noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Does anyone remember Marlem's Fried Chicken?


ebay

What architectural 'style' (I use the term loosely) would you call this-...............-something like Hollywood Regency + Second Empire?

At first glance I thought that was a sculpture towards the back. (I don't believe it's a side door....because the front door is quite understated)

I just had a thought. Is it the 'drive-thru' window?



a P.O. box address? maybe this chicken chain never materialized.

__

[ethereal_reality]

I could be wrong, but I don't believe we have seen this photograph on nla.

The East Side Club, 1896


found on flickr / originally from lapl

"Group photo of the East Side Club members with their bicycles piled in a heap, in front of them. Los Angeles, California." -ozfan22

I thought the men had sweaters tied around their necks, but if you look closely they're actually oversized bow ties. (see below)


detail

__



update:

I just found a second photograph of the East Side Club at Santa Monica Next



here's their description:

"Group photo of the East Side Cycle Club, showing a banner for the club, taken on the beach at Santa Monica near the old North Beach Bath House."

hmmm..so that's interesting.

I thought the club house in the photograph was probably in East Los Angeles somewhere.
If you look at the first photograph again, it doesn't look like a beach to me.

For one thing, if it was Santa Monica...wouldn't the palisades be visible in the background?

__

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

For one thing, if it was Santa Monica...wouldn't the palisades be visible in the background?

__

Maybe they were up on the palisades?

1890, "North Beach and bathhouse looking towards the Santa Monica Mountains":

smpl

It's so different since they made the cut for PCH.

[Beaudry]

Apropos of yesterday's post about the triumvirate on Grand, I just recalled, there was this newly-added postcard among the recently accessioned Marquez collection at the Huntington.

HDL

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Does anyone remember Marlem's Fried Chicken?


ebay

What architectural 'style' (I use the term loosely) would you call this-...............-something like Hollywood Regency + Second Empire?

At first glance I thought that was a sculpture towards the back. (I don't believe it's a side door....because the front door is quite understated)

I just had a thought. Is it the 'drive-thru' window?



a P.O. box address? maybe this chicken chain never materialized.

__

Never heard of it. Construing the best I can from this

https://www.chowhound.com/post/happened-chicken-867341

it seems to be an east coast phenomenon, centered ? around Washington, D.C. It appears that at least one location is still to be found.

I can hear the owner discussing his hopes with the architect: "Listen, Charlie, we can only afford a one-story; but can we stick things on it to make it more imposing streetside?"

Actually, they could have used the "inspired by Mansard roofs" panels to have an "open to the sky but closing out the neighboring buildings" rooftop dining area. But did they ask me? No.

I think the arch is just a thematic design element to give a little distinction, echoed as it is by the similar high window ? arch on the other side. "Just look for the concrete arches in your neighborhood..."

[HossC]

I've got some mid-century residential pictures from Julius Shulman today. It's "Job 2039: Palmer and Krisel, Midland Meadows (Fullerton, Calif.), 1955".



I'm trying to work out if that's a barbecue or an incinerator on the back of the chimney seen through the window.



The last image shows how the roof apex gave room for extra windows.



All from Getty Research Institute

From a page at kriselconnection.com:

In 1955 Midland Properties developed two Palmer & Krisel-designed subdivisions in Fullerton, California – Midland Meadows and Midland Park Estates. Midland Park Estates was of course centered around a park, while Midland Meadows was touted as an all-cul-de-sac community, offering quiet, safer streets to home buyers.

I'm not exactly sure where the boudaries of Midland Meadows are, but all the houses I found claiming to be from there are in the blocks just west of Fullerton Metrocenter. It's not clear if the all the Shulman pictures are from a single house, but if anyone feels like gassing up the Googlemobile to take a look ...

There's a 2007 obituary to Dan Saxon Palmer in the LA Times. William (Bill) Krisel is now in his 90s - you can read his bio at ncmodernist.org.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by HossC

I'm trying to work out if that's a barbecue or an incinerator on the back of the chimney seen through the window.

I'm pretty sure it's a barbecue.

Cheers,

Earl

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by HossC

I've got some mid-century residential pictures from Julius Shulman today. It's "Job 2039: Palmer and Krisel, Midland Meadows (Fullerton, Calif.), 1955".



I'm trying to work out if that's a barbecue or an incinerator on the back of the chimney seen through the window.



The last image shows how the roof apex gave room for extra windows.



All from Getty Research Institute

From a page at kriselconnection.com:

In 1955 Midland Properties developed two Palmer & Krisel-designed subdivisions in Fullerton, California – Midland Meadows and Midland Park Estates. Midland Park Estates was of course centered around a park, while Midland Meadows was touted as an all-cul-de-sac community, offering quiet, safer streets to home buyers.

I'm not exactly sure where the boudaries of Midland Meadows are, but all the houses I found claiming to be from there are in the blocks just west of Fullerton Metrocenter. It's not clear if the all the Shulman pictures are from a single house, but if anyone feels like gassing up the Googlemobile to take a look ...

There's a 2007 obituary to Dan Saxon Palmer in the LA Times. William (Bill) Krisel is now in his 90s - you can read his bio at ncmodernist.org.

Wow, I grew up just a block from there - on Maxzim just west of Lombard. These cul-de-sacs back up to houses facing Lombard. If it was an all-cul-de-sac community then Midland Meadows must have been a very small development, as there are just 4 cul-de-sacs there, extending west from Richman Ave. - two pairs of cul-de-sacs separated by Baker Ave. I traveled that block every day. My kindergarten was Woodcrest school, directly across the street from two of those cul-de-sacs. We moved when I was 16 so I don't really have memories of distinctive architecture, and my house being outside the boundaries of this development was a more standard design. It was built in 1958 I believe. I undoubtedly knew some kids who lived in these Palmer & Krisel houses.

If you use the 3D satellite view in Google Maps you can still see the backyard barbecue attached to the chimney on a lot of these houses.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I could be wrong, but I don't believe this intriguing photograph has been posted on NLA. ( partially because it's mislabeled in the USC archive)

"View of Sunset Boulevard from the roof of the Chamber of Commerce building, [s.d.]"


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/21455/rec/3

"At center, a large street spans from left to right, annexed by smaller streets or alleys in the foreground, at perpendicular angles.
Farther in the distance, the tallest building in the view can be seen, topped by a small rotunda.; Legible signs from left to right include:
"Beverly Hotel", "S.G. Steppers", "Prince Albert", "Safeway Tire Stores", "Caterpillar Tires", "Elzee Motor Co. Used Cars", "Iris Apartments",
"California Fireproof Storage Company", and "Moss Photographer"."

We see two buildings, the Beverly Hotel & the Iris Apartments, that were included in Flyingwedge's recent Olive Street post.

You'll be pleased to know that the caption for the picture above has now been corrected, and I also forwarded some extra information. What surprised me during my research was how many buildings (in addition at the Beverly and Iris) were still standing.


Detail of picture above

The California Fireproof Storage Co's Warehouse No 2 was at 1320 Margo Street. Here it is today, although, sadly, there are no ghost signs.


GSV

Also in the detail picture above, Century Cords at 306 W Pico Boulevard and Modern Auto Supply Co at 308 W Pico Boulevard. This advert for the former can be found in Motion Picture News (Sep - Oct 1926).


archive.org

The building with the "Moss Photographer" sign is still standing (we've seen it before, here), but the ones to its left, including the one which housed Century Cords, were taken out when S Olive Street was realigned.


GSV

By contrast, the 200 block of W Pico appears to be relatively intact, although it's hard to get a good picture with all the trees.


GSV

The businesses on this block in the USC image are: the G S Donaldson Investment Co at 200 W Pico Boulevard; S G Stephens (also corrected in the USC description) at 206 W Pico Boulevard; and the Safeway Tire Co at 214 W Pico Boulevard. I couldn't read the bright neon sign at what is now 222 W Pico, but it was almost certainly connected to the auto trade.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by HossC

I couldn't read the bright neon sign at what is now 222 W Pico, but it was almost certainly connected to the auto trade.

Playing with the gamma and contrast doesn't yield much, but a guess is:

[???] School [??] Safety

or some such.

Cheers,

Earl

[ethereal_reality]

re: Midland Meadows, Fullerton CA

Originally Posted by HossC

If anyone feels like gassing up the Googlemobile to take a look ...

I took your bait Hoss . I might have located the house sans the decorative screen.

The windows all appear to line up and there's a pipe on the roof that matches the 1955 photograph as well.


Julius Shulman, 1955



I found it on the northern-most cul-de-sac on W. Woodcrest Avenue.

Whataya think?
__

[tovangar2]

They've gotten rid of the rock roofs too.


........................................................................

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Thanks, yes, let us know if you hear anything!

The WGA hasn't written back...yet, but Bill Counter at Los Angeles Theaters is on the case and found some 1976 references to the Writers Guild Theater:

The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on December 4 ...
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167104328/
Dec 4, 1976 - His affection for the theater is clear but there is a need now to broaden, ... at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Writers Guild Theater, 9038 Melrose Ave.


The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on May 17, 1976 ...
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/165630099/
May 17, 1976 - Sponsored by the Sherwood Oaks Experimental College and open to the public, the seminars will be held at the Writers Guild. 9038 Melrose ...


Valley News from Van Nuys, California · Page 71 - Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30359040/
Dec 5, 1976 - The program starts at 7 p.m. The Writer's Guild Theatre is at 9038 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. (That's where you buy the tickets.) For further ...

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

re: Midland Meadows, Fullerton CA


I took your bait Hoss . I might have located the house sans the decorative screen.

The windows all appear to line up and there's a pipe on the roof that matches the 1955 photograph as well.


Julius Shulman, 1955



I found it on the northern-most cul-de-sac on W. Woodcrest Avenue.

Whataya think?
__

These are tract homes so there is actually more than one house of that design in the development. I count 2 or 3 on each cul-de-sac, which look different now due to window replacements but might have looked the same when new.

[ethereal_reality]

[Flyingwedge]

Does anyone recognize this building, pictured in the September 1919 Architect and Engineer of California?



Google Books


2022 Update:

I'm pretty sure this is 680 Witmer, built in 1916, on the SEC of Ingraham. The number of floors, windows, as well as the
decorative masonry on the top floor all strongly resemble 680 Witmer, seen here in the May 2016 GSV. The entrance has
changed, and all but one of the windows on the south side have been unarched, but I still think the old pic is 680 Witmer.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

These are tract homes so there is actually more than one house of that design in the development. I count 2 or 3 on each cul-de-sac, which look different now due to window replacements but might have looked the same when new.

Does anyone know the street address of this house?

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Does anyone know the street address of this house?

This is 530 W. Woodcrest Ave. Another possible candidate is at 525 W. Woodcrest but it's fenced in and hard to see. 501, 519, and 530 W. Gage are also contenders. There is a very similar design on the southern two cul-de-sacs but the windows along the front seem to be 2 big/2 small on those instead of 3 big/1 small.

[HossC]

I had a bit more time to look around the area today. Although there are several houses with a similar design, the one that e_r found is one of the best matches. The only reason I ruled it out was the roof on the house to the left, which seems to slope a different way to the one in the Shulman photo. I did, however, find this picture of one of the chimney barbecues in the listing for 524 W Woodcrest Avenue - it now seems to be indoors!


www.realtor.com (enlarged from original)

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

The WGA hasn't written back...yet, but Bill Counter at Los Angeles Theaters is on the case and found some 1976 references to the Writers Guild Theater:

The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on December 4 ...
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/167104328/
Dec 4, 1976 - His affection for the theater is clear but there is a need now to broaden, ... at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Writers Guild Theater, 9038 Melrose Ave.


The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on May 17, 1976 ...
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/165630099/
May 17, 1976 - Sponsored by the Sherwood Oaks Experimental College and open to the public, the seminars will be held at the Writers Guild. 9038 Melrose ...


Valley News from Van Nuys, California · Page 71 - Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30359040/
Dec 5, 1976 - The program starts at 7 p.m. The Writer's Guild Theatre is at 9038 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. (That's where you buy the tickets.) For further ...

Thanks, Tovangar2. It would make sense if AMPAS left for it's new building in 1975 that the WGA may have taken it over by 1976! I wonder how long it was there after that?

[HossC]

I think this is the first aircraft training building I've featured in the Julius Shulman posts. It's "Job 5157: Garland and Hilles, Flight Safety Inc. (Long Beach, Calif.), 1974".



The other shot shows the training simulator.



Both from Getty Research Institute

The front has gained a railing, and more buildings have been added at the rear, but the main structure has hardly changed. I did spot one small difference - the address has changed from 4332 to 4330 Donald Douglas Drive.


GSV