noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by JeffDiego

One of my "specialties" is obscure B starlets of the 40's.

Interesting to think that all of the major studios had many dozens of beautiful young women like these under short-term contract to populate those musical numbers and scenes set in nightclubs, hotel lobbies and swimming pools, sorority houses etc. Few went beyond a handful of mostly uncredited cameos and walk-ons.

ebay

At least these four had their names documented in this 1942 press release.
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[Those Who Squirm!]

Oh I know this...[snapping fingers with a look of intense concentration on my face]...aha. It's that park. You know, the one that had a pond which was later replaced by a planter...

Other than that I've got nothing definitive, although it does look like Highland Park or somewhere else on the way to Pasadena. I wonder if it could be Greayer's Oak Park which is located near 3000 N. Fig, although I am not sure that tiny park ever had a water feature.

(Greayer's Oak is often marked on maps as "Greaver Oak".)

BTW--when you say "be sure to pan", how do we do it? I don't see any link.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's another one..

A park/pond other than Pershing Square. Where might this be?
ebay
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[ethereal_reality]

'be sure to pan' just means to move the image on your screen (my monitor is smaller than some...so maybe you don't need to pan)
It's just an archaic term telling you to be sure and see the whole picture.

Greaver Oak? I'll check it out TWS.

I love this image/I imagine it's quite rare.

ebay

The above view might as well be from a different planet.

long gone -wiped out completely.

google_earth
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[Retired_in_Texas]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a great slide of the Plaza Church. pan right-->
ebay

Can anyone help me out with a date?
-I am unable to do it by looking at the automobile and buses, but I know a lot of you can.

Think how many years school children have been visiting the Plaza. -pretty cool
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I believe the REO bus and the Ford car have been pretty much nailed, though the REO Bus style was manufactured through 1948. Now to the other Bus, which is a bigger challenge. It bears a lot of resemblance to cab over chassis designs manufactured by White, which did indeed manufacture buses at one time. I just haven't been able to nail a likely year and it could well be a post WWII product. Still looking.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Retired_in_Texas

The Ford Convertible in the photo would be either a 1939 or 1940 model. Hard to say for certain as there were few only minor differences in appearance between the two years.

I'm thinking they've probably been bringing school groups since 1930, when the Olvera Street attraction was inaugurated. If the bus is indeed from 1948 as HossC suggests, then we need only figure out how much later than that the picture could have been taken. What with no cars being manufactured during wartime, how far into the forties and fifties would people still have been driving cars from before the war?

Does anyone know what that roundish building on the corner was, or when it was torn down? I know it was there at least until 1952 but beyond that I can't tell. This was where Marchessault Street once continued a block west of Main, but is now a pedestrian walkway in the Plaza Church grounds.

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by Those Who Squirm

Does anyone know what that roundish building on the corner was, or when it was torn down? I know it was there at least until 1952 but beyond that I can't tell. This was where Marchessault Street once continued a block west of Main, but is now a pedestrian walkway in the Plaza Church grounds.

This photo from c. 1937 shows it as the Azteca, 535-1/2 N. Main. I bet we have a shot of it somewhere on this board from another angle. (The church is ready for Halloween).

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00097/00097177.jpg

[HossC]

I've had no luck identifying the other bus, but I think this is the same "roundish building" to the right of the church. This picture has the very precise date of March 17, 1960. March 17 is St. Patrick's day, and I don't see any flags, so does this count as No Irish Los Angeles?


USC Digital Library

While I was looking, I also came across some interesting pictures from the 1920s which feature La Azteca from Noircitydame's post above. The one below is captioned:

"(1927)** - View of the plaza with several men lounging and sitting under a big tree. The Plaza Church can be seen in the background. To the right of the church is a parochial school. Next to the school is Azteca, a jeweler's that also carries religious artifacts."


waterandpower.org

A close-up of La Azteca shows that they had an impressive sidewalk clock.


Detail from image in USC Digital Library

[ethereal_reality]

Nice photographs of the La Azteca building NoirCityDame and Hossc.
I don't recall seeing the sidewalk clock before (although it probably has appeared in other pics of the Plaza on this thread).
It's surprising what one misses sometimes.

[ethereal_reality]

I wonder if this could be a clock as well?

posted by HossC/USC archives
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[Hollywood Graham]

The 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe sports a yellow license. Those plates were used from 1947 to 1950.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I wonder if this could be a clock as well?

posted by HossC/USC archives

Here it is on maximum zoom (with a little sharpening). It does appear to be a clock, but I can't make out the lettering around the outside.

[GaylordWilshire]

"PERPETUAL ADORATION"

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I wonder if this could be a clock as well?

posted by HossC/USC archives
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Could very well be a leftover from the building occupancy by the La Azteca Joyeria. Jewelers (same? different?) going by La Azteca or Azteca had several locations on Main Street--341 N. in 1923, 341 and 535½ N. (as seen next to the Plaza church) in 1927... in 1956, at 330 N. Main.

"Azteca" was a popular name along Main Street.

There was a restaurant...



LATimes March 16, 1936


LAPL


...and a theater at 249 S....



LATimes Nov 20, 1940

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL


A closeup of 316 N. Main... a café and the La Violeta Joyeria in the Bella Union/ St. Charles...so they may all somehow be related....


And earlier...

LAPL

[GaylordWilshire]

While I'm at it--



HDL


330 N. Main....

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Nice photographs of the La Azteca building NoirCityDame and Hossc.
I don't recall seeing the sidewalk clock before (although it probably has appeared in other pics of the Plaza on this thread).
It's surprising what one misses sometimes.

Thanks to all for the info on the Azteca. I first noticed it in the pre-freeway scale model of the block currently displayed in the Avila house, and had always assumed it to have been part of the church campus.

[HossC]

Thanks for deciphering the lettering on the clock, GW. I was convinced the lower word started with a "V".


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


While we're still at the Plaza, the picture below shows the back of the church, and was also taken on March 17, 1960. The Hotel Atlantic and Hotel Pacific are visible on the left, underneath the Post Office Annex. I love the little white Fiat 500 in the foreground - it's about half the size of the other vehicles in the picture.


USC Digital Library

[Those Who Squirm!]

It's interesting how much more common outdoor clocks used to be. I suppose it wasn't automatically given that nearly everybody owned a reliable watch. Inexpensive watches were certainly available, e.g the famous Ingersoll Dollar Watch, but I don't know how reliably they worked.

[so-cal-bear]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

While I'm at it--



HDL


330 N. Main....

The gas holders, Real name Gasometers, the 102 brewery and the Azteca Café. Makje this such a great photo of the history of Los Angeles.

When I was working back in the mid 80's I wondered why they called Mexican restaurants Cafe's and a very old 3rd generation Mexican-American LA Angeleno told me that Mexicans were really looked-down upon and were considered the lowest of the low of people. He told me that story and mentioned why El Cholo Restaurant and El Coyote while serving Mexican food were called Cafe's. Mexican restaurant was a No-No! but a Café was fine.

[GaylordWilshire]

Another shot toward the Plaza church, this one from the USCDL--I noticed that it is very similar to a recent one by HossC (second one below)...assumed it was taken at the same time. But then I noticed something when I previewed this post...can anyone spot the major difference? Quickly now...









Wish I could find a better shot somewhere of the "PERPETUAL ADORATION" clock on the face of the building --which seems to have replaced the freestanding one seen above... btw, I didn't, but some of you may know that "Perpetual Adoration" is a Catholic thing... not sure exactly what to call it.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Hollywood Graham

The 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe sports a yellow license. Those plates were used from 1947 to 1950.

CA finally decided to stick to one-color plates with added yearly stickers.




Images: http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/