noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Los Angeles Times 11-25-1925

Los Angeles Times 1-22-1922

Los Angeles Times 8-17-1940


And the beginning of the end, at least officially. The U.S. Supreme Court would outlaw race covenants in 1948. (Btw, the L.A. Bar Association was still allowing only caucasians to join as late as 1947.)
Los Angeles Times 12-6-1945


And there are hundreds and hundreds of other examples....

[3940dxer]

I'm not sure how you found them, but thank you for posting these pieces. (How did you find these articles, which ran as "straight" non-controversial real estate stories at the time, and don't seem to contain any obvious keywords?)

I knew that "restrictions" and segregation were part the fabric of L.A. society back then, but it's a different thing to read those guiltless and overt period articles.

Coincidentally, I have been listening to Randy Newman's Good Old Boys album lately, which bluntly addresses some of these issues. In particular, the opening song Rednecks is an in your face reminder that anyone who thinks that institutionalized racism was a "Southern problem" needs to open their eyes some.

OK, rant over, thanks again GW, and happy new year, everyone!

[ethereal_reality]

In this map of Los Angeles County created by George W. Kirkland you can spot a N*gger Slough in the San Pedro/Long Beach area.



http://digital.lapl.org/ItemDetails.aspx?id=6407&pp=1

There are other interesting names in this map. It looks as if Terminal Island used to be Rattlesnake Island
(and a Dead Man's Island is thrown in for good measure).



below: Here is this extremely interesting map in it's entirety.


http://digital.lapl.org/ItemDetails.aspx?id=6407&pp=1







below: In this 1938 map of Los Angeles Harbor and vicinity the name is retained for the Gardena Valley & N*gger Slough Drainage Channel.




http://digital.lapl.org/ItemDetails.aspx?id=6425&pp=1






below: Here is the 1938 map in it's entirety (scroll right to see the drainage ditch).



http://digital.lapl.org/ItemDetails.aspx?id=6425&pp=1

[ethereal_reality]

...and of course 'Calle de los Negos' (aka N*gger Alley) has been covered many times in this thread.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...mplesearch.htm




below: Links to the older posts. It was fun reading them again.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1379


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2519


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2528


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2540


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2556


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2612

____

[3940dxer]

All excellent and interesting stuff, and that gigantic old map is really great. Thanks, e_r.

The Twilight Zone marathon is on today. Most of it was filmed on sound stages, studio lots, and out of town but I wonder if there are any Noirish L.A. scenes in any of the old B&W episodes?

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by FredH

Out of the Past (1947)

I LOVED your screen grab post FredH! Excellent job
If I remember correctly, the old Beaudry House was located behind the Brunswig Drug Company Bldg.
It was arguably our best 'discovery' on this thread.

_____

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

The Twilight Zone marathon is on today. Most of it was filmed on sound stages and out of town but I wonder if there are any Noirish L.A. scenes in any of the old B&W episodes?

We think alike 3940.
Even when the action leaves the sound stage, the back lot is used instead of actual locations which is extremely disappointing
to us old L.A. fans.

I know of an episode of The Outer Limits that takes place entirely in the Bradbury Building. There is even a brief scene in the basement. I tried to take some screen grabs but they didn't turn out very well. I'll see if I can dig them up.

Enjoy the marathon!

[RudyJK]

Originally Posted by RudyJK

Once, with friends, we drove west on Mulholland and ended up on an unpaved stretch that had WWII missile lookout platforms up in the hills. We hiked up to great views of the Valley and Pacific. Where were we?

I finally had time to go back and find the spot that I was talking about; it is the LA96 Nike Missile Site.

http://blogging.la/2008/06/23/favori...-control-site/

There is a spectacular view from the top.

[Los Angeles Past]

Wow. The political correctness police are out in force here.

I find it very disconcerting that you feel it necessary to intentionally expunge subject-relevant key words from an historical document (this thread).

This is called "censoring history," and I find THAT to be even more offensive than the language you're trying to sweep under the carpet.

Wail and wring your hands all you want about social evils in your personal discourse, but when it comes to history and its documentation, kindly keep your politically-correct revisionism stuffed neatly up your collective "Calles de los Negros."

-Scott

[ethereal_reality]

Such vitriol simply because I typed n*gger instead of nigger?
You rarely visit the thread anymore Scott, and when you do this is all you've got?

We were having a civil discourse on the subject so kindly go away.

____

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Past

This is called "censoring history," and I find THAT to be even more offensive than the language you're trying to sweep under the carpet.

Wail and wring your hands all you want about social evils in your personal discourse, but when it comes to history and its documentation, kindly keep your politically-correct revisionism stuffed neatly up your collective "Calles de los Negros."-Scott

This is a ridiculous charge, to say the least, and, one might suspect, a knee-jerk reaction coming more from a position of personal disenfranchisement than from any reverence for history. Censorship? When a person chooses not to spell a word to your liking in sentences of his own but at the same time posts uncensored vintage maps? You might have at least taken the time to look at those.

[Albany NY]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Past

Wow. The political correctness police are out in force here.

I find it very disconcerting that you feel it necessary to intentionally expunge subject-relevant key words from an historical document (this thread).

This is called "censoring history," and I find THAT to be even more offensive than the language you're trying to sweep under the carpet.

Wail and wring your hands all you want about social evils in your personal discourse, but when it comes to history and its documentation, kindly keep your politically-correct revisionism stuffed neatly up your collective "Calles de los Negros."

-Scott

I think Scott needs to realize that in polite society there is no need to use volatile hate-filled words in order to acknowledge that they were once commonly used. Yes, Scott, in the history of Los Angeles the word "nigger" was used, but even then it was used as a put-down, rather than using the era-correct "negro" or "colored". Obviously, you feel comfortable using that word. Most of us don't like it. I leave my white sheets on my bed. You said we could "stuff it." Why don't you go for a walk in your neighborhood repeating that word for all to hear? If you do, I think others will "stuff it" to you. There are some truly good people on this forum. Frankly, you are not one of them.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

This image reminded me of Billie Burke... who once lived at 607 N. Elm Drive in Beverly Hills (Robert Young succeeded her there):

Receiving her first social security check, 1958:
USCDL

for those who can't identify the actress you mention, she's best known for playing this part in a rather famous movie....


findagrave.com

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

So, malumot... I take it that by using that term you might be open to the possibility that at some point L.A. may go off the schine.... I moved to NYC in the '70s, and no one would have ever thought that the city, at the very bottom of a losing streak (but still an incredibly exciting and enriching place to live), would turn into the pulled-together place it is today. Arguably, it's a duller town, but there's no going back to any romanticized era--not '70s NYC, not "golden age" L.A.....

as we enter a new yr, & look at all the yrs gone by, it's easy to feel nostalgic for ppl & places of the past. but as much as I enjoy looking at pics of LA from a long time ago, I'm also reminded how flawed that past really was.

there was a time when where you live now, NYC, looked at anything west of the hudson as the hinterlands....& LA, to those living east of the mississippi or certain other cities closer to the west coast, inc SF, was written off as remote & a cultural outpost. from that standpoint, I lose nostalgia for the past.

I generally post only to the SSP thread on new devlpt in DTLA, but I like looking at this thread to help remind me that LA of a long time ago, while it had some good things, also was disappointing in various ways & could really test the patience of ppl interested in living in a top flight city.

all in all, in spite of bad things about today----including too much squalor, homeless ppl, tagging, & crime----I'd rather live now, or soon to be 2012, than in the 1900s, 1930s, 40s, 50s.... OTOH, ppl in NYC can feel more fondness for their past, since the city they call home was considered a capital & very important or "exciting" even over 50, 70, 100 yrs ago.

[ethereal_reality]

Every New Years Eve I post the very first photograph of the thread again for good luck. The photo was taken 60 years ago
on December 31, 1951.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...M-N-9439-014~1


HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!! BEST OF LUCK IN 2012! -ethereal_reality
_____

[ethereal_reality]

I couldn't resist.


Sunset Boulevard (1950)

[ethereal_reality]

Downtown Los Angeles Dec. 31, 1940. Look at that yahoo in the middle.


http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/dli...one&z=none&s=1

[ethereal_reality]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/1960/

[sopas ej]

Great ad! Myself, tonight I'll be taking advantage of the Metro Rail trains, which are free from 9pm to 2am and will run all night and into the morning. Downtown LA, here I come, ready to get shit-faced! No designated driver required.

Happy New Year to all of you!

[Los Angeles Past]

I'm sorry I lost my temper, but once you start "sanitizing" history, it ceases to be truthful. Censoring individual words may seem trivial to you, but what if an academic is researching the usage of pejorative racial terms in L.A. history? Your censored articles won't show up in web searches. How, exactly, is that a good thing?

The reason I stopped contributing is because there are a ton of people here who are vastly more knowledgeable about L.A. history than I am, and I now prefer to simply sit back, listen and learn. I'm sorry I actually dared to speak up with a dissenting opinion. I know my words were unnecessarily harsh, but so were yours, Bruce. You may have started this thread, but it doesn't give you the right to bully someone off of it just because they disagree with you.

BTW, that was a great map, Duncan. Thank you for posting it. I've spent all night studying it, and I'm sure it will come in as a very handy reference in the future. Thanks, also, for your civil reply to my uncivil rant. I had it coming, I know. I'll just be quiet now. I won't disturb your peace anymore.

Again, I apologize.

-Scott

[GaylordWilshire]

American Journal of Public Health
I've never seen this great shot of the iconic L.A. County General under construction.


USCDL

USCDL

Views of the psychopathic department, Los Angeles County General Hospital. Does anyone
know where in relation to the main building this might have been? I assume it's gone....