noirish Los Angeles

[HossC]

With the fairly recent (and excellent) posts by Lorendoc and 3940dxer about the Lookout Mountain Inn still fresh in my mind, I spotted this postcard on Ebay tonight (3940dxer posted a view of the same card in post #6482).


Ebay

What I don't remember seeing before is the reverse:


Ebay

In addition to the interesting black text, I believe the lighter text on the left says:

This little view is presented to you as a representative of many more to be seen on our scenic driveway up beautiful Lookout Mountain, where home-sites await the most fastidious. Secure reservations to go with us at once and let us show you. Prices range from $150.00 up.
No Interest. No Tax. No Assessments.
M. D. HALL. Sales Manager

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by alanlutz

sopas, is it just coincidence that this smog photo just appeared on FB from L.A. as Subject? Are you perhaps related to to that page or following it? Just askin'.

I saw this on fb from L.A. as Subject and decided to post it here. I do follow a few Los Ángeles pages on fb...

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Moxie

I found yesterday's debate about gentrification really interesting. It's something I can see the pros and cons to, and I usually fall on the side of favoring it because it so often results in the rescue/saving of historic architecture. That being said, I can also see that much of the "restoration" of history isn't really restoring it to how it was, but how people wish it was. There's no perfect solution to handling historic restoration, and as an historian I am glad to see things preserved one way or the other. You do run the risk of something like Angel's Flight coming across to tourists and the younger generations as a brand new gimmick, rather than an historic treasure. For those who've ridden it, do they explain to people the history of it at all? At least having signs posted or brochures to pick up or something?

And ditto to what everyone else has said about the quality of your photos, Hunter. I've been enjoying them immensely.

Regarding preservation, we don't have a terrifically good record on that when it comes to the officially sanctioned government decreed variety. I keep coming back to the decimation of the Plaza neighborhood that went on for decades after the dedication of Olvera Street in 1930 and the designation of the state historical monument in 1953. As of 1953 what buildings were left were mostly padlocked and their residents or commercial tenants sent on their way--after which the decay set in. After that, the paramount consideration seems to have been to retain just a couple of attractions--Olvera Street and the Plaza Church--and then bulldoze nearly everything else to make way for wasteful at-grade parking lots in order to accommodate just those two things.

So I don't mind a little gentrification now and then, because the people behind that do a much better job of preservation.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Lwize

The structure in the middle of Circle Park is a water fountain and reflecting pool, turned off and left dry decades ago. I used to live nearby.

This is L.A.

All water features are turned off eventually, usually to be converted into planters.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

The camera was clearly elevated. Probably beyond two stories.

Sometimes the finished picture can look as if the camera was elevated without that actually having been so.

Here's a pic I took last year at the Kings' victory parade, and I still don't know how it happened, but I was standing on the sidewalk with everyone else. I did hold the camera overhead as high as I could, though.


Own work

Most likely I was aiming too high so I only caught the crowd several blocks down the street, but the overall effect is rather startiling.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

As far as unsupported rumors though, I have heard a few concerning scaled down personal railroads in the area, similar to those popularized by Walt Disney and Travel Town.

I'm not aware of any although that certainly doesn't mean they didn't exist. I'd expect that any such "railroads" would have been more along the lines of "ride-able" model trains, perhaps set up for the amusement of children.

On the other hand some owners owners of hillside mansions did set up funicular lifts to make it easier to get to their front doors from the street. I don't know of any in Coldwater Canyon itself, but I have seen the remains of one or two in neighboring Higgins Canyon, better known today as North Beverly Drive.

[Lorendoc]

Originally Posted by HossC

With the fairly recent (and excellent) posts by Lorendoc and 3940dxer about the Lookout Mountain Inn still fresh in my mind, I spotted this postcard on Ebay tonight...What I don't remember seeing before is the reverse:


Ebay

Thank you HossC for the reverse view of the postcard. I think we've seen other things from the Van Ornum Colorprint Co. before. It seems odd the LMI's chicken dinner would be the same price as a room.

And also thank you to Godzilla, CBDoug, Chucklk, BifRR, GaylordW et al. on all the Gage Mansion follow-up. Amazing. This sort of instant collaborative research would not have been possible even just a few years ago. I hope this thread is being preserved somehow.

dxer3940 is in Asia now but will be back by November, he has many more things on his "to visit" list I am sure.

[JScott]

I heartily recommend perusing this blog on tumblr. I must say – this person has excellent taste when it comes to historical images of Los Angeles. A great many of the photos literally ooze noir...

http://memoriastoica.tumblr.com/tagg...ngeles+history

[JScott]

Elevator door, Bullocks Wilshire.


gildedjuggernaut on tumblr.

[HossC]

Way back in post #3529, E_R posted a great series of pictures of the Town House dating from around 1951-55. One of the pictures was this:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

below: The famous Zebra Room.


usc digital archive

Yesterday I found a couple of copies of the postcard below on Ebay. One of them has a postmark dating this picture of the Zebra Room to 1940. It lives up to the "zebra" name more than the later version, but maybe the seats proved to be too much for its clientele.


Ebay (despeckled/color tweaked)

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

My guess is that the b/w photo was taken in what I suppose is El Sereno from about Valley Boulevard and Beatie Place, give or take a block or so. This photo looks north from near that intersection across the former SP tracks:

GSV

Regarding the arrow pointing west for the (Mountain?) Highway to Pasadena, South Pasadena, and Alhambra, my only guess is that you had to go back west to where you could cross the railroad tracks, then travel north and east.

Thanks for pinpointing my Valentino photograph Flyingwedge! You're amazing.
__

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

"Panorama of Point Fermin, the outer harbor and Timms Point at the San Pedro Harbor, ca.1905".

USC Digital Library

Zooming in on the picture above I found some text on the hill in the background that says "Lot For Sale G H Peck". Other than references to Gregory Peck, I don't recall the name Peck being mentioned here before.

Fun discovery HossC!


I found a Geo. H. Peck (real estate) listed in the 1915 Los Angeles City Directory.

http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...cWebBrowse.jsp



The directory gives his residence address as 1315 West Adams.

GSV




The wrought-iron gate even has the street number 1315 in gold. The place looks haunted, and I love it ever so much.

GSV
__



-per the 1915 directory, G.H. Peck's real estate office was on the fourth floor of the twelve story Marsh & Strong Building (built 1914)

brand new at the time! -built the previous year-

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thed...-shot-dow.html

The white enamel brick was made by the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Co. The roof-top sign consisted of electric light bulbs.
But what's that brick wall-like structure across the street? (lower left hand corner)



detail by Larry Harnisch at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thed...-shot-dow.html

I'd certainly like to eavesdrop on that conversation taking place on the corner.
-It looks like the ground floor windows haven't been installed yet.




-an advertisement for the Bimini Baths on the streetcar.

Larry Harnisch athttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2009/02/random-shot-dow.html



-window washers one floor above Peck's office.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thed...-shot-dow.html

__

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

Bevonshire Lodge at 7575 Beverly Blvd.


Ebay

A rare night-time view of the Bevonshire Lodge. (MOTEL at this point in time)

old cd of mine.



-annotated, Ruth and Co.

ocdom

As stated before, this 'space-age' relic is pretty much intact.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Isn't this right opposite the Red Line terminal? I remember it being mentioned in the press when the subway station opened.

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

North Hollywood Railway Station -- built in 1896, photographed in 1927:


[source: Los Angeles Public Library]

Surprisingly, the station still exists:


[source: Los Angeles Daily News]

Even more surprising: restoration work on the station is about to begin!

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by HossC

Zooming in on the picture above I found some text on the hill in the background that says "Lot For Sale G H Peck". Other than references to Gregory Peck, I don't recall the name Peck being mentioned here before.

Hey HossC, think I can add on a little bit of info about George Peck, in addition to the great info that E_R posted about his office and home. He was "a leading developer and benefactor of San Pedro," according to sanpedro.com. Before he moved into his new digs on W. Adams, he had a home built for himself in 1887, not far from where the photo you posted was taken, in San Pedro. It still stands today, at 380 W. 15th Street, though obviously it has been greatly altered:

LAOkay

Apparently it was raised up and had a commercial first floor added at the bottom, after it was moved to its present location, in 1915, the same year Peck was listed as living on Adams. I guess by this time, he had moved on from San Pedro. It was probably a grand home in its day.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The wrought-iron gate even has the street number 1315 in gold. The place looks haunted, and I love it ever so much.

GSV
__

All the address above needs is a slight alteration to "1313" to come even closer to the Munster house.... I wonder if the gate dates from the construction of the house? It appears to have been built by William H. Bonsall in 1900. He died in 1905, with Peck moving in the next year.

Here's his obit from the LAT, July 21, 1905. One source says that Bonsallo Ave, not far away from 1315, was named for him, although I'm not sure where the extra "o" came from. At first glance I thought he was posing with his pet goose....

[ethereal_reality]

re: George H. Peck's home in San Pedro

Originally Posted by Tetsu

380 W. 15th Street, San Pedro
LAOkay

Good find Tetsu!

I had to check this intriguing place out for myself.

GSV

It's been painted.

-from this angle you can see that it was quite an impressive home back in the day.

GSV
__

[ethereal_reality]

Has anyone heard of the Brownsberger Commercial College?

ebay


-business colleges were quite abundant in 1905.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/


1910 ad/Woodbury College

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/


-couldn't resist posting this.
used searchlight from Angels Flight for sale.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

[so-cal-bear]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

All the address above needs is a slight alteration to "1313" to come even closer to the Munster house.... I wonder if the gate dates from the construction of the house? It appears to have been built by William H. Bonsall in 1900. He died in 1905, with Peck moving in the next year.

Here's his obit from the LAT, July 21, 1905. One source says that Bonsallo Ave, not far away from 1315, was named for him, although I'm not sure where the extra "o" came from. At first glance I thought he was posing with his pet goose....

None of that block had fences when I lived there as a 10 year old here's proof. I don't live there anymore but here's a photo of me in 1983 (I'm somewhere there, the light skinned young kid with the long hair blocking half his forehead) I always loved those 3 houses on Adams and Ellendale even as a kid in the early 1980's. 1315 was always tattered-looking, even then! The house to it's left was facelifted in 83' and it looked nice, I lived there from 1973 when I we moved out in 1988 when I lived close to it. But all of Adam's Street block from Ellendale to Vermont was never fenced in. I looked at the Google street views and I'm surprised, sad how every single property along at Adams and Ellendale beyond Vermont is fenced-in.

[HossC]

Thanks to E_R, Tetsu and GW for your great replies regarding the residences of George H Peck. I'm hoping that the well-trimmed hedges of the West Adams house mean that someone's looking after it. As for the house in San Pedro, I don't recall any other buildings having a first floor added (molested and vandalized modernized, yes, but not added). They normally gain or lose floors from the top. The nearest I can think of is the Alhambra and Alhambra Annex turning their basements into their first floors when Broadway was regraded (see post #13060 by ProphetM).


-----------------------------------


I was looking through the pictures on the tumblr blog recommended by JScott a few posts back when I spotted a night shot of a familiar motel. I originally posted a picture of the Yucca in post #16639, and since E_R has just posted a night shot of the Bevonshire, originally from the same post, I thought this would fit nicely. The neon seems to have replaced the nice painted scene on the end wall. I'm guessing this pictue is from the late '50s as that appears to be a '57 Ford in the center.


memoriastoica.tumblr.com

Here's a couple more daytime views. The cars in the lower picture look older than the top one, but I don't recognize them.


zilf on Flickr

Originally Posted by HossC

Ebay