noirish Los Angeles

[SHERIFFPAUL]

If you can see the wreckage, it's a tank or some type of self-propelled gun.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I had no idea the modern building in the 1955 photograph was the 'Sports Erection' (actually the Sports Connection)...but people in the area called it the Sports Erection. ha ha
I went to a smaller gym a bit further down Santa Monica Blvd. (on the same/south side of the street)

this one.

my old gym card

Only the foundation of my gym is left.

South is at Top

gsv

The large building on the right is the parking garage (plus a gym floor & retail shops) for the old Sports Erection Connection (now 24hr. Fitness)

In between my old gym (now just a foundation) and the large sports complex was one of the oldest lesbian bars in the city. For the life of me,
I can not remember the bar's name. I used to reach inside the bar's open door and grab the weekly papers on the way to my gym.
I believe I mentioned it before in an old post. (I, obviously, can't find the old post without the name of the bar)

Does anyone know the name of this bar?
_________________________________________________________________

Since that GSV view of the vacant lot where your gym used to be was taken in 2017, construction is well underway on a mixed use 3-4 story building in that spot. There are plans
for a similar building (aren't they all) to be built almost directly across the street.

There's also a nice shot of The Palms bar (identified) in the GSV history view.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

#1

getty_images

The ground fire was, literally, steps from my bungalow on Hancock. I can't believe I didn't recognized the area... I walked there daily.


google earth

I tried to make little red 'steps'. It didn't turn out so well.
_________________________________________________________________

Since we are in this area, last week I discovered the following three aerials taken in February of 1955. (The fire photos are November, 1955.)
They are all focused a little to the east of the above locations. I believe the Tropicana Motel opened in 1955. (A Los Angeles magazine article
I just looked up said it was built in the 1940's!) The captions refer to the curved street as "Ramada Drive". I have never heard that street
called that before and cannot find any period map listing with that street name.




Caption: Aerial view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking northwest.
The U-shaped hotel sits on the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd (running horizontally) and Ramada Drive (curved street running
behind the hotel). The smaller street in the forefront (left corner to mid-photo) is West Knoll Drive. Photograph dated February 12, 1955.




Caption: Close-up view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking north.




Caption: Aerial view of Tropicana Motor Hotel, located at 8585 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood; view is looking northeast.
The U-shaped hotel sits on the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd (running horizontally) and Ramada Drive (curved street running
behind the hotel). The street running vertically on the extreme right is N. La Cienega Boulevard. Photograph dated February 12, 1955.
___

To the left of the motel, in the bottom photo for example, I am curious about that grouping of seemingly multi-level little buildings, or apartments?,
on the corner. It just looks like an interesting design. Were the P.E. cars still running in 1955? Because I'm familiar with the street I'm also curious
as to what some of the businesses are.

The photos are from the Kelly-Holiday Mid-Century Aerial Photo Collection on LAPL.

[Tourmaline]

"8701" is obviously no stranger to NLA.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=34826

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=46170

[Ed Workman]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's another 1955 'mystery'


As you can see, it's some sort of ground fire, no doubt, from spilled gasoline or some other flammable liquid.

#1

getty_images


Does anyone recognize this area?


#2






but I'm not entirely sure what's going on.


All Getty Images

My take is petroleum fumes from undergraound
IIRC similar things happened in the Fairfax area not too many years ago

[Beaudry]

Hey y'all, got a favor to ask. I'm in need of an image of the York Theater. The only one that exists is this one



and as you can see, it's not image of it at all (except the roof sign).

Now, I collect, and have a ton of stuff that's not on the internet. One thing I don't have is an image of the York. Which is now needed for a good cause. It won't show up on the internet (unless you want it to). Please send me a PM if you have an image of the York, and thanks in advance!

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

To get that exact view of Mt. Lee, one must be in Toluca Lake:

I therefore suspect that the body of water shown in the photos is actually Toluca Lake itself.
In the screenshot below, you can see that that Toluca Lake falls directly in the line-of-sight that one must view to see Mt. Lee from that angle.

Absolutely Scott Charles. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

This is Toluca Lake in 1927, four years later than the pictures.


mil.library.ucsb.edu - Flight C_113, Frame 159


Would this equate to where the pictures might have been shot - # 3 looking east and # 4 looking west with the Lakeside Golf Club parking area to the left of the 1923 picture?

I think you are spot on Noir Noir.

Have you tried looking for the house that resembles a castle?

this one

DETAIL of photo #4

I tried...but didn't had any luck.






unless....this is it [modified], but I highly doubt it.

WEST is at the TOP

Check it out HERE

I believe the stream used to run just to the right of the property. [when the lake natural*]

*today the lake has an asphalt bottom.


__

[ethereal_reality]

Yesterday, I came across this interesting photograph.[on Ebay]

"1920s Los Angeles Photograph Luckhaus Studio Aerial Street Scene With Streetcar."

cropped, to appear straight

Check it out on EBAY



The seller included this detail. (not sure why it's greenish)




the whole pic as seen on ebay.

EBAY

which includes the shadow of a mystery house along the bottom.




I almost forgot....


the photographer's stamp
__

[ethereal_reality]

Here's one more photograph for this evening.

Depression Era:

"Hundreds of the unemployed gather outside the Biltmore Hotel while the California Relief Commission was meeting inside."


EBAY

"Police were summoned as the marchers attempted to enter the hotel." [1935]



info / It's difficult to read.


__

[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Yesterday, I came across this interesting photograph.[on Ebay]

"1920s Los Angeles Photograph Luckhaus Studio Aerial Street Scene With Streetcar."

cropped, to appear straight

Check it out on EBAY

That's shot of Fort Moore hill from atop the Hall of Justice, up Spring:



At the upper right in the eBay pic one sees the backs of the remaining houses (e.g., Hancock Banning's, Milo Baker's) on the east side of Broadway, and below, once, Buena Vista street ran north, now just some terraced slices in the hill.

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Have you tried looking for the house that resembles a castle?

this one

DETAIL of photo #4

I tried...but didn't had any luck.

Here's one that looks like a contender. Appears to be in the right location and has a "castlely" like tower feature.






Google Maps





10045 Valley Spring Lane, renovated in 1999 - what d'ya think?

[SHERIFFPAUL]

The history of the Ries Company whose factory is in Bremerton, WA ("near Tacoma"). 5 brothers moved from Akron to Hollywood along with the silent movie industry in about 1913. The article, which includes many photographs, has been published in the current New England Journal of Photographic History, ("The Ries Brothers and Their Place in Hollywood History").

All went into the film industry in one way or another. Park Ries became a staff photographer for Universal Studios at age 16. Paul, Park, and Ray opened a full service camera store in Hollywood in about 1925. Paul Ries along with his brother Park invented the Ries tripod. The eldest--Irving--went to Germany in 1915 to be embedded with the German Army as a newsreel cinematographer while the US was still neutral. His identity was stolen by a German spy who was caught and executed in the Tower of London still using Irving Ries's stolen identity. He was the only American Cinematographer awarded the Iron Cross by the German Army. And, perhaps the only American to receive that award in WW-I at all! :confused: (Since one of the brothers served in the US Army in WW-I, military service must have been an interesting topic at subsequent family gatherings!)

Irving filmed the first movie in which Laurel and Hardy appeared together ("Lucky Dog" which can be seen on youtube.com.) Ray Ries provided special effects for two 1939 blockbuster movies: The "Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind'. The brothers had a number of "firsts" in the film industry. Irving was head of the special effects department at MGM. In about 1956, Irving was nominated for an Academy Award for the special effects in "Forbidden Planet". He also provided the special effects for "Singin' in the Rain", "The Barclays of Broadway", and many other blockbuster films. Between them, Ray and Irving filmed over 1,000 movies. Several of their movies have been deemed significant and are currently being restored.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A BIG location 'mystery' for tonight.

"Ries Brothers Photos of Land Around Hollywood California 1923"[/SIZE]


EBAY






#1


I'd say the best clue is the shape of the mountains.







The uniquely shaped mountain is in this pic as well.

#2








In this one, an idyllic creek appears.

#3



Let's take a closer look at the hacienda on the left.


DETAIL, PHOTO #3

note the curved steps leading up to the house from the creek. (to the right of the tree)








#4





Here's a closer look at the castle-like structure


DETAIL PHOTO#4

also note the parked cars.




and the residence across the creek.


DETAIL, PHOTO#4

note the large residence in the distance as well.








#5


not much to see here.








And lastly, #6



At first glance, the structure in the foreground appears to be a barn, but I think it's being used for other purposes as well.



For one thing, there are flues.....too many flues.


DETAIL PHOTO #6

And a barn usually doesn't have windows on the second floor. That's where the hayloft is located.


All photos at ebay

[ovens]

Hey all. New user here, long time lurker. I live in the valley (Valley Village, which is technically North Hollywood)... and work in West Hollywood. I love driving around and imagining which buildings are older than the others -- and this thread has been simply tremendous in making me say "ohh man thats cool" so many times. Thanks you guys.

I have some questions about the building i work in -- but I need to prepare my layup with some context and photos. Stay tuned! haha

[ethereal_reality]

Welcome ovens!

We patiently await your post.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

That's shot of Fort Moore hill from atop the Hall of Justice, up Spring:



At the upper right in the eBay pic one sees the backs of the remaining houses (e.g., Hancock Banning's, Milo Baker's) on the east side of Broadway, and below, once, Buena Vista street ran north, now just some terraced slices in the hill.

Excellent information Beaudry.

I have a question:

What is the structure [outlined in RED below] that resembles the back of a billboard?


DETAIL

Considering the distance..it's much to large to be a billboard.

__

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

10045 Valley Spring Lane, renovated in 1999 - what d'ya think?

By jove you found it Noir Noir.




Update:

By jove...we might be wrong.


It appears the home was built in 1999.


realtor.com



but WAIT ....hold on a minute.


zillow

How can a home built in 1999 last been sold in 1991.

__

[unihikid]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's one more photograph for this evening.

Depression Era:

"Hundreds of the unemployed gather outside the Biltmore Hotel while the California Relief Commission was meeting inside."


EBAY

"Police were summoned as the marchers attempted to enter the hotel." [1935]



info / It's difficult to read.


__

Funny you mention the Biltmore. I had to attend a Gala for work last night and got to load stuff from the cool loading dock. The staff got a kick out of all of in our suits unloading our van at the loading dock. We got to walk through the entire basement, super cool and the entire staff was just too cool. I wanted to take more pictures but security was pretty tight, I did get a few shots.



The former Lobby.



Opposite view.



The main Hall outside of the Crystal Ballroom



(all photos by unihikid)

Inside the Crystal Ballroom.

I really wanted to check out the Biltmore Bowl? I didn't even know it had a theatre!

[ethereal_reality]

Excellant information inihikid. Thank you!



Coincidentally, the house directly across the street from Noir Noir's "castlely" house is Amelia Earhart's last home.


THIS ONE

GSV


zillow


There seems to be a discrepancy as to whether the home was built from scratch or simply remodeled. [the captions swing both ways] -kinky

I checked Noir Noir's 1927 aerial and there is a house already in place.



EDIT: I've come to the conclusion the house above is, in fact, the future home of Amelia Earhart. [before remodeling, of course]




Pre-renovation. [1935] (even though the present day realtor says it was built in 1937) ?


found on pinterest

"Amelia Earhart, her husband George Putnam & Paul Mantz in front of Amelia & George's home located at 10042 Valley Spring Lane in Toluca Lake." [1935]




Here's a cozy pic of Amelia on Christmas Day [1935] pre-renovation obviously


iwasm.omeka.net


The following photographs are from the Margot DeCarie Collection


Here come the renovators!



I spy Amelia.








Toluca, not Taluca

__

[ethereal_reality]

I find this very interesting as well.

"Amelia Earhart working in her Toluca Lake garden."


Margot DeCarie Collection



oops. here's the ending.


I picture her relaxing in the shade, under the Carob tree, dreaming of crossing the Pacific.
(and we all know how that story ends]





Later I found this photograph that shows a bit more of the garden..& with writing in the borders. (pretty cool huh!)



Okay odinthor and oldstuff, or anyone else for that matter, is it possible to pick out a Carob tree from a google-aerial?

__

[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Excellent information Beaudry.

I have a question:

What is the structure [outlined in RED below] that resembles the back of a billboard?


DETAIL

Considering the distance..it's much to large to be a billboard.

__

I believe that's the Sunset Hotel back there—notice the tower

this post