noirish Los Angeles

[Noir_Noir]

The picture that e_r posted may have come about because of Thomas H. Wright and his interests up around Trona.


His florist store -


rescarta.lapl.org


The store next door -


rescarta.lapl.org


I wonder did he hire Earl to go up to Trona and take the picture or just get one he already had enlarged in his store?


Ebay

[ethereal_reality]

You just blew my mind.

[CaliNative]

[QUOTE=corriganville;8916162]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

^^^
Bingo. Trona plant, not too far from Muroc (now Edwards) Air Force Base. Trona. Isn't that where the mule teams used to deposit their borax loads from Death Valley area, or was that something different? Boraxo soap, 20 Mule Team Borax. Famous 1950s western TV show. Wasn't Ronald Reagan the host, or was that something with GE? My memory is not what it once was.

I also believe the late travel host Huell Howser also visited the Trona borax plant on an episode of his "California Gold" show. Maybe someone can find the link. He also talked about the 20 mule teams.
***
You're thinking of the town of Boron near Edwards Air Force Base where Huell Howser visited. Trona is northeast from China Lake Naval Station, many, many miles northward from Edwards.

^^^
Trona and Boron are easily confused, at least by me. The quakes a year or two ago were centered near Trona & Ridgecrest of course. Wasn't "Poncho" Barnes' fly-in-ranch and club near Boron? According to Wolfe in "The Right Stuff", lots of single young women would drive up to Poncho's place to bag a Muroc test pilot. The place burned down back in the '50s. I wonder if any relics are left of Poncho's place?

[CaliNative]

[QUOTE=CityBoyDoug;8916340]

Originally Posted by corriganville

Trona is a mineral, not just the name of a town. I drove through the area back in the late1970s....its very desolate. We did rife target practice on an open lot in town.


wiki file of trona mineral.

Trona is a rare mineral from the mineral class " carbonates and nitrates " (formerly carbonates, nitrates and borates , and relatives ).

True. Minerals formed during the evaporation of the lakes that once dotted the Mohave and Great Basin during the ice age. Evaporite minerals. Nitrates, chlorides, carbonates etc. Death Valley once had a huge lake (Lake Manly) as big as Delaware. That would have been a sight. Mono Lake is the last big one left in CA, and of course the Great Salt Lake, a remnant of giant Lake Bonneville. Nevada has a few still there, Pyramid Lake & Walker Lake. Lithium salts and rare earth minerals are now sought by mining companies in these dried up lake basins. Tesla couldn't exist without lithium batteries.

[HossC]

Here's a 1934 aerial of the Trona site. The photo posted by e_r would have been taken from somewhere in the lower left corner. The white squares just right of center appear to be the original houses on Magnolia Avenue and Panamint Avenue - most/all of them are still there. What's missing in this picture is the current main town of Trona to the north of the white houses. It didn't exist in 1934.


mil.library.ucsb.edu

[Noir_Noir]

One of my newest works "Google Aerial Lake At Trona Screen Capture #3" is going into the next Sotheby's modern art auction with a reserve of $12M.

[ethereal_reality]

.
Very interesting 1934 aerial, Hoss. ...I'm still trying to make heads or tails out of your map, Noir Noir. Does your equisite color palette represent different minerals?


Here's a fine look at the Trona Service Station.


eBay

Do you think the gas station operated with company tokens?


I appreciate the information on the [past and present] salt lakes, CaliNative.
.

[ethereal_reality]

.
I don't want to beat a dead horse here. . .



. . .but there is something in the original eBay photograph that has my curiosity meter pinging.



What, pray-tell, do you think is kept in this little shed?


DETAIL


As you can see, whatever - is in the shed - is on little rails . . and, if you look closely, the shed roof slants slightly to the left.

Do you think it leads to something underground . . . like a mini-me mine.


.

[CityBoyDoug]

I was unable to discover the medium of your newest artwork. I'm sure your $12,000,000 [reserve] work will be snapped up in a few minutes of bidding by one of our NLA members. What a bargain.!!!

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Mono Lake is the last big one left in CA, and of course the Great Salt Lake, a remnant of giant Lake Bonneville.... Lithium salts and rare earth minerals are now sought by mining companies in these dried up lake basins. Tesla couldn't exist without lithium batteries.

The Salton Sea gets no respect, I tell ya.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I'm still trying to make heads or tails out of your map, Noir Noir. Does your equisite color palette represent different minerals?

It's part of Searles Lake near Trona as it appears on Google Maps. Chemicals, archaebacteria, and algae account for the different colors -

palomar.edu


When you zoom right in on Searles Lake on the aerial, there's all kinds of weird features and shapes. Hours of fun for all the family.



Google Maps - Searles Lake

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I was unable to discover the medium of your newest artwork.

I'm sure your $12,000,000 [reserve] work will be snapped up in a few minutes of bidding by one of our NLA members. What a bargain.!!!

The medium is archaebacteria ... mixed with sweat and tears.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

The Salton Sea gets no respect, I tell ya.

But Mono Lake doesn't have two feature films...

...and a documentary:

[Jungmann]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
I don't want to beat a dead horse here. . .



. . .but there is something in the original eBay photograph that has my curiosity meter pinging.



What, pray-tell, do you think is kept in this little shed?


DETAIL


As you can see, whatever - is in the shed - is on little rails . . and, if you look closely, the shed roof slants slightly to the left.

Do you think it leads to something underground . . . like a mini-me mine.


.

The railroad/transit buffs can correct me, but I believe it's a shed for a handcar that can be brought out to inspect the rails.

[ethereal_reality]

You are, no doubt, correct, Jungmann. A handcar -the obvious answer- never crossed my mind.


one minute later:

hmmm. . .but the rails from the shack to the main railroad track appear to be a narrower gage. ( if so, the handcar wouldn't fit on the wider rails)

*continues to beat horse*

.

[ethereal_reality]

.

I believe the three camel statues in this snapshot might be the faux-camels in the eBay photograph I posted a couple of days ago.


.....A 'mystery' location. Los Angeles, California 1920s



..........................................................................................................................Does this area look familiar to anyone?


Go HERE to see the eBay photo again.


Whaddya think?

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Jungmann

The railroad/transit buffs can correct me, but I believe it's a shed for a handcar that can be brought out to inspect the rails.

A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, or draisine) is a railroad car powered by its passengers, or by people pushing the car from behind. It is mostly used as a maintenance of way or mining car, but it was also used for passenger service in some cases. A typical design consists of an arm, called the walking beam, that pivots, seesaw-like, on a base, which the passengers alternately push down and pull up to move the car.


Handcar club.

Just a lot of up and down, up and down.....good exercise but tedious. I prefer a seat in the Club car.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, or draisine)

I always referred to them as a go-devil, a term I might have picked up from Bing Crosby.

[ethereal_reality]

.
Here's a snapshot taken in Long Beach circa.1937

It shows sailors from the USS Northampton visiting an apartment building called Bonzer Court. (or perhaps they're staying there)


ebay

It's a fairly nice looking place. The attractive entrance arch has "Bonzer Court" painted on it. (without the apostrophe 's, as it's written in the photo album)





Here's a closer look.



I'm still looking for the address.



LINK (the seller mistakenly spells Bonzer, Bonser)


The seller adds this:

"Vintage 1936-39 photo I just removed from William Bartlett Kitchin US Navy Sailor Photo Album. He enlisted Dec 17, 1935 - Discharged Oct 16, 1939.
At Discharge he was a Gunners Mate 2nd Class. (He was re-inducted during WWII.)

He served on the USS Northampton which was based at Pearl Harbor during much of his time aboard.

Almost all had info written in album or on the back. If anything written on back I will have a pic of back in the listing."

(there was nothing written on the back of this particular photograph)

.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
Here's a snapshot taken in Long Beach circa.1937

It shows sailors from the USS Northampton visiting an apartment building called Bonzer Court. (or perhaps they're staying there)


ebay

It's a fairly nice looking place. The attractive entrance arch has "Bonzer Court" painted on it. (without the apostrophe 's)

I'm still looking for the address.

LINK (the seller mistakenly spells Bonzer, Bonser)

lbpl.contentdm.oclc.org




GSV

[ethereal_reality]

.
Thanks Noir Noir.

Here's another one from the same photo album.


ebay



This one has writing on the back.



Good luck!
...........................


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