art deco funeral home
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/843/d8pf.jpg
jericlcat at http://www.flickr.com/photos/7976130...ream/lightbox/


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/836/i71o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7976130...ream/lightbox/
__

Well, the defeated of mind might think that. But who's to say the business district might have actually found its longest-lasting purpose? SoHo, the neighborhood to the south of mine here in NY, was getting going in the '70s after its fallow years, when I moved to the city--and nearly 40 years later it looks pretty well set for at least another 10 gentrified years before the razor wire comes in.... Thank God for the optimism of the young and of the old who see the wisdom of thinking young.

Yay Victorians!
 

Don't sell Victorian structures short. They were very well-built, in my experience considerably sounder in structure than your average Craftsman. Victorians were typically built light and stiff, naturally resistant to the twisting movements that often tear structures apart in earthquakes.

Our own Victorian was a derelict, at least as bad in appearance as any of the Bunker Hill structures. Ours didn't even have a foundation, just cripple walls sitting right on the ground. And yet, it survived a century of the worst Ma Nature could throw at it with the main structure completely intact.

1965 - From the center of the parking lot bounded by 2nd Street, Grand Avenue, 1st Street and Bunker Hill Ave, looking south along Bunker Hill
Avenue, the Brousseau at 238 stands with the Alto behind it. Across the street on the west side, some remaining odd numbers of the 200 block.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/96...0/534/2m60.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7665/rec/5

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/99...90/31/5cx2.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7665/rec/5

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/60...0/836/ai4r.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7665/rec/5

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/84...0/703/pnl3.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7665/rec/5

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/91...0/546/33gy.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7665/rec/5

1957 - Looking east at the corner of 4th Street and Hope Street where the retaining wall ends. 4th Street view of buildings and service garage's sides.
Middle house is 343 South Bunker Hill Avenue.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/98...0/138/fovx.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/6248/rec/6

1962 - Rear view of buildings along 3rd Street east of Figueroa Street. 1955 Buick Super and bicyclist traveling north on Figueroa Street,
the west limit of Bunker Hill. Betty Crocker billboard at left background.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/92...90/21/b639.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7641/rec/7

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/94...0/801/69wo.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7641/rec/7

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/52...90/62/t705.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7641/rec/7

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/94...0/541/2k0d.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/7641/rec/7

1962 - Standing on Grand Avenue, looking up toward Bunker Hill Avenue. From left to right: the back of 336 South Bunker Hill Avenue;
333 South Bunker Hill Avenue and “The Castle” 325 South Bunker Hill Ave face us; a bit of the “Lady McDonald", 321 South Bunker Hill Avenue;
and the Alta Cresta, one half of it faced South Bunker Hill Avenue (318/322) and one half faced Grand Avenue (319/323). The cleared lot was
once the site of the Kenneth Apartments, 325 South Grand Avenue.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/94...0/706/2w2s.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7644/rec/15

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/67...0/546/gwnk.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7644/rec/15

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/10...0/200/uojk.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7644/rec/15

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/53...0/607/7b6s.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7644/rec/15

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/64...0/707/6zhd.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7644/rec/15

1962 - Row of four Victorian structures at 322-334 South Olive Street. In the shadowed left background is the Broadway department store and the Black
Building, 357-361 South Hill Street. Visible in the far background, Hotel Clark sign is at 426 Hill Street and the tower of the Title Guarantee Building at 411
5th Street.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/10...0/585/4e1c.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/6300/rec/26

1963 - Looking north up Grand Avenue from above 3rd Street. At left, the Ethel Apartments at 223 South Grand Avenue, then 219, 217, 215
South Grand Avenue and the Dome at 201 South Grand Avenue.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/93...0/835/c6tc.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7650/rec/32

1962 - Left to right: 319/323 South Grand Avenue; the beige house, 311 S Grand; housing at 305 and 303-301 partially obscured. Over the
intersection of Grand, the New Grand/Nugent at 257 South Grand Avenue. At the far right, the Lovejoy Apartments at 3rd Street and Grand
Avenue, 529 West 3rd Street. Note the Dome in the distance at 2nd Street and Grand Avenue.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/98...90/24/glcj.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/6303/rec/30

1962 - Side view of the two part Alta Cresta, one half of it was on 319-323 Grand Avenue and the other faced 318-322 South Bunker Hill
Avenue. Parking garage across the street at 318 South Grand Avenue. Red tiled open tower of the Astoria Apartments visible in background.
Tall brick building at right is the rear of the Palace Hotel.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/92...90/42/cd7k.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7657/rec/34

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/99...0/809/2t9m.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7657/rec/34

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/10...0/834/8ku8.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/7657/rec/34

1961 - Right, the Dome Hotel on Grand Avenue at 2nd Street. Looking south from there in distant background, the brick
building is the Alto Hotel at 251 Grand Avenue and the corner tower is the New Grand Hotel at 257 Grand Ave and 3rd Street.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/82...0/197/qa7q.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/6291/rec/47

FredH: Mainly I just wanted to say--thanks again for posting these. It's amazing how mournful color photography can be. As for the vehicles... I know there are a number of cars guys on the thread, who may back me up. That's actually a '55 Buick Century, rather than a Super. The C-pillar is a clew. (Centurys went from being three-holers in '54 to four-holers in '55.)

I also noticed a pale blue '54 Cadillac sedan in shots on several different streets--I'm thinking it may have been the photographer's....

As GW said, thanks for the great color pictures, FredH.


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


I forgot to post this picture yesterday. It's another detail from the 1940s Crenshaw Boulevard aerial, and shows a drive-in restaurant about a block north of the Blue Bird Laundry. I've looked through the City Directories, and they list it as Scrivner's Drive-In at 3060 Crenshaw Boulevard (1956 CD). Does anyone have a better picture, because my Google searches just seem to show the one on Sunset? Just across the road is the Richfield service station at 3400 Crenshaw.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...AScrivers1.jpg
Detail of picture at USC Digital Library

Here's another aerial view from 1952.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...AScrivers2.jpg
Historic Aerials

I know we've seen the enormous Barker Bros. building numerous times on NLA, but this postcard includes some very interesting details.
(who knew it had an auditorium!)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/837/t4ol.jpgebay


..and here are a couple rare glimpses inside.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/34/ls8l.jpgebay



and this art deco display, 1926
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/707/ifqr.jpg
http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com...lding-art.html




Here's the impressive main entrance as it appears today.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/89/s5fw.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...os_Angeles.jpg

According to the California Death Index, Edward Strong died in Los Angeles on May 25, 1938. He was 82 having been born in 1856 in New York. The 1930 Census says his wife's name was Mary Ellen. The 1930 Census does show him as being an apartment owner/manager.

Epicenter of Noir again
 

[QUOTE=FredH;6407145]1957 - Looking east on 1st Street, through the intersection at Olive Street. The Gladden Hotel entrance fronts Olive Street.
Olive Court to the right has been cleared; the Moore Cliff building can be seen behind the trees undergoing demolition.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/94...90/43/i8h8.jpg
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/6257/rec/60

Thanks , Fred, this picture replicates the photo from only 26 years before that fascinated me (#2597). This is the the view that begins the "Asphalt Jungle" by John Huston (just after the credits). Even if the action takes place in Cincinnati !

If you haven't seen this site, it's a great collection of pictures:

http://waterandpower.org/museum/Earl...25%20+%29.html

GW you are indeed correct about year and "C" pillar variance and the '55 picking up from Roadmaster the 4 portholes. Note: The '55 Buick Century shared a basic body shell with Pontiac's Star Chief. The '55-'56 Roadmaster shared the '55-'56 Cadillac series 62 body shell. It's amazing how many of GM's cars in the mid and late '50s shared body shells and many body parts not visible.

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Bui...-06-MDB_03.jpg
'56 Buick Series 70 Roadmaster
www.conceptcarz.com

http://www.collectorcarads.com/Picture3/DSC05358.jpg

1955 Buick Special
.

I don't know about a chain (the name does appear on other cleaners across the US), but I found a couple of entries for a "Valeteria" on N. Highland in the City Directories from the 1930s. The CD from 1932 lists Joseph Goldberg and Hyman Margolin as working there.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...AValeteria.jpg
rescarta.lapl.org

I haven't managed to locate any exterior shots yet - images of the stores on this part of N. Highland seem quite rare. The picture below is a screengrab from a mid-50s video uploaded to YouTube by Alison Martino. Dutch Boy Paints was at 1751 N. Highland.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ANHighland.jpg
YouTube