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…
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson
Julius Shulman
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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
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...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.
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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!
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And I like this apropos sentiment by
BifRayRock:
Quote:
Originally Posted by BifRayRock
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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.
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…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.
David 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:
Quote:
Originally Posted by FredH
1948:
 historicaerials.com |
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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???
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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.
LAPL