noirish Los Angeles

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by HossC

So, my question is, are they two parts of the same Pierce family? The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was started by George Pierce (originally as the George N Pierce Company) in Buffalo, New York in 1878, and, according to GW's LA Times article about the Pierce Brothers, "In 1880, William Pierce arrived in Los Angeles from upstate New York". Does anyone know if there's a connection? Maybe this is one for oldstuff.

Working on it...but no connection yet.

George Norman Pierce, of the car company, born in New York state in 1846, he died in Buffalo, NY in 1910.

William Pierce- date of birth not yet known. He had a brother Fred, who came to California shortly after he did. He also had another brother, Clarence Pierce, MD who founded Pierce College in the valley.

Hopefully I can find a connection, but right now the only common threads are the last name and being from New York State.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Milani 1890 French Dressing used to be my favorite salad dressing for quite a long time, until it seemed no longer available. I can still taste it in my, um, mind's mouth. The bottle had a distinctive shape then, rather like an 8, as I thought to facilitate shaking it to blend the oil and whatever before use. I see it's available online (different shaped bottle, though)--I'll have to order some, for old time's sake!

Milani had a real hourglass figure back then.


https://img.newspapers.com/img/thumb..._3800_4170.jpg

[Scott Charles]

A question, if I may!

I am still working my way through this thread (currently on page 1321). I keep on reading these posts that mention “the 1921 CD”, or “the 1904 CD”, etc - here’s an example, from post #26411 by HossC:



When you folks are talking about these CDs, what are you referring to?

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

A question, if I may!

I am still working my way through this thread (currently on page 1321). I keep on reading these posts that mention “the 1921 CD”, or “the 1904 CD”, etc - here’s an example, from post #26411 by HossC:



When you folks are talking about these CDs, what are you referring to?

CD refers to City Directories, which can be found online at the LA Public Library site.

http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...ollections.jsp

In general the City Directory is basically the precursor to the modern phone book.

Not that anyone uses phone books anymore, LOL.

A CD typically listed people by name, often accompanied by their occupation, place of work and place of residence. And then another section listed street addresses in order, with what or who resided there. So for instance my grandfather might be listed in a name section as:

May, Charles H, painter, Columbia Carriage Co., res[idence] 1290 Motor Av

And in the street section - let's say he lived on the corner of Motor Ave. & E. Walnut, with a market on the corner across the street -

MOTOR AVENUE
...
1221 Jones P B
1260 Smith A H
1277 Arthur V V
1290 May C H
E Walnut intersects
1300 Doose's Market
...

etc.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

CD refers to City Directories, which can be found online at the LA Public Library site.

http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...ollections.jsp

In general the City Directory is basically the precursor to the modern phone book.

Not that anyone uses phone books anymore, LOL.

Thank you, ProphetM!

I actually thought you guys were using a set of Compact Discs for reference!

I bookmarked that page, thanks for clearing that up!

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

But, of course, e-r! You can "Read all about it!" [Milani 1890 French Dressing] here:

http://www.precisionfoods.com/consum.../brands/Milani
_________________________________________________________________

Mmm...this link describes a Milani Dill Sauce, but THAT one they aren't selling. I was interested in that one!


Also, I was wondering, the person in charge of the food at the HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN was known as Chef Milani. I searched a bit, but can't find anything to reference a connection between the Chef and this product. Anyone know?

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

Milani had a real hourglass figure back then.
_________________________________________________________________

LOL! But Chef Milani didn't!

Hollywood Photographs

U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace (left) chats with Chef Milani and Dinah Shore at the Hollywood Canteen, 1944.
Note the celebrity autographs on Chef Milani's jacket.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

Milani had a real hourglass figure back then.


https://img.newspapers.com/img/thumb..._3800_4170.jpg

Aye, that's the bottle I well remember! Thanks!

[CityBoyDoug]

Chef Milani had a local Los Angeles TV show in the 1950s. I used to watch it. He was cornball but fun and interesting. Mama-Mia!!!!


http://bookshow.blurb.com/bookshow/c...d/cover_2.jpeg

Born in Naples, Italy 1892.
Joseph Milani was a well-known radio and television personality in Los Angeles from the 1930s to the 1950s. Among his shows were "Chef Milani" on KFWB, on which his announcer was Johnny Olson; and the "Chef Milani Show" on KCOP-TV. During World War II, he was in charge of food at the Hollywood Canteen, the celebrity-run club for servicemen.

[CityBoyDoug]

1941 Miracle Mile Wilshire Blvd. traffic jam


http://theoldmotor.com/wp-content/up...-1005x1024.jpg

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

I actually thought you guys were using a set of Compact Discs for reference!

Just to add a little to ProphetM's comprehensive reply, the Los Angeles City Directories at LAPL currently run from 1875 to 1942, with a good number of the interim years available (and selected directories from other areas). Then there's a gap until 1956, where the City Directories become Los Angeles Street Address Directories (which I think most of us still refer to as CDs).

The directories up to 1942 provide a wealth of information about individuals, their addresses, occupations etc., and also a section at the rear where businesses are grouped together. This can be really useful when you want to look through, say, all the hotels listed in a certain year.

The later directories lose a lot of the detail (probably inevitable as the population grew). They do, however, have the advantage of being arranged by address. This is really handy when you're trying to identify/confirm photograph locations where several neighboring businesses are visible.

BTW. When I first started reading the forum, I also briefly imagined that other members had compact discs containing all this data, and I can confirm that others have had the same thought since!

Originally Posted by oldstuff

Working on it...but no connection yet.

George Norman Pierce, of the car company, born in New York state in 1846, he died in Buffalo, NY in 1910.

William Pierce- date of birth not yet known. He had a brother Fred, who came to California shortly after he did. He also had another brother, Clarence Pierce, MD who founded Pierce College in the valley.

Hopefully I can find a connection, but right now the only common threads are the last name and being from New York State.

Thanks for looking, oldstuff. I know it's a long shot, but the shared coat of arms, the dates and the upstate New York origins got me wondering.

[ethereal_reality]

I've never heard of 'Milani 1890 French Dressing' before. I don't believe it was available in the midwest.

My family's favorite, back in the 60s and 70s, was Mullens.


mullensdressing

ok, I'm off to make a salad now

__

[CityBoyDoug]

LA mobster Mickey Cohen feared for his life. His armored Cadillac had thick glass with many layers. The far left window appears to have 4 layers. That should work.


https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3z3A-1cQK...ohenscadix.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

Just the other day I came upon a rare bit of ephemera (if bar napkins are considered ephemera)

EBAY

backside


6124 Hollywood Blvd. places the Blue Palm Cafe in the right 'storefront' space in the old Music Box Theater.

Martin Pal discusses it in his post on the Music Box HERE.

But there is another photo that shows a Blue Palm Cafe on the street corner HERE.


__

[Lwize]

I never realized how this place perks up over salad dressing.

Up until the late 1980's, there was a little Italian restaurant on Pico between Beverly Drive and Beverwil called Piccolo's.

Their creamy house dressing was divine, and lost to the world since Piccolo's shut their doors some 30 years ago.

The house dressing at Andre's Italian Cafeteria (in the Town & Country shopping center at Beverly & Fairfax) is close, but not quite.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Just the other day I came upon a rare bit of ephemera (if bar napkins are considered ephemera)

EBAY

6124 Hollywood Blvd. places the Blue Palm Cafe in the right 'storefront' space in the old Music Box Theater.

Martin Pal discusses it in his post on the Music Box HERE.

But there is another photo that shows a Blue Palm Cafe on the street corner HERE.
_________________________________________________________________

E_R, I don't think we ever figured out the Blue Palm Cafe on the street corner.

In this post of mine HERE, with other photos and help from HossC, we pretty much nailed down a Blue Palm Cafe at 6124 Hollywood Blvd. but we weren't successful with the Blue Palm Cafe on the corner.

I wrote in that post:

So, if the Blue Palm Cafe address is 6124 (as is the Blue Palms Brewhouse) it is on the left side of the building (with the Music Box/Pix/Fonda et al in the center) then we still have the mystery of the original photo posted by E_R of the Blue Palm Cafe on the right side of a building (same one?) and decidedly different signage.

To make matters more confusing, that drawing on the napkin doesn't look like either of the two buildings in the photos to me.

[ethereal_reality]

I wondered about the napkin drawing too....I imagine it's just a make-believe place. You wouldn't know any better once you're drunk.





I don't believe we have heard of this place on nla.

Billy McGee's Club Willie-Willie,

EBAY

1904 South Robertson, Los Angeles.





1904 S. Robertson today / BUILT in 1954.

gsv

I doubt we'll ever know what Club Willie-Willie looked like.

__

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' farm

This is similar to a photograph I posted not too long ago...but this farm is in a different location.

"When my father donated the pictures it was with the wish that they could be accessible to as many people as possible, and now they can."
—Geoff Wagner, 2016


CHS

West Los Angeles Farmland, February 2, 1933

[Farm on Robertson Boulevard North of Hall Road Studio Farm]
Los Angeles: 1932–33 Anton Wagner
California Historical Society

Well, the first thing I have to question is Hall Road Studio: Do you think they meant Hal Roach Studio? [Culver City]

Secondly, I looked up Anton Walker and he's only listed in one directory, 1926.


lapl

The Mt. Vernon address places Mr. Wagner in an area just below Baldwin Hills. (today called View Park)


google-earth

So I'm wondering if the society is mistaken about the location. (considering the 'Hall Road' mistake and all)
__

update:

OOPS. I was thinking this was Anton Wagner's farm. It is not.

although.. I might still be right about Hall Road = Hal Roach Studio.
I commuted using Robertson Blvd. when I worked in Culver City. (which is why Hal Roach studio came to mind)

Say Goodnight Gracie.

[Flyingwedge]

I believe that's the Don Jose de Arnaz ranch house. Robertson Blvd. was originally Arnaz, if I remember correctly.
The house was on the west side, about halfway between Hamilton High and Airdrome Street. I had that photo
bookmarked but forgot about it, so thanks for posting it!

Cheviothillshistory.org has an old article and other information on the Arnaz ranch house. In addition to photos
of the house, in one of the photos you can see the squat barn in the rear and a bit of the water tank tower.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Just the other day I came upon a rare bit of ephemera (if bar napkins are considered ephemera)

6124 Hollywood Blvd. places the Blue Palm Cafe in the right 'storefront' space in the old Music Box Theater.

Martin Pal discusses it in his post on the Music Box HERE.

But there is another photo that shows a Blue Palm Cafe on the street corner HERE

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

E_R, I don't think we ever figured out the Blue Palm Cafe on the street corner.

In this post of mine HERE, with other photos and help from HossC, we pretty much nailed down a Blue Palm Cafe at 6124 Hollywood Blvd. but we weren't successful with the Blue Palm Cafe on the corner.

To make matters more confusing, that drawing on the napkin doesn't look like either of the two buildings in the photos to me.

Looking through the linked Blue Palm Cafe posts, I did not see this picture. Apologies if it has been posted elsewhere on the thread. It shows part of the cafe at 6124 Hollywood Blvd. in 1951 when the Music Box was the Guild Theater.



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by Lwize

I never realized how this place perks up over salad dressing.

Up until the late 1980's, there was a little Italian restaurant on Pico between Beverly Drive and Beverwil called Piccolo's.

Their creamy house dressing was divine, and lost to the world since Piccolo's shut their doors some 30 years ago.

The house dressing at Andre's Italian Cafeteria (in the Town & Country shopping center at Beverly & Fairfax) is close, but not quite.

And then....there was something called "White House Dressing". It came in a straight sided jar, rather than a bottle. We used it to make really good cole slaw, but it no longer can be found...Alas