noirish Los Angeles

[cleats]

Originally Posted by Mark L

Yes, lucky. I also have the San Fernando Valley book from '47 but it looks years newer.
How would one go about getting high quality scans? My iphone (obviously) doesn't cut it.

I realize many of the contributors here are not in the area but there are several LA Plat books in the map collection of LAPL covering other years and both volumes of the 1947 (LA and SF Valley) We have similar materials for 1917, 1925, 1940 etc. We also were given as a gift hundreds of forboding tract atlases that are now in our building but needing many hours of study to decipher. While we don't have the facilities to scan pages (you will need a flat bed scanner) we do offer the atlases for study by anyone making their way down to Central Library. We also have a pristine set of Sanborns for LA in 1956 including some other cities like Santa Monica, Long Beach, Venice, and more. Mark's copy is in very nice condition and is quite rare. Ours have a weird binding and bad paper but still give lots of information.

[gastarre]

Originally Posted by transitfan

Heart-rending

The Hollywood cars are my favorite Red Cars. Happily, 2 of them (637 and 717) are preserved at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris. 717 is in running condition, I think they are trying to restore 637 to run (if they haven't already done so, I haven't been to OERM in 15 years).

Actually, Orange Empire Railway Museum has preserved 5 of the Hollywood Cars: 5123 (fka 626), 637, 655, 716 and 717. The 655 is cosmetically restored to like new condition, and the 717 is fully restored and operates on a regular basis.

[rick m]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

LAPL

LAPL



Rick-- I'm confused about which one you're saying had the Armagh ad on the back and which one was the Armagh.... The Alhambra was at 316 N. Broadway; the Armagh at 314 California.

Gaylord- Pardon my 2nd sentence seen in my post (was such a taxing day- the sangria wasn't helping any) No Armagh image by Hylen or anyone else has yet been posted. Wall sign for the Armagh was on that south facing side wall of the Alhambra Annex as it was neatly described shotwise by Hylen's written note. Ads for other nearby businesses (like hotels and apartments) did appear on some other structures.The other Hylen shot looks east on 1st nr Hill St. with ragged slope (soon to be removed)Calif State bldg just behind the slope. Wish I'd deleted most of my 2nd sentence on that post.

[ethereal_reality]

I don't recognize this W.L. Baird Building on Wilshire Blvd. Does anyone know it's exact address and/or history?
I've 'googled' here and there with no results.



http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...Number=2884205

___

[ethereal_reality]

While searching for the Baird Building, I came across this photo (probably unrelated).


http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=36334

So where the hell is El Sereno?

[ethereal_reality]

The death of 20 year old private first class Richard William Stahmer in a ravine under the Alpine Street Bridge, just off Figueroa in 1952.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1325828261593




http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1325828261593





http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1325828261593

_____very sad.

[Muji]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I don't recognize this W.L. Baird Building on Wilshire Blvd. Does anyone know it's exact address and/or history?
I've 'googled' here and there with no results.



http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...Number=2884205

___

Nice find! I recently did some searching on that building, which was at 3301 Wilshire Boulevard, at the northwest corner with Berendo Street. Sometimes also called the Post Building, it was finished in 1927 and demolished around 1970 to make way for the Wilshire Plaza office tower.



I got as far as making a then and now image but I haven't published it to my blog since I lost the reference for the original image. I believe it's from one of the CSU libraries but I've never been able to find it again...if anybody has any leads I would be delighted to know!

[mdiederi]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

Above is De Ville's listing from the 1899 L.A. city directory--this would have been the northeast corner of 6th & Spring. I did a little search for a pic from the era on the LAPL & USC files & didn't see anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if something were to turn up. Btw, it seems that alot of drugstores had their own custom bottles in those days. Maybe glue for paper labels wasn't sticky enough then....

Thanks, now we know his first name and which corner he was on. Researching the contents of some of these old bottles is amazing. These "druggists" were legally selling morphine and heroin over the counter without prescriptions! The feds finally cracked down when one of them was recommending their morphine-laced "soothing syrup" be given to babies who were teething, and the babies would go to sleep and never wake up.

[Sebisebster]

Another great video found on Youtube.
Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=n77NxU0CHPw

The introduction on the video says: 'Motoring through LA in the early 1950s one's shocked to see freeways that are wide open, streetcars, even Model A Fords still on the streets, a bustling downtown and the first malls, a Ford and Chevrolet Factory and it all looks so clean.'

• Video Link

After watching the video I must say that I have seen a lot of pictures of the 3rd street and Hill intersection showing the tunnel, and of course, the original site of the Angel's Flight... (May God bless the LAPL or the USC Digital Archives) But watching the same view in motion, from an old technicolor movie, really shocked to me.

[3940dxer]

Here's another video; a piece by the great R. Crumb. Not quite L.A. related, but to me poignant and in keeping with the then and now images that we enjoy. (It could almost be Cahuenga Blvd.)

Also, vaguely related to urban development (or sprawl), I've noticed something looking at the old photos here and wonder if others agree. In the early pictures of L.A. it seems there are very few trees, compared to today's cityscape. Inn the early photos of L.A., Hollywood, mid-Wilshire, and the hills, I mostly see scrubby landscapes, with not much that is vertical to block the view.

In a lot of the old shots, I get the impression that one could turn around in a circle from most anywhere in L.A. (except right downtown) and get a pretty good panorama of the hills and mountains. In modern L.A. it's much harder to find such views, especially in the lower lying areas. I notice this over and over when taking "now" photos; the difference is quite startling at times. Obviously the buildings all block the views, but in a way, the trees lining both sides of most streets block the view as much as they add to it. Not that I'm anti-tree...just an observation

R Crumb's A Short History Of America

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ym5n-ZZWUs" target="_blank">Video Link

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

So where the hell is El Sereno?

El Sereno is just east of downtown. There's a gang presence and some sections are a little iffy but it has interesting older architecture, and some areas have striking views of downtown.

Last year my wife and I did some long urban walks in El Sereno and they were quite interesting. In fact I spotted some "thens" of El Sereno on this thread, and want to revisit one or two of those spots.

El Sereno is striking for its closeness to downtown, largely unchanged (if decaying) old homes and businesses, and a surprising number of rough, unpaved roads in the hills. Just minutes away from downtown there are steep old rutted dirt roads with an odd mishmash of houses, and amazing views of L.A. from just east -- very different from the city views usually seen here.

[malumot]

I'd seen Crumb's video before. It is unique, in that Crumbian way, and true to an extent.

Few trees because there were few trees to begin with. If you want to see what the L.A. Basin looked like 150 years ago, that part of the drive down I-5 through Pendleton is a decent approximation. (I laugh when people claim that some new development will result in a "loss of trees". Certainly true on the outskirts of Columbus or Atlanta or Philadelphia (Crumb's hometown) but rarely so in So Cal.)

There are many good arguments against sprawl, but "loss of trees" is not one of them.

Here's an image. Sorry for the size. (Sans 8-lane freeway and high voltage power lines, of course LOL)

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

Here's another video; a piece by the great R. Crumb. Not quite L.A. related, but to me poignant and in keeping with the then and now images that we enjoy. (It could almost be Cahuenga Blvd.)

Also, vaguely related to urban development (or sprawl), I've noticed something looking at the old photos here and wonder if others agree. In the early pictures of L.A. it seems there are very few trees, compared to today's cityscape. Inn the early photos of L.A., Hollywood, mid-Wilshire, and the hills, I mostly see scrubby landscapes, with not much that is vertical to block the view.

In a lot of the old shots, I get the impression that one could turn around in a circle from most anywhere in L.A. (except right downtown) and get a pretty good panorama of the hills and mountains. In modern L.A. it's much harder to find such views, especially in the lower lying areas. I notice this over and over when taking "now" photos; the difference is quite startling at times. Obviously the buildings all block the views, but in a way, the trees lining both sides of most streets block the view as much as they add to it. Not that I'm anti-tree...just an observation

R Crumb's A Short History Of America

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ym5n-ZZWUs" target="_blank">Video Link

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Muji

Nice find! I recently did some searching on that building, which was at 3301 Wilshire Boulevard, at the northwest corner with Berendo Street. Sometimes also called the Post Building, it was finished in 1927 and demolished around 1970 to make way for the Wilshire Plaza office tower.



I got as far as making a then and now image but I haven't published it to my blog since I lost the reference for the original image. I believe it's from one of the CSU libraries but I've never been able to find it again...if anybody has any leads I would be delighted to know!

Thanks for the information Muji. I'm glad to know that it was also called the Post Building..having that knowledge can lead to even more finds.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

El Sereno is striking for its closeness to downtown, largely unchanged (if decaying) old homes and businesses, and a surprising number of rough, unpaved roads in the hills. Just minutes away from downtown there are steep old rutted dirt roads with an odd mishmash of houses, and amazing views of L.A. from just east -- very different from the city views usually seen here.

That is such a great description 3940dxer. It makes me want to go there and explore.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Fab Fifties Fan

The beautiful Marco Hellman mansion once stood proudly at 3350 Wilshire Blvd. An L.A. landmark built in 1902, the mansion played host to many a social gathering of the rich and powerful.

The Hellman family was considered the oldest and most influential Jewish family in Los Angeles, having first settled there in 1859. Marco Hellman was born in the original family mansion that was at the corner of Fourth & Spring Streets, where the Hellman Building (now Banco Popular) has stood since 1897. The Hellman Building and the Hellman mansion were both designed by Alfred Rosenheim.

After Marco Hellman's death in 1920, the mansion changed hands twice before being razed in 1950 to make way for an office building. During the mansion's last life, it was a commercial enterprise that was rented out for private functions. It must have been in that period when they hung that ugly fire escape off of the side. The pictures below were taken just prior to the start of demolition.

Side view

Partial front view

Foyer fireplace (one of nine fireplaces)

Grand Staircase & Foyer


3350 Wilshire Blvd. today


USC Digital Library

I want to add a few intriguing photographs of the Marco Hellman mansion.


http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=66688



below: Remote control light switches in the old Hellman house.


http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=50767



below: A secret panel hiding a walk-in safe.


http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=50768



below: The forlorn looking swimming pool.


http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=66687


The last photo immediately brought to mind......


Sunset Boulevard (1950)

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=66687

Call me a sissy, but I have a few concerns about this pool. Am I going to dive into such a small pool that doesn't look like it a has a deep enough deep end? And those look like light bulbs at the end. If there was a leak into the fixture (let's say the pool is new), would I be electrocuted and wind up floating like Joe?

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL

The Hellman family built some serious houses...another of which was on the 2200 block of S. Harvard. Maurice Hellman's house above is gone, but, as we've seen, a number of big places on the prime Sugar Hill block remain, including the Rindge, the Washburn, the Beckett, the Cochran, and Hattie McDaniel's:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5498

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5500

[ethereal_reality]

While vicariously exploring (via Google street views) the streets that border Elysian Park I came across this building along Riverside Drive.


google street view

Upon closer inspection I noticed the building houses a theater company and began wondering about it's history.



I visited the Knightsbridge Theater website where it notes the building had originally been a silent movie house called The Colony Theater.

Here is their website.
http://www.knightsbridgetheatre.com/history.html
____

Next I visited http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5069

Cinema Treasures lists the former names as the Riverside Theater, New Elysian Theater, and Elysian Theater but does not mention
the Colony Theater (the silent movie house).

A commenter on Cinema Treasures posted this snapshot from 1948.


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q...02d01cc19f.jpg

Another commenter wrote, "When this theater opened it was the Riverside Theater."
and yet another said they knew it as The Elysian in the 1950s (as opposed to the New Elysian), and still no mention of the Colony Theater.

So I am curious, does anyone have information on this theater at 1944 Riverside Drive?

____

[Fab Fifties Fan]

http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=66688

Incredible to see a front-on image of the mansion without the ivy and other flora overwhelming it.

Just imagine what that block of Wilshire looked like in the 30's-50's, with the Baird/Post building on one corner and the Hellman Mansion across the street on the diagonally opposite corner.

I seem to recall other business/buildings, in the 3300 block of Wilshire, previously being discussed on this thread. I will look around as time permits so that I can complete my mental retrospective portrait of the block. My parents must have walked that block many, many times as they lived just a couple of cross streets away in 43-45.

~Jon Paul

[Fab Fifties Fan]

ethereal_reality,

I looked through my historic theater files and I don't show that theater ever being named the Colony. I show it being the Riverside from the early 20's to the mid 30's and then the Elysian begining in '36 and on through the '50's. Strangely, I have nothing on the additon of "New" to the name and nothing at all on the theater after about '63.

~Jon Paul

P.S. My files do show that the address switches back and forth between 1942 and 1944 depending where the data was culled from.