noirish Los Angeles

[Flyingwedge]

Lawrence B. Burck moved from Galveston, Texas, to Los Angeles in January 1905. On July 3, 1905, he got a permit
to build a house at 665 Wilshire Place for himself and his bride-to-be, Phila:


LADBS


1907 Sanborn; the empty lot to the left of 665 Wilshire Place is on the SW corner of Wilshire Place and Wilshire Blvd:


Proquest via LAPL


There is an August 24, 1909 building permit to add "three rooms and porches." There were also permits for
additions to the carriage house in August 1907 and to the kitchen in January 1913. This is how 665 Wilshire
Place appeared on the 1921 Sanborn (which shows Lucerne Blvd. south of Wilshire Blvd. was at that time
known as Burck Place):


Proquest via LAPL


This photo of 665 Wilshire Place appeared in the February 1910 issue of the presumptuously titled The American Globe.
I have no idea if the photo was taken before or after the 1909 additions to the rear of the house:


GoogleBooks


c. 1910:



Greater Los Angeles and Southern California (1910) @ HathiTrust


1913 LACD:


fold3.com


Despite the newly remodeled kitchen, Burck relocated to Altadena in late 1913 or early 1914. The next residents at
665 Wilshire Place were John E. Blackman and his extended family. They had decamped for San Diego by 1920, and
there seems to be an interregnum in the Los Angeles city directories from 1918 until 1922 regarding which family
lived at 665 Wilshire Place:


1922 LACD @ fold3.com


On the 1921 Baist Map, 665 Wilshire Place is on the west side of the street, the second house down from Wilshire Blvd:


USCDL


This 1930 photo looks east on Wilshire Blvd; the house at right is on the SE corner of Wilshire Blvd and Wilshire Place.
There was a similar flora-covered sidewalk "entrance" on the SW corner, too:


00009338 @ LAPL


Sadly, Lawrence Burck did not outlive 665 Wilshire Place, which the Simpsons seem to have sold in 1928; they
subsequently relocated to 647 S. June.


This November 1, 1928, photo shows the SW corner of Wilshire Blvd and Wilshire Place, but 665 Wilshire Place and
its neighbor on the corner appear to have been demolished. I couldn't find a demo permit for 665 Wilshire Place, so
perhaps it was moved somewhere, but it seems unlikely:


001378552 @ CA State Library


As many NLA readers already know, the site of 665 Wilshire Place was occupied by Bullock's Wilshire, seen here in 1929.
At left is the house on the SE corner of Wilshire Blvd and Wilshire Place:


00059178 @ LAPL

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

Hoss, might Shulman have photographed the former Sepulveda VA Hospital in North Hills? It was a victim of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-03-...es-va-hospital

Thanks, HenryHuntington, I think you're right. When I saw "Sepulveda VA Hospital" in my search results, I was confusing it with the Sawtelle VA Hospital because I knew it was quite close to Sepulveda Boulevard. The brickwork on the remaining buildings at the former Sepulveda VA Hospital appears to match those in the Shulman pictures.


GSV

Despite what it says in the LA Times article, it looks like only the main hospital building was demolished after the quake. Many of the other buildings were stripped and boarded up. Even though the buildings are "unsafe", they still get used for filming - see iamnotastalker.com.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

This photo of 665 Wilshire Place appeared in the February 1910 issue of the presumptuously titled The American Globe.
I have no idea if the photo was taken before or after the 1909 additions to the rear of the house:


GoogleBooks

The REAL fun was going on next door with Phila's family connections at 671:

From post 19407:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=19407

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

I think it might be the Bekins building on Fries Avenue.

I thought it might be the Bekins building as well Hoss. (the lettering on the building looked the same)

Here's my view I was ready to post.


gsv

I hope someone 'saves' this building...I like it a lot.




It's also visible in the view below.

We're looking west (on C) toward the recently discussed intersection of Avalon Blvd. & C Street.

The large building in the distance is the Bekins bldg on Fries Ave.


http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032633.jpg


Here's the same view today. (if you look closely you can see the Bekins bldg)


gsv

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[ethereal_reality]

I thought I'd back up the google-mobile on C Street to show the Wilmington Hotel.

2012

gsv






but there's been a fire.

2015

gsv


I just found some information about the fire.

"A deadly fire that forced residents to leap out of windows as flames swept through a hotel early Thursday April 2, 2015 in Wilmington.
Arson investigators with the Los Angeles Fire Department were sifting through debris from the fire that killed a man and injured 15 others.
The cause is under investigation, but it appears to be suspicious, said Erik Scott, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
People were trapped by flames inside the two-story Wilmington Hotel at 111 E. C St. shortly after 3 a.m. as firefighters arrived, he said."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...402-story.html

_




I can't tell if the car was scorched by the fire or if it already looked that way.


gsv

[GaylordWilshire]

Jeffrey Toobin

A great new read, beautifully written...you wonder how someone as incredibly, warily self-interested as Patty Hearst could have ever been affected to any great degree by "Stockholm Syndrome"-- which F. Lee Bailey seems to have co-opted effectively for posterity to save his client from worse than she got.... (Btw if you ever think 2016 America is a mess, this look back at the '70s will make you realize that, all in all, we live in a golden age.) And the last line of the book is almost as good as that of Gatsby.


Anyway, Ms Hearst's spray of bullets on Mel's Sporting Goods became famous, as did the final stand for most of the SLA at 1466 East 54th Street...but I didn't know about the gang's first LA hideout at 833 East 84th. (I thought we had seen a post here on the 54th shootout and fire, but nothing came up in a search.)






From post 2666 (Jan 30, 2011):
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2666




1466 E 54th Street....
Will Campbell

[HossC]

I skip over many Julius Shulman sets which only show interiors, but I couldn't resist the late-70s colors of these photos. This is "Job 5548: Marina International Hotel (Marina del Rey, Calif.), 1978".



A balcony with a view - of the parking lot!



I wish these last two images were in color.



The décor looks loud enough to keep you awake all night .



All from Getty Research Institute

I only did a quick Google, but it looks like the hotel is now closed.

[ethereal_reality]

Oh my, those are the ugliest interiors that I've ever seen.

[Martin Pal]

Venice Historical Society Proudly Presents
TAKE A TRIP ON THE RED CAR
A Lecture and Slide Show by Red Car Maven & Historian Alan Fishel

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016 – 7:00 pm
at Oakwood Recreation Center, California & 7th Avenues, Venice



Take two virtual rides on the electric trolley cars from Los Angeles to the Beach
with Alan Fishel. The first railway service into Venice was in the 1880's with
a connection in Inglewood through Venice on its way to Santa Monica. In the 1890's
more lines were built to service Santa Monica, Ocean Park & Venice.
The once-daily & ever-popular service along the beach ended in 1950.
Learn what happened in between.

$5 for VHS members and $8 for non-members. Street parking available.
Light snacks served at the event.

http://venicehistoricalsociety.org/calendar.php

[Beaudry]

Greetings Noirish comrades,

Now, not that we should spend any less time in front of our screens on NLA, but once in a great while you gotta get something new for the bookshelf, and I recommend this:



Tons of images our ilk'll dig. A few pages let the book speak for itself—









—and so on.

Interestingly, Noirishers will recognize some of the images as having shown up first on this thread, via eBay screengrabs. I was dropping some coin on especially good images last year because, as I was lending from my collection to the book, I couldn't pass some up some great slides. For example, y'all might remember the image on this page



...which we saw here. NLA, always ahead of the curve! You saw it here first!

Read all about the book here and there's more pix here. (There's even a Spectacular-related event on Thursday.)

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the heads up Beaudry!
__

'mystery' location

"1940/50s LOS ANGELES TRANSIT STREET CAR #86 'ADAMS & ALSACE' SIGN" -description from eBay


http://www.ebay.com/itm/5F345-RP-194...IAAOSwqv9V6Nmn

You can't see much of the background...but the residence on the left is rather unique, so maybe someone remembers seeing it before.

And of course there's the commercial building on the right. (but I can't figure out what the sign says)
__

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' location #2


"Los Angeles Car Wash, 1950s"


old file / probably from eBay

Wherever it is, I hope that neat old wooden building (apts?) has survived.

The hill in the distance could be a good clue.
__


update:

I just noticed the sign says 'Highland' (not sure how I missed that earlier)

....so maybe this is somewhere along Highland Avenue.....or somewhere in Highland Park.


__

[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location #2


"Los Angeles Car Wash, 1950s"


old file / probably from eBay

Wherever it is, I hope that neat old wooden building (apts?) has survived.

The hill in the distance could be a good clue.
__


update:

I just noticed the sign says 'Highland' (not sure how I missed that earlier)

....so maybe this is somewhere along Highland Avenue.....or somewhere in Highland Park.


__

Highland Park is right! This is near the sw corner of Fig and Avenue 52. The sign is still there, sort of, but thankfully, though stripped of its neon.



Until about ten years ago the carwash structure itself looked very original. Then it was rebuilt with the red tile roof treatment. The great old wooden apartment buildings are long gone, replaced with a check cashing place, behind which there's a 7-11.

UPDATE: So the carwash opened in '57. The buildings behind were demolished in '64 to put in a Texaco station. That lasted till it was replaced, in 1980, by the 7-11, and the check cashing place was a Pioneer Chicken. Now that I look at it, it DOES have that Pioneer roofline.

The orange building with the round window is the Mystic Dharma Buddhist Temple, AKA an The Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, by none other than Meyer & Holler, 1924.

[Blaster]

THIS car wash is no longer there...
It was located at 6th and Rampart (in the first shot you can see the Bryson Apartments in the background)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTwrrDANnoU

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thanks for the heads up Beaudry!
__

'mystery' location

"1940/50s LOS ANGELES TRANSIT STREET CAR #86 'ADAMS & ALSACE' SIGN" -description from eBay


http://www.ebay.com/itm/5F345-RP-194...IAAOSwqv9V6Nmn

You can't see much of the background...but the residence on the left is rather unique, so maybe someone remembers seeing it before.

And of course there's the commercial building on the right. (but I can't figure out what the sign says)
__

To narrow possibilities a little, the north end on the A Line ran from the Civic Center out Temple St., turned north for a short stretch on Hoover St., jogged a block west on Clinton St., turned north again on Virgil Ave. before arriving at Fountain Ave. & Edgemont St. If I had to SWAG it, looking at LATL 86 on a downgrade, I'd say we're somewhere on Temple. But don't take my word for it.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

Greetings Noirish comrades,

Now, not that we should spend any less time in front of our screens on NLA, but once in a great while you gotta get something new for the bookshelf, and I recommend this:

Thanks for pointing out this book, Beaudry!

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

The carwash opened in '57. The buildings behind were demolished in '64 to put in a Texaco station. That lasted till it was replaced, in 1980, by the 7-11,
and the check cashing place was a Pioneer Chicken. Now that I look at it, it DOES have that Pioneer roofline.

Thanks for locating the Highland carwash photo Beaudry.

I too, thought the check-cashing building resembled an old Pioneer Pigeon Chicken but I wasn't sure.

While looking through vintage photos of Pioneer Pigeon Chicken I was totally surprised to see a building like the one below.

This photograph was taken somewhere in Echo Park.


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...bba44871d6.jpg

What's also intriguing about this pic (besides the McDonald-esqe bldg) is the Pioneer Pizza next door.


update:
Whoa, I just noticed the liquor store is also called Pioneer.......Pioneer Liquor! What's up with that?

Does anyone recognize this stretch of Echo Park?
_

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

To narrow possibilities a little, the north end on the A Line ran from the Civic Center out Temple St., turned north for a short stretch on Hoover St., jogged a block west on Clinton St., turned north again on Virgil Ave. before arriving at Fountain Ave. & Edgemont St. If I had to SWAG it, looking at LATL 86 on a downgrade, I'd say we're somewhere on Temple. But don't take my word for it.

Thanks for the information HH.

I've only looked along Temple for a few minutes, but I noticed there are numerous residences that sorta' resemble the house in the vintage pic.

Here's one of them...although if you look closely it's not a match.


gsv

I couldn't get a good view of it in the same direction as the pic below.




eBay

I'll keep looking. (Temple Street is very interesting!)

_

[ethereal_reality]

I thought GW might be able to tell us more about this amazing looking place.


http://picclick.ca/C-1910-Los-Angele...170999509.html

I can't tell if this is the front or the back of the house.

The stone area might be the fish pond (it's mentioned below)




Intriguing comments on the reverse.


http://picclick.ca/C-1910-Los-Angele...170999509.html




Did ya'll notice the boy looking for insects in the grass?


detail

Any idea who that might be GW?

_

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

I do, yes, thanks Hoss C.! Not anything new for most, but it is a closer shot showing the front of Coffee Dan's, that, believe it or not, is pretty rare considering it's near the corner and next to a movie theater.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

That Coffee Dan's at 6776 Hollywood Blvd.! I have seen no good pictures showing the front.
Nobody seems to have taken a picture of it on purpose! It was a 2-story building with offices
above and retail on the ground floor, Dan's being in the space closest to Highland.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe just me, but I am excited!

I'm pretty sure I found an elusive photo of the front of this Coffee Dan's at 6776 Hollywood Blvd.!
Not only that, but a peek inside, too.



Marc Barclay Blog


The caption from the source says: Coffee Dan’s restaurant near the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. & Highland Ave., 1950.

If you check out two photos from this location at this previous post:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=17335
...you can see the angled v-shape entrance as in this street photo and also the small lights in the entrance roof.

Also, there is a film called Man in the Vault from 1956 that involves this area, specifically the Bank of America which is to the right (west) of Coffee Dan's.
As a man comes out of the bank, another man who is stalking him comes out of a door in the building to the left (east) of the bank. We cannot tell what
that place is, but he does hit one of the plants that are on the right as he swings the door open. So, I am guessing this is the elusive front of that
Hollywood Blvd. Coffee Dan's.

(Also, we haven't seen that interior on any other Coffee Dan's post.)

The texture of that photo looks like it might have come from a book or magazine. I sent a note to the blog owner to see if he has any further information.