1906 - Annheuser Busch residence, Pasadena
http://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...ed47f81659.jpghttp://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...ed47f81659.jpg

1915 - Venice Miniature RR traversing canal bridge
http://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...9f2eb84186.jpghttp://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...9f2eb84186.jpg



1915 - Gondolas and Motor boat rides (Wonder about the dependability of the later in 1915? Is the artillery for show or was it defending against encroaching motor boat businesses? :shrug:)
http://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...6789dc9e0a.jpghttp://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...6789dc9e0a.jpg




1911 - Foot traffic over Lion Canal Bridge
http://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...8940890df5.jpghttp://exhibits.sos.ca.gov/files/ori...8940890df5.jpg

You're right t2, they're completely oversized. (I hadn't noticed.....I was too busy counting the lamps. ;))

Speaking of lamps and their placement.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...924/2P6uZI.jpgposted by Tourmaline

tsk...tsk :duh

i may be the only one, but shouldn't the lamps be at either end of the bridge.
that spot is where people should be able to stand and gaze down the length of the canal.

Excellent discovery Flyingwedge.

So the surviving flat on Serrano no doubt had that same elaborate freize. (now missing)

crumbling infrastructure
 

Children playing in a canal, Venice California 1950s

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/HYGXE4.jpg
EBAY

I didn't realize the canals were in that bad of shape in the 1950s.

it's possible the seller misdated the slide... does that look like a 1950s bicycle?



Here's a second slide.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/2XAiqh.jpg
EBAY

It was really dark so I tweaked it quite a bit-

Just a thought on the stairs and all those those lights (18 total if there are three step lights per section plus the six lanterns). What's the point of the imposing (pretentious?) stairs? I'm assuming there's a quite a bit of parking space for guests on the other side of the porte cochere, so who'd be walking up those well-lit stairs?

403 and 411 Carroll Canal
 

Those are nice photos; at first I thought a 1950s date was reasonable, but I think you're right about the bike.

The second and fourth houses from the left are the ones in your two photos, e_r. We're looking north from the
Dell Avenue bridge over Carroll Canal. The home with the arch over the entrance is 411 Carroll Canal, and second
from left is little 403. Google needs a gondola to get better views of those canal homes!

http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...psnj2lrz3w.jpg

Jan 2016 GSV

My first post here!
 

HOLY COW, some of you here are just AMAZING experts on the history of Los Angeles architecture. I thought that *I* knew this stuff, but so many of you here have simply blown me away with your expertise. I have learned so much in this thread, and I thank you all for it! Let me just say, this is the most amazing internet thread EVER.

Hello, this is my first post on the forum. I have lived my entire life in Los Angeles, and I absolutely love the beautiful old buildings, so many of which (see my avatar) we have lost in the name of “progress”.

I’ve been reading this thread for probably a year now. I had originally intended to not make any comments until I had caught up, but this thread is now over 2,000 pages long! I just passed page number 1007, and at the rate I’m going, I’m never gonna catch up! :(

With the help of you fine people, I now believe that I could easily navigate old LA if I were thrown into a time machine. I could explore the beautiful, long-gone tunnels on Hill and on Broadway. I could make my way around the much-missed Bunker Hill, visit the Bradbury Mansion, and ride down Court Flight. And I could find myself a good lunch in the original Chinatown. And boy, would it be a pleasure to do it!

Anyways, here’s my thanks to all of you people who have made this such an amazing thread‼

:cheers:

PS: If any of you would like to tell us how you became such experts on the history of Los Angeles architecture, I’d love to hear your stories!

Well, that’s one way to learn a lot about a place, Doug… by actually living there! Thank-you for the welcome! I guess you just missed out on coming into La Grande Station, one of my favorite structures of early LA, seeing as how it closed in 1939. Or perhaps you actually saw it, as it wasn’t demolished until 1946?

I was only born in 1966, so most of the beautiful buildings in this thread were long-gone by the time I was old enough to visit them. If I were you, I don’t think I would have been able to take it… watching all these beautiful buildings (let alone, actual HILLS like Bunker Hill itself!) simply vanish, one by one! But at the same time, I envy you for being able to have experienced so much of what remained of early-era Los Angeles in person! I’d kill to see what you have seen!

My mother took me for a ride on Angels Flight during its final days in 1969. I like to believe that I remember this happening, and though I have no memories of the top or the bottom of the flight, I feel certain that I can remember looking down the tracks as we rode towards the bottom, from the viewpoint of my mother’s lap. Then again, I was only three at the time, and you know what they say about false memories!

I’ve certainly noticed many of ER’s posts in this thread, and they are among the best and most informative posts here! I had no idea that he started this great forum, however - thanks, ER, this is the best place ever!

:worship:

Re 628 & 636 S Serrano...




https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0Z...K=w821-h422-no
LAT Feb 23, 1919


These buildings reminded me of Charles H. Thompson, a Chicago-area real estate developer who built 100 Fremont Place (see its story HERE).

Charles H. Thompson built at least one project in Los Angeles--I dug through some of my old notes, from 2012 about 100 FP--in them I wrote down that there was, circa 1919, another Charles H. Thompson operating in LA, this one a manager for the Frank Meline Company in charge of numerous projects for that concern--as well as, to add to the confusion, an automobile dealer by the same name much mentioned in newspaper reports.

Anyway, the projects I noted of the C H Thompson of 100 Fremont Place are the twin apartment buildings still at 700 and 708 South New Hampshire Avenue at the southeast corner of West 7th Street (across from 701, where Mary Miles Minter once lived--I thought we'd looked into that house, but I couldn't find a post). The building permits for 700 and 708 were issued on September 6, 1918, and list C H Thompson, address 100 Fremont Place, as the owner as well as the architect and contractor-- after I saw your images, FW, I was almost certain that I'd find H. J. Knauer's name on the permits as architect. Thompson is named on the documents as owner and builder of his house at 100 FP, though not specifically as architect...I can't help but wonder if Knauer was somehow involved....

In the season 6 (1982/3) episode of "CHiPs" called "Foxtrap", the female band ("The Cadillac Foxes", fronted by Laura Branigan) stays at 403 Carroll Canal. It doesn't get much screentime, but I'd say that the area was already far tidier than in e_r's pictures.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...rollCanal1.jpg
MGM TV/Rosner TV

The property websites list 403 Carroll Canal as "1 bed 1 bath 640 sqft", and built in 1923. It last sold in December 1997 for $357,272. 411 Carroll Canal is "2 beds 2 baths 1,530 sqft", and built in 1919. It was last sold in July 2002 for $1,600,000. Current estimates are over $2 million each. Who'd have thought it looking at the vintage photos?

-----------

Welcome to the thread, Scott Charles. This post actually ties in nicely with your question. I first found NLA when I was looking for "CHiPs" filming locations. Every time I tried to find the location of building which had since been demolished, I ended up here. As soon as I started reading from page 1, I was hooked!

The Pelton Water Wheel was located in Rubio Canyon.
http://www.mountlowe.org/wp-content/...-Pavillion.jpg
Mount Lowe Preservation Society


"At the Rubio division terminus was built a broad platform to span the Canyon which included the Rubio Pavilion, a 12-room hotel, with dining facilities and other amenities. The pavilion also consisted of power generating facilities with the use of gas engines and Pelton waterwheels. Water was made available from reservoirs built in the canyon’s streams, though water was not always plentiful year round. As part of the entertainment experience, Lowe had a series of stairways and bridges built over the streams and waterfalls that emanated from the canyon. The eleven waterfalls were individually named and today exist as local historical landmarks.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Lowe_Railway

The searchlight was atop the (White City) powerhouse just behind of where the photographer is standing in your photo.
https://i1.wp.com/www.funimag.com/wo...nt-Lowe-07.jpg


Andys

Maybe they have a brother-in-law in the wholesale light fixture business......

I didn't know it was named 'White City' Andys; although it makes sense. The World Columbian Exposition, where the searchlight came from, was known
in the press as the 'White City'. (the majoritiy of the buildings at the fair were painted white) -esp the largest buildings facing the Grand Basin


"just behind of where the photographer is standing in your photograph" - ANDYS

my pic again with a comparison photo
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...924/FP6FdD.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/8...924/miVcXh.jpg


So I take it- the searchlight pavillion replaced the smallish building with the sign on the roof. (shown above :previous:)


Here's a better look at the building.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/fpNTpW.jpg
flickr



In this photograph, the building with the sign is mostly hidden behind the people on the Rubio incline car.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/924/L6Svsb.jpg



Here is the same view after the 'White City' pavillion and searchlight are in place.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/UcZRSj.jpg


Most of you probably knew all this already, but I decided to go ahead and post it.

Go HERE to see the searchlight at World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. [1893]
__

I hate going on these steep rides. I know its probably safe but please...no thanks. :previous:

Most likely to make the polls so near a road more visible at night considering automobile headlights were not much in those times.

Here's one more photograph:

A small portion of the 'White City' pavillion can be seen on the left edge of the photo.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/KrY3nU.jpg
Huntington Archive

I'm done.
https://imageshack.com/a/img923/6220/aroYNt.gif

now for something a little more recent...

Children in Chinatown - Los Angeles CA, 1950s Original Slide "

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/2ycPIU.jpg
EBAY

the hats aren't exactly pc....but I would have wanted one back when I was a kid.

__