noirish Los Angeles

[rcarlton]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Very interesting rcarlton
4th cousin 3 times removed? -I forget what makes a relative 'removed'.

Easy...his 3rd great-grandfather is my 6th great-grandfather. Subtract 3 from 6 to get the times removed.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by rcarlton

Easy...his 3rd great-grandfather is my 6th great-grandfather

OK, this is probably perfectly easy, but I'm still having problems.
How can someone have a 3rd or 6th great-grandfather? Each person only has 2...a maternal and paternal, right?

(I have a feeling I am going to be embarrassed when I finally see the light)

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[HossC]

There have been several posts over the last couple of days about all the buildings that have been demolished to make way for something "newer" and "better". I thought that might be the cue for this story with a surprise happy ending (sorry for the spoiler!).

The first picture below is from a season 4 episode of CHiPs called 'Karate', which originally aired in 1981. Ponch and Jon are pursuing a suspect in Ponch's own car when they're pulled over by an LAPD motorcycle cop outside this faded gem of a building.


Rosner Television/MGM Television

Using background buildings and the route they took, I managed to work out that it once stood on West 15th, just west of Figueroa, but the area was subsequently cleared to make way for the Convention Center Annex. Checking the City Directories, I found a listing in the 1969 edition which named it as the Otsego Apartments at 633 W 15th. That led me to a 1967 William Reagh picture on the LAPL website. Then, when I saw that the California State Library also has some William Reagh photos, I was able to find a larger version of the same picture. The cars outside appear to be an Avanti and a Peugeot 404 convertible.


California State Library

There was also a side view that LAPL don't seem to have.


California State Library

The LAPL's caption describes it as "A Victorian residence on 12th St. near Figueroa, now an apartment building, the Otsego Apartments." If anyone's in the business of emailing corrections to the right places, maybe you could tell the LAPL it was on West 15th (their reference is LAPL00017612).

My post was originally going to end here, because I assumed the building was demolished to make way for the Convention Center. Then I spotted the picture below while I was looking for info on the John Parkinson house moving that GW mentioned recently. The caption names the building as the Edward Strong mansion.


LA Times/Larry Davis

The LA Times article below, dated May 12, 1989, says: "After nearly 11 months of frantic efforts, the once-stately Edward Strong mansion, a reminder of downtown Los Angeles' Victorian past, was towed away from its site of 102 years on West 15th Street, where it stood in the way of a $390-million expansion of the Convention Center." They add that it "was declared a landmark in 1976 because of its unique Queen Anne architecture in the Caribbean style."

Mansion Moves Out Ahead of Wrecker's Ball

Best of all, the article names its destination as the 800 block of South Coronado Street, near MacArthur Park. That means we have a happy ending, because the house is still standing there today.


GSV

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent discovery HossC! -uplifting to have a happy ending now and then.
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[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by rcarlton

Easy...his 3rd great-grandfather is my 6th great-grandfather. Subtract 3 from 6 to get the times removed.

IOW the "times removed" number is the number of generations between you and the cousin inclusively. Your father's or mother's first cousin is your first cousin once removed, the first cousin of a grandparent is your first cousin twice removed and so on. The first cousin of my remote ancestor who came to America in 1640 is my first cousin eleven times removed (I think).

[rcarlton]

When two people are from different generations the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship. "Once removed" indicates a difference of one generation, "twice removed" indicates a difference of two generations....

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

OK, this is probably perfectly easy, but I'm still having problems.
How can someone have a 3rd or 6th great-grandfather? Each person only has 2...a maternal and paternal, right?

(I have a feeling I am going to be embarrassed when I finally see the light)

__

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

OK, this is probably perfectly easy, but I'm still having problems.
How can someone have a 3rd or 6th great-grandfather? Each person only has 2...a maternal and paternal, right?

(I have a feeling I am going to be embarrassed when I finally see the light)

__

You have four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents and so on.

What I assume rcarlton means by 3rd great-grandfather is three further generations before his great-grandfather, that is his great-great-great-great grandfather.

[GatoVerde]

Originally Posted by HossC

USC Digital Library

It looks like Earl V. Lewis finally closed in 1986 after 80 years in business. The LA Times article below implies that the increased number of break-ins was a major factor in the decision to close.

Sad Farewell to an Old Spring Street Friend

Very cool, HossC! Thanks for this info on Earl V. Lewis. I began reading the post not realizing until the end of your post that I bought my most favorite camera lens at the above Earl V. Lewis location on Spring Street circa 1983. I remember the salesman was an elderly gentleman so I can bet he probably worked at some of the other locations you've charted. I miss that store. Thank you!

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Those Who Squirm

You have four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents and so on.

Starting to see that light. Thanks TWS!
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[ethereal_reality]

3301 Washington Blvd.
detail/ebay


today
GSV


original photograph
ebay
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[ethereal_reality]

Shaefer's 1925


-notice the 1918 location pictured above the 1925. (where would this have been?)
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[FredH]

[QUOTE=ethereal_reality;6394291]


I came across this interesting art deco building on S. Alvarado, north of Miramar.
GSV


This is a great example of what makes this website so damned interesting. A photo of a building is presented with speculation that it may have been a movie theater. Then we find that it used to be an air conditioning "institute", which leads to an older picture of the building. Next we have an even older picture, where we learn that it was originally a service station. Then, an advertisement on the side of the building for the Barker Hotel allows us to reminisce on a great old post of hotel life in the old days. Finally, we have a discussion on the improvements of automobile fluid leakage over the past eighty years. I enjoyed the whole thing. Thanks everyone.

And congrats HossC for tracking down the history of that fine old house. I have absolutely no idea how some of you guys do these things. I am in awe.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Retired_in_Texas

The cars weren't "dirty" so much as gasket materials and oil seals had simply not developed well enough to prevent oil leaks. Took well into the 1960s to virtually eliminate oil leakage. The PVC valve that eliminated draft tube ventilation of the crankcase didn't hurt either.

Also, today most all greased elements are sealed tight. The proverbial ''lube job'' is a thing of the past.

[mdiederi]

Anyone have info on the "Night Mayor" of Hollywood?

I recently bought an artist portfolio of over 100 portrait drawings by Hollywood artist Philip A Ramus at an Abell estate auction in Los Angeles. All of the drawings are dated from the 1920s and 1930s. A lot of them look like Hollywood actors and actresses. Thought this one of "Smoke" B. Turner (Night Mayor of Hollywood) was interesting. It's dated 1932. I can't figure out who Smoke B. Turner is (other than the night mayor).


my photo

The artist Philip A Ramus was one of the founders of the Hollywood School of Art, which I also can't find much information about. This hand-painted sign was also in the portfolio lot.


my photo

Found this ad from 1948 about the Hollywood School of Art, which is probably ten years or so after it was founded, but can't find much else about the school. Think they mostly trained commercial artists and cartoonists. The ad does show an address on Hollywood Blvd.


found on flickr

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by FredH

This is a great example of what makes this website so damned interesting. A photo of a building is presented with speculation that it may have been a movie theater. Then we find that it used to be an air conditioning "institute", which leads to an older picture of the building. Next we have an even older picture, where we learn that it was originally a service station. Then, an advertisement on the side of the building for the Barker Hotel allows us to reminisce on a great old post of hotel life in the old days. Finally, we have a discussion on the improvements of automobile fluid leakage over the past eighty years. I enjoyed the whole thing. Thanks everyone.

It's like a trip through Wikipedia, but with photos.

[JScott]

Originally Posted by HossC

I did a quick Google which gave the address of the pawn shop as 186 S Alvarado...




Detail from photo at USC Digital Library

Wow, my mom's old neighborhood! And right around the time she lived there, too! Most excellent.

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by HossC

I found a blog by Joseph Greco which has the same photo dated at 1909. The blog post is about the Kodak 3A special, and includes a label for Earl V. Lewis's camera shop in one of the camera pictures. The post says the store was in business from 1906 to 1986.


josephgreco.weebly.com

The advert below is from the 1909 City Directory.


rescarta.lapl.org

The 1915 CD lists a second store at 308 W 7th. It also gives an Orchard Avenue home address for Earl V Lewis. By 1923, the second store seems to have moved to 421 W 7th.


rescarta.lapl.org

By 1929, Earl is listed as married to Lucile. The 1932 listing below shows five store locations.


rescarta.lapl.org

USC has a couple of pictures featuring adverts for Earl V. Lewis, including this one previously posted by e_r.



USC also has this 1958 picture of Earl V. Lewis Cameras in the Continental Building, Spring St.


USC Digital Library

It looks like Earl V. Lewis finally closed in 1986 after 80 years in business. The LA Times article below implies that the increased number of break-ins was a major factor in the decision to close.

Sad Farewell to an Old Spring Street Friend

Earl Velorus Lewis was born in Colorado in 1878. He was in Los Angeles as early as 1901 when, according to a directory, he was working as a clerk at Howland and Company. An address listed is 756 S. Flower. A 1910 directory lists his home at 2705 Orchard Avenue. He is also listed in 1916 when he appears in a voter registration. Mr Lewis and his wife Lucille had at least five daughters and apparently no sons. He is seen in the 1920 census as working for the Kodak Company. He died in Alameda County in 1966.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by HossC

Here's a close-up. The top of the blade sign still says "Ferguson". Behind the "Clyde Porter" and "Glenn Osborn" names, I think the ghost signs say "Storage" and "Repairs".

USCDL/GSV


It does look like Nordstom & Anderson's 1937 job involved more of a remodeling than an entirely new building for the Thermo Air Conditioning Institute. No doubt both the Institute's directors and the architects preferred that the building be perceived as new from the ground up. A little more on the origins of 186/192 S Alvarado:

LAT July 20, 1928

LAT Jan 27, 1929


Also in 1937, Nordstrom & Anderson (sometimes written Anderson & Nordstrom) also did the Aero Industries Technical Institute (couldn't find prior ref to it on the thread):

Panoramio

LAT July 18, 1937


Two years before, the firm did the Sontag Drugs on Wilshire & Cloverdale...

LAPL

Seen here a number of times before, including http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11821


Los Angeles Times

[ethereal_reality]

...these two buildings on South Mountain View Avenue are still standing.
USC


today
GSV
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[ethereal_reality]

Teardrop A is the old garage/ Red circle is the former location of the Barker Hotel.



below: Bad Tudor

...also on S. Mountain View is this rather unusual architectural aberration (marked with red x in the aerial above).
GSV



Is it the cheap windows that make it look mid-century on the bottom?
GSV

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Most period buildings in this area have been replaced by mid-century apartment buildings or more modern monolith apartment complexes.

but on the SW corner of Miramar and S. Westlake Ave. is this home. (it would have been katty-korner to the Barker Hotel)
GSV


A bit further north on S. Westlake Ave. is this tasteful apt. building.
GSV
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Interesting information on the architectural firm of Nordstrom & Anderson GW. -thanks