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oldstuff Aug 6, 2015 2:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC (Post 7118235)
According to the City Directories, Roger B Emmons was the manager of J G Wilson Corp. The house in the photo is at 803 Columbia Street, South Pasadena, and appears to have been built in 1925. Here's an article from The Architectural Digest which names the architects as Witmer and Watson.
NB. I've lightened the image for clarity.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...e.jpg~original
archive.org

The house is still there, but it's very hard to get a decent GSV image due to the surrounding trees.

Roger Emmons and his family also lived at 405 S. Madison Avenue, Pasadena in 1920 but that house is no longer there, having succumbed to apartments.

Wig-Wag Aug 6, 2015 4:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC (Post 7119931)
Here's an early advert for Atomite from the January 23, 1949 edition of the Long Beach Independent.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z.../LAAtomite.jpg
www.newspapers.com

Great Sleuthing HossC! I did a bit of cursory searching but was unable to find any info on what happened to the company.

Cheers,
Jack

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 4:37 PM

'mystery' statue.

I've searched high and low trying to find more information (and the former location ) of this statue that supposedly stood on a street corner in Hollywood in the 1920s.

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

:previous: "The Spirit of Hollywood" has been immortalized in bronze by Ernesto Biondi, famous Italian sculptor.
This statue of an inebriated trio entitled "Drunk" adorns one of the conspicuous corners in the heart of the film village.
Aug. 8, 1925



info. / reverse of photo.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/HFRKpE.jpg


Sculptor Ernesto Biondi
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...661/sca1AU.jpg
wiki



The only statue that turns up when I google "Ernesto Biondi"...."Drunks", is his Saturnalia (1909) in the Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia

So I need some help NLA sleuths! Did this strange "Drunks" statue really exist in Hollywood?

__

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 6:27 PM

A visit to "Movie-Land"! circa. 1930


#1
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...540/KXGfip.jpg
ebay




#2
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...673/iq5UW7.jpg
eBay






#3
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...540/3WEGOZ.jpg
eBay



#4
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...912/EZMyBy.jpg
eBay






#5
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...538/8G7tvj.jpg
eBay

__

fhammon Aug 6, 2015 7:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC (Post 7119936)
You don't say what problems your friends have encountered, so it's hard to make many suggestions. I know at least one forum I signed up to wouldn't accept a Hotmail (now Outlook) email address. This site is clearly still accepting new members as another two have joined in the last couple of hours.

One thing you could try: if you go to the forum home page, there's a link at the bottom labeled Forum Staff (<-- this link takes you to the same page). It lists three forum administrators - maybe sending a PM to one of them will help to find a solution.

Tanks for responding HossC.
The problem is that they're getting no response after repeatedly trying to register. Brady is using a Verizon.net email account.
Thanks for the link. I don't why I couldn't find t before... It seems you have to be able to log in to communicate with them. I'll have to try to take care of it myself.

And thank you too CityBoyDoug.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug (Post 7119903)
Since this is only a ''thread'' of the blog. I think one would have to register the Skyscraper website + this thread.


tovangar2 Aug 6, 2015 8:04 PM

The Witmer Family
 
As Witmer and Watson have come up again, I'd thought I'd mention that the Witmers were one of LA's early families.

Joseph Myer and Henry Clayton Witmer came to LA in the early 1880s from Wisconsin, bringing their mother (Catherine) and two sisters (Mary Agnes and Victoria) with them, their father having died. The Witmer brothers bought 650 acres of empty land west of Bunker Hill, naming it Crown Hills. It's hard to recall now that this inner-city neighborhood was once so remote from town:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-a...80631%2BPM.jpg
water and power

Determined to make their investment into a desirable suburb, the Witmers put in a cable car in 1885 which traveled over a deep cut in Bunker Hill at 2nd St., running from 2nd and Spring to 2nd and Belmont (as seen above). The powerhouse was at 2nd and Boylston. The route had the steepest cable car grade in North America, with a 27.7 degree slope between Hope and Bunker Hill Avenue:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2...10918%2BPM.jpg
water and power

:previous:
HossC posted an excellent, and much clearer, version of the scene above here

This 1897 map shows the streets mentioned above. The intersections of Belmont and W 2nd St (then "Silver Street") and W 2nd and Boylston no longer exist:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p...01256%2BPM.jpg
maxwell's city directory

The brothers agitated the City Council for tunnels at W 3rd and W 4th Streets. The former eventually meeting with success after JM's death.

The brothers also formed and ran the California Bank, even though HC had bouts of insanity (he would forego clothing, become violent and refuse to be attended to).

The suburb was a success, even though its crowning glory, the Belmont Hotel (formerly the Ellis Villa College for girls), burned to the ground in 1887 (as has been mentioned before on the thread. One example from FW). After the first Ellis College was sold for the hotel, a second Ellis College was built nearby. It also burned. The hill turned into part of the Los Angeles Oil Field, crowned only with derricks. Finally, in the 1920s, Belmont High School was built on the site and remains in place.

JM Witmer died in 1897 at age 39, leaving $12K to each of his three children. HC died in 1909 at 53, felled by the same hereditary heart condition which had killed his father and younger brother. (HC's obit in the Herald did not mention his problems with insanity.)

David J, JM's son, born in 1888, graduated from Harvard with a degree in architecture in 1912. He opened his own practice in Los Angeles in 1914 before leaving for WWI.

Upon returning to LA, Witmer went into partnership with Loyall F Watson in 1919. Watson was trained as both an engineer and architect and was almost totally deaf. Little is known about him. He never met with clients. The partnership lasted 40 years, until Watson's death.

In 1921, Witmer built a family compound on two deep lots he owned on Witmer St at W 2nd (originally Silver St through this section), now HCM #538. Two homes were built on one lot, at 208/210 Witmer (one for Witmer, his wife and son, the other for his widowed mother, Josephine Witmer). A third home, for his mother-in-law, Mary O. Williams, was built at the back of lot No. 202/204 (eventually addressed as 1422 W 2nd Street). A garage with guest suite completed the compound. The front of the lot at No. 202/204 was reserved for a common garden. The garden was sold off in 1951 for other development.

The homes were in the Mediterranean-Revival style, of poured concrete and are, it is said, some of the best Witmer ever did. He moved his family in and stayed until his death 52 years later.

Grievously overgrown, four red-tile roofs indicate the Witmer compound today from above:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M...05456%2BAM.jpg
google maps

Witmer and Watson also designed a pair of duplexes, on a third lot, south of the compound (the buff-colored roofs).

This was not the first group of Witmer homes as we shall see. The previous generation also stuck together.

In 1921, just before the Witmer family compound was built. The Los Angeles Oil Field is all but exhausted, but Belmont HS has not been built yet.:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...85445%2BPM.jpg
baist 1921, plate 7

Notice how few homes have been built in the "Crownwood" tract above (this subdivision was the Witmer's own). One large home is in place on the same block where the Witmer Compound will be built. It is the Captain Samuel J. Lewis and Mary Agnes Lewis (nee Witmer) House at 1425 3rd Street (now Miramar St). It was built for David J Witmer's aunt and uncle in ca 1890, designed by Joseph Cather Newsome and financed by the California Bank. It is where David J Witmer's grandmother, Catherine Witmer, spent her last years, dying at 93 in 1910, having outlived her husband and both her sons.

Directly across 3rd St (now Miramar) from the Lewis house was a pair of very large homes (also on the map above). The one on the west, at No. 1422 was built for HC Witmer; it was demolished in 1955. The home next door, on the corner of 3rd (Miramar) St and Lucas was built for Joseph and Josephine Witmer. It passed to the widow on JM's death in 1897. It was David J Witmer's childhood home and is also demolished. The original garden wall along the sidewalk remains, surrounding a grassy lot along the front of the property. Apartments have been built on the rear of the site:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y...34556%2BPM.jpg
gsv

David J Witmer built homes on lots 11,12 and 13. The previous generation of Witmers built homes on lots 15, 33 and 34:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c...21858%2BAM.jpg
baist 1921, plate 7

The extant Lewis house at No. 1425 Miramar (formerly 3rd) St:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6...94523%2BAM.jpg
Big Orange Landmarks (<-- more photos and info at link)

This home is now owned by the Sadhanna Hindu Temple of New York, Inc and looks very well cared for. The interior is reportedly in very fine shape. Unfortunately the second-floor balcony porch, over the entrance, was enclosed at some point giving the home a rather blank look.

The only photo I could find of one of the homes in the second Witmer Family Compound, when relatively new, is the back house at No. 210 Witmer, built behind No.208:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v...01122%2BAM.jpg

baldwinhillsvillage


The front house at 208 Witmer today:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y...63335%2BPM.jpg
gsv

1422 W 2nd St today:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...h=w315-h467-no
flickr

David J Witmer was an extremely successful architect, who knew how to play the game. He was one of the committee of architects who designed and built the Architects Building at 5th and Figueroa and kept his offices there. He was affiliated with USC, with Claremont and UC Berkeley. He was involved in in writing the first uniform building code for the state, a subject he felt strongly about, especially as regards earthquake safety (both to protect life and developers' investment). He served as secretary, director and president of the Southern California chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

In 1938 he designed the Wyvernwood housing complex and also consulted on Estrada Courts and Baldwin Hills Village. Witmer had been interested in lower-cost garden communities for some time, having designed Belmont Square Garden Apartments (1923) on Columbia between Miramar & W 2nd, bisected by Columbia Place, just 1/2 block from his home. (info here: https://www.belmontsquare.org/about). - Some current (2022) interior shots of one of the Belmont Square units from Apartment Finder if anyone is interested & also an exterior shot of the unit from Miramar & Columbia Place:https://www.apartmentfinder.com/Cali...tments-80p4kb0

There were many other projects.

In 1941 Witmer was named co-chief architect for the Pentagon along with G. Edwin Bergstrom (of Parkinson and Bergstom fame). Bergstrom was asked to step down in 1942. Witmer was sole chief architect through the construction phase and supervised the pouring of a great deal of concrete. He then left to serve in Eisenhower's European Command as a colonel. Eisenhower put Witmer to work ensuring that European civilians did not starve. Witmer got awards from various governments for his success in this role.

Throughout his career, Witmer continued to build tasteful houses in historic styles for those of means, but also found time for smaller homes (winning awards for the latter). He remained active as an architect until his death. Witmer was taken ill at an AIA banquet in 1973 and died within the week. He was 85.

CityBoyDoug Aug 6, 2015 9:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 7120593)
As Witmer and Watson have come up again, I'd thought I'd mention that the Witmers were one of LA's early families.


Throughout his career, Witmer continued to build tasteful houses for those of means, but also found time for smaller homes. He remained active as an architect until his death. He was taken ill at an AIA banquet in 1973 and died within the week. Witmer was 85.

Wyvernwood apartment complex designed by architect Witmer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psuufu8knn.jpg
CD file

David Witmer - Architect.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psoaw2eyuv.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...pseg0te2o6.jpg
CD file

This huge complex of apartments is somewhat controversial. Contrary to popular opinion the project is privately owned. This is not public housing... although that's what it looks like.

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 9:43 PM

negative found on ebay

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...633/Eg3Tk0.jpg




http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/3VZ3jl.jpg
eBay

I'm trying to figure out where this large expanse of empty space was located.


__

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 10:11 PM

An announcement for the new home of Southern California Music Co.

806-808 South Broadway
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/661/zkgaOJ.jpg
eBay

"Ready about May 1st, 1923" I wonder if they made their deadline?

below: Here's a photograph from 1924. That's the Garrick Theater on the left and the Rialto Theater on the right. The Rialto is showing Harold Lloyd's "Hot Water".

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...633/c99Br3.jpg
https://sites.google.com/site/downto...heatres/rialto



below: Here's the building in 2011.

The upper 3/4th of the building appears to be in pristine condition.
but it's an abomination at first floor storefronts. (Who invented those mechanical metal doors anyway? They ought to be arrested)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/Wfu2I9.jpg
gsv

Note that the Tower Theater (on the left) has replaced the Garrick.




update: 2015
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...538/tNspjH.jpg

:previous: Maybe they're getting ready to restore the store fronts. Does anyone know what's going on with the building?
__



*The Southern California Music Co. building was also known as the Singer Building.

Here's a glance down the alley from 8th Street.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...633/rfPvXo.jpg
detail / gsv
__

tovangar2 Aug 6, 2015 10:32 PM

Wyvernwood and Estrada Courts
 
Steven Keylon has the complete rundown on Wyvernwood CBD. In case you missed it, it's here.

Famous-for-its-murals Estrada Courts, which is public housing, is adjacent to Wyvernwood to the east:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q...30450%2BPM.jpg
google maps

la.curbed's history of the proposed changes and the fight to save Wyvernwood

Wyvernwood's owners talk up new development

The last news I saw is over a year old. As far as I know, the proposal is still up in the air.

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 10:53 PM

The author of this article about escaped pigs saw the lighter side of the situation.
You'll have to read it...it made me smile.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...540/LH1RKG.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...537/HiGupz.jpg
eBay



original photo
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/HW6Ev2.jpg
eBay



If interested, a LARGE photo of Cudahy packing plant can be found here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=27983

Interior images of Cudahy Packing plant here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11813

__

HossC Aug 6, 2015 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 7120726)

negative found on ebay

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/3VZ3jl.jpg
eBay

I'm trying to figure out where this large expanse of empty space was located.

My guess would be the open area on the center-left of this 1948 aerial (the Medical Center is center-right). The empty space, located just below N Mission Road, and formally known as the Orange Slope Tract, is now under the Golden State Freeway. We covered it in post #25064 because of its proximity to the Los Angeles General Hospital Tuberculosis Unit.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...angeSlope4.jpg
Historic Aerials

ethereal_reality Aug 6, 2015 11:57 PM

You're probably correct Hoss.
I remember that earlier post, but the empty lot in the photo I just posted looks so much larger for some reason.

*are those wood-pecker holes in the palm?

ethereal_reality Aug 7, 2015 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tovangar2 (Post 7120593)

Grievously overgrown, four red-tile roofs indicate the Witmer compound today from above:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M...05456%2BAM.jpg
google maps

The front house at 208/210 Witmer today:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y...63335%2BPM.jpg
gsv

1422 W 2nd St today:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...h=w315-h467-no
flickr

:previous: Excellent post tovanger2! I didn't know about the Witmer compound.
The buildings look rather noirish with the overgrown plant life.

__

tovangar2 Aug 7, 2015 3:13 AM

Witmer Family Compound
 
:previous:

I love it that David J Witmer stayed with the neighborhood, representing on Witmer St. I always thought it was the most interesting thing about him.

Those raw concrete homes with their pretty blue trim look really nice, but yes, noirish now with the Sleeping-Beauty-style landscaping.

The previous generation of Witmers was interesting too (I added a bit more about them and their compound to my original post).

The GSV of 1422 W 2nd Street:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...80848%2BPM.jpg


P.S.

And speaking of representing: Witmer Streeters gang tag, found on Columbia Street:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k...82836%2BPM.jpg
flickr

Those Who Squirm! Aug 7, 2015 5:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GatoVerde (Post 7118075)
http://www.califaztlan.org/LANoirPics/stjosephs.jpg

http://www.califaztlan.org/LANoirPics/stjosephs.jpg

Interior of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Los Angeles and 11th Streets, 1960. That's my mother and father being wed. Church was destroyed by fire c.1980.

Sadly, I remember that several historic churches on the downtown periphery, all from the turn of the last century, burned down around this time, over a period of several years.

Dan J. Aug 7, 2015 6:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wig-Wag (Post 7120246)
Great Sleuthing HossC! I did a bit of cursory searching but was unable to find any info on what happened to the company.

Cheers,
Jack

"The abrasive media used during the rub resistance test is a mixture made by thoroughly shaking 100 g of water with 71/2 g to 10 g of 2.5 micron mean particle size calcium carbonate sold by Thompson, Weinman and Co. as ATOMITE"

http://www.google.com.pr/patents/US4525425

Those Who Squirm! Aug 7, 2015 6:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality (Post 4304249)
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3...bldg617nma.jpg

above: Sentous Building at 616 N. Main St. Los Angeles
The arrow points to a woman hanging a black wreath on the doorway in protest of it's destuction.
The photograph was taken in 1957.

All the worse is that this section of Main is now the eastern edge of a vast parking lot. Admittedly, it provides a useful service for those visiting the Plaza and Olvera Street area, yet remains a spit in the face of historic preservation. If only they could have built a multistory garage that could park just as many cars on a smaller footprint...

ETA: As evident in the photo, this is of course 617 and not 616. According to Google Maps 616 is across the street and right about where the Sepulveda Building is, which is fairly similar to the Sentous.

Otis Criblecoblis Aug 7, 2015 6:42 AM

Speaking of lost food palaces as we were here on the thread, Wifey and I withtwo good friends just bid our final goodbye to the Beckham Grill, whose last day on earth is this coming Saturday. We've been there as often as we could manage since the announcement of their closure, and this was the second time this week.

The word the restaurant put out is that they "lost their lease." It happens that the boss of one of the friends we went there with tonight knows the owner well, and the truth is that the owner of the restaurant owned the property, and was paid an obscene amount for it some time ago, with the understanding that he would be able to keep the place open until the new owner was ready to do something different with the property.

Well, vive la capitalism, I guess, but I can't help but be sad. So many eateries held fondly in my memory -- El Poche, Bob's La Crescenta, Norm's San Gabriel, Scandia, Wil Wrights, so many others--are gone, and now another with so many happy associations is gone after Saturday.

Everybody get off my lawn!

Ed Workman Aug 7, 2015 2:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC (Post 7120810)
My guess would be the open area on the center-left of this 1948 aerial (the Medical Center is center-right). The empty space, located just below N Mission Road, and formally known as the Orange Slope Tract, is now under the Golden State Freeway. We covered it in post #25064 because of its proximity to the Los Angeles General Hospital Tuberculosis Unit.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...angeSlope4.jpg
Historic Aerials

The empty lot in the aerial is too far west and too close
By the perspective, the field should be out of the erial, bbottom center. IIt appears to me that the gulch that contained Ramona and the PE is at the far edge of the field in the palm tree pic.
When was the Gen Hospital built? It looks new in the pic


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