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Bullocks Wilshire marked a unique integration of art, architecture and interior design, and has often been called the “perfect distillation of Art Deco.” Store clerks began preparations for the Christmas season as early as Halloween, and it took almost three weeks to trim the enormous and spectacular Winter Wonderland tree.

Over the years, the legend of Bullock’s Wilshire grew. From the “route boys” who rushed customers’ purchases to the Porte cohere to the maitre d’ inside the popular fifth-floor Tea Room, Bullock’s was home to a host of eclectic characters. Their pride and service defined the beloved store’s golden age, when no present had more cachet than one gift-wrapped in a brown and white Bullock’s bag.

Margaret Leslie Davis is a passionate chronicler of Los Angeles history. She has written three acclaimed biographies of the empire builders of the region including Golden Spur Award-winner Rivers in the Desert: William Mulholland and the Inventing of Los Angeles, published by HarperCollins. Her recent book, Mona Lisa in Camelot: How Jacqueline Kennedy and Da Vinci’s Masterpiece Charmed and Captivated a Nation, chronicles the Mona Lisa’s voyage to America in 1963 and the critical role Jackie Kennedy played in America’s first blockbuster museum show. The book has been excerpted in Vanity Fair, showcased on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and featured in the London Sunday Times. Davis is also the author of the critically acclaimed THE LOST GUTENBERG: The Astounding Story of One Book's Five-Hundred-Year Odyssey, published in 2019 by Penguin Random House. In a starred review, Kirkus described the book as “Engrossing reading… A great read for any book lover.” Library Journal called the work, “A gripping account of the importance of books as cultural artifacts and of one particular work that transformed the world.” The book has been featured in the Washington Post, NPR and The New York Times Book Review. The Lost Gutenberg is an Amazon Editor's pick for Best Nonfiction.

ERIC EVAVOLD (Hollywood Neon Cruise, Neon Noir Cruise, Valentine’s Neon Cruise, Holiday Lights Neon Cruise), a Los Angeles native, has been interested in Los Angeles history since he was thirteen. Eric has over 20 years experience as a Los Angeles tour guide. First volunteering as a docent at Heritage Square and then with the Carroll Ave Restoration Foundation. He moved on to the Los Angeles Conservancy in the 90’s doing the Historic Theatres on Broadway Tour and Union Station Tour. Currently, Eric has been the guide of the Special MONA neon cruises. He served as Vice President on the MONA Board and has saved numerous signs for the museum’s permanent collection. As of February 2019, he was named “Honorary Ambassador & Tour Guide” of the historic Bullock’s Wilshire Building.
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