noirish Los Angeles - Page 1895

ConstructDTLA · #**37881** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 7:57 PM**

First ever photographs from inside the Merritt Building at 8th & Broadway.

Quote:

The Merritt Building has long been shrouded in mystery and misery. Once one of the finest buildings in downtown Los Angeles, the 1914 Beaux Arts building has seen its fair share of suffering. It surrendered to a major height-restriction, a bastardized facade job, abandonment, and graffiti tagging. In a time where the remainder of downtown’s best historic buildings are in the process of being renovated, the Merritt Building stands as a living reminder of post-war urban decay.

Full article with more images here.

HossC · #**37882** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 8:00 PM**

Congratulations on your 1,000th post, Martin Pal.

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

I going to need some help with today's Julius Shulman post - I'm sure I should recognize the location. It's "Job 4530: Allison and Rible, Wells Fargo Bank (Beverly Hills, Calif.), 1969". As well as the bank, there's an auto park and a Union Pacific ticket office. I found many references to the bank and the ticket office being in Beverly Hills, but none had an address.

The other image in the set shows the interior.

Both from Getty Research Institute

ethereal_reality · #**37883** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 8:40 PM**

A Beauty/Bathing Suit Contest at Ocean Park Pier on September 3, 1956.

The buildings in the background look run-down and a little worse for wear, but you have to remember Ocean Park Pier closed later that month.

It re-opened in the Summer of 1958 as Pacific Ocean Park (POP).

#1

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_s...n/photostream/

'Circus Gardens'...I'm not even sure which building that is.

#2

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_s...n/photostream/

#3

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_s...n/photostream/

#4

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_s...n/photostream/

A little more info:

"In 1956, CBS and the Los Angeles Turf Club decided to convert the decaying Ocean Park Pier into a new $10,000,000 sea themed park and compete with the newly opened Disneyland in Anaheim.
They closed the park after Labor Day and hired the best amusement park designers and Hollywood special effects artists to transform the park. It would open in the summer of 1958 as Pacific Ocean Park."

__

GaylordWilshire · #**37884** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 10:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC

Congratulations on your 1,000th post, Martin Pal.

I going to need some help with today's Julius Shulman post - I'm sure I should recognize the location. It's "Job 4530: Allison and Rible, Wells Fargo Bank (Beverly Hills, Calif.), 1969". As well as the bank, there's an auto park and a Union Pacific ticket office. I found many references to the bank and the ticket office being in Beverly Hills, but none had an address.

The bank was at 265 N Beverly, the ticket office at 251. Both gone....

Tourmaline · #**37885** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstructDTLA

First ever photographs from inside the Merritt Building at 8th & Broadway.

Thanks for sharing. Wouldn't know about "First ever photographs", but they depict a fascinating, albeit imperfect, time capsule. Note that Continental Millinery had a listing in the '73CD in room 809.

If anyone asks, the '70s LA Times should be left exactly where it was found, so the pidgeons can finish reading it.

Curious that it has not yellowed from the elements and the acids in the paper.

http://i2.wp.com/hunterkerhart.com/w...-25.jpg?w=1199

HossC · #**37886** Posted **Nov 16, 2016, 11:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

The bank was at 265 N Beverly, the ticket office at 251. Both gone....

Thanks, GW. So the auto park section of the block was remodeled from the Ontra building.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

265 N. Beverly Drive

ScottyB · #**37887** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 12:47 AM**

Greetings all, I have been a lurker for a year or so (trying to catch up!), but now am out of the (noirish) shadows (with a bit of help from ER). I have thoroughly enjoyed the photos, sleuthing, history and appreciate the intelligence of the community. So thanks everyone! I mean it.

I've recently found quite a few new (to me) pics in the Seaver Center archive; I do believe they have been busy! I will post one just to get my feet wet and see if it works, apologies if this is a re-post, couldn't find it in search.

5th Street Store, corner of Broadway. 4th of July?
[IMG]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PfXnNe][/IMG]
Seaver Center Collection

Are those Chinese lanterns strung above the street?

Perhaps taken the same day as this (which we have seen here before)
[IMG][IMG]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ANeAQ5][/IMG]
Seaver Center Collection

These are from the Warren C Dickerson collection (I do wish they were hi-res). There are a ton of mystery locations and many views of Broadway. More?

ethereal_reality · #**37888** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 3:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottyB

Greetings all, I have been a lurker for a year or so (trying to catch up!), but now am out of the (noirish) shadows.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the photos, sleuthing, history and appreciate the intelligence of the community. So thanks everyone! I mean it.

Welcome to NLA ScottyB! & congratulations on your first post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottyB

5th Street Store, corner of Broadway.

Seaver Center Collection

Here's a photograph of the Peery Building without all the decorations.

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3475/rec/15

This is such a fine looking building.

I especially like the twin pillars/columns in each of the top story windows (see below)

detail

-note the multiple thick cords they had to run out a window to light up the sign.

detail

One last thing:

What are "Jobbers"? -it's one of the items advertised on the awning.
__

ethereal_reality · #**37889** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 7:55 AM**

I don't believe we've seen this 'greasy spoon' on NLA.

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single.../id/8640/rec/3

Title:............... On 5th Street close to Flower Street.

Date:............... Apr 68

Photographer:... Conner, Palmer

In the 1960 L.A. city directory it's Mama's HotDog Stand, 727 W. 5th Street.

Here's a closer look (just because

) -I love that old coca-cola cooler that's in front of the nurse.

detail

The building just above the 'coca-cola chilidog' sign is the Department of Water & Power, and the taller building that's under construction is Bunker Hill Tower at 800 W. 1st Street.

Is the intriguing area with the trees (eucalyptus I think) the Stuart Oliver property?

detail
____

update:

I just noticed the hot-dog stand in this slide dated 12/7/69 (I'm not sure, but this has probably been posted before)

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/7694/rec/62

Can you see it?

It's just above the blue car with the white vinyl top traveling west on 5th street......

Here's another slide very similar to the one above, but dated 3/1/70

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/7709/rec/19

Here's a closer look at that ramp they're building.

detail

HossC · #**37890** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 10:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

One last thing:

What are "Jobbers"? -it's one of the items advertised on the awning.

I had a rough idea which only proved to be partially correct, so I'll let Wikipedia explain it better:

Jobber, in merchandising, can be synonymous with "wholesaler" or "distributor" or "broker" or "middleman." A jobber is a merchant — e.g., (i) a wholesaler or (ii) reseller or (iii) independent distributor operating on consignment — who takes goods in quantity from manufacturers or importers and sells or resells or distributes them to retail chains and syndicates, particularly supermarkets, department stores, drug chains, and the like.

MichaelRyerson · #**37891** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 1:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I don't believe we've seen this 'greasy spoon' on NLA.

Mama’s Hot Dog Stand, 727 W. 5th Street, 1968

4th Street viaduct in the background, Mama's is nearly on the corner of 5th and Flower (which is just out-of-frame to the left). The Sunkist Building is to the
right and those retaining walls on the hill belong to the now absent Wentworth (formerly the Rubaiyat,427 Hope). The last CEO of Sunkist to retire from this building reportedly visited
Mama's every morning before going upstairs to his office.

Huntington Digital Library/Palmer Conner Collection

Looking east on 5th Street from just west of Flower Street, 1966

The Sunkist Building, 707 West 5th Street, east of the Flower Street intersection. In the background is seen the Edison Building, 601 West 5th Street, and
Pacific Telephone’s communications center with its microwave tower at 420 South Grand Avenue. Up on Hope Street we can still make out the brick L.A Gas
& Electric building, the white, art-deco Edison annex and, maybe most interesting of all the distinctive cube-shape of the Sons of the Revolution Library has
come through, now pretty much all alone on the west side of the street. Deep shade on the street being thrown by the Architects Building here on the right
edge, located on the SE corner of 5th and Figueroa Streets.

Huntington Digital Library/Palmer Conner Collection of Color Slides of Los Angeles, 1950 - 1970

Hollywood Graham · #**37892** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Welcome to NLA ScottyB! & congratulations on your first post.

Here's a photograph of the Peery Building without all the decorations.

http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...id/3475/rec/15

This is such a fine looking building.

I especially like the twin pillars/columns in each of the top story windows (see below)

detail

-note the multiple thick cords they had to run out a window to light up the sign.

detail

One last thing:

What are "Jobbers"? -it's one of the items advertised on the awning.
__

On the first photo next to the 5th store is what appears to be the Examiner Build., hanging on the building appears to be a Shrine emblem above the Examiner Eagle. Maybe this is a Shrine Convention as all the of the intersection appears to be festive.

ethereal_reality · #**37893** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 4:58 PM**

ScottyB

HollywoodGraham, yes it's a Shrine symbol.

If I remember correctly, there's an night image of this Examiner building with the shrine symbol lit up in all it's glory, but I haven't been able to locate it again.

__

ethereal_reality · #**37894** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

The last CEO of Sunkist to retire from this building reportedly visited
Mama's every morning before going upstairs to his office.

It's little tid-bits like this that really bring these vintage photographs alive.

Thanks MR
__

side-note:

I didn't know 'Sunkist' oranges used to be individually wrapped!

"In an effort to distinguish Sunkist oranges from others, the CFGE wrapped its oranges in paper stamped with the Sunkist brand. But in 1909, after Sunkist learned that merchants were selling non-Sunkist oranges as Sunkist, it began to offer consumers a free Sunkist-branded spoon in exchange for mailing in twelve Sunkist wrappers. One million spoons were claimed in the first year of the promotion, further establishing the brand in consumers' minds and giving merchants a reason to want to display Sunkist oranges in their original wrappers. By 1910, the promotion had resulted in Sunkist becoming the world's largest purchaser of cutlery."

There's the orange wrapped, in what looks like cellophane

(I didn't know they had cellophane back then.)
__

ALSO......I've never heard about the spoon/cutlery promotion.

https://queenofsienna.wordpress.com/...of-the-orange/

I thought the spoon would have 'Sunkist' stamped on it. (you know, like a souvenir spoon)

I also found out 'orange spoons' have a definitive shape.
_____________________________________

update:

There were even 'orange cups'!

Eating oranges sounds a whole lot more exciting back then.

__

HossC · #**37895** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 5:50 PM**

I found this 1959 photo while looking for something completely different. It shows the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) building at 400 W 9th Street.

USC Digital Library

There are a couple of 1986 demo permits 400 W 9th Street. The one that's available to view online describes the building as a "Condemmed Store" [sic], which is strange. It looks like it was the mid-90s before construction started on the current building.

GSV

ethereal_reality · #**37896** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 6:20 PM**

Here's some ephemera from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in Los Angeles.

Strike pamphlets 1933

http://recordsofrights.org/events/34...workers-strike

-note the 116 1/2 W. 9th address

. (I wonder if this was just an office?) -when I see 1/2, I usually think pretty darn small.

chicagotribune_1933

"The Los Angeles Garment Workers Strike of 1933 is considered to be one of the most influential strikes in Los Angeles after the passing of the New Deal.
The strike is known for being one of the first strikes where Mexican immigrant workers played a prominent role. The garment workers strike occurred in the fall of 1933
in the downtown Garment District in Los Angeles, California. Leaders of the strike, including Rose Pesotta and other members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union
The ILGWU organized the strike to be culturally orientated in order to include Mexican immigrant workers to fight for union recognition in the garment industry."

___

oldstuff · #**37897** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 6:30 PM**

update:

There were even 'orange cups', but these weren't included in the promotion. (as far as I know)

Eating oranges sounds a whole lot more exciting back then.

__[/QUOTE] Maybe those who were excited about oranges were living somewhere that the oranges had to be shipped in, cost a lot and were more of a treat than an everyday thing. They could not just go in the backyard and pick one.

It does seem that the silver would be eaten away and tarnished badly by the acids in the citrus, making it more of a thing to display than an actual practical serving piece

ethereal_reality · #**37898** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 7:55 PM**

I don't understand the 'rim' part on hinges. so is there glass within the rim? (was this to keep dust off your orange?

)

maybe I'm looking at it all wrong.

AlvaroLegido · #**37899** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 8:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I just got back from Illinois. I see the thread was extremely quiet while I was gone.

.

Just like a symphony orchestra : without a conductor it decelerates the tempo.

HossC · #**37900** Posted **Nov 17, 2016, 8:57 PM**

There are previous Julius Shulman pictures of the West Covina Broadway in post #35501. This is "Job 3506: Glenn Arbogast, Chef's Restaurant (West Covina, Calif.), 1963".

I spy a piano and drums on the left.

The final image shows a bar area.

All from Getty Research Institute