noirish Los Angeles

[CityBoyDoug]

!

[ethereal_reality]

I couldn't find any additional information either CBD.
When I googled Michael Roomanoff, google-chrome suggested I change Roomanoff to Romanoff (they could be right).
...but that led me to the famous Los Angeles restaurateur Micheal Romanoff, not the acquitted ponzi schemer who ultimately committed suicide.

I wonder how many people have committed suicide by jumping off the City Hall tower?
It's certainly an iconic place to ends one's life. In my humble opinion...the Hollywood Sign is #1 (think Peg Entwhistle), City Hall is # 2.
__

[miesian]

I have been going through this thread from the beginning. It is the most fascinating thing I have ever seen on the web! It makes so many connections. It's all about American culture. Damn! Thank you, thank you!!!!

[ethereal_reality]

flashback to a 2009 post.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The M.J. Connell Buildings, 746 S. Los Angeles St.





The M.J. Connell Building after a 1959 modernization. (please tell me the original building is still there under that cheap facade)

The building today, as viewed from Main Street.

GSV

I just noticed that it says Cornell Buildings instead of Connell Buildings. What's that all about?
..also, why is the word building plural, are there more than one?
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[westcork]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Death Plunge


ebay

__

I wonder if the LA Times had a special artist just for drawing the trajectory lines in all the suicide and accident photos...

No Caption

LAPL


Arrow shows how 86-year old man, Frederick Morris, leaped to his death at Park La Brea Apartments. Suicide victim lays covered on the steps leading into the building. Photograph dated August 9, 1955.

LAPL


Arrow shows how retired business executive, Ogden S. Sells, leaped to his death at Park La Brea Towers, December 1, 1958.

LAPL


The body of Earl F. Walker lies beneath the First Street Bridge, after he fell or leaped (broken line) to death. Photograph dated May 29, 1948.

LAPL


A 13-floor fall, and he still lived! The dotted line shows where the man fell from the top floor window. He was taken to a hospital, where he was reported in critical condition. Photo dated: October 14, 1944.

LAPL


Broken line marks course of Yasbec's leap from the Municipal Courts Building. He was believed to have been despondent over his recent conviction in this building on a drunk driving charge. Photo dated: July 14, 1952.

LAPL


Photograph article dated March 16, 1950 partially reads, "Dr. Irving A. Marvin, 56, chiropody surgeon and foot specialist, plunged to his death yesterday from a ninth floor window of the Hall of Records."

LAPL


Photograph caption dated March 1, 1927 reads, "Authorities today were investigating the death of John Lee O'Brien, 19-year-old Los Angeles youth pictured at left, when he fell from an Ocean Park roller coaster into the sea. The photo-diagram shows the point at which O'Brien fell from the coaster car and the dotted line indicates the path of his plunge of 50 feet into the ocean to his death."

LAPL


Photograph caption dated August 29, 1945 reads, "Five men were killed and one was injured today when this oil well at Seal Beach blew in, caught fire and exploded. The dotted line shows where one of the men was blown from the top of the structure to his death. Arrow shows where the bodies of the others were found."

LAPL


Photograph caption dated August 9, 1928 reads, "Photo-diagram of the 100-foot high Colorado street bridge at Pasadena shows how Melville Humble, 20, and Jay Page, 17, leaped off in a gamble with death and won. Heavy dotted line shows how they jumped into a tree and caught there. Light dotted line shows where they clambered down in safety."

LAPL


Photograph caption dated August 9, 1937 reads, "Photo shows the bridge as seen from the nearby canyon walls, with the new steel mesh fence hardly visible. No suicides have leaped from the Colorado street bridge since work on the protective fence began several weeks ago. The new fence will not detract from the span's beauty."

LAPL

[westcork]

I never noticed the gas pump on Olvera St before...


West side of Olvera Street (before improvement) showing the Pelaconi (?) or Belaconi (?) House.

LAPL

Unpaved Olvera Street before improvement. On the left the Avila Adobe is seen.

LAPL

[westcork]

Here is another shot of the Paradise Motel, this time from an aerial photo


LAPL

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by westcork

I wonder if the LA Times had a special artist just for drawing the trajectory lines in all the suicide and accident photos...

No Caption

LAPL

I would think almost anyone with minimal graphic arts training could use a few "approved" icons. (Approved = easily understood and readable black and white imagery) There may have been one designated in-house graphic artist, but probably many who could meet the challenge.

[Godzilla]

Interesting observation Westcork


Something a little more contemporary?

Sixth Street and Rampart was the original location for a Car Wash used in a 1976 Movie, aptly named . . . "Car Wash." The Wash evidently went down the final drain sometime in 1980. However, across the street, there is a market that seems to have weathered the storm. . . . Sure was pretty as Richfield.



http://www.bionicdisco.com/wp-conten...ation_1976.jpg

http://www.bionicdisco.com/wp-conten...mpart_1976.jpg

http://www.bionicdisco.com/wp-conten...Wash_19761.jpg


http://www.bionicdisco.com/wp-conten...mpart_2012.jpg



http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bpho...heSfuaiA/l.jpg


'23 ~ '33
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...82YFMHGBNM.jpg
http://catalog.library.ca.gov/exlibr...K3KC3F7CEF.jpg

[CityBoyDoug]

!

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

flashback to a 2009 post.

The building today, as viewed from Main Street.

GSV

I just noticed that it says Cornell Buildings instead of Connell Buildings. Did I have the name wrong in my 2009 post?
..also, why is the word building plural, are there more than one?
__

Yeah, that's weird, huh? I noticed that Connell/Cornell thing when I posted on the Grayco Building next door (right/south side): http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=14670

1926: Connell not Cornell

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...d/22337/rec/10

Developer Michael J. Connell built seven buildings on Los Angeles Street between 7th and 8th (See text for #35 B & C -- https://www.laconservancy.org/sites/...nth_Street.pdf)

If it's the same guy, his foundation still exists -- http://www.mjcf.org/

Maybe the CORNELL sign was an accidental misspelling deemed too expensive/unimportant to fix? Current advertising is Cornell but refers to MJ Connell -- http://www.cornelllofts.com/

BTW, in June I visited the Grayco Building, now the RS Building. Since the Googlemobile last went by, a railing has replaced most of the arches at the top front of the building:

Photo by me taken from the far side of the same parking lot in er's GSV photo above

And none of the nice scroll work in the Grayco lobby seen in the photo in my earlier post still exists. I went in there with my camera, and the building manager I guess came out. I explained about the lobby and the building being 100 years old, but he absolutely refused to believe me: "This is the RS Building. It was built in 1950." "Well, yes, it's the RS Building now, but it used to be the Grayco Building. I've seen photos of it taken in the 1920s, and the LA County Assessor website says it was built in 1913." "No, it was built in 1950." "You've looked at the top of the building, right? They didn't build stuff that looked like that in 1950." "No, this building was built in 1950." So I had to let him wallow in his closed-minded ignorance.

[GaylordWilshire]

Bizarre Los Angeles


I don't remember seeing this postcard posted before--

[GaylordWilshire]

Another shot from Bizarre Los Angeles--the poster there labeled it "Los Angeles 1909." Hmmm. Specific location?

[ethereal_reality]

I like the sun shining through the narrow space between the houses. (lends it an air of mystery)
I'm still trying to figure out the fence situation on the left. Was the middle house built on top of the property line?
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[ethereal_reality]

one more time...

Cornell Building(s?) 746. S. Los Angeles St.

GSV



The Cornell is much larger than I previously thought. I just discovered this rear entrance at 743 Santee Street. (where Santee dead ends)

GSV

Looks like there's parking as well. And here it says building number #6 above the entrance, which would explain the plurality of the word
building on the rooftop sign.





Hmmm....it appears the Cornell 'complex' is quite spread out. (the red outline is mine....I'm not sure if it's 100% correct)

BING

I'd research it some more but I have to go out of town for a day or two, so if anyone wants to explore these other buildings pls. do.
This has me intrigued now.




plus, does anyone know the history of Santee Street, and why it dead ends at the Cornell Building?


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[wojtko]

Originally Posted by Fab Fifties Fan

Not too long ago etheral_reality posted a great photo of Dad Bailey's Newsstand. I, of course, can't find that post right now but here is another photo I came across today and even a little provenance.



Charles "Dad" Bailey opened his newsstand after his previous business (Luggage Store) was destroyed in a fire and his bookkeeper had neglected to pay the insurance premiums. His stand was very popular and he made a good living from it. He lived until he was 90 and kept the stand until just a very few years before he died.

His great nephew Bodie Bailey has a cool flickr site with all sorts of photos and family stories. As far as the location of the stand, Bodie is unsure but he thinks it was on or near Florence in South Los Angeles close to USC.

~Jon Paul

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Wonderful information Jon Paul! Here is the photograph that I had previously posted.


usc or lapl


above: Notice the Model Tobacco box on the sidewalk. Here is a great photo of this brand (location of this photo is unknown).


verne ackular blogspot

Hello I'm French and I'm sorry for the bad translation, I use google translator.
I saw the newsstand and read this story. I do modeling as an amateur, on Sunday ... I wanted to make this after the picture. It is not completely like the original (no colors and I did not find any ads) But I tried to get as close as. I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to share with you these pictures. thank you
Patrick

[wojtko]

H

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by wojtko

Hello I'm French and I'm sorry for the bad translation, I use google translator.
I saw the newsstand and read this story. I do modeling as an amateur, on Sunday ... I wanted to make this after the picture. It is not completely like the original (no colors and I did not find any ads) But I tried to get as close as. I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to share with you these pictures. thank you
Patrick

This is most amazing wojtko! I assume this is CGI or computer graphics.

[Chuckaluck]

Originally Posted by Chuckaluck

1930 - 1363 Figueroa Street "The place for roller bearings!" Notice Buick dealer to the left.

USCDigital



USC digital

Now and then? How about then and then? 1930 vs. 1932 ?












1930 above and 1932 below (see previous http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=15761. Ungar and Watson's appliance business apparently improved during the first part of the Depression. They erected a roof sign to rival Buick and eventually removed the signage from the side of the building facing Figueroa. When is unknown. Looks like they took over space in the building next door (to the left). Teplow's moved in with a new Chef, menu - and scale! Good bye Auto Loans and so long Dr. McElvaine. Guessing money shortages probably didn't help with the loan business - unless you were Clyde Barrow who managed to overcome the lack of credit when he "borrowed." The roof sign remains the mystery.























"URE" Druggist refers to a drug store chain. (http://www.torranceca.gov/archivedne...F/00000952.pdf )








The new scale has hand rails. But is it more accurate?

[Chuckaluck]

Another photo from the series, labeled "1930."

Wonderful Buick sign. Majestic may have been envious.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...gar&DMROTATE=0



Howard sells Buicks!








Couple of apparitions between the potted plant and the loitering ladies?