noirish Los Angeles

[Godzilla]

Just when I contemplated swearing off dairy . . .


3425 East Colorado Blvd. Milk Delivery from Garden Dairy.


1927

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/2608/rec/50

[Godzilla]

The seamier side to LA County in 1931.

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Viewer discretion advised.


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compou...ow/7906/rec/16


1931

"E-I E-I O"



























































Truck gardens?
















Actually, your looking at it.






Got "RAW" Milk? (Not for long!)





There's hope.







"211"

[Godzilla]

The Sweeter side? (Strangely reminiscent of an infirmiry? "Get well soon!")




1935 - See's Candy Co., 519 Washington Blvd. (Seen this on the DWP site, but maybe not on NLA)


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3844/rec/80







Did Paul Whiteman frequent See's?






http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/...46#post5898946

[Engine54]

Looking at the positioning of L.A. County Patriotic Hall in the background, I would say this was the block which is mosty taken by a Chevron Gas Station today. The remainder of the block is mostly part of the Metro Blue Line right-of-way. Those dual torch street lights survived until the early 1980's FYI.

Originally Posted by Godzilla

The Sweeter side? (Strangely reminiscent of an infirmiry? "Get well soon!")




1935 - See's Candy Co., 519 Washington Blvd. (Seen this on the DWP site, but maybe not on NLA)


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3844/rec/80







Did Paul Whiteman frequent See's?






http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/...46#post5898946

[lead2203]

Originally Posted by HossC

Here's another building I found while searching USC for pictures of South Vermont. The address in the description seems to belong to the photographer: "Photo by Coy Watson Photos / A credit line is appreciated / 118 South Vermont Avenue / Los Angeles 4, Calif. / DRexel 2751". The Mayan Hotel (or Hotel Mayan) was at 3049 W 8th Street.


USC Digital Library

The building is now the Mayan Apartments. I was going to post a GSV image, but then I found this better one on loopnet.com. Their description says:

"The Mayan Apartments is a 5-story brick building built in 1926. The building is located west of Vermont Avenue on the northwest corner of 8th Street and New Hampshire Avenue in an extremely strong rental market. The unit mix consists of 129 bachelors, 6 one bedroom/one bath, 1 two-bedroom/one bath, and 1 three-bedroom/two bath unit. Additionally there are 6 commercial storefront units. All apartment units are master metered."


www.loopnet.com

The main structure of the blade sign is still present on the front, and one word of the roof sign also survives.


GSV



Thanks. I did the GSV panorama using Photomerge on an old version of PhotoShop.

The other cool thing in these pics is ...its being fixed up. Hopefully it wont be a cheap job... like we have seen too many times....
Its probably done be now..I wonder if there is a newer pic of it? I will see what I can find.

[SMB Streamline Mod]

Here's a side-by side of the Wurdeman & Becket Streamline Moderne in West Hollywood - 1938 next to 2014. Remarkable to see how little has changed.



Photo credit for B&W photo: Wurdeman & Becket, Bruce Becket Archives
Photo credit for color photo: Hunter Kerhart, http://www.hunterkerhart.com

[SMB Streamline Mod]

This photo of the Santa Monica Blvd Streamline Moderne appeared in the Washington State College Alumni magazine in 1940. Dr Eugene C Jones was an alumni of WSC.

Love the description: "Into this modernistic building go many personalities of the movie industry whose dogs or cats need expert treatment."

Interesting fact - Welton Becket was born in Seattle, and Wurdeman & Becket both graduated from the University of Washington. Coincidence...?

[Wig-Wag]

[QUOTE=Godzilla;6673496]The seamier side to LA County in 1931.

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Viewer discretion advised.


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compou...ow/7906/rec/16


1931

"E-I E-I O"




Yummy! What a wonderful first course to a great visual repast. At least the pig looks eager!

Cheers,
Jack

[ProphetM]

I came across this very strange sign in a restaurant recently and it has left me utterly confused.



It's made of wood and the font seems very retro. It has likely been on this wall for many years, if not decades. The elevation figure seems accurate. And yet the listed population is higher than Hollywood has ever had, even up to today. And did Santa Fe even have any lines in Hollywood at all?

How very odd.

[Wig-Wag]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

I came across this very strange sign in a restaurant recently and it has left me utterly confused.



It's made of wood and the font seems very retro. It has likely been on this wall for many years, if not decades. The elevation figure seems accurate. And yet the listed population is higher than Hollywood has ever had, even up to today. And did Santa Fe even have any lines in Hollywood at all?

How very odd.

ProphetM Santa Fe did not have a rail presence in Hollywood. However
they did have a Harvey House for their Santa Fe Trailways bus at 1735 Chauenga Boulevard.

See: http://laist.com/2010/01/30/laistory...n_cahuenga.php



However, I suspect it may be a movie prop as the lettering is extremely clean and sharp and even for wood period piece. Also, the logos are from an earlier period than the Harvey House. See Tourmaline's post below.

Cheers,
Jack

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

I came across this very strange sign in a restaurant recently and it has left me utterly confused.

It's made of wood and the font seems very retro. It has likely been on this wall for many years, if not decades. The elevation figure seems accurate. And yet the listed population is higher than Hollywood has ever had, even up to today. And did Santa Fe even have any lines in Hollywood at all?

How very odd.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/...a645e0b3_b.jpg

Could it have been a movie prop? Used in a commercial? Where would sign have been originally posted, indoor or outdoors? Evidence of wear? Per my limited understanding, Super Chief terminated in Pasadena. Depending upon one's breadth of definitional geography, that's LA.

http://cruiselinehistory.com/wp-cont...ace-10_002.jpg


Wig-Wag mentioned Santa Fe-Trailways' former Hollywood presence at 1735 Cahuenga. I doubt it had anything to do with the sign. Rather than being anachronistic, I suspect it was more authentic make-believe.

Speaking of wood construction, this partially-wood-constructed bus reportedly transported WWII defense plant workers in or around Santa Monica and Burbank. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...rld_War_II.JPG

http://assets.blog.hemmings.com/wp-c...01_resized.jpg

[Martin Pal]

Worth remembering: Thirty years ago, like a Hollywood movie set, Los Angeles was re-designed for a memorable two weeks:


www.fastcompany.com


www.3pointD.com

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by Wig-Wag

ProphetM Santa Fe did not have a rail presence in Hollywood. However
they did have a Harvey House for their Santa Fe Trailways bus at 1735 Chauenga Boulevard.

See: http://laist.com/2010/01/30/laistory...n_cahuenga.php



However, I suspect it may be a movie prop as the lettering is extremely clean and sharp and even for wood period piece. Also, the logos are from an earlier period than the Harvey House. See Tourmaline's post below.

Cheers,
Jack

Yes, movie prop could be the answer. The sign had only some light wear, so it was either posted indoors or was outdoors for only a short time. Do you know the time period when Santa Fe used that lettering style in their logo?

This sign is located in the Idle Spurs Steakhouse in Barstow, which has been operating since 1950, and under that name since the 1970s. The sign could be from any time. A different room has several metal road signs that are definitely authentic, and are about 90-100 years old.

[Wig-Wag]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

Yes, movie prop could be the answer. The sign had only some light wear, so it was either posted indoors or was outdoors for only a short time. Do you know the time period when Santa Fe used that lettering style in their logo?

This sign is located in the Idle Spurs Steakhouse in Barstow, which has been operating since 1950, and under that name since the 1970s. The sign could be from any time. A different room has several metal road signs that are definitely authentic, and are about 90-100 years old.

ProphetM, The logo on the sign dates from 1901. I knew I had seen some reference on the various Santa Fe logos in the past, but it took me while to locate the source. I should already known the era as I worked for the Santa Fe in LA as a switchman in the 1960's and some of this stuff you just pick up through osmosis. The logo on the sign is the reverse (black on white) version.

See:http://www.atsfrr.com/resources/Trademarks/Index.htm

Cheers,
Jack

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

Yes, movie prop could be the answer. The sign had only some light wear, so it was either posted indoors or was outdoors for only a short time. Do you know the time period when Santa Fe used that lettering style in their logo?

As long as there are collectors there will be reproductions and reproductions of reproductions. It is becoming more and more difficult to tell original from copy. This includes every day ephemera and buildings. Is there an Richfield Tower in Anaheim or Orlando?


HossC: Maybe you can work a little magic on the following? Try as I have, my panoramic images are impossibly tepid and even disjointed.


1932 - Fox Studios 1572 West Pico http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single.../id/4365/rec/7















1927 - Hollywood Blvd. http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single.../id/4232/rec/8




The Henry Duffy Players.




http://image1.findagrave.com/photos2...7709026972.jpg

[Godzilla]

A photo I do not think has been previously posted on NLA.






1945 - Wilshire and Highland.


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3870/rec/22



















Fritz Burns house of tomorrow. 1946
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/...ng_house_0.jpg

Much larger here: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mags/...ng_house_0.jpg



http://37.media.tumblr.com/e92e6ad43...90ro4_1280.jpg

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

....some noirish looking gals, circa 1933.




ebay
__

Interesting how the definition of "thin" changes, no?

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Godzilla

A photo I do not think has been previously posted on NLA.





http://37.media.tumblr.com/e92e6ad43...90ro4_1280.jpg

People were desperate for new housing in 1946 because there were virtually no homes built during WW II. This model home on Wilshire Blvd., was a sensation.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/midcen...7622869490406/






More photos here.........https://www.flickr.com/photos/midcen...7622869490406/

[loyalton]

Okay, so where's the modern version of that LA icon, the backyard incinerator? There are a couple of mysterious hatches by the back door shown in the flickr collection (I can't read the text there), but running an incinerator next to the house would be a bad idea. Using the BBQ for your burning needs was made illegal sometime in 1946.

[FredH]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug


Is the photo Spade or someone else? Looks like Spade to me....western suit, boots and his band members on site.

Western Swing musician [B

Spade Cooley[/B] was indicted on April 26, 1961 by a Kern County grand jury for the April 3 murder of his wife at the couple's Willow Springs home.

Spade was convicted of first-degree murder by a Kern County, CA jury on August 21, 1961 after unexpectedly withdrawing an insanity plea. He was spared death in the gas chamber and sentenced to life in prison.

Was Spade on 90 day parole before he was sent to prison? He meets Nixon after he was convicted? Historically all of this is interesting and most curious.[/SIZE]

One of the other original photos posted by Tourmaline had signs showing that this rally was for the re-election of the Eisenhower/Nixon ticket. This would have been the 1956 presidential election. Spade Cooley was still a few years away from doing in the wife.


A note to ER - You have always been the most gracious and fair minded host that anyone could hope for. The ongoing success of this thread is due to your dedication and valuable input. I hope that you do not feel responsible for the few that decide to leave. The rest of us...we thank you.