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  #4701  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 7:48 PM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire View Post


Jalopy Journal

I found this picture online a few years ago and sent it to a friend of mine who spells her name exactly as name of this bakery does--I had an idea that the "S.M." on it stood for Santa Monica, and now I know that indeed it does, and now I know who Thompson is too. (Maybe you, SierraMadre, were the one who posted that pic on Jalopy Journal...?) Let's see your pics! As for the ones of Santa Monica, nothing "unfortunate" about that--after all, S.M. is Chandler's "Bay City," isn't it?

That was me....I found that negative just a few weeks ago and had it scanned and put on a CD. The photo that I posted on JJ was a scan from a very, very old 8X10" print. The scan was taken from the 8X10" negative so the quality today is brilliant.
At least this one is now protected by being transferred to a modern media.
On JJ we like our old Willys.... small world....I often wonder if that little girl is still alive. She's be in her mid 80's....
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  #4702  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 8:03 PM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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Here's Tom Thompson on the left at his shop when he was in Eagle Rock. He passed away about 25 years ago at the age of 103.
He took photos until he was in his 80's. He never went on a job without a suit and tie...EVER, no matter the weather.
The was one of the masters of the "cirkut" cameras, the ones that took panoramic photos. They had a focal plane shutter and the film travels as the camera turned on it's radius via a spring loaded shutter device. Kind of hard to explain in print...He threw away thousands and thousands of 10X30" panorama negatives. Kodak made the film on special order.
That summer of 1972 was when Mr. Thompson was moving his company to Glendale.
He threw away hundreds of pounds of negatives dating from the late 1920's-late 60's.
He was a wonderful mentor to me as a 21 year old photographer.
The other mentor was J. Allen Hawkins of Pasadena. He was the Rose Bowl, Tournament of Roses photographer.
Al died in 1986 and I believe all of his negs were given to UCLA.



I got this out of Google images...no idea who the fella is

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  #4703  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 8:38 PM
Fab Fifties Fan Fab Fifties Fan is offline
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Originally Posted by SierraMadre View Post
Good Monday, everyone.
First, I'd like to thank all of you for a truly stunning collection of images and informative comments.
I've lived in the Arcadia/Sierra Madre cities for all my 60 years (61 tomorrow...ugh)
I'm a retired photographer.
I have a very small sampling of the tons of negatives from Tom Thompson who had photo studios in Los Angeles, Eagle Rock and Santa Monica over his many decades of photography.
His heyday was between 1925-1945. All his negatives are 8X10" and I still have glass plate negatives from even early, but they are of Ojai.
I'll see if I can get the scanner working. Unfortunately, some of which I have are of Santa Monica, not Los Angeles.
Mr. Thompson was moving from his studio on Beverly Blvd. in the Rampart area in 1972 and he filled two huge dumpsters with "all these old negatives". So I asked if I could get in the dumpster and rummage around. He said "take whatever you want to, kid". So I took about 100 or so.
Good grief.......we can only guess at what gems were discarded that weekend.....horrors to think about today.

These are of the Merle Norman Cosmetics storefront, location unknown to me. It must have been in the Los Angeles area as this was Mr. Thompson's hometown. I took the originals of these to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar when I went to visit it recently and gave them to the archivist. She had never seen them before.
The Nethercutts were the owners of the cosmetics company and acquired an amazing collection of antique autos and mechanical musical instruments.
Upon their death, they made sure the trust would continue to make the collection open to the public and free of charge.
Soooo, anyone know the location here????






Welcome to the thread SierraMadre, I am really looking forward to seeing your posts!

As far as the Merle Norman buildings. I have never been able to find an address for the laboratory building in your first two photos but the streamilne moderene building is the first Merle Norman Studio location at 2525 Main St in Santa Monica.

That building is still extant and looking good.

Google Images

~Jon Paul
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  #4704  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 9:26 PM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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Originally Posted by Fab Fifties Fan View Post
I have never been able to find an address for the laboratory building in your first two photos but the streamilne moderene building is the first Merle Norman Studio location at 2525 Main St in Santa Monica.

That building is still extant and looking good.

Google Images

~Jon Paul
WOW! you guys are sharp. Thanks for the address and even a photo!
Neat!
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  #4705  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 9:32 PM
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GaylordWilshire GaylordWilshire is offline
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Judging by the streetlamp, the alley just to the north of Pico (running westward from S Holt Ave.), the phone pole in the background along that alley, and a 1939 city directory listing, I'd say it's 8613 W Pico Blvd. The brick building below with the white front is 8613 today; it's obviously smaller--it could be a fragment of the MN building, though the brickwork is different.

Google Street View

Tom Thompson
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  #4706  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 10:50 PM
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GaylordWilshire GaylordWilshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SierraMadre View Post
Here's Tom Thompson on the left at his shop when he was in Eagle Rock. He passed away about 25 years ago at the age of 103.
He took photos until he was in his 80's. He never went on a job without a suit and tie...EVER, no matter the weather.
The was one of the masters of the "cirkut" cameras, the ones that took panoramic photos. They had a focal plane shutter and the film travels as the camera turned on it's radius via a spring loaded shutter device. Kind of hard to explain in print...He threw away thousands and thousands of 10X30" panorama negatives. Kodak made the film on special order.
That summer of 1972 was when Mr. Thompson was moving his company to Glendale.
He threw away hundreds of pounds of negatives dating from the late 1920's-late 60's.
He was a wonderful mentor to me as a 21 year old photographer.
The other mentor was J. Allen Hawkins of Pasadena. He was the Rose Bowl, Tournament of Roses photographer.
Al died in 1986 and I believe all of his negs were given to UCLA.


Google Street View

At some point--perhaps at the time of Eagle Rock's 1923 annexation--its Central Avenue became Eagle Rock Boulevard. I'm wondering if it was also then renumbered to conform to L.A.'s address system. Could #210 Central have become #5024 Eagle Rock Blvd.? Above is a shot of 5024, where Thompson was listed in the 1926 city directory. The camera is a tricky thing, but while one entrance appears shallower than the other, I think it's the same storefront. The capital, such as it is, at left appears to be the same...the area in front of the door is of the same pattern...why, it even looks as though the same screen door is in place....
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  #4707  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2011, 11:53 PM
jg6544 jg6544 is offline
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[QUOTE=Engineeral;5416040]
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
Two more photos of Bullock's Pasadena that I failed to include in my earlier post from a few days ago.

below: The entrance to ladies shoes.


davethewave




Retail has an important metric: sales per square foot. Apple's retail brick-and-mortar stores had the highest at $5,626 per square foot of floor space.
Jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. came in second with $2,974. (not clear if that's 2010 or four quarters 2010-2011) When I saw the ladies' shoe department I was awed at the vacant carpet. Unless the shoe prices were astronomical, how did management ever sign off on this design? I don't even see many shoes.
Back in the old days, the name of the game at high-end stores like Bullock's was service - trained, personal service. You'd go in and browse around. A salesperson would come over and (if they were really good) offer to show you something or (if they weren't) ask if you needed help. Then they'd start bringing stuff out from the stock room. The objective on the sales floor was to produce an environment conducive to shopping. Today, it is more a matter of flinging merchandise in your face. That is why I seldom go into stores anymore. It's just too unpleasant.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, go to this site - http://www.estostock.com/user/search.shtml - and type either Neiman-Marcus or Neiman Marcus in the search box. High-end retailing before the era of excessive amounts of merchandise on the floor along with endless sales.

Last edited by jg6544; Sep 20, 2011 at 11:24 PM. Reason: add additional text
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  #4708  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 12:20 AM
Fab Fifties Fan Fab Fifties Fan is offline
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A lil' silliness

Just a couple of completely random photos I've found while hunting for other Los Angeles images and information.

Los Angeles Police Motorcycle Officerettes 1928.

I love how the bikes were customized so that they could ride side-saddle!

This photo was simply captioned "Mother's Day Montebello 1928"


To me, mother looks like she absolutely hates the cake (and everything else) and daughter looks like she would love to plunge that knife somewhere other than in the cake

~Jon Paul

Photos ebaumsworld.com
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  #4709  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 12:20 AM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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good grief...I see that most of the fun is in all the detective work...you all are amazing. What a grand contribution to history this is. Thank you all.
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  #4710  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 12:23 AM
Fab Fifties Fan Fab Fifties Fan is offline
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a lil' noir

Such a great noirish photo taken at Griffith Observatory opening day 1935.


ebaumsworld.com

~Jon Paul
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  #4711  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 12:32 AM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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This Packard dealership was, I believe on Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monia. Someone recently said that this still is there as a Mercedes dealership, although I'm not sure.
This image is pretty washed out. Its a lousy print that I made 38 years ago in a make-shift darkroom at my parents house in the bathroom. Now that I have located the 8X10" negative, it will be fun to see all the detail that doesn't show up in this crummy scan.



they decorated the windows during the Christmas season



Unfortunately this showroom photo comes to me from Mr. Thompson's trash with no markings on the back. All I do know is that they are either 1930 or 1931 Ford Model A's and the dealership was in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area

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  #4712  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 12:50 AM
SierraMadre SierraMadre is offline
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this is up towards the Glassell Park area of Los Angeles on Figueroa...probably in the early 1950's

\no idea whom to credit for the photos deleted here...sorry

\



and today....




Last edited by SierraMadre; Oct 9, 2011 at 3:57 PM.
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  #4713  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 2:22 AM
rick m rick m is offline
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A bit to pass on ---

Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality View Post
below: Another photo of 'The Argyle', the oldest hotel on Bunker Hill built in the 1870s.


lapl




below: Olive near 4th Street in 1965.


lapl
Re: this Reagh image @4th n Olive-It was the Olive Inn- Might I add that a building you never got a location for (the Grosse) -was at 600 S.Spring-captured with a westward view along 6th on USC, image frm the Examiner 12149-001-1 and @LAPL image 00014239 for a great north aimed shot.. Pulled down in 1958 to build 20 story United Calif.Bank-now the frightening SB Tower. Found this forum in June - got symptoms of carpal tunnel for the 2 weeks it took me to study every page. Usually somebody has stepped in to clear up image confusion-this is like being at the best cocktail party- all lugging their portfolios along ! As I actively assist Dace and Christina and CLEATS I'd better not actually post frm their sites - I've collected a mountain of material on Bunker Hill - such as Theodore Hall and Chas. Puck frm the Huntington, uncatalogued demolition shots frm USC, 30 amazing Fairchild n Spence aerials of the hills every angle frm UCLA's AirPhoto Archive plus tabloid and L A Times lost layouts @ Young Collection,many uncatalogued Cal.Histor.Soc. images frm the City Archives--- All of which I had to agree to not electonically reproduce (or post) Sooo it makes me nuts that I can't share these finds-Such is life- Anyway , I salute your continuing conversation. Rick M.
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  #4714  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 3:05 AM
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Packard / Ford / Mercedes Dealer

Quote:
Originally Posted by SierraMadre View Post
This Packard dealership was, I believe on Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monia. Someone recently said that this still is there as a Mercedes dealership, although I'm not sure.
This image is pretty washed out. Its a lousy print that I made 38 years ago in a make-shift darkroom at my parents house in the bathroom. Now that I have located the 8X10" negative, it will be fun to see all the detail that doesn't show up in this crummy scan.



they decorated the windows during the Christmas season



Unfortunately this showroom photo comes to me from Mr. Thompson's trash with no markings on the back. All I do know is that they are either 1930 or 1931 Ford Model A's and the dealership was in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area

Sierra, you are absolutely right. The building still stands as the W.I Simonson Mercedes Benz dealership at 1626 Wilshire Blvd. The attached pic is off their website. It looks like they have a passion for historic buildings, as they seem to have preserved the original look. Too bad Packard is extinct, though.
http://pictures.dealer.com//s/sonicw...d0d052e762.jpg
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  #4715  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 3:06 AM
rick m rick m is offline
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Say Handsome Stranger! Re your search for the Studio City Simon's Drive-In-- There is a massive photomural of 40's scene all along Venturana Blvd with Laurel Cyn at its center- This I tripped over last yeat At Industrial Metal in Sun Valley in their nicely done waiting room for their customers-Didn't discover who shot this aerial though-- Might also tell SPOAS EJ old the original J.W.Robinson mansion on the hilltop overlooking Sunset Blvd twixt Hill St. and Teed St. facing Fort Moore- LAPL images 00061553 and Mrs. Anna Ford's big mremodel in 00061643 - AND to Etherial Reality re the QUEEN APTS- I managed to sleuth the location on the Ansel Adams images you posted after getting hold of a faint aerial-one of the first I'd collected that proved its site to then curator Carolyn Kozo Cole- Infamous OIL QUEEN Emma Summers constructed the folly in her name-her own Victorian was 2 doors east - Bison Archives has another great sidelong image with lots of rugrats scampering out its front--- Hilarious that it was renamed the Princess to spiff it up--
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  #4716  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 5:28 AM
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http://maps.google.com/maps?q=wilshi...142.93,,0,4.93

The Wilshire Packard dealership Google Images coordinates. Perfectly preserved.
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  #4717  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 4:54 PM
Fab Fifties Fan Fab Fifties Fan is offline
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Quoting myself!!!

Update 09/20/11

I was just studying the four photos of the Merle Norman building"s" again and suddenly realized that they are all of the same building just with different facades. Look at the window placement on the front and sides of the building. All the windows are sized and placed exactly the same. The streetlight is the same. The doorways are the same and in one of the older photos you can see the beginning of the address "25", for 2525 Main.

So it looks like Mrs. Norman opened the laboratory in that location in 1933 and then had the building extensively updated prior to opening the first Merle Norman Studio in 1936. Prior to the studio opening, the cosmetics were sold door-to-door only.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Fab Fifties Fan View Post
Welcome to the thread SierraMadre, I am really looking forward to seeing your posts!

As far as the Merle Norman buildings. I have never been able to find an address for the laboratory building in your first two photos but the streamilne moderene building is the first Merle Norman Studio location at 2525 Main St in Santa Monica.

That building is still extant and looking good.

Google Images

~Jon Paul

Last edited by Fab Fifties Fan; Sep 20, 2011 at 7:59 PM.
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  #4718  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 8:28 PM
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GaylordWilshire GaylordWilshire is offline
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You are right, FFF-- and the phone pole would be running along 2nd street parallel to Main--the street to the right is called Norman Place.

If it weren't for the "25", which I hadn't noticed before, I might ask, what if the company had an identical building at 8613 W Pico in 1939, for which there is a listing in the '39 LACD... I only say this because of the typical Pico Blvd streetlamp still in front of that location...but then again, it doesn't seem to be in quite the right spot--and, as it turns out, the vintage SM street lamps (below) are very similar to those still standing on Pico. So a radical renovation in SM it was... excellent sleuthing, FFF.

SMPL

Last edited by GaylordWilshire; Sep 20, 2011 at 10:16 PM.
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  #4719  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 10:43 PM
malumot malumot is offline
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For what it's worth.

I find it hard to believe that ALL the sources you cite require such a vigorous "no retransmission" policy. City archives, UCLA, Calif. Historical Society? Are they all really that adamant? Aren't virtually all the photos posted in the previous 230+ pages from such sources?

Maybe I'm being naive, but I wouldn't think that historical photos, especially from public or quasi-public sources (e.g city archives) are the stuff lawsuits are made of.

It's not like we are posting Scarlett Johansson's nude cell phone pix, after all. LOL




Quote:
Originally Posted by rick m View Post
Re: this Reagh image @4th n Olive-It was the Olive Inn- Might I add that a building you never got a location for (the Grosse) -was at 600 S.Spring-captured with a westward view along 6th on USC, image frm the Examiner 12149-001-1 and @LAPL image 00014239 for a great north aimed shot.. Pulled down in 1958 to build 20 story United Calif.Bank-now the frightening SB Tower. Found this forum in June - got symptoms of carpal tunnel for the 2 weeks it took me to study every page. Usually somebody has stepped in to clear up image confusion-this is like being at the best cocktail party- all lugging their portfolios along ! As I actively assist Dace and Christina and CLEATS I'd better not actually post frm their sites - I've collected a mountain of material on Bunker Hill - such as Theodore Hall and Chas. Puck frm the Huntington, uncatalogued demolition shots frm USC, 30 amazing Fairchild n Spence aerials of the hills every angle frm UCLA's AirPhoto Archive plus tabloid and L A Times lost layouts @ Young Collection,many uncatalogued Cal.Histor.Soc. images frm the City Archives--- All of which I had to agree to not electonically reproduce (or post) Sooo it makes me nuts that I can't share these finds-Such is life- Anyway , I salute your continuing conversation. Rick M.
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  #4720  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 10:46 PM
Fab Fifties Fan Fab Fifties Fan is offline
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[QUOTE=GaylordWilshire;5417409]

You are right, FFF-- and the phone pole would be running along 2nd street parallel to Main--the street to the right is called Norman Place.

If it weren't for the "25", which I hadn't noticed before, I might ask, what if the company had an identical building at 8613 W Pico in 1939, for which there is a listing in the '39 LACD... I only say this because of the typical Pico Blvd streetlamp still in front of that location...but then again, it doesn't seem to be in quite the right spot--and, as it turns out, the vintage SM street lamps (below) are very similar to those still standing on Pico. So a radical renovation in SM it was... excellent sleuthing, FFF.

Thanks GaylordWilshire! I became even more curious about the building when I saw that the Santa Monica house, the Debe's Bakery truck was parked in front of, seemed to have much the same brickwork as the MN building.

I am now curious as to whether there was a commonality with Santa Monica and that mosaic patterned brickwork. Ah good, another puzzle for me

~Jon Paul
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