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  #1901  
Old Posted Oct 25, 2010, 7:32 AM
JeffDiego JeffDiego is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
Some great kodachrome slides of the cabanas and pool area of the Roosevelt Hotel from 1956.







electrospark








electrospark









electrospark









electrospark







Below: The view north toward the Hollywood Hills.
When I lived in L.A. one of my favorite buildings was the white building on the left in this photograph.
I recently found out that it no longer exists.


electrospark



This is where I found the photos.
http://electrospark.blogspot.com/
Good Lord, That last photo (of the white bldg. you liked) is of "Hotel Hell," the once grand Garden Court Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. near Grauman's Chinese, where old-timers like Mack Sennett lived (well after his glory days). I visited someone there in the early 70's when it was still a residential hotel, rather shabby but not a dump. It eventually became a derelict squat house and doper haven before being demolished in the 80's or 90's.

Last edited by JeffDiego; Oct 25, 2010 at 9:02 PM.
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  #1902  
Old Posted Oct 25, 2010, 12:11 PM
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GaylordWilshire GaylordWilshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
Here is a great looking place for the auto tourist (very symmetrical).


postcard
And Wilson's Modern Auto Court still stands:

Google Street View


Ethereal, your shots of the Roosevelt are great--seems the hotel did a good job of evoking Palm Springs right in the middle of Hollywood. The name of the motel above reminds me of Henry Willson--I wonder if he's among the men in the left background in the fourth shot?...
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  #1903  
Old Posted Oct 25, 2010, 7:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photolitherland View Post
In the first couple minutes of this clip from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, does that line still exist or those rail cars? I dont know if that was even filmed in LA. Ever since I watched that film when I was a little kid I fell in love with trollies and public rail transit.
Photolitherland: The debate over whether the demise of the Pacific Electric was due to a conspiracy driven by General Motors seems to be endless. After reading alot about it--the passions on both side are intense!--I'd say that, in the end, it was due to an effort on the part of GM to make money (what else were they in business for?)--but rather than being a conspiracy theorist's greatest fantasy, was simply an intelligent strategy to profit. GM may have seen an opening in the market and seized it, maneuvering and even manipulating to do so, but in the end the petering out of the PE and other electric transit lines had much more to do with a preference for speed and convenience--streetcars could never compete with private automobiles, and probably never will, unless for some reason, at some point in the future, no one can afford private transportation. Certainly street railways and automobiles sharing the same roadways is outmoded interms of safety and the efficient movement of traffic. In the "old days," you didn't mind walking a few or even many blocks to catch a streetcar--but if you could afford a car of your own, even one block might seem too much. And would you want to walk now in central Los Angeles or in New Orleans (where streetcars do still run)? At night? If you could afford even a jalopy to cut your trip by, say, two-thirds in terms of time? No one is going to waste the extra time riding two or even three streetcars when he could be at work or play. Here are a few more links to learn about the PE:

http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/pedemise.htm#GM

http://www.uncanny.net/~wetzel/pery.htm

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...transit-system

http://www.xs4all.nl/~rajvdb/lra/e_htm/e_hs.htm


And here's an old post of mine from this site that mentions a DVD you should check out:

It doesn't seem to be the kind of thing you can find on Netflix, but if you can get your hands on the dvd "This Was Pacific Electric", you will love it-- it really is one of the best histories of the development of L.A. I've ever seen. Lots of old clips and pictures, with a well narrated, well-told story--and the best explanation of the demise of the PE I've ever heard. Clips include brief shots of the gas tanks we've discussed here, as well as of the '20s white-on-black street signs. Best part is commentary by Ralph Cantos, particularly in the extra walking tour he gives on the dvd. He's a real "foamer", the kind we owe alot to for seeing urban history in "four dimensions" (as the dvd calls it)--the past overlaid on the present, like the pictures of the past here. He apparently still gives rail tours--check out this link: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov...ad17-2009nov17

Last edited by GaylordWilshire; Oct 25, 2010 at 8:15 PM.
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  #1904  
Old Posted Oct 25, 2010, 8:44 PM
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viewlinerltd.blogspot.com

Some great Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway slideshows are available here: http://www.larhf.org/collections/index.html
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  #1905  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2010, 12:17 AM
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JeffDiego
The Garden Court Hotel building was so beautiful even in its dilapidated state,
that I always thought it would somehow survive the indignities bestowed upon it.

That said, I was surprised the auto court on Florence still survives.
The photo GaylordWilshire posted from google earth seems to show it had TWO arched entrances (or perhaps an entrance and an exit).
The building certainly looked better in the old days before the cheap windows were installed.
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  #1906  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2010, 12:32 AM
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Delaware Hotel, later the Dalton Theater, on Broadway in 1896.



usc digital archive




Below: Figueroa and 6th Street looking south in 1890.



usc digital archive
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  #1907  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2010, 12:45 AM
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The Los Angeles Soap Company on 1st Street in 1884.
You can see the name of the company above the entryway on the right.




usc




Below: Another view of the Los Angeles Soap Co. in 1886.
It also says Los Angeles Soap Co. above the doorway to the left.
Also notice the diminutive building to the left of the 'Soap' building (you can see it in the above photo as well).
What purpose could a building that small serve?



usc
MISSING: I'll re-post it.





Below: The Saint Elmo Hotel 1890.


usc

Last edited by ethereal_reality; Dec 1, 2016 at 1:51 AM.
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  #1908  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2010, 12:50 AM
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The corner of Spring & 4th Street in 1890.


usc







Below: City produce market at Central Ave. and 3rd Strret in 1900.



usc
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  #1909  
Old Posted Oct 26, 2010, 2:33 AM
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LAPL
Add an a/c unit, and it's 84 years later. And it seems that the little building was probably just a taxpayer--looks like it was replaced not long after your 1884 shot...


Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
.Below: Another view of the Los Angeles Soap Co. in 1886.
It also says Los Angeles Soap Co. above the doorway to the left.
Also notice the diminutive building to the left of the 'Soap' building (you can see it in the above photo as well).
What purpose could a building that small serve?



usc
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  #1910  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2010, 5:54 AM
Der Blut Der Blut is offline
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Hands down the most awesome thread ever. I just found this tonight but I can't wait to go through one by one. I absolutely love the old pictures of downtown. It saddens me that so many of these places are within a few blocks of where I live and I can't even recognize them.
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  #1911  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2010, 6:34 PM
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a great noirish image of the hollywood bowl during a campaign appearance by IKE in 1956


Life magazine

and some additional then and now's

nw corner of hilldale avenue and sunset boulevard 1936 and now



sw corner of sunset boulevard and fairfax avenue 1940 and now



the vern theater 2811 e olympic boulevard east los angeles 1941 and now



the trocadero cafe se corner of sunset boulevard and sunset plaza drive 1934, 1939, and now

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  #1912  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2010, 7:48 PM
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Excellent shots, GS--could the transformation of the corner of Sunset and Fairfax be any sadder? What a loss that Thrifty/A&P is. Amazing the banality we're willing to put up with now.
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  #1913  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2010, 9:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffDiego View Post
However, my memory of full-view shots of the house in Castle's 13 Ghosts are that is was not the Waters home.
I took a look at 13 Ghosts--a movie that, while fun, almost makes The Curse of the Cat People look in league with The Battleship Potemkin, I have to say--and it turns out that Dr. Plato Zorba's house is indeed the Waters (and, later, Julia Farren) house at 900 West Adams. Straight from the DVD:

Columbia Pictures/Sony
900 West Adams's last starring role, 1960


Columbia Pictures/Sony
A view from the porch of 900 toward the arbor--note the decay at the base of the column. Is
it set decoration? Anyway, the end is nigh.


Columbia Pictures/Sony
A view from the arbor.


Columbia Pictures/Sony
Margaret Hamilton as Elaine Zacharides in front of Dr. Zorba's portrait. (No, not Dr. Kildare's Dr. Zorba.)


Columbia Pictures/Sony
A precursor of Christopher Moltisanti's breakout film, as well as Miss DeCamp's star turn. 13 Ghosts
is one of those old movies enjoyable for its primitive special effects, such as milk bottles and cleavers flying
through the air on thin wires.


Columbia Pictures/Sony


Columbia Pictures/Sony
The County Museum in Exposition Park, before its move to the Miracle Mile.
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  #1914  
Old Posted Oct 28, 2010, 5:00 AM
JeffDiego JeffDiego is offline
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Russell Judson Waters house in 13 Ghosts

GW! You found it! And I was indeed dead wrong in thinking it wasn't the Water's House. It was! And what beautiful stills you've shared. Thanks, as always.
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  #1915  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2010, 12:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
The Los Angeles Soap Company on 1st Street in 1884.


usc
John A. Forthmann, who founded the Los Angeles Soap Company with J.J. Bergin, built the house below at 629 West 18th St. It was moved to 2801 S. Hoover in 1989 and is now the USC Community House (more here: http://communities.usc.edu/about/community_house.html)


wikimapia


wikimap
2801 S. Hoover
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  #1916  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2010, 2:53 AM
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GaylordWilshire..I always appreciate when you dig up these interesting facts.
Mr. Forthmann's house is quite beautiful. I am so glad it survived all these years.
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  #1917  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2010, 3:20 AM
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The Boynton House at 836 S. Bonnie Brae. You can also see a glimpse of the carriage house.


unknown





Below: Close up of the laundry wagon.


unknown
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  #1918  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2010, 3:36 AM
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update: I just realized these photographs are missing. I'll work to restore them soon. Sorry for the inconvenience.


Three photographs of the Wilshire Country Club in 1931.


usc






usc





Below: In this one you can faintly make out the Hollywoodland Sign.


usc


Mae West lived on the top floor of one these apartment buildings (I can't remember which one exactly).
Perhaps one of you know some of the history these wonderful buildings in Hancock Park.

Last edited by ethereal_reality; Sep 8, 2013 at 10:16 PM.
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  #1919  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2010, 4:45 PM
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GaylordWilshire GaylordWilshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
Three photographs of the Wilshire Country Club in 1931.


usc


Below: In this one you can faintly make out the Hollywoodland Sign.


usc


Mae West lived on the top floor of one these apartment buildings (I can't remember which one exactly).
Perhaps one of you know some of the history these wonderful buildings in Hancock Park.
Great shots, ethereal-- the building in the first shot above is Country Club Manor at 316 N. Rossmore. Laura LaPlante, a major actress of the '20s, is the only big name I could find who lived here (well, she was big before pictures got small, that is). A recent shot:

CurbedLA


Re the second shot above:

At left is the Hermoyne at 569 N. Rossmore, the one-time home of Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Blanche Sweet, and William Wyler.

At right is the El Royale at 450 N. Rossmore, whose tenants have included William Frawley, Ava Gardner, George Raft, Jane Withers, Darryl Zanuck, Loretta Young, and Clark Gable (hmm--is this where Judy Lewis was conceived?).

And in the middle is Mae's building--the Ravenswood at 570 N. Rossmore. According to several sources, she lived in apartment 611. Judy Garland and Hedda Hopper were one-time neighbors. (A note on some of the names above--I'm not sure how totally accurate any of this info is--one site has Ethel Merman living in apartment 611 at the Ravenswood during Mae's tenure... imagine those two as roommates.)


Google Street View
The Hermoyne today


portcitystudios
The El Royale today


LAPL
The Ravenswood, with its "R" sign still on top

Google Street View
The Ravenswood today

Last edited by GaylordWilshire; Oct 30, 2010 at 12:24 AM.
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  #1920  
Old Posted Oct 30, 2010, 1:51 PM
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a nice image of the Chinese theater with the outpost sign visible up on top of the hill just left of center


USC
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