The label for this is '2nd St. hill'.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/379/early1880sla.jpg
ebay




http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5374/...880slahuge.jpg
ebay




below...a black and white view. I love the clothes on the line.


http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/9...lahugen2bw.jpg
ebay

New to this stuff!!
 

Sorry everyone! I am a complete novice at this and when I didn't have the right click option of "Copy Image Link" I guessed (wrong obviously). I have deleted the images until I can figure this out.
I'm just an old time newspaper reporter who still prefers a Smith Corona, pack of correction tape and a bottle of scotch.:shrug:

...."a pack of correction tape and a bottle of scotch"

Fab_Fifties_Fan, you have endeared yourself to everyone on this thread.

Welcome to 'noirish Los Angeles'.

Nice view of Los Angeles's first Jewish synagogue there on Broadway! (The church-like building just left of center.)



Here's a ground-level view:



https://otters.net/img/lanoir/CHS-11100.jpg
USC Digital Library


And a map showing its location on Fort Street (now Broadway). For years the synagogue was right next door to City Hall:



https://otters.net/img/lanoir/1888-1.jpg
I think I got this from Beaudry. Don't really recall...



You can just see the corner of the synagogue at far left in this 1888 view of the brand new City Hall:


https://otters.net/img/lanoir/CHS-2838.jpg
USC Digital Library


-Scott

architecture lecture today (Saturday) at downtown library
 

Sorry for the short notice:

Please join us at the Los Angeles Public Central Library for a presentation by Dr. Ken Breisch on "Architects and Architecture of Los Angeles, 1950 to the Present" as part of the 19th Annual Marie Northrop Lecture Series. Co-sponsored by Los Angeles City Historical Society and the History Department of the Richard J. Riordan Central Library.

Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011
Time: 2:00 TO 4:00 P.M.
Reception and door prizes following the lecture

Dr. Ken Breisch, a graduate of the University of Michigan, is Director of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California. He previously taught at the University of Texas and the University of Delaware, as well as the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Vernacular Architecture Forum and the Society of Architectural Historians. He is 2nd Vice President for the latter, as well as past president of the Board of the Santa Monica Conservancy and former member of the Santa Monica Planning Commission.

Dr. Breisch is the author of Henry Hobson Richardson and the Small Public Library in America , co-author with Alison K. Hoagland of Constructing Image, Identity and Place: Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture and Building Environments: Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture, as well as numerous articles on the history of American architecture and design. At present, he is completing a book commissioned by the Library of Congress, entitled The Library in America: Images from the Library of Congress.

The Richard J. Riordan Central Library is located at 5th Street between Grand Avenue and Flower Street.

Parking: Library Garage on Flower Street (one way south) between 5th and 6th Streets. $1 from 1:00 p.m., with library card, available that day, and validation.

Free and open to the public. Made possible partially by LACHS member contributions. Handicap accessibility available.

Scott......very interesting details about the synagogue on Broadway.

I am somewhat surprised there was a Jewish community large enough to build a synagogue (in downtown Los Angeles)
at this point in time (1880s).

I didn't go to this, but I bet the Q&A was significant. Did anyone on the forum make it?

apparently there was quite a sizable jewish community in downtown los angeles, as well as bunker hill, large enough so that another temple was built not far from the broadway synagogue.

the beth torah congregation synagogue located on olive street between temple and court was built in at the turn of the century, (i don't know the exact date)

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00081/00081596.jpg
Source: LAPL

i would have loved to have gone to the Architects and Architecture of Los Angeles, 1950 to the Present, presentation at the library........(except for the fact that i live now in miami..............sigh)

Actually, djlx2, the Q&A at yesterday's Architects and Architecture of Los Angeles, 1950 to the Present lecture at the downtown library was brief, maybe three or four questions. About a hundred people were there. Dr Breisch crammed about as much as he could in the hour allotted, "... about a year per minute," as he said. The span covered Case Study Houses to Sunnyside out in Rancho Mirage. Dr Breisch zeroed in with more of an architect's view of the city in contrast with Kevin Roderick whose February kickoff lecture in the series was more about the 19th Century history of L.A. (I missed the second third of the talks in April). Both were worth much more than the price of admission (free).

Looks like there's snow on the ground (and on a car) in the last one.

AMAZING. The only thing left in this photo that still exists today is St. Vibiana's Cathedral, which of course now is no longer a cathedral, but at least the building still exists. But I'm really amazed at what the environment around it used to look like! I just drove up Main Street today too, past the old St. Vib's. Simply amazing.

looking north on grand from 4th street during the 4th street viaduct project 1955. 4th street is in the process of becoming an open cut that tunnels beneath grand

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00092/00092842.jpg
Source: LAPL

looking north on grand across 4th street after it has been tunneled under grand as part of the 4th street viaduct project 1956

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00092/00092843.jpg
Source: LAPL

looking north on grand across 4th street 1980

http://jpg2.lapl.org/spnb2/00017522.jpg
Source: LAPL

looking north on grand across 4th street 1990

http://jpg2.lapl.org/spnb2/00017523.jpg
Source: LAPL

A glass negative on ebay of an unidentified building in Los Angeles.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1...edepotnegw.jpg
ebay




http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/4...ssneg0303a.jpg
ebay




http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/6...arcadedepo.jpg
ebay

If I remember correctly, the seller mentioned that the word on the awning is 'restaurant'.

I pretty much thought it was the Arcade Depot so I ventured into the USC archive to compare it with a couple photos there.


Sure enough...it's the Arcade Depot.

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/4...adefotousc.jpg
USCDL

A cabinet card I found on ebay of the L.J. Rose residence.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/770...idenceebay.jpg
ebay






below: The L.J. Rose residence at Fourth and Grand in 1890.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1...jroseresid.jpg
usc digital archive

:previous:
Both very cool finds! Congrats!

Don'tcha wish you could find a complete set of those "midwinter" cabinet cards? I sure do!

-Scott

Is there a way to contact you directly? I am working on a WB film set in 1940s - 1950s Los Angeles and I have a question I'd like to ask you. Your photos are wonderful.
Thank you. slaverne@earthlink.net

This is a test. *

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/3333/0bb42st2.gif
b_berkeley


WOW!......I didn't expect it to work. -This is very cool :)

*see my following post on the old Busby Berkeley mansion on west Adams Street.

Jews were part of the genesis of any port city, but since LA was famously generated from transplanting mid-westerners, Jews are seen as less important to its development than they are to, say, early New Orleans or Charleston. But they were a large presence and early forward force pre-WASP influx of the 80s and 90s.

As in, the first head of our Chamber of Commerce (and member of our City Council in 1853, and who co-incorporated the Water Company) was Solomon Lazard; our second police chief was Emil Harris, Isaac Norton is incredibly important if for no other reason than being the father of S. Tilden; and I hope I don't have to mention Harris Newmark, whose Sixty Years in Southern California I gather you'll agree should be required reading for any serious student of early LA!

But we're here to talk not about the Jews' doings, but their buildings...

So, Jacob Frankfort arrives in 1841, and by 1850 the Jewish quarter is at Aliso and Los Angeles St. The first formal services of congregation B'nai B'rith are held in July 1862. In 1867, with all Jewish businesses closed on Yom Kippur, a Los Angeles newspaper reported that "so many of our stores were shut, that it looked like Sunday in a New England village." (from here) Sooooo, in August of 1872 the cornerstone's laid for our (soon-to-be) City Hall neighbor:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/...1a83d8fc_o.jpg ( from USC)

Yes, that's an inverted pentagram. As so lovingly used by 1980s hair-metal bands to indicate their "neo-paganism" or something. The pentagle is simply known as the Seal of Solomon, just as the six-pointed star is known as the Shield of David. (That the five-pointed star could be co-opted by knuckleheads is roughly akin to the indo-sino four-armed "hooked cross" being used by those funny guys in Germany come the 1930s.)

Anyway. By 1894 B'nai B'rith has sold the property, as its “cracked walls and antiquated appearance in a busy commercial street...was not conducive to worship.” (from here)

Thus, in 1896, they erect this guy on the NE corner of Ninth and Hope:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/...857f5020_o.jpg (from A Visit...)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/...8b992f6e_z.jpg (usc)

Abraham Edelman (son of the chief, rabbi, G-d bless him for giving his father some nachis), architect. “The synagogue, which was long regarded as the finest church edifice in Los Angeles, was of red brick with twin towers and pomegranate domes, characteristic of ‘mosaic’ architecture.” The sanctuary seated 600. “The floor was carpeted in deep red, the pews were plush-cushioned, and the chandelier, containing sixty bulbs, was the largest in the city. Stained glass windows were presented by H.W. Hellman, Harris Newmark, Kaspare Cohn, and Mrs. J.P. Newmark.”

While the 9th & Hope 'gog is many times the Fort/Broadway gog's size and bitcheness, by the 1920s it seems hopelessly out of date architecturally, not to mention locationally, as the City moved west, so B'nai B'rith elects to build one of America's great synagogues. Note that Abraham Edelman is again an architect on the project. (I don't care if you're a devout Muslim, you owe it to yourself to attend temple there at least once.)

But back to the 1890s. B'nai B'rith is building its monster down at 9th and Hope, which is all fine and good, except for one thing...they've gone reform. Judaism Lite. Roughly akin to if your Roman Catholic brood were to suddenly become...Episcopalian! As such LA's three conservative/orthodox congregations band together in 1899 and form Beth Israel. Next step: build a synagogue. And where else? Bunker Hill.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/...3dcfbb0d_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/...949e35b8_o.jpg(from A Visit...)

The cornerstone is laid July 1901, and is formally dedicated, with a march and speech from Mayor Snyder, March 1902.

(Here is a photo of a wedding inside the Beth Israel in 1909.)

Dig the onion domes on both. Onion domes are not always associated with synagogues, belonging more to the Kievan Rus' (or Pietran Baroque) Russian thing, the Orthodoxy, the Mughal, etc.; I'd wager that these folk knew of the 1850s Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest or, more likely, its copycat, the 1871 Central Synagogue in New York, which spawned a (small) wave of onion-domed Hebraic temples across late-Victorian America.

What became of these two? B'nai B'rith is made obsolete with the opening of the late-20s opening of the Wilshire temple -- thus Ninth and Hope becomes a parking lot before 1950, according to the Sanborn maps. (And remains a parking lot today.)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/...f34dc8e3_b.jpg(lapl)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/...c5c1f7e0_b.jpggooglemaps

Now as for Bunker Hill's Beth Israel (AKA the Olive St Shul) it is, according to one of the sites I referenced here, "used until 1940."

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/...8d83ee2c_b.jpg ( lapl )

I guess the more conservative strain of Hebraicism couldn't win out against the mounting tide of noir. Here's an image of the steps of the Beth Israel after its demolition.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/...789d27a0_b.jpg(offbunkerhill)

Note the backside of the Carleton (its façade facing N Grand) which matches the above image.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3347/...b469c94a_o.gif(sacramento)

That color image above is by the inimitable Emil Kosa. In the distance, right, across the street on Grand, the green tower of the St Angelo.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5313/...14f35b63_o.jpg(private)

^^^Excellent post Beaudry! I cringed at the great loss at Ninth & Hope. -so sad.


below: The mansion of Secondo Guasti at 3500 West Adams Street as it appeared in 1910.

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/6...denceofsec.jpg
usc digital archive




below: A view of the exquisite interior.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/4...astaircase.jpg
unknown




below: After Guasti...the mansion was owned by none other than Busby Berkeley.
Luckily the mansion survives to this day albiet with a parking lot instead of a front lawn.


http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4...abusbyberk.jpg
wikipedia



below: Another view when the front lawn was NOT a parking lot.

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7...ahistorica.jpg
unknown/perhaps LAPL



below: A contemporary aerial view from google street views. A 'spiritual' group now owns the property.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9...astiaerial.jpg
google





below: One last view from google street views showing the mansion behind the parking lot on it's front lawn.


http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4928/111guastig1.jpg
google street view



Let me insert that Busby Berkeley GIF again. ;)
Mr. Berkeley was known to throw legendary parties at this address in the 1930s.

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/3333/0bb42st2.gif
b_berkeley

These are complete madness! I woulda surely seen (and remembered) had these ever been on the the PL's site before. They are, to their, credit, certainly adding new things all the time...goodness knows what they have lurking within! This is a rarely (if ever) captured vantage of 4th and Grand -- especially of that garage (which had replaced the Brunson Mansion). Here's an image from roughly the same spot -- note the cornice on the Fleur-de-Lis/Capitol Hotel and the Nugent in the distance in the first image above, and the Lovejoy at the right in the second --
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/...f05cba34_b.jpg (usc)