Cielo Roth-Calderon

Last May I heard about Java Lanes closing through a friend who bowled in a league there. I immediately headed over, knowing that this would be the last opportunity I had to photograph this amazing iconic structure. I took a few different cameras with me on each visit - a medium format, a plastic camera I bought for a $1, a Holga (another plastic camera) and my newly acquired SX-70 Polaroid.

To begin with, I mostly shot around the perimeter – the stuff strewn around the parking lot, the famous “BOWL” sign, and the triangular shape of the roof. I knew the business had closed, and I could see that the place was being stripped of its salvageable goods, but I decided to be bold and asked the attendant (who was playing video games) if I could photograph inside. He said sure. So I was practically sneaking around inside, camera in hand – and it was weird to be in that dead place, not much activity, no bowling balls hitting pins or juke box in the bar playing pop-rock music or the sounds of dishes clinking together in the coffee shop.

My shooting time was comparatively short – just a few weeks. But I really felt like I had said my good bye to the place that had been so constant for so long. My husband and I had a date there before we were married. I had driven past the triangle and the BOWL sign almost daily and I was so disappointed that it would be gone forever – which is why I was so committed to recording the once-great alley in my film and in my head.

When I exhibited the images in a local gallery, a lot of residents and patrons of Java Lanes showed up. I heard amazing stories of how people used to take lessons when they were kids or hang out at the Java Bar after Prom. It was really touching and sweet but so sad to know that future generations couldn’t experience the nostalgia and simplicity of Java.

Why are so many beautiful and historical buildings being destroyed? For what - for condos on the hill with a view? It’s unbelievable.

asterisk by Cielo Roth-Calderon