Oh man, Gaylord that is so cool! Congratulations and good thinking. Assuming the license (and rim) are mounted on your car, do you have a stationwagon? and a woody at that?

And, of course Weller Street was the unofficial shortcut favored by stagecoach drivers trying for an advantage in the race from San Pedro to the Bella Union Hotel back in the 1850's. Rather than wait and make the 90 degree turn at 1st, a spontaneous and informal roadway was cut into the plot of land and a street was born.

Scott-- I've found the same thing-- often when I've found inaccuracies I've emailed corrections, citing a source. Although I feel a little didactic, I've always gotten an appreciative email in reply. The number of mistakes I've found does lead me to question the labels on all pictures on these sites, but I guess in the end I'm just glad the pictures themselves have been made so accessible--and piecing together the truth about them keeps us busy here!

.......................................

Very cool and noirish if one remembers
 

the car that picked up Jake Gittes and drove him to his luncheon with Noah Cross ("I believe they should be served with the head on." " I don't mind as long as you don't serve chicken that way.") Besides the shot of the Ford looks like it's parked outside of Pierce Patchett's garage.

Cool old curved gas station at 3304 N. Figueroa
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../9-01-0903.jpg
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...446547&page=13


It's still there, but looks like this now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...y/DSC_0007.jpg
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...446547&page=13

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_z...itteswagon.jpg
The wagon you mentioned--a 1936 Ford. A genuine woody.


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_z.../35touring.jpg
Jake's '35 Ford Phaeton--soon to be bifurcated by a tree in a Valley orange grove.


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_z...40/packard.jpg
Mrs. Mulwray's beautiful '38 Packard in her Pasadena driveway. She would later die at
the wheel of it in... Chinatown.


And...
An excellent Chinatown re-creation of a SoCal streetscape, appropriately
enough in a rear-view mirror. An iconic Bekins van completes the scene:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_z...640/bekins.jpg


All photos: Paramount Pictures Corp./http://imcdb.org/

Found these on LAPL. Not sure if I have seen them here before. Most are dated 1888

The west side of Spring Street, including the Bryson Block on the left, between 1st and 2nd Streets, in a drawing. The Bryson Block was commissioned by John Bryson, Sr., Los Angeles mayor, and George H. Bonebrake, banker. The building was six stories plus a basement and contained a lodgeroom on the sixth floor. There was a court in the center of the building. The architects were Joseph Carter Newsom and Samuel Newsom and the building was completed ca. 1888.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics19/00019227.jpg

An architectural drawing of the Currier block and the Bradbury Building, located at 3rd Street and Broadway. The names of various tenants in the building have been printed in the picture at different floor levels.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013859.jpg

Drawing of the east side of Broadway between south 2nd and 3rd Streets, showing City Hall on the left.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics17/00018241.jpg

Drawing of the Downey Block on the northwest corner of Main and Temple Streets. Various businesses are housed in the building, including The Capitol, La Cronica, H. Sloterbeck & Co. gun store, I.W.L. Auction Co., Libreria Espanola, L.W. Thatcher, Commercial Restaurant, Davis Architect, and L. Harris Clothing. Stairs lead up to the second floor, on which the Los Angeles Public Library was housed from 1872 to 1889. Various horse-drawn vehicles are seen on the street, including horse cars to Agricultural Park/Washington Garden, Spring & 6th Streets/S.P.R.R. Depot, and Boyle Heights/Los Angeles and Aliso Avenue/Perry Villa Tract. The Downey Block was demolished in 1904.
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics37/00068423.jpg

A drawing of the "Nadeau Block," a corner view of the hotel with church steeple on the far left. This later became the Nadeau Hotel. Architects, Morgan & Walls.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics15/00007398.jpg

Drawing of the east side of Main Street between Commercial and Requena Streets.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014180.jpg

Drawing of the east side of North Spring Street between 3rd and 4th Streets.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014326.jpg

Drawing of Spring Street looking south from Temple Street.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014262.jpg

Line drawing of portion of block on West side of Spring Street, between 4th and 5th Sts. especially noting, George Elliott, 421 Spring Street.Block starts at left with UR Bowers & Sons, B. Wynns & Co., Wills & Sonocer, Lewis & Alderson, N. Strauss & Co., D. Whitney & Co., George Elliott, stationery and artists' materials, at far right.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014286.jpg

An artist's drawing of the West side of North Los Angeles Street, between Requena and Commercial, looking south.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics39/00039465.jpghttp://jpg1.lapl.org/pics39/00039466.jpg

An architectural drawing of Broadway between 2nd St. and 3rd St. On the left in the picture is the Los Angeles Furniture Company, and next to it the Ville de Paris.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013746.jpg

An architectural rendering of business buildings along the west side of Broadway, seen from 4th St. looking south.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics08/00013819.jpg

An architectural drawing of the east side of Spring St. between 2nd and 3rd, looking south.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014244.jpg

An architectural drawing of the east side of Spring St. between 3rd and 4th, looking south.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014292.jpg

a friend of mine was just in los angeles, and he sent me some photos of his trip.

one of the images he had taken from the south side of union square at alameda and aliso street, i realized that i had seen this almost exact same angled image on this thread. i tracked it down on page 45. here is a then and now

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/...fabf832f_b.jpg

Mount Lowe, then and now
 

Thought I'd try to contribute something to this great thread. Found these on Shorpy, one of my all-time favorite sites. The 'now' pic is by a Shorpy contributor (Dandy). Fifty years ago, my father and several of my uncles took some of us kids hiking up the Mount Lowe right-of-way (yes, I'm that old), the tracks and most of the trestles were long gone even then. I think you can still find evidence of both the Railway and the several resort buildings today.

First image from 1913...

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a25762a.jpg

and now...

http://www.shorpy.com/images/photos/alpine.jpg

This is why I'm interested in building a 3D model of L.A. just like L.A. Noire but put in a time slider that would show how it looked at any one time.

That is an amazing comparison you were able to do with your friend's photo.
The 'before' photo is one of my all time favorite photos on this thread.

But it's also a bit depressing. The 'before' photo is interesting on so many levels. The contemporary photo is bland and sterile. :(

Two vertiginous photos of Broadway taken from the United Artists Building in 1937.

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/8...yfromunite.jpg
usc digital archive




http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/847...yfromunite.jpg
usc digital archive

:previous: Interesting! The vantage point for those photos was almost directly over the spot where my mother was standing when a street photographer took her picture in October, 1936. (And it's essentially the same time period, too!)

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/v...y102036_lj.jpg

-Scott

^^^ She looks like a wonderful woman Scott.

Great then and nows!

I thought I'd do some too.

E. Clem Wilson Building, 1930
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/272...onbuilding.jpg
USC Archive

E. Clem Wilson Building, Sunday, February 6, 2011
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1930/p1150950.jpg
Photo by me

The ground floor looks butchered, and other details of the building have been lost. And of course the sign on top really ruins the building.


Miracle Mile, looking east on Wilshire from Hauser, circa early 1960s
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/2...aclemileel.jpg
ellenbloom.blogspot.com

Same view, Sunday, February 6, 2011
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5891/p1150975.jpg
Photo by me

Lee Tower, circa 1961
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5164/1961leetower.jpg
USC Archive

What was once the Lee Tower, Sunday, February 6. 2011
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/3440/p1160011.jpg
Photo by me

The building is looking really ratty now; I think an extreme makeover or implosion is due. I think it was in the late 1990s that the original aqua-colored panels were painted black. A re-skinning might be nice.

lee tower grand opening 1958

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/...4aea0de1_b.jpg
Source: Life

"A Hidden Treasure Struggles in Los Angeles"
 

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032628.jpgWm Reagh/LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032628.jpg

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032626.jpgWm Reagh/LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032626.jpg

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics35/00037144.jpgLAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics35/00037144.jpg
1959 stress test



Today in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/us...q=rodia&st=cse


Read about the famous 1959 stress test that saved the towers once before: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cult...-survival.html

the hollywood walk of fame is 51 today:thankyouthankyou:


Formally breaking ground for the Walk of Fame on Feb. 8, 1960, are, from left, Los Angeles County Supervisor Ernest Debs; Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President E.M. Stuart; actresses Gigi Perreau and Linda Darnell; Harry M. Sugarman, president of the Hollywood Improvement Assn.; and actors Francis X. Bushman and Charles Coburn.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2...e_52062127.jpg
Source: hollywoodland http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2...e_52062127.jpg

Mount Lowe, then and now.
 

Well let's try this again...

Thought I'd try to contribute something to this great thread. Found these on Shorpy, one of my all-time favorite sites. The 'now' pic is by a Shorpy contributor (Dandy). Fifty years ago, my father and several of my uncles took some of us kids hiking up the Mount Lowe right-of-way (yes, I'm that old), the tracks and most of the trestles were long gone even then. I think you can still find evidence of both the Railway and the several resort buildings today.

First image from 1913...

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a25762a.preview.jpg

http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a25762a.preview.jpg


and today...

http://www.shorpy.com/images/photos/alpine.jpg

http://www.shorpy.com/images/photos/alpine.jpg

I'm not sure what you're doing wrong MichaelRyerson.

Perhaps someone with better computer skills than I have can help explain how to post a photo.


The first step is downloading your photos to a photo sharing site.
I post mine through Imageshack. It's FREE (unless you want larger storage capacity).
A few other sites are Photobucket, SmugMug and Flickr.

An AMAZING item currently on ebay for the next 3 days.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2...nebook1947.jpg
ebay

I have bid up to 86.00 dollars and it still isn't the highest bid. :( (I hope I haven't been bidding against someone from this thread)

I thought something like this would help keep the thread alive.
You know...names and addresses leading to obscure photos via google images and such.
Also the year 1947 makes it especially enticing (the year of the Black Dahlia murder).

At this point it's out of my reach financially.

:previous:
Right now ethereal I see that it's at $87. I wonder how high it'll eventually sell for. It would go great next to my vintage black rotary dial telephone with black cloth-covered handset cord, a Western Electric, circa 1937. And it works.

Here it is:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6607267_n.jpg
Photo by me

I don't have money to collect vintage cars (though I wish I did); instead, I have a vintage phone. :-P

Damn...that phone is great sopas_ej. I wish you could have the phone book. :)

Those 19 bids are mostly me....bidding piece-meal. When I started it was only 1 or 2 bids.

smog hangs heavy over the civic center viewed from a rooftop on bernard Street between Broadway and North Hill Street in Chinatown - 1958


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/...2b6d8273_b.jpg
Source: Ebay

i thought i would try and help you out. i saved the photos to my flickr account, and uploaded them that way:tup:

:::::2 second later update:::::

just as i posted this , i see you solved your problem!

well then i'll just add this postcard of the search light on mount echo to keep the post on topic

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/...b2194e85_o.jpg

A man stands next to a large searchlight on a platform on top of Echo Mountain in Los Angeles, California. A reflection of the Echo Mountain House is visible in the lens of the searchlight. The landscape below is largely undeveloped farmland.
Shortly after retiring to Los Angeles in the 1880s, Thaddeus Lowe began construction on the Mount Lowe Railway, which wound for nearly seven miles around Mount Lowe and Echo Mountain. The track ended at the summit of Echo Mountain, where tourists could visit an observatory, casino and dance hall, or stay at one of several hotels. In 1893. In 1894, Lowe installed on Echo Mountain a three million candlepower searchlight purchased from the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago. The searchlight's reflecting mirror was 60 inches in diameter, and was manufactured by Mangin, in Paris, France. The beam from the light had a 35-mile projection, and was advertised as being able to illuminate the island of Catalina from its mountain perch. Residents announcing their birthdays could have the light shone on their homes in the evening. By the 1930s, however, the light was considered a public nuisance and was shut off permanently.

Great shots of the wharf and the beach
 

Hard to believe but I think that's a dusting of snow on the Santa Monica mountains!

Thanks GSJ, I'm still fumbling around.
 

I'm the most amateur urban archeologist imaginable but I'm a native Angelino and I love my home town. And I love this thread. Up to page 88 now. Thanks for the thoughtfulness.

Used to walk to this Sears store with my mother and little brother...
 

they had the coolest pneumatic message system thoughout with pipes running up from the sales counters and then along the ceiling. Also one our favorite things was to go stand in the x-ray box in the shoe department and look through the viewer and see the bones of our feet inside our shoes. Honest. Hard to believe they had such things but they did and they were enormously entertaining to a seven year old.

Among the most egregious examples of this must be the old Hollywood Cemetery
 

now, of course known as Hollywood Forever. Used to be set back from Santa Monica Boulevard a respectful distance behind a stout block wall now it lies mosty hidden behind a commercial monstrosity of a strip center.

Oh man, ethereal, thanks for that.
 

That was swell. Too short though by a couple of hours. That was my town.

this 1910 image looking east across main street, (maybe taken from the roof of the 1st courthouse??), intrigued me. i was drawn immediately to the paris inn which in this photo would have been located at the south east corner of market street and los angeles street

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...CHS-41536?v=hr
Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...CHS-41536?v=hr

as this next image shows, (i definitely know which building this one is taken from!!!!), the paris inn seems to have been replaced with a gas station

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...CHS-12633?v=hr
Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...CHS-12633?v=hr

the paris inn apparently the happiest place to be in america complete with operatic singing waiters

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics18/00008658.jpg
Source: LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics18/00008658.jpg

A postcard of the Paris Inn Cafe, "outstanding European cafe of America." The front of the postcard includes photos of the proprietors, I. Pedroli and Bert Rovere.

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics18/00008597.jpg
Source: LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics18/00008597.jpg

an operatic moment at the paris inn, (which should always be accompanied by a leek :leek:)
(......ok, maybe not always.......)

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039920.jpg
Source: LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics40/00039920.jpg

well scott, it looks like i could be wrong....(the story of my life)

http://www.lanopalera.net/LAHistory/OldPueblo.gif
Source: LAhistory http://www.lanopalera.net/LAHistory/OldPueblo.gif

here's the link to the web site

Probable Location of the Original
Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles
on the River Porciúncula

i'm gonna have to agree that the original location of the plaza was north and west of the current location......it's quite an interesting story

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50353697@N02/4713710016/

Gee, that is the LA I remember as a child arriving for the first time from Texas with my family on an extended vacation. I still remember vividly the long cab ride from Union Station (arrived on the newly streamlined Sunset Limited) out to a little residential hotel on Wilshire near Westwood. The hotel was the Westwood Manor, now long gone and replaced by a high-rise apartment house. The only high-rise at the time on that stretch of Wilshire was the brand new apartment house at Beverly Glen and Wilshire that used to stand proudly alone in the smoggy skies. Turns out the lonely apartment tower at 10401 Wilshire served as the home of Mike Hammer in the classic film noir "Kiss Me Deadly". I just remember 10401 standing alone and pink in the hazy sky as viewed from the front porch of the Westwood Manor.

Does anybody have a post card shot of the old Westwood Manor Hotel. I would love to see one.

BTW, I think this is about the best thread on SSP. I can just feel the love, affection, exasperation, and devotion every time I check in here.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...OS-ANG-MIS-017

I found this picture in the USC collection. I was hoping for a color shot or an aerial view, but this is the place I spent three lovely childhood summers. They catered to families at the time. I have many pleasant memories of those years.

Ah, my neck of the woods.
 

My father operated a grocery store at the intersection of Burton Way and Doheny Drive. I grew up in that market bagging groceries and riding the delivery trucks. I remember the Westwood Manor. And now we live in Texas. Go figure. I agree about this thread. It would be easy to obsess over. But I won't. No. I won't.

i have to admit that i am not familiar with the westwood manor, but is that it in the center of this photograph?

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...3-31-ISLA?v=hr
Source: USC Digital Archive http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...3-31-ISLA?v=hr

I have many fuzzy memories of the era. I was just 5, 6, and 7 during those summertime visits. I had relatives living in Westwood. I used to accompany my cousin Alan on his paper route. "Ma Kettle" (Marjorie Maine) was one of his customers. I remember going to her front door with Alan and collecting money from her. I think he threw the Examiner. Was that a morning paper? I also remember going to lots of double features in Westwood with my grandmother. She used to accompany us out to LA and stay down the road at the Miramar in Santa Monica. I think I can remember Red Cars on Santa Monica Blvd. in the vicinity of West Hollywood. Of course, there was Will Wright's for ice cream down in Westwood Village. I learned to love the smell of smog (go figure) from those summer visits during what were probably some of the worst smog years. I thought, at the time, that smog was kind of cool and something I always associated with LA, which was my first Big City. I grew up in Fort Worth and now live in the Austin area.

I believe that might be the Westwood Manor, with a few additions, just to the left of the monstrously ugly apartment building at the center of your photo. That looks like the Del Capri(Sp?) Hotel on the corner at the left, and the Westwood Manor occupied the middle part of that same block.

Egregiousness.
 

Late 1930s.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/..._6_15_1150.jpg

Late 1950s.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...TUSTIN1-sm.jpg

There are, of course, exceptions but as a general rule
 

I favor greenspace, landscaping and scale as organic considerations over building to the absolute limits of property. Further, I think the elected officials were (philosophically) onto something when they instituted the 150' height limit in the early twentieth century. I have no particular objection to the Knights of Pythias of greater Tustin's headquarters but I'm not sure their rather understated building cuts one way or the other.

Very interesting, indeed! I have to say - discovering that the present Plaza is actually not the site of the original Plaza is one of the more surprising "new" facts I've discovered as a direct result of our discussions on this thread. Bravo for finding that linked webpage! Lots of important information there. :tup:

-Scott

I agree with the 150 ft limit. As to the other we'll have to part ways.

I can - and do - see this all day long. In fact it's ALL I see. Its floorplate is efficient. Its systems are modern. The landscaping is pretty. There's plenty of parking. These are the types of buildings I've worked at the past 25 years. And as to "organic"......there's is nothing "organic" about this, apart from a literal reference to the trees and grass. EVERYTHING you see was meticulously planned beforehand.....every bush, every tree, every crosswalk, every light fixture.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...01_8001icd.jpg

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...er/01_palm.jpg

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/.../irvine-01.jpg

But....To walk down THIS street would be like going to Disneyland...... Feel the steam escaping from the vent at the cleaners......smell that fried chicken.....check out all the exotic herbs in the window at D.R. Wong's........

......all that and I've only walked 1/3 of a block.

....Green River bourbon, you say? Boy I could use a shot and a Lucky Lager. I'm sure we'll find a nice dark bar up the street soon....

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...orthsouths.jpg

So if there's nothing organic about those properties why do you think they represent something I'm defending? I find them by and large cold and uninviting. As to the street scene, I've wandered those exact streets for over sixty years and generally loved every minute. You're not the only person who is drawn to an urban setting. Again, what in my comments leads you to believe I wouldn't find them so? I think you're spoiling for a fight. You're going to have to look elsewhere.

"I favor greenspace, landscaping and scale as organic considerations over building to the absolute limits of property."

'Buster'? You're really kind of a jerk, aren't you?
 

I favor old Bunker Hill to new Bunker 'Hill', I favor Moderne to modern, I favor the old Brew 102 to a straighter freeway, I favor the Richfield Building to the ARCO Towers and, dare I say it, I favor Wrigley Field to Gilbert Lindsay Park. I don't think the Ficus trees overly detract from the Knights of Pythias Hall and I think would not benefit greatly from their removal. Now you have a nice day. There is absolutely no reason to reply to this.

little creative deletions going on above.

a couple of north broadway then and nowz

looking north on broadway from sunset boulevard 1887 and now

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/...3ef86d5b_b.jpg


looking south west on broadway at one of the last remaining old adobes on braodway in sonora town at 639 n. broadway 1957 and now

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/...29c21937_b.jpg


Looking south on broadway from alpine street 1931 and now

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/...6b6ee3d2_b.jpg

You couldn't have simply replied, could you? You had to get some name calling in.

Anyway.....Read my prior posts and you'll see my stance on these and a few other issues.

You introduced the name-calling.
 

you completely missed the point of the original exchange concerning the imposition of new and unimaginative commercial elements on older developed property crowding out the architect's original concept in favor of maximising the commercial footprint. It generally (always?) results in an ugly monstrosity that destroys the scale of the original building. If the original building is intended to go right out to the sidewalk, I have no problem with that. It is likely the architect recognised that and laid the structure out accordingly with elevations that can be appreciated from up the block or across the street. If he visualises his building on a rise of grass with low hedges and a gazebo, I have no problem with that either. If someone then comes along and crams a dozen retail stores on the front lawn, I can predict with some certainty it is going to look ugly and most of us on this thread are going to lament the result. My example of the strip mall which now fronts the Hollywood Cemetery is familiar to me as I used to live in the neighborhood and can remember the understated wall and scaled setback. By taking my comments out of context you were able to gin up a silly disagreement. I hope you continue to enjoy the thread.