Mondo Lounge was inspired by many well-attended and well-thought-of events that serve niche interests, such as the Viva Las Vegas annual Rockabilly gathering, Tiki Oasis, Great Autos of Yesteryear, and even the Burning Man tradition.
Mondo Lounge I, 2004
The first Mondo Lounge was produced in Los Angeles, CA in Fall of 2004 by Mary-Margaret Stratton as a means to get together friends
across many seemingly disparate niche communities who all shared a common thread of loving the class and quality of the bygone Rat Pack era.
Mondo Lounge I was subtitled "Where Cocktail Cultures Collide."
The event was held at a historic Masonic Hall in the Los Feliz area of Hollywood. Participants in this weekend included the Petersen Automotive Museum, Hollywood Heritage Museum, Hollywood Erotic Museum, Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee, along with presentations by notable authors Charles Phoenix and Eric Lynxwiler, showman impresario Maxwell deMille and others. A few hundred people attended the event which planted the seeds for things to come.
Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic, 2007
Mary-Margaret met Jason "Java" Croft of Java's Bachelor Pad fame at the Miss Exotic World event in Las Vegas, 2006. After learning of his "Atomic Frolic" party in Illinois, they realized it was time to collaborate on something and together they presented "Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic" in January, Las Vegas, 2007. This well-attended weekend showcased DJs, live music, burlesque acts, vendors and pin-up beauties from across the country. The event also served as a kick-off event for the Atomic Age Alliance with a self driving tour booklet of architectural landmarks in the city.
Mondo Lounge III, 2008
After the successful 2007 gathering, Mary-Margaret was determined to bring the Mondo Lounge concept back to its cultural roots
and invite the participation of local museums and educational groups. She also reached out to Dolphin Promotions who participate
in the highly successful Palm Spring Modernism Weekend to bring the cache of a museum quality shopping experience to the table
and Dolphin embraced the concept whole-heartedly. The rest as they say, is history…
True to its nature as a group that serves to bring people together, the Atomic Age Alliance has orchestrated a group of like-minded individuals and organizations to create what will be a most memorable event and one that is sure to go down in history as the start of an annual tradition in Las Vegas.
The Lotta Living Community
Lotta Living is an online community created by Mary-Margaret Stratton that brings together fans of
Mid Century Modern design, architecture and lifestyle with the ultimate goal of historic preservation through this shared love of all things vintage.
The Lotta Living community began in 1999 as an outreach of the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee
and now reaches to thousands of MidMod enthusiasts from across the country.
http://www.lottaliving.com
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