If my long years in Public Works serves me right, one of two things:

1. These guys are opening a street valve (or angle stop as they're known) to increase the water flow to the hydrant. hence the fireman with the limp hose:D

or 2. Its a natural gas leak and these guys are trying to shut off an isolation valve.

I can relate. Lots of debris cleanup, pruning, and the like, and for our alpine redoubt preparations for freezing weather.

The more work you do bookending winter, the less you have to do the rest of the year.

He blew a toy trumpet, a reed instrument of the type that was at the time called a "goofus."

No, I was walking though my Glendale neighborhood a few years ago and saw lights up in the park going up and down and had no idea what was happening. After I found out there was a heliport up there figured it was just the fire department(or police) doing practice landings.

It's on the south side of the park, above Cedar Grove.
https://i.postimg.cc/HWhtW83f/Mystery2018110601.pngGoogle Maps

Here's the view from the heliport of DTLA:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4488/...e43cdede_b.jpg_4140194-Edit.jpg by BillinGlendaleCA, on Flickr

Here's what the heliport looks like:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4504/...3efb88f4_b.jpg_A230495.jpg by BillinGlendaleCA, on Flickr

Survivors of self-propelled gun over cliff at Santa Monica hospital, 1955
 

Survivors of self-propelled gun over cliff at Santa Monica hospital, 10 July 1955. Sergeant 1/C Sol Sirkin;Dr. Clarence Eckvoll;1st Lieutenant. Carl Beaty;PFC Autry Lee Westmoreland Jr.;Esther Hothersall (nurse);M/Sergeant Maurice G Lacourse;Deputy Sheriff Jim Marshall. (Sleeve reads: A 11512).;Caption slip reads: 'Photographer: Snow. Date: 1955-07-10. Reporter: Sid Bernstein. Assignment: Survivors of self-propelled gun over cliff at Santa Monica Hospital. 29-30: Sgt. 1/C Sol Sirkin on operating table for repairs from Dr. Clarence Eckvoll. At left is 1st Lt. Carl Beaty, battalion motor officer. 31-32: Pfc. Autry Lee Westmoreland Jr, has blood pressure taken by Nurse Esther Hothersall. (cq). 83-84: M/Sgt. Maurice G La Course talks to his officers from the x-ray table.'Santa Monica; Los Angeles; California; USA. (Photo by Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

Gas main breaks (burns) 8700 Santa Monica Boulevard, 1955
 

Gas main breaks (burns) 8700 Santa Monica Boulevard, 30 November 1955. Jack McGowan (Los Angeles County Fireman).;Caption slip reads: 'Photographer: Sandusky. Date: 1955-11-30. Assignment: Gas main breaks, burns. 8700 Santa Monica Boulevard. D29-30-33-34: General views of fire. D35-36: Los Angeles County Fireman Jack McGowan keeps P.E track cool with fog nozzle as flames consume escaping gas'.8700 Santa Monica Boulevard; West Hollywood; Los Angeles; California; USA. (Photo by Los Angeles Examiner/USC Libraries/Corbis via Getty Images)

That building at 8701 Santa Monica still stands.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...e483a369_c.jpg
8701 Santa Monica, West Hollywood by Kimberly, on Flickr

I've tried to find pictures of Joseph Widney's house, but this 1931 aerial is the best I've found so far. I've arrowed the most likely building, but I may be wrong.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...dneyHouse1.jpg
mil.library.ucsb.edu

We've visited this intersection before when e_r posted a teaser of the curvy Marmion Hotel (I later posted that its address was 3903 Marmion Way). Sadly, the old house is not visible.

NB. In this post I found the above photo in the Metro Library and Archive on Flickr, which dated it as November 11, 1954. The post also includes a "now" image.

Everyone remember the recent discussions here on the remaining air raid sirens in Los Angeles?

https://i.postimg.cc/wjDqyYjP/Si-REEN.jpg

Someone else has taken note of them too, a composer named Lawrence English. He's composed and recorded a 12-minute vocal piece that is being played nightly (through Sunday) over six of the remaining sirens.

Los Angeles Times: "L.A.’s air raid sirens are blaring this week. Why composer Lawrence English says you should listen"

I may attempt to capture one such "performance" on video and share it via YouTube.

location solved
 

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...921/yM4F4H.jpg
Whoa Noir Noir.

The ground fire was, literally, steps from my bungalow on Hancock. I can't believe I didn't recognized the area... I walked there daily.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...921/8Btqtp.jpg
google earth

I tried to make little red 'steps'. It didn't turn out so well.

I had no idea the modern building in the 1955 photograph was the 'Sports Erection' (actually the Sports Connection)...but people in the area called it the Sports Erection. ha ha
I went to a smaller gym a bit further down Santa Monica Blvd. (on the same/south side of the street)

this one.
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/3...923/ccHcHB.jpg
my old gym card



Only the foundation of my gym is left.

South is at Top
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...921/jjDUID.jpg
gsv

The large building on the right is the parking garage (plus a gym floor & retail shops) for the old Sports Erection Connection (now 24hr. Fitness)

Inbetween my old gym (now just a foundation) and the large sports complex was one of the oldest lesbian bars in the city. For the life of me,
I can not remember the bar's name. I used to reach inside the bar's open door and grab the weekly papers on the way to my gym.
I believe I mentioned it before in an old post. (I, obviously, can't find the old post without the name of the bar)

Does anyone know the name of this bar?

__

"Am I the only one who didn't know there was a helipad in Griffin Park?"
Thanks BGC. I thought, perhaps, I was odd man out.
Oh, and thx for sharing your photos. They're always appreciated buddy.


Here's another I found.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/g1hHSz.jpg
spiralaim

It's almost like a glorified curve.

So I guess option 2 was right?

The WeHo lesbian bar was The Palms

:previous: That's it! Thanks IloveLA.


1955
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...921/kmMocd.jpg
:previous: I'm thoroughly confused by this description SheriffPaul.

What, pray-tell, is a "self-propelled gun over cliff."

Are we talking..something akin to this?
https://imageshack.com/a/img921/2100/K09WHc.gif

They forgot the part about having a net at the end. LOL






SheriffPaul's description found HERE
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/UO7PvV.jpggettyimages

Yep, still confused.

__

A BIG location 'mystery' for tonight.

"Ries Brothers Photos of Land Around Hollywood California 1923"[/SIZE]

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...923/ueXLIk.jpg
EBAY






#1
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/4be0iw.jpg

I'd say the best clue is the shape of the mountains.







The uniquely shaped mountain is in this pic as well.

#2
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/ZoRnwE.jpg







In this one, an idyllic creek appears.

#3
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/x6Jro1.jpg


Let's take a closer look at the hacienda on the left.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/veXeUV.jpg
DETAIL, PHOTO #3

note the curved steps leading up to the house from the creek. (to the right of the tree)








#4
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/9Rg4Ic.jpg




Here's a closer look at the castle-like structure

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...921/qayyA8.jpg
DETAIL PHOTO#4

also note the parked cars.




and the residence across the creek.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/OJjavA.jpg
DETAIL, PHOTO#4

note the large residence in the distance as well.








#5
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/Iyu0iC.jpg

not much to see here.








And lastly, #6

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/4CrRUu.jpg

At first glance, the structure in the foreground appears to be a barn, but I think it's being used for other purposes as well.



For one thing, there are flues.....too many flues.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/73Fhu9.jpg
DETAIL PHOTO #6

And a barn usually doesn't have windows on the second floor. That's where the hayloft is located.


All photos at ebay

That's Mount Lee (aka, home of the Hollywood Sign):

https://i.imgur.com/Uicb4vb.jpg

The description of the photos is inaccurate, however - the photos weren't taken “around Hollywood”, but from the Valley. In other words, the Hollywood Sign sits on the other side of the mountain.

To get that exact view of Mt. Lee, one must be in Toluca Lake:

https://i.imgur.com/0cgJrd0.jpg

LINK TO SCENE ON GOOGLE MAPS

I therefore suspect that the body of water shown in the photos is actually Toluca Lake itself. In the screenshot below, you can see that that Toluca Lake falls directly in the line-of-sight that one must view to see Mt. Lee from that angle.

https://i.imgur.com/cxQWCcD.jpg

a self propelled gun is a large gun mounted on a heavy truck or a tank-like vehicle. The category would also include "railroad guns" which were mounted to rail cars.

Probably a M41, like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...iage_M41_1.JPG

Could be the later M44:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...4_Howitzer.jpg

If the latter, it would have been brand new :(

Must have been a hell of a ride down that hill.

Cheers,

Earl

Was just trying to figure out these two pictures.

This is Toluca Lake in 1927, four years later than the pictures.

https://i.imgur.com/5HZKkVL.jpg
mil.library.ucsb.edu - Flight C_113, Frame 159


Would this equate to where the pictures might have been shot - # 3 looking east and # 4 looking west with the Lakeside Golf Club parking area to the left of the 1923 picture?

:shrug:

The mountain in the background of your car ad post has the same shape, my guess(though I've not nailed down the exact location) is that ad was shot in the Hollywoodland(ridges above Beachwood canyon) development.