California ribbon cutting

• Posted By: Scott Harrison
• Posted On: 12:54 a.m. | March 26, 2012

May 29, 1952: Arcadia City Treasurer Emma E. Hainer prepares to cut a ribbon opening the new Baldwin Avenue extension. Waiting patiently in the official car, from left, are Arcadia Mayor John. A. Schmocker  and Los Angeles County Supervisors Herbert C. Legg and John Anson Ford.

This image by staff photographer John Malmin was published the next morning with a short story that I was going to quote from – but not this time. The basic facts were: The new one-mile highway connected Huntington Drive and Colorado Boulevard cost $225,000. Baldwin Avenue also connected to the new Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden – then under construction.

For a photojournalist, ribbon-cutting ceremonies are challenging. Local officials always line up, smile for the camera and snip the ribbon – making for a boring photo. So when I recently found this iconic image, I just laughed. Malmin really caught the ’50s car, palm trees and Ms. Hainers’ look.

Still, my favorite ribbon cutting is this previous cut with a bullet post.