:previous:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...923/S17OVc.jpg
http://www.martinturnbull.com/2014/1...el-long-beach/




I certainly didn't know this!

"During World War II, two pillboxes with gun-mountings were installed on the rooftop for harbor defense,
and the Sky Room became the official Airwatch headquarters for Long Beach harbor. One of the pillboxes and gun mountings
remained intact on the roof as late as 1991."

Let's find an aerial that shows the pillbox and gun-mounting. Ready. Set. GO! ;)

Great work finding the Inglewood Medical Building at 2401 W Manchester Boulevard, Flyingwedge. I drove the Googlemobile past there, but I think I was looking for a curved section of road, and completely missed it. Also, thanks to odinthor for the information on Dr William H Brownfield.


------------------


We're off to Alhambra to today's Julius Shulman post. This is "Job 5171: Sears, Roebuck and Company Pacific Coast Headquarters (Alhambra, Calif.), 1974, 1975". There are only two images in this set, and neither of them shows the exterior of the main building. The first shows a sunken paved garden with the Sears store in the background.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original

The second shows the reception area - there are two "Receptionist" signs in case you were in any doubt.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...2.jpg~original

Both from Getty Research Institute

An article at laconservancy.org again has a good summary of the building at 900 S Fremont Avenue. It's a short piece, so I'm quoting the whole text:

When Sears, Roebuck and Company moved into its new Pacific Coast Territory administrative offices, it established residence in a building that would become an icon of Corporate Modernism in Alhambra.

The twelve-story tower was designed by Albert C. Martin & Associates and completed in 1971, along with an adjacent Sears department store.

It is a cube-like, glass-skin skyscraper sheathed entirely in reflective glass so that it reflects the sky from all sides, all day long. The effect, in our sunny climes, is overwhelmingly blue most of the time—hence the nickname “The Blue Cube.” The ethereal building perches on top of huge canted concrete pedestals that seem to tether it to the earth.

A large landscaped courtyard in front of the building welcomed visitors to the company’s headquarters. It features a large circular fountain in the front and an elevated garden that encircles the whole tower.

After Sears, Roebuck and Co. left its Alhambra headquarters to consolidate its staff in Chicago in the late 1980s, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works purchased it for use as its headquarters. It has occupied the tower ever since, keeping the blue flame burning for glass skin design and construction with this fine example of the style.

"The ethereal building..." - that has a certain ring to it. What do you think Bruce? ;)

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...3.jpg~original
GSV

The sunken area from the first picture is on the northern side of the building, and is in shadow in every aerial view I found. The circular fountain is clearly visible, and the trees have grown considerably. The old Sears store is now Toys "Я" Us and Party City.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...4.jpg~original
Bing Maps

As a lifelong resident of the LB area from the mid 1950s on, and for a number of reasons very familiar with the oil field area, I'm ashamed to state that I don't recognize any building in this photo... But the area is very familiar; and here's a (modern) pic which may help with the location (of course, the freeways didn't exist when the old pic was taken):

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps895vjsto.jpg
City of Signal Hill photo at their oil field page http://www.cityofsignalhill.org/index.aspx?NID=422

In the old pic, the hill at Palos Verdes rises in the distance, so we're looking west over the oilfields. Given that we're dealing with stewardesses, presumably we're somewhere in the area of the LB Airport (which is/was adjacent to the oil fields). Likely we're somewhere on Signal Hill proper, either its north or west slope, meaning that the ladies and photographer and building they're in might not itself be a tall building, though overlooking a tallish building (a hospital perhaps? Seaside/Memorial Hospital was/is in that area). Wish I could pinpoint this one for y'all!

I found out the 'lantern' atop the Center building was damaged in the 1933 earthquake, and removed in 1934.

pre-earthquake
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...922/sVK1Lz.jpg
usc/detail

That means it was only up there are five years! (the building was built in 1929)




A small portion of it is visible in this snapshot.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/yT8wqk.png
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/bod...ey/1482223801/

The building still stands at 100 W. Ocean Blvd.
__

Here's a very intriguing photograph.

"Cabinet Card Photo Native American Indian Unknown Chief, 1910s.

Perhaps from a Wild West Show."

Photo by 'Lindburg of Inglewood' California

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/LgeiXp.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CABINET-CARD...AAAOSwTA9X3ejh

I searched for 'Lindburg' in the city directories. I found a 'Lindburg' that lived in Inglewood but he worked in a match factory.

I also tried to fine dates the wild west 'shows' toured the west coast.

still searching

__

Jordan Downs
 

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...pspbmvr4rh.jpg
KCET.org

The Jordan Downs housing community consists of 103 buildings, bordered by Grape Street, 97th Street, Alameda Street,
and 103rd Street. It was built during the 1940’s to house defense workers during World War Two.

After the war, it became the first veterans’ housing project in Los Angeles County. Like some of the other post-war
communities, it was initially successfully integrated.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psbjmdbw3u.jpg
LAPL

However, as the white families moved into new communities, by the 1960’s Jordan Downs became almost totally Africa-American.
The area was one of the flash points during the Watts Riots, and became the home base for the Grape Street Crips street gang.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps6fdmbmvc.jpg
hpmgaa.mediaforthearts.com

For at least the last ten years, plans have been proposed to revitalize the area. Bureaucratic bungling,
failure to secure funding, and a huge environmental problem have all contributed to (basically) nothing happening.

The environment problem stems from the area (proposed for redevelopment) which used to house a steel mill,
trucking company, and storage facility. (see below) The ground underneath this area was found to be saturated with lead,
arsenic, and a whole host of other vile toxins. Years went by as clean-up crept slowly along, with doubts being
raised by the community.


http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psy1vqldi6.jpg
Historic.Aerials.com

Here is the basic problem. The redevelopment plan is to turn the 700 subsidized housing units into 1400 mixed
income units. The contaminated area (in green) is to be the first phase of construction. When residents are
relocated to this new housing, their buildings will be demolished and rebuilt. This will go on through six phases.
Until building could be started on this contaminated area, nothing could be done. Finally, ground was broken in August

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psyclgbmvy.png
Jordan.Downs.Remediation.2.2

When the project is completed, it shoud look like this:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psa1dqkn7s.jpg
http.south word press

Note: Our younger son is a Social Worker for LAUSD. He works in the Camp Returnee Placement Program, where kids from Juvenile Hall and the detention
camps are placed back into school. His territory is South Los Angeles. He says that Jordan High School (and many surrounding schools) have been remodeled
and are in good shape. However, the Jordan Downs housing units themselves are (pretty much) stuck in the 1940’s. He also told me that the word is that
hipsters are ready to move into Watts. That should be interesting.

Very interesting post Fredh, kudos to your son for being a social worker.

I didn't realize Jordan-Downs was built as a temporary shelter for factory workers during World War II.
I wonder who was the main employer in the area during WWII.


Here's Jordan-Downs in the 1950s, looking exactly as it does today.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...923/Fo8E8e.jpg
http://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt68...yout=printable




but running north/south along the western edge of Jordan-Downs is the infamous Grape Street.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...923/worO3q.jpg
http://www.rapdict.org/Grape_Street_Watts_Crips

'Watts Varrio Grape' originated inside Jordan-Downs.

I wonder if this has stymied the redevelopment of Jordan-Downs for all these years.

I'm pretty sure that's a somewhat recent picture...the bike is a BMX style bike which didn't get popular til the early 80's.

:previous:

Creator: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles

Date: 1950s

Publication: Southern California Library for Social Studies & Research
Collection Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles Photograph Collection

Description: Photograph of courtyard at the Jordan Downs housing project strung with clotheslines.
A young boy on his bicycle is pictured in the foreground. Jordan Downs, located at 103rd Street and Alameda Street in Watts, Los Angeles, California,
was comprised of 700 units on 49.48 acres.

link
https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/kt68702630/
_________



But I have to agree unihikid, the bike does look like a BMX.


Here's a BMX bike from the late 1970s. (Schwinn 'Tornado')

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...923/W7eTqD.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-1979-SCH...gAAOSw9k5XQdfH

The boy's bike in the calisphere photo looks even newer than this.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...924/klEbdx.jpg
detail

I think the 1950s date is incorrect.

_

That red bike [above] appears to have been a ''customized'' 1950-60s to look like a more modern BMX. My brother had that same curving-lines Schwinn style bike frame on his bike in 1955. Someone has ''upgraded" it.

A typical BMX bike had a frame that was mostly straight lines.

This catalog page [below] is from the early 1960s.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps3czwicq0.jpg
Schwinn cruisers

:previous: I think you're right CityBoyDoug. I was tricked.


__

By happenstance here's another photograph of an Indian Chief in Los Angeles.

This time the 'mystery' location is a street corner in Hollywood [dated 1929]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/ClGIwn.jpg
eBay

He might be a movie extra but he looks authentic to me (but what to I know ;), I was tricked by that fake bmx bike)




Here's a closer look..(I lightened it a bit)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/922/65QIrc.jpg
eBay

If only we could read the sign on top of that building:previous:.

__

:previous:

I'm pretty sure the sign says "???? Department Store". The windows and carvings seem to match the Robertson Deptartment Store on the northwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden Place.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...DeptStore1.jpg
hollywoodphotographs.com

This later shot, dated 1944, shows the building as J C Penney's.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...DeptStore2.jpg
hollywoodphotographs.com

I tweaked the sepia pic again.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...922/PHAA3x.png
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/3kbn22.png
detail

You my friend, are absolutely correct!

Thanks for your help Hoss.:)
__

It's Sunday, so I thought I'd let Julius Shulman take us to the movies. This is "Job Laszlo-26: Crenshaw Theater, 1942". The main feature is the 1938 Charles Laughton movie Ruggles of Red Gap, but you can also see the 1941 Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime with Ralph Bellamy (for some reason missing the word "Ellery" from the marquee).

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original

The whole place really lights up at night. The posters on the left are for the 1941 movies Sing Another Chorus and We Go Fast. The prices are: General admission 22¢; Juniors 17¢; Children 11¢.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...2.jpg~original

I've included this detail view so I can return to a couple of the background objects below.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...3.jpg~original

Here's the auditorium. According to cinematreasures.org, there was seating for 800.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...4.jpg~original

The last shot shows the exit.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...5.jpg~original

All from Getty Research Institute

The detail view above shows a drive-in with "Good Food" running down the pylon in neon. I posted a blurry aerial view of Scrivners Drive-In in post #18935. I'm not sure if this is the Scrivners at 3060 Crenshaw Boulevard, but it looks pretty close.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...6.jpg~original
We Had Faces Then on flickr

GaylordWilshire posted some 1958 crime scene pictures of the Crenshaw Theater in post #3262. At that time it was known as the L.A. Jazz Concert Theater. Could the sign on the left below be the same R H Malone Co, Realtors sign that's visible in the detail view above (the full image shows an "O" on the far left)? GW's post also includes a small version of the second photo above.

As GW showed us before, the theater is still standing at 3020 Crenshaw Boulevard.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...7.jpg~original
GSV

Wilshire looking east past Beverly Hilton Some images dated '56 others '61. http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compou...ection/p16003c http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compou...coll2/id/62078
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/o...h.jpg~original





East on Wilshire, Beverly Hilton
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/o...u.jpg~original




http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/o...q.jpg~original




Opposite direction
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/o...5.jpg~original





If you are a werewolf, try a pina colada.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/o...a.jpg~original

:previous:
Ok Bif, give us a chance to digest your photographs.

I'm still working on different aspects of your first set of photographs of Inglewood.

Thanks.

Originally posted by BifRayRock
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...921/M4545v.jpg
detail

This looks more like a searchlight than an oil well (shouldn't there be vertical pipes visible?) -maybe it's offline ;)


I've been trying to locate the Alba Furniture corner. (I wanted to see if that small building mid-block, with the curved barrel-like roof, has survived)

I found this in the 1956 directory
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...923/qXcPye.jpg
lapl

but it's nowhere near the area in BRR's photograph.
_

and another directory (1961) puts it on Crenshaw mid-block, not a corner.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...921/4HxP1y.jpg
1961 L.A. city directory lapl