noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by HossC

It could be Wilshire, as that's where this picture I posted nearly a year ago was taken. It seems to be the same cars in a different order. My original post also has a "now" view.

With streetcar tracks and the streetlamps just barely visible, it wouldn't be Wilshire. I thought maybe 6th or 7th-- one day we'll find it. It looks like the tracks curve to the right...

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

The Roman Catholic Cemetery would ultimately become the athletic fields of Cathedral High School where the student body calls itself the 'Phantoms'.

kcet

phantoms

Remember the purple and white "Save Cathedral High" bumper stickers from 30 years ago, after the archdiocese sold the Cathedral High site to Hong Kong developers? Even I had one. The archdiocese is amazingly tone-deaf sometimes, especially when it comes to anything historic and/or beloved by the public. What a fight that was.


gophantoms


I love that the school never shied away from the graveyard imagery.

[Bristolian]

gsv



Is it just me or are the words "Ye Olde" and "Taco House" not meant to go together?

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Bristolian

gsv



Is it just me or are the words "Ye Olde" and "Taco House" not meant to go together?

Decidedly. I believe the correct usage would be Ye Olde Taco Haus.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Bristolian

Is it just me or are the words "Ye Olde" and "Taco House" not meant to go together?

The joke's on.....well, everybody.

The fakery that is "Ye olde"

It's spelt with the letter thorn, not a why.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Decidedly. I believe the correct usage would be Ye Olde Taco Haus.

And remember, the correct pronunciation of "Ye Olde" is "The Old". The Old English letter 'thorn' was combined with 'e' to mean 'the'. Because the capital letter 'Y' looked similar to the thorn, it was often substituted like an early texting abbreviation, but everyone at the time knew it should be pronounced "The". This shouldn't be confused with the second-person pronoun, "Ye", which is pronounced as it's spelled .

I see t2 beat me to it!

[tovangar2]

Somebody explained "Ye olde" to me when I was about 7 (my father probably, who was a stickler), so it's always kind of annoyed me.

I'm interested in history, but the heritage biz not so much.

I never thought þ looked like Y anyway.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

I never thought þ looked like Y anyway.

Apparently it does in Blackletter typefaces which were used in early printing.

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Not too many clues in this 'mystery' slide.


eBay

-Any idea where this desolate corner was located? (I'm sure it's built up by now)

Good luck sleuthing.

__

LAMTA's streetcar is turning from E. 7th St. onto Boyle Ave. for the short jog to Whittier Blvd. It will then turn right and continue eastbound to the R Line terminus at Brannick Ave., where it served New Calvary and Home of Peace Cemeteries.

The vacant-appearing lot behind the streetcar likely was due to construction of the Golden State Freeway on right-of-way immediately west of Boyle Ave.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

LAMTA's streetcar is turning from E. 7th St. onto Boyle Ave. for the short jog to Whittier Blvd.
The vacant-appearing lot behind the streetcar likely was due to construction of the Golden State Freeway on right-of-way immediately west of Boyle Ave.

That was extremely impressive HH.

Despite all the construction, it's still a desolate-looking corner:


gsv

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

That was extremely impressive HH.

Despite all the construction, it's still a desolate-looking corner:


gsv

Thank you, Ma'am, I'll be saving that quote for my "Praise from Caesar" file!

It's been a few years since I've been past this intersection, but I think the wide-angle view from the Googlemobile might be making the lot size look bigger than it is. That might explain why Caltrans hasn't released it for sale. However, to your point, desolate it remains.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

...I think the wide-angle view from the Googlemobile might be making the lot size look bigger than it is. That might explain why Caltrans hasn't released it for sale.

Interesting. I never thought about freeway setbacks before, except when I've wondered how Geoff Palmer gets away with what he does.

In this case, it looks like the land drops away sharply (and quickly). Fusion, the physical therapy business, north of the intersection, has a very pointed triangular lot:


gsv

Better landscaping would help a lot.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/00081/00081703.jpg

Per the LAPL: "The 'first' Santa Anita Racetrack was built on Elias Jackson ('Lucky') Baldwin's immense estate of 'Rancho Santa Anita' and opened on December 7, 1907, but closed just two years later after horse racing was banned in California due to an anti-gambling bill that became law.".

In spite of the above-mentioned law, in 1923 betless horse racing proved sufficiently popular in Chicago that the
wheels were put in motion to have betless horse racing in Southern California, too:

July 27 1923 LA Times @ LAPL

They missed their December 1 goal:

December 17, 1923 LA Times @ LAPL

But they made their December 25 goal:





December 26, 1923 LA Times @ LAPL

And here is the first Culver City Speedway. This photo, probably taken between June and August 1924,
looks SW at the 9,000-seat grandstand and the apparently still-unfinished clubhouse to the left. I'll explain
why there are cars on the track and not horses in a moment. Also, remember the house at upper left:

00058494 @ LAPL -- http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics47/00058494.jpg

Here's another view probably from mid-1924. The clubhouse looks more complete, or at least less messy:

00035854 @ LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics32/00035854.jpg

Now we're looking sort of NW, again probably in mid-1924. The street behind the grandstand is now Overland
Avenue, then called First Street:

00081841 @ LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/00081/00081841.jpg

Looking toward the SE. I don't know why the roof looked like it had been through a bad windstorm; maybe it had:

00081839 @ LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/00081/00081839.jpg

Here we're looking SE at part of the race track, with eight of the stables beyond the track at upper right. Culver
Boulevard, then Putnam Avenue, runs between the curved end of the track and the MGM studios to the north:

00013220 @ LAPL -- http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics07/00013220.jpg

On January 7, after just 13 days of racing, it was announced that there would be no more races until January 26.
According to Mr. Ferris, "the only reason we are waiting until that time to reopen the gates is for the purpose of
completing the clubhouse, lawn, grand stand, and everything else connected with the plant and it will take that
length of time to do it."

However, betless racing was just not a paying proposition:

February 5, 1924 LA Times @ LAPL

So the horse racing track became an auto racing track, which explains the photos above with cars on the track:


June 15, 1924 LA Times @ LAPL

Two other auto racing events were held there, in July and August.

That fall, the high-banked wooden Culver City Speedway was proposed:

October 7, 1924 LA Times @ LAPL

This photo looks basically north and was probably taken in late October or early November 1924. It shows the second
Culver City Speedway under construction. At middle right, you can see the rectangular imprints left by some of the
former stables. On the left side of the photo, below the uncompleted west grandstand, you can see the same house
that's visible in the first two photos in this post:

00035852 @ LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics32/00035852.jpg

The second Culver City Speedway, probably mid to late November 1924:

00081838 @ LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/00081/00081838.jpg

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Not too many clues in this 'mystery' slide.


eBay

Now that HenryHuntington has identified the location, I was able to find a couple of vintage pictures of 7th and Boyle. They are both from 1928, and seem to be concerned with the leaning utility pole. The arrow in the first image is pointing the way to Sears Roebuck.

"Looking easterly showing leaning pole at northwest corner of 7th and Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles, 1928"


USC Digital Library

This one appears to show the boxy red structure on the far left of e_r's picture.

"Looking westerly showing auto top against pole at 7th and Boyle Avenue, Los Angeles, 1928"


USC Digital Library

Before the freeways, this plot was the site of the Sisters' Orphans Home/Los Angeles Orphanage/LA Orphan Asylum which I posted about in post #27506. Below is a section of the 1921 Baist map from that post.

Originally Posted by HossC

www.historicmapworks.com

I'm still trying to figure out the purpose and location of the boxy red structure mentioned above. At first I thought it was a bridge as it appears to go over 7th Street just west of Boyle Avenue in both 1928 and 1960 (the eBay seller's date for e_r's picture). I've found nothing on the Baist map or Hill’s 1928 street map, and the view below from 1949 doesn't show anything either. Any guesses?

Below, 7th Street is near the bottom of the image, and Boyle Avenue is the dark road in the lower-right corner.


Detail of picture in USC Digital Library

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

With streetcar tracks and the streetlamps just barely visible, it wouldn't be Wilshire. I thought maybe 6th or 7th-- one day we'll find it. It looks like the tracks curve to the right...

Re the 1927 vintage car race, LA to Sacramento-- here's an article giving the starting point as Pershing Square...was hoping it might give a route through the city. Anyway, maybe someone can figure out the location of the above view, apparently somewhere between P Square and Wilshire & Kingsley, as seen in HossC's pic below....


Times Aug 25, 1927

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Re the 1927 vintage car race, LA to Sacramento-- here's an article giving the starting point as Pershing Square...was hoping it might give a route through the city. Anyway, maybe someone can figure out the location of the above view, apparently somewhere between P Square and Wilshire & Kingsley, as seen in HossC's pic below....


Times Aug 25, 1927

"Seven decrepit junk heaps." Why have the event at all?


http://cartype.com/pics/6762/full/cadillac_ad_05.jpg


http://a.imageshack.us/img291/7433/l...ionbroacas.jpg http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=14690



History is blurry regarding Don Lee's demise in August 1934 at age 54. One source states he died in the Lee Suite at the Ambassador during dinner. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/...n_tab_contents Another source alleges that he choked to death. http://www.earlytelevision.org/don_lee_reitan.html While another mentions a heart attack. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lee_%28broadcaster%29 Noirish tragedy followed Don Lee's son, Thomas, who "reportedly developed brain cancer, and was adjudged mentally incompetent in September, 1948. (On Jan. 13, 1950, he jumped to his death from the 12th floor of the Wiltern Building.)" http://www.metnews.com/articles/reminiscing100302.htm



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...erntheater.jpghttp://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7756

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

"Seven decrepit junk heaps." Why have the event at all?

http://a.imageshack.us/img291/7433/l...ionbroacas.jpg http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=14690



History is blurry regarding Don Lee's demise in August 1934 at age 54. One source states he died in the Lee Suite at the Ambassador during dinner. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/...n_tab_contents Another source alleges that he choked to death. http://www.earlytelevision.org/don_lee_reitan.html While another mentions a heart attack. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lee_%28broadcaster%29 Noirish tragedy followed Don Lee's son, Thomas, who "reportedly developed brain cancer, and was adjudged mentally incompetent in September, 1948. (On Jan. 13, 1950, he jumped to his death from the 12th floor of the Wiltern Building.)" http://www.metnews.com/articles/reminiscing100302.htm



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...erntheater.jpghttp://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7756

During the late 1940s Tommy Lee was involved in an accident that left him with spinal injuries, sever back pain, and many other ailments. He was on heavy medication but his ailment also left him with depression. On January 13th of 1950 (Friday the 13th) Tommy had his driver take him to the dentist. He got on the elevator, and went to the 12th floor roof. He leapt from the roof of the Pellissier Building in Los Angeles. He was 43 years old, and left behind a 10 million dollar fortune, a huge automobile and aircraft collection, a radio station, and a television business.

His uncle inherited most of the assets.

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Tommy_Lee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellis...iltern_Theatre

[Tourmaline]

Verne H. Winchell opened his first donut shop on October 8, 1948, in Temple City, CA.
http://winchells.com/wordpress/wp-co...oreOld-300.jpg


https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hp...13592371_n.jpg




. . . and a related "donut" success story.
https://stories.californiasunday.com...doughnut-king/



Vintage Winchell's neon sign in Plummer Park (photo: Joel McKenna)
http://www.wehodaily.com/wp-content/...-winchells.jpg http://www.wehodaily.com/2010/05/30/...k-to-route-66/




Perhaps not surprisingly, as early as 1909, donuts, or rather "doughnuts" were a going concern. Per 1909CD listing, doughnuts were manufactured by the Pendleton Brothers (Ernest and L.T.) at 845 McGarry Street (near the produce market dtla).




Worth a noirish repost?

1937 - Mayflower doughnuts (Eighth and Broadway)
http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=10196


1939

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/22252/rec/5



Dan's - Danny's - Denny's?

Harold Butler and Richard Jezak opened Danny's Donuts in Lakewood, CA in 1953. In 1955, after Jezak's departure from the then-6-store chain, Butler created and changed the concept a year later in 1956, shifting it from a donut shop to a coffee shop with store #8. Danny's Donuts was renamed Danny's Coffee Shops and changed its operation to 24 hours. In 1959, to avoid confusion with Los Angeles restaurant chain Coffee Dan's, Butler changed the name from Danny's Coffee Shops to Denny's Coffee Shops. Two years later, in 1961, Denny's Coffee Shops was simply renamed Denny's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny's

https://www.dennys.com/company/about/

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_fo...d-was-new.html


Danny's - Lakewood, 1957
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_fo...e%20Dennys.jpg


https://41.media.tumblr.com/5435ce92...p8ao1_1280.jpg

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

The intersection seems to be a constant vortex for change.

Appears that the street lighting was in transition. Notice post without lighting fixture



All USC Digital

Notice changed roofing and construction above the drug store - in conformity with - something.

A closer look at a "Wilshire Special" and its neoclassical female adornment. Curious about its history and design. When was first and last erected?

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21593/rec/5


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21593/rec/5

[GaylordWilshire]

BRR-- The shorter pole next to the Wilshire Special column was to be topped by a three-light traffic signal, replacing semaphores.

LAPL