noirish Los Angeles

[odinthor]

Jeez, I go AWOL for a few days, and this place goes like a house on fire!--and with stuff in my home territory, Bolsa Chica and Rancho Los Alamitos, too.

Speaking of which (Rancho Los Alamitos):


odinthor collection

To orient yourselves (those who know the area): That's Signal Hill at upper mid-right.

[HossC]

Because they're from the same location, and there are only four images in total, I'm posting two Julius Shulman photosets today. The first is "Job 347: Matcham and Heitschmidt, Biltmore Hotel, Men's Bar, 1948". The Coffee Shop is through the door to the right.



I'm guessing that the Biltmore Hotel no longer has a men's bar.



Both from Getty Research Institute

The second set is from a year later. It's "Job 527: Matcham and Heitschmidt, Biltmore Hotel, Grill and Bar, 1949".



The other shot in this set gives us a closer look at the booths.



Both from Getty Research Institute

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

[...] Any interesting tidbits about the 'Lady Banksia' odinthor? [...]

"Dedicated to Lady Banks, wife of Sir Joseph Banks, well known English [horticultural] collector, who traveled with Captain Cook. William Kerr brought the first plants, from Chinese gardens, in 1807" (from Guide pour servir a la visite de notre Exposition Retrospective de la Rose, by the Roseraie de l'Hay, 1910; my translation). "There are records of Banksian roses in England with trunks 2 feet 4 inches in circumference, and a spread of 75 feet, bearing 50,000 to 60,000 flowers at one time. Throughout the southern states and on the Pacific Coast many magnificent Banksias are to be seen" (from Climbing Roses, by G.A. Stevens, 1933).

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by ScottyB

Took wife and kids to a play at 24th St Theater for Mother's Day,.

You sound like a great dad and husband Scotty.
Did you see "Hansel & Gretel Blueglass"?

Originally Posted by ScottyB

across the street was this theater

me

We wandered in and found a most interesting place, run by the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiasts.

Built on the site and opened in 1921 as the Fairyland Theatre. It became the Union Square Theatre by 1929. In 1935 it became a live theatre named the Louise Glaum Little Theatre. By 1938 it had been renamed Continental Theatre and by 1942 it was the Union Theatre. Closed by 1956 when it became a union hall.

It lay empty for several years, until it was purchased by, and re-opened as the Velaslavasay Panorama in June 2005.

Anybody know anything more?

Quite a few interesting old houses on the block, BTW.

__________________________________________

Union Square area and it's surroundings. (the Santa Monica freeway is at the top edge)


google_earth



below: I placed a red star on the 24th Street Theater where ScottyB took his family. "Union Square" is the small irregular piece of land directly above it.



As ScottyB mentioned earlier, the Velaslavasay Panorama at Union Theater can be seen across the street.

Originally Posted by "ScottyB'

Anybody know anything more?

I do.

I always meant to do a post on this area but kept putting it off.

What first stoked my interest was this blurb about an electrical lighted sign and star that would span Union Avenue.


old file /

Much to my disappointment, I was never able to find a photograph of the Union Square sign. (makes me wonder if it was ever installed)




Here's a view of Union Square as it looks today.


gsv

The line of vintage buildings shown above are on the east side of the square situated along Union Avenue. The square itself is on the far left.



Here's a closer look at the same buildings as seen from the square. (note the middle bldg was built in 1902) *i might have posted this before


gsv







Did you notice Pete's Hamburgers in the google aerial?

It's located on the northeast corner of Hoover and 24th street (just south of the vintage bldgs shown above)

Pete's


Has anyone eaten here.....or know the history of this place?



To me it resembles the old Dolores that was once on Sunset Blvd. (see below)


usc





A couple closer looks at Pete's.





below: Looking southeast from the tip of Union Square.







The building is looking a bit worse for wear.


detail

It's terrible if they're letting this place fall down. Is it on any kind of registry?
__




I have a number of gs-views of the turn-of-century houses in the area that i'll post later.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by odinthor

"There are records of Banksian roses in England with trunks 2 feet 4 inches in circumference, and a spread of 75 feet, bearing 50,000 to 60,000 flowers at one time.

The Lady Banksia in Tombstone AZ is the world's largest rose bush according to npr, just about the last place one would expect to find it (the trunk circumference is about 12 feet):

dk

[tovangar2]

Redevelopment is detailed here and here (it looks as if the last of the exterior grillwork is to be discarded):

curbedla

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I know we've discussed this exquisite building and it's elaborate wrought-iron grillwork, but I don't recall seeing the interior.

until now....

Schaber's Cafeteria


http://www.flickr.com/photos/zilf/53...7166/lightbox/


The elaborate grillwork on the facade appears in the interior arches as well. This must have been a stunning place!
__

Originally Posted by tovangar2

"Schaber’s Cafeteria and Einar Petersen" from the Daily Mirror

ca 1940s:

lapl

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a view of Union Square as it looks today.


gsv

Actually, the square has been cleared. I hope they've planned something nice. It's such a pretty area:

gsv jan 2017

[ethereal_reality]

I saw that too t2. -maybe they'll finally put up that Union Square sign.


Fun snapshot.

Long Beach, August 29, 1941


ebay


writing on reverse

[ethereal_reality]

re: Union Square area.


Here's one of my favorite homes just a block east of Union Square.

It is located on the northwest corner of 24th Street and Toberman Street.


gsv

The house....the yard.....the flags....the mailbox... / It looks like a set from 'Meet Me In St. Louis'.




-here's a more recent pic.


gsv

from this angle it appears a bit mysterious.

__

[tovangar2]

That's Durfee House, AKA "The Pink Lady", ca. 1888

You can rent a room there.

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the reminder t2.

I just noticed on google maps the house is labeled as a 'North University Park Property' Does that mean it's owned by USC? (maybe we already discussed this)


google_earth
_____________________




re: Union Square II

Also on 24th Street but on the west side of Union Square

there is an old wooden building that appears to have been a store. (it looks vacant now)


gsv

This little survivor is next to the 24th Street Theater (with an empty lot in-between the two)

_

[tovangar2]

There's a little history of The Pink Lady (originally built at Florence Avenue and Alameda Street) and some interesting info about the area here. The owners restored 18 area homes. I think many of those are used for student housing. Here are their North University Park Properties.

The need for USC housing has saved a lot of houses.


flickr

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

To me it resembles the old Dolores that was once on Sunset Blvd. (see below)


usc

See that triangle shaped site between the streets? I have to confess, I once dumped a load of used building materials on that site. I didn't want to drive on the freeway with a load of loose lumber in my truck and it was about 9 PM. At least I stacked it all very neatly. I may have saved someone's life.

[tovangar2]

E_r, you gave me such a treat today.

Remember that house at 1314 Wilshire I'm always snuffling about?

gsv

Well...

google maps

Look at this :-) Built in 1902 (per Redfin)

gsv 2009

After imagining the porch for decades, there it is:

gsv 2009


gsv

I found it while looking up North University Park Properties. It's one of theirs.

Do you think it's a plan book house (they're almost twins)? Maybe there's more...

And thank you too ScottyB for taking us to the neighborhood. A nice late Mothers' Day present for me :-)

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

E_r, you gave me such a treat today.

You're welcome fun stuff indeed.



I recently came across this undated postcard on ebay.


ebay




The address is the Odd Fellows Hall just southwest of downtown.


gsv

We have visited this awesome building numerous times on NLA.

At one time there was also a radio station on the roof.

__

[ScottyB]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

You sound like a great dad and husband Scotty.
Did you see "Hansel & Gretel Blueglass"?



__

Thanks ER , we did see "Hansel and Gretel Bluegrass". Always interesting productions there. And thanks for highlighting Union Square, I learned a lot. I did see a number of USC students in the residential area, to prove your point, T2.

[DViator]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

http://www.scvhistory.com/gif/al1919.jpg

http://www.scvhistory.com/gif/hr2001_large.jpg

5.75 hours to get from LA to Bakersfield on that road? Was that even possible (especially with curves so tight that you had a 15mph speed limit)? It can take that long to make that trip on a bad day taking I5! I really want to find that remnant and check it out, though (looks like there's a place to pull over just past it on the right).

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Union Square area and it's surroundings.

below: I placed a red star on the 24th Street Theater where ScottyB took his family. "Union Square" is the small irregular piece of land directly above it.



As ScottyB mentioned earlier, the Velaslavasay Panorama at Union Theater can be seen across the street.



What first stoked my interest was this blurb about an electrical lighted sign and star that would span Union Avenue.


old file /

Much to my disappointment, I was never able to find a photograph of the Union Square sign. (makes me wonder if it was ever installed)

Thanks for introducing us (well, me, anyway) to Union Square, e_r.

I found an almost identical article about that proposed electric sign at Union Square in the January 29, 1905, LA Times.

The sign is not mentioned in a February 25, 1907, Times article about Union Square, "a bustling mart of commercial
activity." That article also says, "The phenomenal growth of this center is due to the fact that the surrounding section is
high-class residential property, the owners of which object strenuously to the erection of small and ugly store buildings
on every other corner throughout the district and have forced merchants to confine themselves to one locality."

Perhaps street lights around Union Square were deemed sufficient, and the sign was never installed:



March 6, 1905, Los Angeles Times @ ProQuest via LAPL

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by DViator

5.75 hours to get from LA to Bakersfield on that road? Was that even possible (especially with curves so tight that you had a 15mph speed limit)? It can take that long to make that trip on a bad day taking I5! I really want to find that remnant and check it out, though (looks like there's a place to pull over just past it on the right).

That doesn't seem like enough time to me, either.

The remaining segment of old road you refer to can be seen near the top here.

Harrison Irving Scott did a lot of research on the Ridge Route in the 1990s and wrote a book about it.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

Has anyone contacted USC to correct the original caption?

I haven't.