The Getty's focusing on LA this summer with a couple of exhibitions and a screening:

How the city was made Modern:

Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990
April 9–July 21, 2013
During the period 1940 to 1990, Los Angeles rapidly evolved into one of the most populous and influential industrial, economic, and creative capitals in the world. This dynamic exhibition provides an engaging view of the region's diverse urban landscape, including its ambitious freeway network, sleek corporate towers, whimsical coffee shops, popular shopping malls, refined steel-and-glass residences, and eclectic cultural institutions. Drawings, photographs, models, films, animations, oral histories, and ephemera illustrate the complex dimensions of L.A.'s rich and often underappreciated built environment, revealing this metropolis's global impact as a vibrant laboratory for cutting-edge design. Co-organized by the Getty Research Institute and the J. Paul Getty Museum, this exhibition is part of the initiative Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-c...713%2520PM.jpg
Highways 5, 10, 60, and 101 Looking West, L.A. River and Downtown Beyond, 2004, Michael Light. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of and © Michael Light and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
http://www.pacificstandardtimepresen...ure-1940-1990/


Also, the inestimable Ed Rucha celebrates the blandness:

In Focus: Ed Ruscha
April 9–September 29, 2013
Photography has played a central role in Ed Ruscha's artistic practice, most notably in the photobooks he began publishing in 1963. Highlighting important recent acquisitions by the Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute, this exhibition features a selection of prints and materials related to Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963), Some Los Angeles Apartments (1965), and Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966). Also on view for the first time are contact sheets from his shoot of the Pacific Coast Highway (1974–75), one of the many streets he has documented extensively since 1965. The exhibition offers a concentrated look at Ruscha's engagement with vernacular architecture, the urban landscape, and car culture. Co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute, this exhibition is part of the initiative Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A.


Pacific Standard Time Presents: http://www.pacificstandardtimepresents.org/ More info on the above and other PSTP exhibitions around Southern California.


There's also to be a screening of "Smog" (1962)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q...642%2520PM.jpg
Thusday June 13, 7pm

Per the Getty's blurb:
The laconic and moody Smog (1962, 35mm 88 min) is a little known film from director Franco Rossi that presents a compelling outsider's perspective following an Italian attorney through two days in the City of Angels, from LAX and Pierre Koenig's Stahl house (both newly built) to the oil wells of Culver city.


A couple of 'then and nows' of Ruscha's work:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2...136%2520PM.jpg
Edward Ruscha (American, b. 1937)
Bronson Tropics, 1965
Graphite powder and graphite wash, with point of brush and graphite wash, on cream wove paper
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1998.114

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n...057%2520PM.jpg
1323 N Bronson, Hollywood gsv

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R...648%2520PM.jpg
Norm's La Cienega on Fire (1964)
oil on canvas
http://artobserved.com/2010/09/ao-on...mber-5th-2010/

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s...929%2520PM.jpg
Norm's, 470 N La Cienega gsv

Before the scene GW referenced above, we are given glimpses everyday Boone City life. This includes kids in a hot rod, a taco stand, a hot dog stand and a girl or two standing on a sidewalk. Although I haven't seen the film in a long time (yes it seems to be airing often) I am convinced most of those scenes are from locations straight out of this thread. Was the girl on the sidewalk in front of the Wilshire-Fairfax May Co? Where was the taco stand? How about the iconic hot dog stand?

Thanks,

http://www.imcdb.org/i195232.jpggoogle

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...rUyTDISDaE33MwOscars.org

Cathy O'Donnell
http://www.sliceok.com/images/cache/...c75afe08f.jpegwww.sliceok.com

Nice pic of one of e_r's fave rooftop signs from another Pacific Standard Time Presents exhibition:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r...413%2520PM.jpg
http://www.pacificstandardtimepresen...d-perspective/

The lantern in the left distance (above) is this:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-J...350%2520PM.jpg
gsv Beverly & Vermont

This replica of Mount Vernon used to be at the rear of its sloping lot with a big lawn in front. It was moved to the top of the slope and parking put in behind although I cannot now remember in which decade that happened, but it was a sight to see. It took about a week.

My naming attempt thus far: Frnt right adj to tunnel was the Swanee -For east side of Temple : all w/o names on this frnt block Next up east side of Temple : Center Htl - then Evelyn Apts - then St.Remo - all on the rise back of these lack names--On west side of Temple frm frnt of image:white bldng w/o name followed by barely seen Majestic and Seward Apts - At corner with Olive was the Nesta and on further corner at Grand was the gray Templeton - Rears of the Zenger and Townsend apts on Olive - More rears on Grand - ? the Colorado and Carleton ? Facing us on Grand see double black half circles-those are porch arches upper level of St Angelo Htl - with Civic View apts on its right and on its left I believe is/was the Grand apts

I'm with you.....the LA detective in me goes into overdrive when seeing those snapshots of "Boone City."

http://imageshack.us/a/img802/8324/s...30320at222.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img6/7054/scr...30320at223.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img202/7054/s...30320at223.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img526/8466/s...30320at224.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img507/5676/s...30320at225.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img843/5676/s...30320at225.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img843/2043/s...0320at225l.png

http://imageshack.us/a/img46/2743/sc...30320at226.png

All images copyright RKO/MGM.

Thanks for posting this ER! It's a nice color photo, and it gives me a lead-in to add info on the area that I found after my previous Potter Park post.

When I did that post, I wasn't totally sure where Alonzo Potter lived, but that was because dummy me forgot to look in the 1909 LA City Directory
at LAPL:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps406a6c3d.jpg
LAPL -- http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...rch_doc=Potter

So his house was definitely at the SW corner of Potter Park Avenue and Figueroa. "745" is written in front of Lot 12, almost in the center of the
1910 Baist map:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps46fa58ff.jpg
Historic Mapworks -- http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/19473/Plate+008/

But look at this listing for 745 S. Figueroa in the 1915 LA City Directory:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps137df740.jpg
LAPL -- http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...os&submit=Find

Potter Park Studios? Who occupied Alonzo Potter's house after he died in 1912? Can the 1915 LA City Directory tell us more? Yes!
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7fe5b20f.jpg
LAPL -- http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-We...ch_doc=verbeck

Verbeck? Where have we heard that name before? Oh yeah, in 1924 Howard Verbeck had this house moved from its original location
at 2619 Wilshire (shown below) to 637 S. Lucerne:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3254c50.jpg
USC Digital -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...oll65/id/2607/

GW told us about it in April 2010: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1097

BTW, here are a few articles about moving the house and about Mr. Kress, who moved it:
http://losangeleshistory.blogspot.co...-wilshire.html
http://archive.larchmontchronicle.co...?ArchiveID=722
http://old.post-gazette.com/homes/20...ed0818fnp3.asp

We've seen Mr. Kress' work here before: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=518

Anyway, I never did find a picture of Mr. Potter's house at 745 S. Figueroa, but I did find a contemporary (1903-07 per USC) picture of a building
almost across the street, Dr. Tolhurst's apartment house at 726-30 S. Figueroa (and little 724 on the left):
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...pse287d244.jpg
USC Digital -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si.../id/2579/rec/1

Although you can see Dr. Tolhurst's apartment house in this c. 1925 photo looking south at Flower, Figueroa, 7th and 8th, within a short time it would
become a parking lot for Barker Brothers, which is just starting to be built on 7th between Flower and Figueroa:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...psffd76e2e.jpg
USC Digital -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...d/18776/rec/21

In the photo above you can see the H-shaped Brownstein-Louis building at 751 S. Figueroa between Potter Park Avenue and 8th, on the site of
the old Potter house. I found this info on its column capitals, which I wish I could get in better focus:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...psdaae497a.jpg
USC Digital -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/91427/rec/2
"One detail which is of particular interest is the capitals above the columns on the Figueroa façade. They incorporate the female figure into what can
only be interpreted as a social and moral comment by the architect [John Parkinson] (the factory was originally staffed entirely by women)."
Also: "The design theme followed the idea of an ideal industrial community complete with employee kitchens, hospital, recreation area, and library. The
combination of architectural styles, the importance of the industrial ideal, and the business relation of this structure to Los Angeles serve to make this
a singularly important building." [but it was torn down anyway]
Text from: http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPG...ing_survey.pdf

Brownstein-Louis got kicked out of the Los Angeles Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association for only allowing union labor to bid on construction of
its 751 S. Figueroa factory:
http://books.google.com/books?id=w_u...turers&f=false

At least B-L got some support:
http://books.google.com/books?id=TQA...0louis&f=false
AND
http://books.google.com/books?id=_j4...0louis&f=false

Finally, some Brownstein-Louis souvenirs:
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...ps04979576.jpg
http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/...pscc1a9028.jpg
Rivited -- http://segui-riveted.blogspot.com/20...1_archive.html

Thanks for some hard evidence with which to work!

Suffice it to say, some things are blatant, e.g., the Olympic Blvd. street sign.

The tamale-hot dog stand is probably on or near Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilcox. Jack Toll's directory listing is 6507 Santa Monica Blvd.

The stroller-pushing woman looks like she was in front of the May Co. (Camera facing N x NE toward the building's SE corner, where there used to be a through street. Discussed elsewhere in this thread.) The background appears to depict part of Park La Brea. (constructed in '46?)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...c0be970d-600wiLATimes

http://www.spruethmagers.com/bilder/...scha_00110.jpghttp://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=9112

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8...e89214fc_o.png
'Safespot' publicity, Southern California, 1933

Model Beatris Roberts is happy to be at 'Safespot'. (Great shoes Beatris and pea gravel to boot!)

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8...21dc8afe_o.png
'Buy one get one free', Western Auto Supply, Southern California, 1931

Models Edna and Madona Aselin don't want to sit on those old hot seats!

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8...3d82e249_o.png
Boy making purchase, Werter Auto Supply, Southern California, 1934

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8...f938bc66_o.png
Union Oil Cleaning Solvent solves your household problems, Southern California, 1932

Estelle Eltesse discovers what a time saver Union Oil Cleaning Solvent can be! And it comes in the handy metal container to boot!

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8...aa7edd3c_o.png
Estelle Ettere & Goodrich Silvertowne grease guns, Southern California, 1931

Sometimes it takes a gooseneck to reach the squeak.

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8...22fd2d0e_o.png
Fly spray gun, Union Oil Co., Southern California, 1931

Helen McClure inspects the latest on fly control at her favorite service station.

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8...22f4cce7_o.png
Large cabinet model with station selector, Lyrie Radio, Southern California, 1931

Peggy Stanley sets the mood for a quiet evening at home.

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8...8fa5ea22_o.png
Meter-ice with Thora Waverly, Southern California, 1931

I wish I had more information on this but we'll just have to be satisfied that Thora's a pretty girl and that's a dandy refrigerator.

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/6792/1...nstruction.jpg

I got tired going back and forth, so here's the photo again with rick m's post.

^ Thanks, ER. Also, I'll second whoever it was that said that shot is from 1951....by '52 that area was wiped clean and the freeway bed had reached Aliso Street.

Broadway and Sixth Street in 1979.

http://imageshack.us/a/img404/7623/a...xth1979lap.jpg
http://www.lapl.org/




same view today.

http://imageshack.us/a/img841/5039/a...sixthtoday.jpg
gsv



The beautiful building on the corner is the old Sun Drug Co. building (detail below)

http://imageshack.us/a/img545/7493/a...xthsundrug.jpg
gsv
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also, thx GW for finding the location of the Vivian Riley murder. I've been looking for a photo of the Levora Hotel.

Los Angeles Railway (LARy) Division 1, sign rack, circa 1940


http://imageshack.us/a/img831/6373/a...gnrack1940.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metroli...0718/lightbox/

More Arnold Hylen shots from Cal State Library. And since we're talking about the area around Temple circa 1951, here's a shot from the ground showing the buildings coming down:

http://imageshack.us/a/img132/8817/l...1civictemp.jpg

This one came with the summary "View of rubble-filled recessed area behind buildings on Temple Street", no doubt taken in the months leading up to the decimation of the area.

http://imageshack.us/a/img341/6734/l...1trashtemp.jpg

Also, discussions recently turned towards the area around Sunset and the Hill Street incline. Well, here's one of those buildings in 1949 that sat precariously on that sliver of land in between those streets:

http://imageshack.us/a/img692/5614/l...moorehillh.jpg

More highway demolition, this time looking at Fremont Ave from Edison in 1948:

http://imageshack.us/a/img201/1706/l...8bunkerfre.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img202/6906/l...0bunker3rd.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img541/2285/l...1dtfwycnst.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img854/1491/l...1dtfwy110r.jpg

:previous: very interesting photos kznyc2k!
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Horse-drawn tower wagons, circa 1899.

http://imageshack.us/a/img4/1725/aab...rawntowerw.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metroli...7617150170718/
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http://imageshack.us/a/img404/567/aa...arypagessp.jpg
I noticed the ad on the building

http://imageshack.us/a/img716/4803/a...rypagekite.jpg
LAPL

To see aerial views of the Page Military Academy at 1201 S. Cochran Avenue (and what's on the site today) -go here
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5516

for more views of that awesome kite at Mines Field!
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5518

another year, another kite :)
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5517

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An interesting early duplex on 7th Street just south of 21st Street.

http://imageshack.us/a/img255/3939/a...outhof21st.jpg
gsv
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https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J...326%2520PM.jpg
lapl (detail) 1929

When one keys "705 W 6th St" into Google Maps it directs one to the center of the 6th & Hope intersection. One assumes the Lovera may appear in the above photos on the north (odd-numbered) side of 6th.

Carey McWilliams describes in his book on LA (chapter VII "Years of the Boom") the great many four-plexes, like the one pictured above, built in LA for winter tourists, who stayed an average of 44.5 days. Although these buildings were booked solid during the winter months, bookings dried up in the summer causing hardship for the landlords. In 1921 Harry Chandler started the Southern California "All-Year Club" (funded by LA County) which was heavily promoted in the east and midwest. This resulted in an influx of summer tourists and, even though they only stayed an average of 17.5 days, it did provide landlords with enough summer income to tide them over.


Page Schools, founded 1908 and still in business: http://www.pageschool.com/new2/history.html It's run by the fifth generation of its founding family.

Very interesting information tovanger2. I didn't know any of that.

I came across this duplex at 811 S. Norton Avenue yesterday.

http://imageshack.us/a/img255/8390/a...jhubbardre.jpg
gsv

http://imageshack.us/a/img4/8403/aab...jhubbardbu.jpg
http://larchmontchronicle.com/

It certainly doesn't look like a duplex. Does anyone have more information on this house?

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http://imageshack.us/a/img109/8900/aaadtroy1931.jpg
found on ebay



The Troy Laundry building today. -I wasn't sure until I compared the 2nd floor windows.

http://imageshack.us/a/img580/3416/a...y1931today.jpg
gsv




below: detail of the 14th Street side.

http://imageshack.us/a/img820/1379/a...ry14thstsi.jpg
gsv
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