noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

.
Thanks Jungmann. I appreciate the information.

You are probably thinking of the Daugherty Aviation School, shown below.


SHHS

"During the early 1920s, the only airport in Long Beach was the City’s huge, crescent shaped beach. Earl Daugherty opened a flight training school for bi-wings aircraft near Long Beach Blvd. and Willow Ave."

That explains the use of the beach.


But the eBay photograph most likely predates the school. (judging by the looks of the plane)


eBay

.

[Jungmann]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
Thanks Jungmann. I appreciate the information.

You are probably thinking of the Daugherty Aviation School, shown below.


SHHS

"During the early 1920s, the only airport in Long Beach was the City’s huge, crescent shaped beach. Earl Daugherty opened a flight training school for bi-wings aircraft near Long Beach Blvd. and Willow Ave."

That explains the use of the beach.


But the eBay photograph most likely predates the school. (judging by the looks of the plane)


eBay

.

You're right, ER. The Daugherty airport in the picture was in Long Beach city. No historian, me, but the second machine in the line-up is a Thomas Morse S-4, a U.S. Air Service pursuit, built 1918-1919 and sold as surplus after the war, which is why this one doesn't have military colors. That and the car indicate early '20s for the photograph. The sepia picture on the beach might show a Curtiss Pusher (correct me if I'm wrong, somebody), and I'd guess the date to be around 1911.

[Earl Boebert]

(Image enhanced for clarity)

Well, this one led me on a merry chase I was familiar with almost all the pre-WWI aircraft but had never seen this configuration: uneven span wings with outboard diagonal bracing, oval rudder, the small wheels. Not a Wright, not a Curtis, not a Martin. What the heck was it?

Well, I finally identified it as having been built by Weldon B. Cooke, a sadly short-lived California aviation pioneer. His accomplishments were summarized in this article:

https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2...c-1911-flight/

Here's a picture from that article:



I think the upper picture is clearly the same aircraft with the "Cooke" rudder replaced with a Shell Oil sponsorship. My guess is that upper one was taken during an Air Meet at Dominguez Field held in January 1912, immortalized in a Los Angeles Post-Record headline as:

"Fear-Calloused Birdmen Are Ready -- With Powerful Sky-Skimmers -- To Compete For High Aerial Honors"

Them were the days, my friends, them were the days

Cheers,

Earl

Edit: Fixed link, thanks HossC

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

I think the upper picture is clearly the same aircraft with the "Cooke" rudder replaced with a Shell Oil sponsorship. My guess is that upper one was taken during an Air Meet at Dominguez Field held in January 1912.

Hi Earl.

Intriguing information but I don't see the photograph.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Hi Earl.

Intriguing information but I don't see the photograph.

It's the one that started the thread, enhanced a bit. Shows up on my screen.

Cheers,

Earl

[ethereal_reality]

.
2 mystery street scenes. .(circa:1955)


From the eBay seller who listed the Belvedere Gardens snapshots.



SOLD












eBay


Is this Belvedere Gardens as well?
.

[Noir_Noir]

The next block west from the last batch of BG pictures.



rescarta.lapl.org

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

(Image enhanced for clarity)

[...]

I think the upper picture is clearly the same aircraft with the "Cooke" rudder replaced with a Shell Oil sponsorship. My guess is that upper one was taken during an Air Meet at Dominguez Field held in January 1912, [...]

Wonderful sleuthing on the aircraft, EB--thanks!

I do query Dominguez Field, though. The topography shown--it has the distinctive look of a So Cal oceanfront area, with the typical coastal mesa dropoffs/cliffs adjoining a seeming beach. There's even a characteristic culvert entrance to be seen beyond the plane, where inland drainage would flow towards the nearby open sea. I'm not familiar with Dominguez Field, though. Does/did it have those features? On the other hand, there's nothing about the structure looming in the distance that looks familiar to me.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Wonderful sleuthing on the aircraft, EB--thanks!

I do query Dominguez Field, though. The topography shown--it has the distinctive look of a So Cal oceanfront area, with the typical coastal mesa dropoffs/cliffs adjoining a seeming beach. There's even a characteristic culvert entrance to be seen beyond the plane, where inland drainage would flow towards the nearby open sea. I'm not familiar with Dominguez Field, though. Does/did it have those features? On the other hand, there's nothing about the structure looming in the distance that looks familiar to me.

You're quite welcome. I should have clarified that when I said "during an Air Meet at Dominguez Field" I didn't mean to imply the picture was taken there. In 1912 "Fear-Calloused Birdmen" didn't always land back where they took off He probably did set it down on a beach somewhere nearby.

Cheers,

Earl

[Bristolian]

Last October I posted a RPPC of a 1912 plane crash off Long Beach here.

It seems highly likely that this was in the same vicinity of the Long Beach Airport being discussed here now.



Earl Boebert, I was quite impressed with you identifying the airplane on the beach but you earn double bonus points if you can get this one from the wreckage in the photo.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by Bristolian

Last October I posted a RPPC of a 1912 plane crash off Long Beach here.

It seems highly likely that this was in the same vicinity of the Long Beach Airport being discussed here now.



Earl Boebert, I was quite impressed with you identifying the airplane on the beach but you earn double bonus points if you can get this one from the wreckage in the photo.

Actually, that's a quite famous one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calbraith_Perry_Rodgers

Whoever wrote "Earl Rogers" on the postcard got it wrong. Wikipedia also got the aircraft right: a Wright Model B, backup to the "Vin Fiz"

When I was in college I met Pete Bowers, who built the Vin Fiz replica and others:

https://archives.museumofflight.org/agents/people/1167

Cheers,

Earl

[ethereal_reality]

.

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

The next block west from the last batch of BG pictures.


rescarta.lapl.org

Here's yet another one from your directory.


eBay

I'm surprised by the mod-looking font used by Gallenkamps. It reminds me of the lettering you'd see on the Sunset Strip in the late 1960s.


.

[ethereal_reality]

This is quite interesting. . .and a bit confusing.




re: Daugherty School of Aviation located at new 'Chateau Thierry' subdivision.




claudineburnettbooks


"The subdivision was christened “Chateau Thierry” in honor of America’s great battle in France. This was the area Daugherty had been looking at for his proposed aviation school before the war. Arrangements were made to build Daugherty’s school and a passenger carrying station at Chateau Thierry. In May, building began on his 30 x 45 foot hangars. On June 6, 1919, the aviator opened the Daugherty School of Aviation, with passenger-carrying on the side, at the Chateau Thierry tract. Records show he carried 1,785 passengers that first year."



"The 250 acre Chateau Thierry tract opened on Bastille Day, July 14, 1919. It lay between Wardlow Road and Downey Boulevard, with a mile of frontage on Long Beach Boulevard. It was adjacent to the new Virginia Country Club in the Los Cerritos area of the city. Most of the lots were 70 x 180 feet to 92 x 190 feet and cost between $5000 and $7000. The subdivision claimed the highest elevation between Long Beach and Los Angeles, which kept it free from fog and dampness. It also had macadam streets, underground wiring, gas, water, telephone lines and electricity. No public garages, bungalow courts, apartment houses or stores were allowed. Terms were 20% down with the balance to be paid in 3 to 6 years; generous discounts were offered to those paying cash and still greater discounts to the first few who started to build within 60 days. An added incentive to buy was an offer for a free airplane ride from Chateau Thierry to Long Beach to anyone who bought a lot."





The first non-beach airfield in Long Beach.


earlyaviationlongbeach



"Earl Daugherty at Chateau Thierry airfield." ...(amazing photograph!)


claudineburnettbooks

So is this location anywhere near present day Long Beach Airport?



.

[ethereal_reality]

I just located another photograph of Chateau-Thierry Field.



aircraftjournal Sept. 30, 1920

The flora appears surprisingly diverse.... Do you recognize any of those bushes and trees, odinthor?


.

[odinthor]

Interesting, e_r. It looks as if we have a Norfolk Island Pine, a Canary Island Date Palm, and various specimens of a species of Eucalyptus, likely E. citriodora.

I must say, having lived in the Long Beach area my whole life, I've never heard of the Chateau Thierry area or development. Live and learn!

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"Earl Daugherty at Chateau Thierry airfield." ...(amazing photograph!)


claudineburnettbooks

So is this location anywhere near present day Long Beach Airport?

.

I'm not sure that picture is from his first location at Chateau-Thierry Field.

I think it's from his second location Daugherty Flying Field at Long Beach Blvd. and Willow Street.

He's on the roof of the main building.



tessa.lapl.org


You can see the building here with "Daugherty Flying Field" spelled out on the roof.


gerrieschipske.blogspot.com



longbeach.gov


The new airport was christened Daugherty Field in honor of Earl S. Daugherty.

This is the new airport in it's early days with a Daugherty hangar seen to the right.


gerrieschipske.blogspot.com

[Godzilla]

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...ostcount=20363





Planes on Long Beach

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Interesting, e_r. It looks as if we have a Norfolk Island Pine, a Canary Island Date Palm, and various specimens of a species of Eucalyptus, likely E. citriodora.

I must say, having lived in the Long Beach area my whole life, I've never heard of the Chateau Thierry area or development. Live and learn!

Are the Norfolk Island pines and "Monkey Puzzle" trees of the Andes related, besides being conifers?

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

gerrieschipske.blogspot.com

This view of Signal Hill reminds me that for several decades in the early 20th century, the L.A. basin was the most productive source of oil in the entire world. The massive Huntington Beach and Long Beach fields alone were the biggest producers in the world until the giant Central Valley and Saudi fields came fully online in the 1940s. Even bigger than the East Texas field. L.A. is so much. It was Houston and Dallas combined. Imagine, the world center of energy in the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s. The world center of aviation, aerospace and defense until the 1990s. Still the filmed entertainment center of course. Forever probably. The largest port complex in the U.S., and one of the largest manufacturing and distribution centers. "Lalaland"...hardly. A big hard working city. A hard playing city too. It is hard to imagine the U.S. and world without a Los Angeles.

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Are the Norfolk Island pines and "Monkey Puzzle" trees of the Andes related, besides being conifers?

Yep, both are in genus Araucaria, a most interesting genus in a most interesting family, the Araucariceæ!