the the solar energy experiments run by Edwin Cawston at the turn of the 20th century. The story of Cawston's solar motor is not widely known, despite the fact that Cawston was one of the earliest investors in solar energy. Pictured here is a solar motor at the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, Calif. The motor was used as power for a 15 horsepower engine.