San Sylmar: A Treasure House of Functional Fine Art

San Sylmar - A Treasure House of Functional Fine Art


material provided by J. B. Nethercutt & Sam BowersPublisher: Merle Norman Cosmetics, 1985
Limited Edition with gilded front cover decoration & gilded page edgesHardcover
9.15 x 12.1 inches, 352 pages

The Nethercutt Collection is a multi-storied private car collection and museum complex located in Sylmar, California. It was founded by J.B. Nethercutt in 1971 and its centerpiece is the prestigious automobile collection of the Nethercutt-Richards family, which has led several publications to name it as one of the greatest collections in the world.

The collection also houses collections of mechanical musical instruments, including orchestrions, player pianos and music boxes, and antique furniture. As Nethercutt's former residence, the San Sylmar penthouse tower was tied as the 23rd largest house in the United States at 60,000 square feet.

Another unique piece in the collection is the Canadian Pacific Railway's famous Royal Hudson steam locomotive No. 2839 built in 1937. It is displayed with a 1912-built Pullman private sleeping car. The semi-streamlined Royal Hudson steam locomotive is one of four that survive today. There are also two older-model railroad cars.

The collection is free of charge and has been consistently listed as one of the top 10 things to do in Los Angeles.

In 1956, J.B. Nethercutt (1913–2004), the cofounder of Merle Norman Cosmetics, purchased two cars: a 1936 Duesenberg Convertible Roadster and a 1930 DuPont Town Car, needing refurbishing. The DuPont restoration, which Nethercutt thought would take a few weeks, instead took 18 months and over $65,000. By 1958, his rebuilt project claimed its first prize — the coveted "Best of Show" award at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.

In 1971, the Nethercutt Collection building was constructed, a 10-story tall tower in Sylmar, Los Angeles connected to a Merle Norman manufacturing plant, dubbed the "The Tower of Beauty" or "San Sylmar." The first two stories of the tower; the Lower and Grand Salon, feature the most expensive vehicle collection of the family, with the Grand Salon being inspired by 1920s-30s New York City luxury car grand showrooms. The third story features an awards room and collection of hood ornaments. The fourth story consists of a music room with several large antique music boxes and player pianos, with a Wurlitzer theatre organ in the centerpiece of the room. The fourth floor also features a Louis XV styled dining room and a large kitchen. The fifth floor has a theatre which includes a 24 karat gold proscenium arch next to a massive room of pianos. There was a 6th floor penthouse which J.B. used as his secondary residence.

In the early 2000s, the Collection expanded and constructed a new display building directly across the street which was separately called the Nethercutt Museum. The building also contains the Nethercutt Automotive Research Library and Archive, which is considered one of the greatest in the world. In comparison with the Collection which requires reserved guided tours, the newer Nethercutt Museum is openly self-guided. Outside of the Museum contains a CPR steam locomotive Royal Hudson No. 2839 is presented together with a 1912 Pullman private car.

After J.B. Nethercutt's death in 2004, the collection was handed down to his son Jack Nethercutt II along with his wife, Helen Nethercutt. The collection had a budget of around $2.5 million a year.