http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ps8bjd6fkn.jpg

What? Are you saying that's not Saint Vibiana? Well, there goes my faith. :D

Mosher
 

e-r and HossC (and maybe GW) posted about Mosher Tire Service back in late May. I believe e-r's eBay image sported a large watermark. Shorpy's got a nice high-res copy of it up today. And yes, that's the Hotel Dix next door.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5698/...03ce559a_h.jpgMosher Tire Service, 1534 N. Cahuenga, 1942

http://www.shorpy.com/node/20066?size=_original#caption

Here's today's installment of Julius Shulman's Bank of America pictures. This one is "Job 1434: Bank of America (Los Angeles, Calif.),1953", with the bank located at 8946 South Sepulveda Boulevard.

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

A close-up shows the USS Portsmouth over the door. It also shows the address, which makes tracking down the location a little easier :).

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

This is the view looking north. On the left is the Bobby Thacher School of Dance, while there's all-night bowling across the street. The bowling alley was part of the Paradise Theatre complex which I'll cover below.

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

Sadly, little/nothing is left of these buildings just north of the bank. I like the "Mile High" ice cream sign on the right.

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

All from Getty Research Institute

The application to erect the bank is dated 05/16/1949.

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

The new roof sign (pictured in the Shulman image, above) was added in 1952. Page 2 of the application (not shown here) gives its size as 21'6" x 9'0".

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...6.jpg~original

Both from Online Building Records System

I believe that this is the original building, and it's still a Bank of America, although I couldn't find the building permit to remove all the visually appealing aspects of its design!

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

The left (west) side of Sepulveda has been completely redeveloped, but traces of the Paradise Theatre remain on the right.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...8.jpg~original
GSV

Here's a better view of the Paradise Building at 9100 S Sepulveda Boulevard.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...9.jpg~original
GSV

According to William Gabel at cinematreasures.org:

The Paradise Theatre in Westchester was located a few blocks south of the Fox Loyola Theatre. It opened on August 23, 1950 and as well as the theatre, there was a bowling alley and cocktail lounge attached.

The streamline Moderne style facade has a curved expanse which also has a tower feature, that held the theatre name. Inside the lobby, there was a planted garden and a wall display featuring an illustrated ‘Wall of Fame’ of Academy Award winners since 1927. Inside the auditorium, seating was provided all on a single level. The plain decorative style was relieved by three bare brick recesses on the splay-walls on each side of the proscenium, which contained potted plants. The Paradise Theatre was operated as a second run movie theatre.

The last chain to operate the Paradise Theatre was Pacific Theatres, and it later ran as an independent for a short time before being gutted and turned into an office building.

The site also has some interior and exterior pictures of the Paradise Theatre - they can be found here.

There are a couple more pictures of the Paradise Theatre in post #13248 by Flyingwedge. Thanks to tovangar2 for the link.

:previous:

Thank you. I'm really enjoying your Bank of America series. Many branches have introduced me to neighborhoods I had overlooked before.

I think this is the first branch we've seen with both the Old English typeface and the ship logo :-)

Unfortunately that's a really grim remodel. It was once so crisp and dignified, with the tall windows marching around the corner curve.


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


Have we seen this image of the LA County Courthouse under construction before? Forgive me if we have, Google Image Search sometimes fails me.

This view is from the intersection of Temple and Broadway/Fort:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...04358%2BAM.jpg
lapl

Ghost sign''
 

Shorpy's got a nice high-res copy of it up today. And yes, that's the Hotel Dix next door.

Any ideas on what the ghost sign says on the side of the Dix Hotel...."(something) Dix Hotel"

I meant to post this clipping a couple of days ago when I posted the Ventura Boulevard Bank of America pictures. On the same page of the April 24, 1952 edition of The Van Nuys News where I found the chiropractor's advert was this one for Kay's Children's Shop at 6261 Van Nuys Boulevard.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...d.jpg~original
www.newspapers.com

The name Kay's Children's Shop was familiar from another recent Bank of America post about the branch on Van Nuys Boulevard. In the picture below, also from 1952, a new store at a different address was being advertised. I wonder if this was a new branch or a relocation.

:previous:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/0nXnSr.jpg
http://flickrhivemind.net/blackmagic...04/13233179575


I couldn't find a Whiteside Avenue, but here's 4041 Whiteside Street in East Los Angeles.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/c8BKaz.png
gsv

'Wilshire Blvd. at Citrus' must have been the location of the dealership.


Here's another ad I recently found.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...540/iXnp9Z.jpg
http://mydesertmagazine.com/files/19...38-January.pdf

I think there are probably a couple of names in the ghost sign, but one of them is some variant of Riead Hotel, a name which appeared in the City Directories until around 1934 (the Shorpy picture is dated 1942). The inset below is from the 1927 CD, when the Riead Hotel was also listed as Harry Riead furnished rooms.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...RieadHotel.jpg
Shorpy/LAPL

Last week, when I was snooping around the Neptune Building, I noticed this brick building attached to it's north side.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...910/YCeYe2.jpg
gsv


Up close, there is impressive brick-work, as well as diamonds between the window with initials in them.....J.A.R.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...913/ZkjNWj.jpg
detail / gsv



In this view, looking from the north, the building is a 'flatiron' shape.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/PEJ9pT.jpg
gsv



Here's a closer look at the impressive front entrance.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...540/hTTMG9.jpg
detail

The three streets involved are E. 2nd Street, Alameda Street and Traction Avenue. (see below)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/2e4GrK.jpg
google_aerial


I find it hard to believe that we haven't seen this building on NLA; but I don't recall discussing the 'diamonds' with the J.A.R. initials.

____



0ne last thing:

Here's the brick building and the Neptune building together.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/3wMoJC.jpg
google_earth

A closer look at the roof of the Neptune building reveals an intricate skylight.
I've tried to locate interior photographs of the Neptune but haven't had any luck.


skylight detail
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...905/c0ASrL.jpg

I would really like to see this skylight from the inside. I'm hoping the glass isn't tarred over.
(I heard that the Little Tokyo Branch Library used to be located in the building)
__

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/z2u6Mn.jpg
Andrew Nicollet at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

'Earthquake' set (1974).
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Three in a crown.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...913/4sxLZV.jpg
eBay


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/rbrUFQ.jpg

"Pasadena Flower Show, Horticulture Assoc. October 1932.
Peggy Lou Neary, Esther Lambert, Wanda Shepardson."
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Angel City Brewery Building 216 Alameda
 

216 Alameda, now the very trendy Angel City Brewery, was built in 1924 as the John A. Roebling's Sons Company of California wireworks warehouse. (However, Esotouric gives 1913 as the build date. I haven't sorted that out yet.)


Hudson and Munsell were the architects.

The company (famous bridge builders) name is on the beer garden side (back) of the building, facing Traction Ave:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...63321%2BPM.jpg
la weekly <--- info about the mural at the link.

I cannot make out what it says over the front door:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r...62601%2BPM.jpg
google maps photos

GW took us here before as did Horthos

There are masses of pix and articles re the Angel City Brewery building online. It's one of the stalwarts of the Arts District.

Esotouric has a good article on the custom Batchelder tile inside the building. Don't miss it
(Much as I love the tile, it's the spun-wire, bridge-cable stair railing that knocked me out. Many more photos at Esotouric's flickr page)

Great photo ER. Thanks for posting. Here's the magnificent 3 min. movie trailer...fun, fun fun.

https://youtu.be/w_BwX2fEUTo

J.A.R. = John A. Roebling. Thanks so much tovanger2!

Using your link,
I was thrilled to see the various "J.A.R." references in the interior of the building.

esotouric
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/Q0WYve.jpg
http://esotouric.com/wireworks/


esotouric
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/FxH1Nz.jpg
http://esotouric.com/wireworks/

Be sure to visit Esotouric's website to see the 'bridge-cable'-spun-wire staircase. (that t2 mentioned)
http://esotouric.com/wireworks/


__

A feast of cold-cuts. 1960s postcard. (it's like a work of art. ;))


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/Gn6rRD.jpg
eBay

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/9OlR7t.jpg


Langer's is still in business at the southeast corner of MacArthur Park (formerly Westlake)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/8hO2vR.jpg
gsv
__

NOIR from atop Los Angeles City Hall, 1958. (so many dark spaces) -I love that.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...537/tBhvaA.jpg
1958 / eBay




http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...910/DqrgdH.jpg
1958 / eBay





http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...673/BKvOa8.jpg
1958 / ebay





http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...537/dHzuwr.jpg
1958 / eBay





http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/537/ZVSVtY.jpg
1958 / eBay

such a simpler time. -no banal skyscrapers yet.

__

John A. Roebling's Sons Company
 

There's an expanded photo set of lobby views at Esotouic's flicker page:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N...82206%2BPM.jpg

And here's J.A.R. himself, John Augustus Roebling (1806-1869), in case you were wondering:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-T...73539%2BPM.jpg
wiki

See the Roebling Museum site for info on the family and the company

A daylight slide (big fins on that car)

1960s (?)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/661/6OYMve.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cars-Cadilla...item2ee56f8099

What's attached to the top of the streetlight? -an antenna of some sort?
__

Thanks for these, er! It's great to see the old buildings at night in color. I especially like that last photo, with all the red neon signs and a couple blue ones.