I visited this museum in the hopes of making expressive photographs of its exhibits to help tell the story of this historic city. However, I was denied permission to make photographs inside the museum, so I departed and made this image of its exterior. While it can not offer visual insights into the local history that may dwell within, this photograph at least symbolizes an era that must have been one of Santa Barbara’s most colorful. A huge portrait of a woman wearing a 1920’s costume dominates the outside wall. It strikingly contrasts to the bed of desert plantings in the foreground and overhanging leaves of the tree that embraces the wall at the top. The golden colors of the painting and the rich greens of the foliage combine to project the nostalgic mood that dominates the image.