Sierra Madre Villa Hotel/nearby Victorian survivors
 

http://imageshack.us/a/img811/3504/a...madrevilla.jpgebay

Actually it seems that there is a resemblance, if you just compare the middle or right building in the top photograph with the one in the second pic. Definitely some alterations but overall the form is about the same, I'd say.

And, on the subject of "ruins," there's actually more than just that. The laundry building from the hotel is actually intact, located at 1577 Old House Road, now functioning as a home:

http://pasadena.cfwebtools.com/CFFil...1979348296.PNGCHRID

I was exploring in the neighborhood of where the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel once stood, and I was surprised to find some intact Victorian houses. I wonder what their histories are, and if they were related in any way to the hotel itself, as they are located extremely close to the site of the hotel. Here's some photos I took of two of the homes, located at 3438 & 3414 Vosburg Street, respectively:

http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5a888957.jpg
http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/...ps597adfac.jpgPhotos by me

The real estate websites say that the house at 3438 was built in 1889. Totally did not expect to find homes of this vintage in those hills. There were a few others in the area too but they were too obscured by trees to get any good photos.

My visit to Bonnie Brae house....1995
 

Here is the day I visited the Bonnie Brae House. The inside contains a lot of the original furniture. The current owner lives just a few doors south of the house. He didn't want us taking photos of the inside. The floor in the kitchen was very much slanted to the South....I wonder if they have since fixed it. I visited in the Fall of 1995.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psac87a06d.jpg
DWH photo
This is the view from the Azusa street church original location. This is my photo from 1995.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psd0984246.jpg
DWH photo
In this photo we see the minister, William Seymour, at the lower left.

Thanks ER for posting the photos of the Azusa Street Revival of 1906.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps143d7f48.jpg

This GSV will give you a general feeling for the neighborhood of the Bonnie Brae house at the Left..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps790f43b5.jpg
GSV

For more detailed information on the Azusa Street Pentecostal Revival, here is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival

Tetsu, that's great, another early Greene & Greene.
I have to say the Greene's sense of design certainly improved over time, of course they could have just been following Mr. Swan's wishes.

Thanks for sharing your insights with us Tetsu. -much appreciated.

:previous:


Into every life rain must fall...a few Swan items:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M...6/swanarts.jpghttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h...s286/swan5.jpg
LAH June 14, 1898/LAT Dec 2, 1898/LAH Feb 17, 1898

Certainly agree - While I like the Greenes' early works in their own right, it seems that they were, more than anything, conforming to the trends of the day, while still putting their own 'spin' on them.

GaylordWilshire, I'm always amazed at how many of you guys can quickly pull up news clippings pertaining to whatever is being discussed. Great info, albeit a tragic story.

April 20th, 1960, Elvis arrives at Union Station and leaves via Taxi. Source describes trip via train to Union Station and then mentions LA Airport. Not clear how or why LAX is involved. http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/..._april_20.html


http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com....m_gi_blues.jpg
http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com....california.jpg

Captioned as "Los Angeles Airport" Col Parker rides shotgun. ('55 Plymouth Savoy or Belvedere?)
http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com....lifornia_2.jpghttp://photos.elvispresleymusic.com....lifornia_2.jpg
http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com....lifornia_3.jpg



'66 Somewhere on Sunset (?) Elvis and Johnny Rivers
http://s1.postimage.org/dmwbmv9kf/ha...ers_singer.jpghttp://s1.postimage.org/dmwbmv9kf/ha...ers_singer.jpg






December 3, 1970, Elvis receives gold Commissioner's badge from Chief Ed Davis


http://www.elvis-collectors.com/cand...ral/hug70x.jpghttp://www.elvis-collectors.com/cand...ral/hug70x.jpg

Elvis and possibly one of Chief Davis' assistants?
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/cand...ral/hug70b.JPGhttp://www.elvis-collectors.com/cand...ral/hug70b.JPG





________________________

August '64 - Four Lads from Liverpool pose in front of their temporary Bel Air digs. (Beatle loafers? Not sure about George)
http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedi....AuSt.156.jpeghttp://media2.newsobserver.com/smedi....AuSt.156.jpeg

I found this detail in an earlier (1953) photo. The "7 shaped building" says "Hidalgo Drugs" on the back. The turreted building on the right is the Amestoy Hotel.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...algoDrugs1.jpg

Here's part of the Main Street North entry from the 1956 CD.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...algoDrugs2.jpg
LAPL

We've seen some of these names before in this picture which was originally posted just over three years ago.

This is the full picture where I found the detail above. It's titled "Aerial view of the Los Angeles Civic Center, looking west and showing a freeway under construction, ca.1953." In the background, the roadway in Court Circle is still intact, but the houses on the south-east side are alreday gone.
NB. I've lightened the USC image.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...3.jpg~original
USC Digital Library

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B...ionaerstar.jpg

The red star indicates the building seen in your shots, Chuck--"Los Angeles Airport" seems to have just been an assumption on the source's part. The yellow star indicates the Post Office Terminal Annex building....

As for the taxi... it's a 6-cylinder '55 Plymouth Plaza.

Now, if only I could get paid for this....

In '37 it appears that this was the location for Bill Davis' Motor Car Dealership.
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics35/00067284.jpg http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics35/00067284.jpg

GW - Thanks for the Plaza assist. Familiar with the engine badging. The "Plaza" may have been memorable for all the wrong reasons. ;)

Fly or take the train...?
 

Shots of areas skirting Windsor Square. (Probably reposts but search does not disclose this.)


1929 - Wilshire and Plymouth looking east.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics19/00009337.jpghttp://jpg1.lapl.org/pics19/00009337.jpg


Plymouth Blvd. - just south of Beverly Blvd.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics03/00011362.jpghttp://jpg2.lapl.org/pics03/00011362.jpg


March '39 - Plymouth Blvd and Eight Street N X NW view.
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics45/00072027.jpghttp://jpg3.lapl.org/pics45/00072027.jpg

Wonder if the spur was related to Street Car right of way?

1963 - Eighth and Oxford
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IW0khfaiJl...ornia+1963.JPGhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IW0khfaiJl...ornia+1963.JPG

Time stands still - or - it's always show time?




"Open all night" sign replaced by clock. I suppose I could think of worse places to wait for sun up.


Circa 1952
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015040.jpghttp://jpg2.lapl.org/theater2/00015040.jpg

LARY "S" LIne Loop
 

AS my old Japanese boss used to say: "You guess good!", Chuckaluck!

This was the loop for the LARY/LATL,LAMTA "S"- formerly "N". Line. An historical description of the route can be found On the Electrical Railway Historical Association of Southern California site and is quoted below:

http://www.erha.org/lary_s.htm

‘N’-WEST 9th and UNION STATION LINE (1939-1946)

Formed from the ‘N’-West 9th and Civic Center Line, service begun May 3, 1939.

ROUTE: From W. 8th and Western Avenue, east to Vermont Avenue, south to W. 9th, east to Spring Street north on Spring to W. 1st Street, east on 1st to Main Street. north on Main to Macy Street, east on Macy to the Union Station Loop at Alameda and Macy Streets.

JUNE 30, 1946: Rerouted back to Sunset Boulevard and Spring Street and again named the ‘N’-West 9th and Civic Center Line.

‘S’-SAN PEDRO AND WEST 7th STREET LINE (1950-1963)

Formed from the southern portion of the ‘S’-San Pedro and West 3rd Street Line and the west portion of the ‘N’-West 9th and Civic Center Line.

ROUTE: From Manchester and Central Avenues, north on Central to Gage, west on Gage to Avalon, north on Avalon and San Pedro to E. 7th, west of 7th to Vermont Avenue, then for a short time north on Vermont to the loop at W. 1st Street, also south on Vermont to W. 8th Street, west on 8th (on former ‘N’-Line trackage) to Western Avenue. Former service on W. 3rd returned to the ‘R’-Line.

September 1958: Loops built at Central and Manchester Avenues and at W. 8th Street and S. Western Avenue, the last new trackage of the system built.

MARCH 31, 1963: Rail service abandoned.

A picture of the loop can be seen four images down on this page:

http://www.pacificelectric.org/categ...s-line/page/2/

Note: The loop is still in service today for the Metro 66 line buses.

Cheers,
Jack

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P...2520PM.bmp.jpgThe Gamble House

This is presumably January 1, 1957...a lovely '57 Lincoln Premiere cruising by a record store once at 463 E Colorado. It seems that after Duford-Kaiser and whatever is to its right moved out, a '50s façade may have been removed revealing a Deco one--


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x...229%2520AM.jpgGSV

Sotheby's is at 459, Linden Optometry at 477.... Anyone know anything about the building's origins? Sopas? I know you're So Pasadena, but perhaps you can enlighten us. Where are you hiding?

:previous: Looks to be an exceptional art deco building. Love the intricate detail.



I hadn't expected an elevator in the Swan house GW.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/191/44pl.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/849/je2l.jpg

I wonder how many secret passageways? :)
__




1956 city directory/posted by HossC
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...0/822/eno8.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/809/w2bi.jpg

I had no idea the 7 shaped building I asked about was this one!
After all these years I'm still trying to locate a photograph of the interior of the 'Stake Out' Bar. You'd think some retired policeman would have put a snapshot or two online by now. (of course, I'm sure there weren't many pictures being taken of their off-hour shenanigans)

And speaking of elevators, I remember reading a long time ago that the Amestoy Building was the first commercial building in Los Angeles
to have an elevator. (The Amestoy is shown above)
__

Here's something for you car-guys. What make are these California plated cars?

-a Mercury, but it looks rather unusual to me.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/46/k903.jpgebay




and this one.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/837/y8bu.jpgebay

This one is a Peugeot 403, as driven by Lt. Columbo. I recently found the one below in one of the color shots posted by FredH:

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...Peugeot403.jpg

:previous:thanks HossC


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...0/691/c99j.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...0/823/zsjw.jpg




-various images from Alhambra. Thoburn Terrace?
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...90/40/nd1p.jpgebay




An extremely cute little home.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...90/31/wqp1.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...0/268/kldo.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...90/18/jx86.jpg





chalet-like/no address
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...90/21/vl32.jpgebay





This one is especially intriguing/looks like it says Villa Brunner
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...0/197/8c6a.jpgebay

I'm off to visit my Mom. -See you all in a couple days. It's been fun!

That's a stock '47 or '48 Mercury--the '46 (and, actually, the first few months of '47 production, as I recall) is almost exactly the same, except for the frame of the grille, which was painted the body color on the earlier cars and had a longer chrome strip on the hood. The camera does make the car look a little "squashed"--

Have a good trip, ER.

according to Census records, the Brunner family lived on Main St. in Alhambra. The census has them in 1920 at 1621 Main. It is listed as a farm and the head of the household is Louisa Brunner who is listed as being a farmer. She was, according to the census, the daughter of Herman Brunner, a cigar merchant and his wife Louise.

The Brunners lived in the house from 1905 to 1927 when the residence was torn down. It was built in 1885 according to the info in the USC digital library attached to some other views. Prior to coming to California, the Brunners lived in St. Louis, MO.

This one was originally known as the Warner Building, built 1927, architects Marston & Maybury, who were very prolific around Pasadena (particularly Sylvanus Marston, who is said to have designed the first known bungalow court in the city). The designs you see are stylized Art Deco seashells made of terra cotta.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...2520PM.bmp.jpgGSV

I had to look to see if 2220 Cedar Street still stands; there is no house now at that address. While the Newmans were listed at 2220 before 1923, it turns out
that they were later at 2224--which is still there, I'm happy to report. Perhaps the caption-writer applied their earlier address to the later house...

Hollywood Bowl
 

Earlier Hollywood Bowl . . .
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...d.jpg~original
La Reina -- Los Angeles in Three Centuries (Security Trust and Savings Bank, 1929) @ HathiTrust -- http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i...ew=1up;seq=159

Even earlier Hollywood Bowl . . .
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...6.jpg~original
Same source and link as above, which describes who "they" were.

P.S. Thanks GW for finding out about 340 and 344 S. Kingsley Drive! RIT, I was unable to find a movie star living at 354 S. Kingsley; just a mining engineer in 1920 and a realtor in 1930.

Yes, no, maybe?
 

A check on Google led me to the website of the Woman's Club of South Pasadena. Their clubhouse is located at 1424 Fremont Ave. According to their website, the clubhouse is 100 years old. Could this be the same building, heavily modified? The roof line looks the same, and the exterior shingling looks similar. Any ideas?

http://imageshack.com/a/img849/8029/uulx.jpghttp://www.thewcsp.com/

C'mon 1000!

Our Gang At Chevy Dealer
 

I found this photo glued in a family album. I am not sure if it was just a photo or a post card as I don’t want to ruin it trying to get it off the page. The scan is a little blurry, sorry about that. I have not heard of that Chevrolet dealership before.[IMG]http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/t...s33f7f9d2.jpeg[/IMG]

:previous:

Our Gang producer Hal Roach owned the dealership....

http://www.berkeleysquarelosangeles....ach-house.html

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0...2520PM.bmp.jpgUSCDL

The man with a Chevy at his studio...


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...2520PM.bmp.jpgUSCDL

AlbanyNY:

Different women's club--this is the Wednesday Afternoon Club in Alhambra...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8...2520PM.bmp.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o...2520PM.bmp.jpg

Story here:
http://www.alhambrapreservation.org/...wednesclub.htm

Pictures from the website

Don Adams would be so proud of me
 

Yay
 

1000 pages, amazing. Thanks to e_r and all the others for making this such an fascinating corner of the internets...

History Maker
 

Chucaluck's recent inquiry about the "S" line loob at 8th and Westen reminded me of a piece I wrote for a rail enthusiasts site a awhile back. Set during WWII, It briefly outlines the contribution of women street car motorman, conductors, and bus drivers to the war effort on the home front. The operator in the piece was a regular motorman during my late teenage years.

The lady in the picture is Cora M. Dravis. She joined the Los Angeles Railway in the dark days of World War II, when women replaced men called up to serve in the military.

In September of 1942 the privately owned and operated Los Angeles Railway earned the distinction of being the first transit agency in the U.S. to hire women to operating positions. San Diego Electric Railway followed shortly thereafter, and the practice soon spread across the country.

Cora became one of more than 300 women employed by LARY as Motormanettes, Conductorettes, Coachettes and Driverettes. The requirements at the time were modest - age 21-40, weight 120-140, and height 5’3”-5’10.” Initially all of the women operated out of one division owing to a lack of restroom facilities.

Cora is shown here at the Whittier and Brannick loop. The year is 1963, and on March 31, her career as a streetcar operator will end with the abandonment of LA's last five streetcar lines. Cora will become a bus driver for a short while, before retiring from the Los Angeles Metroplolitan Transit Authorty with an accident free record. She has since passed on, but her contribution, and that of her wartime sisters to the battle on the home front lives on in Los Angeles rail transportation history.


While not in the Noir genre, hopefully viewers will find it interesting.



http://i1315.photobucket.com/albums/...psa89aaa79.jpg

Cheers,
Jack

I thought the landmark of 1000 pages should be commemorated with some additions to another landmark :).

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1000Pages2.jpg
Original photo from USC Digital Library

1000 Page Commemoration
 

Outstanding, HossC!

Cheers,
Jack

Batting 1000!
 

HossC, I love your post! You're batting 1000!

Reflecting on reaching this milestone of 1,000 pages, I want to post one of my favorite pictures from a past post…

I posted a small size version of the above pic, but the bigger the better for me with this photo. I love that it's by Julius Shulman, an interior of the Freeman House by Frank Lloyd Wright, but looks out upon an exterior of an iconic Hollywood Blvd. building, with another behind the tree.

There have been other similar photos taken from the same spot, with different interior decors, various sizes, and scenery (the tree is bigger). For a long time, before I read about it, I thought it was taken from the Roosevelt Hotel looking down Hollywood Blvd. instead of looking down Highland from the Hollywood Hills.

A few other photos of this subject:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7
Julius-Shulman-and-Los-Angeles

http://www.michaelunderwood.com/pix/

http://www.taschen.com/media/images/480/cover

*************

...and I like this astute observation that was posted by I Also Remember LA:

I absolutely miss Los Angeles after having left in 1978. And I miss all the good memories that really were merely daily life but seem so great compared to today.

That sentiment and this forum have made me pay more attention to buildings and locations and other things while traveling around the city so that I can appreciate them for what they are now and were then, and not take them for granted as in merely daily life when we put off appreciating or noticing things until later on when we remember them. I now enjoy being a tourist in my own town to appreciate and celebrate the things around us.

************

And the above prompts this QUESTION:

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO LOS ANGELES, WHAT WOULD YOU TAKE PHOTOS OF?

My answer would be, first: A color photo of the huge mural inside the NBC Building at Sunset and Vine. I've searched for one, but have never come across it. I just know there has to be one someplace!

************

And I like this apropos sentiment by BifRayRock:

************

A thank you to Ethereal_Reality for starting this thread and maintaining it with enthusiastic resolve as the years (!) have progressed. Also, a hearty nod to everyone who's contributed, from the regulars to the lone posters who occasionally visit to punctuate the shadows.

******

…and now for a little more MONKEY ISLAND…?

I found this photo dated 1940 and I can't really tell if Monkey Island is in the bottom right hand corner. It might be just out of frame, but it's definitely Barham (or Dark Canyon Road as it was then known) crossing the freeway and Monkey Island should be just around the road there to the right a bit. What do you guys think?

Most photos of this area are taken from the opposite direction.

http://www.hpoliver.com/FEATURES/LA3...A/LA30S_11.pngDavid Gebhard & Harriette Von Breton
Photo date: 1940
U.S. Highway 101
Between Hollywood and Universal City

Caption: This 1.5 mile section of highway was originally known as the "Cahuenga Pass Freeway." It opened on June 15, 1940. Now known locally as the Hollywood Freeway and officially as US Highway 101 and California State Route 134, this freeway section follows the ancient Indian trail through the Cahuenga Pass to link the LA Basin and the San Fernando Valley. This photo looks south toward Hollywood. The lake in the upper-left corner is the Hollywood Reservoir. This section of the Hollywood Freeway is still in use today and is quite heavily traveled.

Here's the aerial to compare it to:

***

I stumbled upon a blog by someone who worked at Hanna-Barbera animation studio and here's part of an item of interest I noticed in one section:

Joe Barbera had his office down on the first floor where he was often seen signing limited edition cels. Whenever I had a visitor come by the studio, I made a point to stop by and introduce them to Mr. Barbera. He was always kind enough to give a personal tour of his office. […] After that tour, I would walk my guests up to the third floor where Mr. Hanna occupied the penthouse. Whereas Mr. Barbera's office was dark with wood paneling and filled with awards and memorabilia, Mr. Hanna's office was white and spacious with lots of windows (but still filled with awards and memorabilia). He also had an aerial picture of the now extinct Monkey Island hanging beside the entrance to his door.

http://vanpartible.com/fun-stuff/pho.../hanna-barbera

Hmmmmm…now just where is that photo???
__________

I emailed the blog writer, Van Partible, and he emailed me a reply just a day ago.
Here's the pertinent parts of his note:

Hi, I used to belong to a zine where I wrote about Monkey Island because everyone used to believe Hanna-Barbera was located at the same spot where Monkey Island resided. It's been rumored for years that the Hanna-Barbera building was built directly over the old plot of land, when, in fact it was the lot next door. If you view the sight at historicaerials.com [WHICH WE HAVE ON THIS FORUM--PHOTO ABOVE], it's quite clear that the two properties never shared the same space.

He addresses the photo:

Yes, Bill Hanna even had a beautiful black and white aerial photo of Monkey Island just outside of his old office (I would have loved to have made a copy of the print, but it wouldn't have been feasible to take it down from his wall and walk it over to the copier machine back then).

Many of the Hanna-Barbera artists knew the park as a place where you could go and smoke (cigarettes and other funny stuff) freely, away from the studio. I've discussed the old amusement attraction with several people who used to work at Hanna-Barbera. Star Wirth, the old head of the Xerox department, told me that Hanna-Barbera used to rent out offices in the Taft building next door, but they never owned the land at 3300 Cahuenga. Although, they did own the land on the opposite side the bridge going up to Universal at one time, but Mr. Barbera donated it to the Braille Institute (who still own it today).

Taft Building?

I had wondered if the aerial in Mr. Hanna's office was the “historic aerials” photo we have seen, but, as he writes above, he seems to indicate it is not.

He concludes:

I recently went over to the L.A. Public library to see if there was anything new unearthed about the subject.
I did find something you may not have seen and I enclose the image in this reply.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...landCoupon.jpgLAPL

Bruce, AKA, E_R, Congrats on 1000 pages. To commemorate, besides posting today, RickM and myself did raise our glasses on Feb 23 and toast to the success and long life of "noirish Los Angeles" at our meetup at the Los Angeles Central Library and across the street at the "One Bunker Hill" outdoor cafe, new additions to the Edison building. Will stay glued to these pages for the next thousand and lots more learning and sharing. Thanks, Alan

Court Flight Repairs
 

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/w...psf242a77a.jpg[/URL]



1st time I've seen this photo, repairs being made? Look to the right and you'll see some tired men, trekking up the steep incline.

I just want to say thanks for this forum!

source: http://framework.latimes.com/2013/08...d-railroad/#/2

Congrats to everyone who has kept this thread going with great posts for a thousand pages!

And that is a great pic, HossC. :tup:

FWIW that has to be a steel soda or beer can, which means it must have lain around in that rubble for the better part of fifty years. Aluminum would never tarnish like that, would it?

Does anyone remember when steel went out and aluminum came in?

ETA: But I don't remember this type of pull tab on steel cans...

Our Town...
 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8...89871dce_b.jpg
A nice round number, 1935

October 1935. "Agricultural worker in migrant camp figuring his year's earnings," Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration.

Shorpy



http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/1...3328b3b8_o.jpg
Sodium Vapor streetlighting, Saugus

Inbound on the Ridge Route, 1937.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/1...159a0574_o.jpg
Hardscrabble hotel on an unnamed street, undated

You're going to need a place to hole up.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7447/1...1518b28d_o.jpg
Looking southwest across Hope Street between 1st and 2nd, ca.1950

It won't look much better in the morning. We're looking southwest across Hope Street with the Stanley Hotel/Apartments over there, beyond the palm tree, at 2nd and Flower Streets. On the right we see the back of the red brick, three-story Westmont Apartments (originally the Mack) at 124 S. Flower and next door, to the left, the white New Brunswick Apartments (formerly the Isabella) at 130 S. Flower, where there will be a kidnapping (and presumed murder) of a state witness in the Mabel Monahan case in 1953.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3733/1...d4803b13_o.jpg
Looking northwest across Hope Street between 1st and 2nd Streets, ca.1950

Bright, white five-story building over here on the right is the Majestic Apartments at 702 W. 1st Street. “Out of the apartment houses come women who should be young but have faces like stale beer; men with pulled down hats and quick eyes that look the street over behind the cupped hand that shields the match flame; worn intellectuals with cigarette coughs and no money in the bank; fly cops with granite faces and unwavering eyes; cookies and coke peddlers; people who look like nothing in particular and know it, and once in a while even men that actually go to work. But they come out early, when the wide cracked sidewalks are empty and still have dew on them. (from) "The High Window”
― Raymond Chandler

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/1...edd5e468_o.jpg
Looking north across the intersection of 9th, Main and Spring Streets, 1948

Hotel Hampshire on the right, the Roseland Roof over here on the left and everything else a man needs in-between.

waterandpower.org


http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/1...803d0232_o.jpg
Gatti & Conterno Billiards, 20th and Olympic Boulevard, Sawtelle, 1936

Stop in at Gatti's, play a little stick, maybe pick up a job. Maybe not. Welcome to hard times.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/1...1c08ab3a_o.jpg
Green Cat Cafe, Santa Ana, 1939

Stop in at the Green Cat, fry cook's a good guy, sometimes, if the boss ain't around, he'll help a fella out with a cuppa joe and a wedge of yesterday's custard pie.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/1...d4dd445f_o.jpg
Jehnkes Service Station, Whittier, 1937

Maybe grab a coke on the way back to the flop. Maybe talk this guy out of a quart of oil. Maybe flip him for it. Maybe.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/1...e07a481f_o.jpg
Mr. Fletcher Johns, 1925

Maybe something'll turn up tomorrow. Yeah. Maybe.

Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library


One thousand is a big number. Thanks to all who have kept it going. The respect and affection for L.A. is apparent.

A little bit of "person information" Fletcher C. Johns was born in Louisiana in 1873. He is found in LA directories as early as 1902, where it seems he was working as a boot black. He appears in the 1920 census, listed as a lodger, living at 615 E. 4th street in what appears to be a fairly large place, given the number of persons living there. He was listed in that census as being a janitor in an office building. The place where Mr. Johns lived was run by a Mary V. Walton, her sister and mother.

The 1930 Census also lists Mr. Johns as being a janitor, but this census notes that he worked in the Southern California Edison building. By then, he was living on East 33rd Street and was rooming with another man who was also a janitor. Mr Johns died on August 27, 1944 in Los Angeles.

Just a small personal note in the larger Noir picture.


Congratulations on 1000 pages. Keep up the good work!!

Thank you to all contributors!


____________________________




Pull top lids made from steel are available today, maybe not for the beverages you mention, but for soups, vegetables, pet foods, tuna fish and the like. To the best of my recollection, "pop top" lids didn't arrive on the scene until the '60s. (Immortalized by Jimmy Buffet) Before that, there were keys (sardine cans), screwdrivers, and the ubiquitous bottle/can openers to get at the sealed contents.



http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...-jQ~~60_35.JPGhttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...-jQ~~60_35.JPG


http://tincantraveler.files.wordpres...pg?w=512&h=312http://tincantraveler.files.wordpres...pg?w=512&h=312

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Can_Opener.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Can_Opener.jpg


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-fwriByLD...n%2Bopener.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-fwriByLD...n%2Bopener.jpg




"There it is. Take it."
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/tf4489p2f2/hi-reshttp://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/tf4489p2f2/hi-res

1938 - Terminal Island - docked fishing boats, Van Camp Seafood Co. and the French Sardine Co.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00100/00100895.jpghttp://jpg1.lapl.org/00100/00100895.jpg

Thanks for the background Jack.....very interesting.

Cheers,Pat

Thanks oldstuff. I C&P'd over to my photo-stream. Appreciate it.

Interestingly, 615 E. 4th Street is a hotel with an unusual footprint at the confluence of 4th Street, Central and Stanford Avenues. I haven't been able to find a name for the hotel nor, obviously, a picture but will work on it.

Very interesting RIT...I suppose one day, if the price of oil gets high enough the fracking trucks will show up!
Cheers,Pat

Graybeard,
Great job on the photo ! They could use you at the USC archives. A fair number of the photos on this website came from the Dick Whittington collection at USC....they (USC) have scanned about 15,000 of the negatives but they have 500,000 ! The negatives are starting to deteriorate and I hope they get a bunch more done before they are gone forever.
Thanks,Pat

I posted this 1953 picture of the Civic Center yesterday.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...3.jpg~original
USC Digital Library

Then I found these 1955 pictures looking northwest from somewhere near the Hall of Justice/North Broadway. The roughly horizontal road across the middle of both shots is North Hill Street. I did think about stitching the two pictures together, but the photographer moved between shots. I've done my best to darken the top of both pictures as the originals were almost white, and there was very little contrast in the background.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original
hemmings.com

On the right, the Hollywood Freeway is now complete and in use.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...2.jpg~original
hemmings.com

Just for fun, I tried to recreate the USC shot using Google Earth. It doesn't take many fingers to count the number of buildings that are still standing 60 years later!

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...E.jpg~original
Google Earth

Wow!

Excellent - I laughed at this one.

otoh, I see that imageshack is now a pay site. are there any free alternatives?

Old beer cans in the desert
 

[QUOTE=Those Who Squirm;6481209]FWIW that has to be a steel soda or beer can, which means it must have lain around in that rubble for the better part of fifty years. Aluminum would never tarnish like that, would it?

Does anyone remember when steel went out and aluminum came in?

I've found countless old beer cans in the Coachella Valley (Desert Hot Springs near Dillon Road towards Thousand Palms) from 70's pop-tops to original steel cans that were opened with a can opener - two triangular openings on opposite sides. I've collected a few and will post next time I'm out there.