to me it says:

"Having a wonderful time
wish you were here
<illegible>
<illegible>
Lots to see here"

I don't think I have ever seen this angle before...


Looking northeast across the intersection of W. First (foreground) and N. Hill streets (running diagonally from left to lower right), showing the Los Angeles County Law Library (right), the Law Building at 139 N. Broadway and the bridge to its parking lot (upper right and center). The Law Building and the Hill Street Tunnel (left) have been demolished.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00091/00091553.jpg
LAPL

Can anyone here please help?


I'm trying without much success to find out the history of a wonderful 1920s 'French Norman revival' building that was located on the southeast corner of Sunset Blvd. and Crescent Heights Blvd., just east of the Garden of Allah apartments. The structure faced Sunset Blvd.


All I know is that the building was constructed in the early 1920s, and that it was home to the infamous "Crescent Heights Market" (where Hollywood's elite overpaid for its groceries) and "Schwab's Pharmacy" (which had taken another pharmacy's space there in 1933). I also know that the entire building was demolished in the 1950s; Schwab's remained in the same geographic location for the next 30 years, but within a new, freestanding ‘box’ structure.


Below are several photos of the building and what followed. Does anyone here know exactly when it was constructed, for whom, and by which architect? Did the building itself have a name? What year was it was torn down? Thanks so much!



Circa 1930:

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4cbf9c4e.jpg
Huntington Library Collection




Circa 1938:

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3c0f2fa5.jpg
Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection




Circa 1949:

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps632919ba.jpg




What replaced it at some point in the 1950s:

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps42b44d72.jpg




What is there now. The present-day tower MIGHT be an architectural homage to the long-gone original building's 'Norman revival' tower:

http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/...ps138ac999.jpg

I see:


"Having a wonderful time
wish you were here.
Love, Hammon
Came out
Last Week
Lots to see here.

Here's my guess:

Having a wonderful time
Wish you were here
Come out - Jose/Jane/Gene (?) Harmon
last week -
Lots to see here -

P.S.

On second thought, I think you're right KevinW, "Came out last week" seems more likely, especially since the "L" isn't capitalized. "Love" seems plausible too, but I see "Harmon", not "Hammon" (unless it's "Hamron" or "Hannon")

From 1908 Photo at corner of 5th and Hill
 

[QUOTE=ethereal_reality;6096834]Found on ebay last Sept. 2012.

http://imageshack.us/a/img39/8499/aa...thhill1908.JPG


Love the shot, ER, and the clothes people are wearing. I wanted to see where it was taken in better perspective so I found this shot of the statue on the NE corner of Pershing Square. February 7, 1951. Angelinos watch excavation of PS. Bulldozers remove trees etc.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8...hingstatue.jpg
LAPL

1724 N.Highland:


http://imageshack.us/a/img843/5787/highland.png



In 1926 and 1927 this building was used by Gates, Crane, and Earl as a Funeral Home:

http://imageshack.us/a/img19/3346/19261927highland.png



In 1929, they had an ambulance service:

http://imageshack.us/a/img849/7883/1929highland.png



In 1938 the space was shared by four doctors:

http://imageshack.us/a/img10/7039/1938highland.png


In 1942 the building is listed as the Highland Professional Building, with Dr. V. Reinhard and Dr. R.V. Rozier in practice.

Information from LAPL City Directories

All right: it turns out that in 1930, the whole building was simply called the "Crescent Heights Shopping Center", and the towered section to the left of the archway was named the "Sunset Medical Building" ... or at least it was until 1936, when architect R.M. Schindler began remodeling the new location of the "Sunset Medical Building": 6642 Sunset Blvd.


I still can't seem to dig up when this "Crescent Heights Shopping Center" was built, and by whom. Does anyone know?

No Caption
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075882.jpg
LAPL

I found a couple of pictures on LAPL that are not curated in the database. These appear to be the reservoir and the initial landslide...

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075992.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075990.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075991.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075993.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00075/00075994.jpg
LAPL

[QUOTE=alanlutz;6097334]Here is another view

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00076/00076378.jpg
LAPL

nice sign !!!

Then I think you might like this one too. I think the subject of interest is the siren on the signal light. But the street name sign is very peculiar.

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00076/00076556.jpg
Uncurated at LAPL

It could always be that famous L.A. socialite, Joe Harrrron...

The morning paper carries a story that Brooks Brothers is re-opening in downtown LA in the Jonathan Club building.

Another un-curated image from LAPL
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00076/00076787.jpg
LAPL

.

Must be a WW2 Air Raid Siren on the signal pole. The street name sign is typical Wilshire Blvd. sign, wish I had one. Also wish my LOS ANGELES sign was in better shape.

That's incredible westcork. Have we seen these before? I'd like to see a clear pic of one of the figures. What happens to all this stuff? I keep hoping there's a warehouse somewhere...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...85948%2BAM.jpg
lapl (detail)

Do you have pix? Or are some buried on the thread somewhere? I never focused on those before.

Just found this page about L.A. street signs (http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com...-of-times.html) that includes this:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNllD3Ci1m...e_Wilshire.jpg

The "Four-Sided Trapezoid" Sign: This example, which may or may not have been a City standard sign, was taken in 1937 on the corner of Bonnie Brae Street and Wilshire Blvd (below the street sign was a speed limit sign indicating 20 mph...so times haven't really changed, lol) in the Westlake District. The sign was placed on a lamp post and has four sides, two of which indicate the street the sign face is parallel to. The sign had white letter on a dark (black we assume) background, and featured the street name in large all-caps typeface, street type in smaller typeface and the block number at the bottom. It was also made of wood, and is so far is the only example the Militant has seen, so it may or may not be unique to the Wilshire Blvd corridor.