SAN GABRIEL MISSION

Founded in 1771 by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra, the San Gabriel mission became the
center of the area which would eventually become the Pueblo of  Los Angeles. The strong Moorish architecture was a result of
Father Antonio Cruzado's Spanish architectural background.
Numerous Franscican priests are entombed in the structure and tens of thousands were baptized there.

This is the 4th of 21 Spanish missions in California and was and still is a popular tourist attraction.
The tall narrow windows and capped buttresses are unique among the California missions.


The spoons sometimes refer to it as the Los Angeles Mission and sometimes as the San Gabriel Mission.





A small sampling of the many sterling spoons from the San Gabriel Mission outside Los Angeles.
(the rightmost spoon is probably silver plated)



Left: a nice engraved view of the mission
right: an embossed view of the mission



Catholic Fransican Father Junipero Serra is  shown on the finial of this spoon




The back of one of these spoons shows the Mt. Lowe incline railway.
Mt. Lowe was a popular tourist attraction and hotel in the hills above Pasadena
This facility no longer exists


A popular angelic image for Los Angeles, the "city of angels"

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