noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks GW!

I don't remember seeing that last 'black and white'. Is there information on that house and apartment building in the foreground?
-note the two stone lions (I think they're lions) guarding the front steps of the apt bldg.
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[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

This would be the view east on Pico just west of Los Angeles Street--the tall building at left is at the NE corner of Pico and Maple--the Allied Crafts Building.


GSV
LAPL

Thanks for IDing that location (it had me stumped). The tall building, 407 E Pico, was built in 1927, designed by architect William Douglas Lee.

Lee also did the Renaissance Building , now the Downtown Women's Center, (also for developer Florence C. Casler), The El Royale Apartments, Chateau Marmont (in partnership with two other firms) and the Streamline Moderne LLO-DA-MAR Bowl on Wilshire in Santa Monica (for Harold Lloyd and partners), as well as many others.
.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by HossC

That Huntington image is well worth a look. Not only is it huge, but there's also a lot more background detail than we could see in e_r's original post.


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Thanks for the tip-off, unihikid. The Googlemobile last went past in April, and the ship can clearly be seen above the door on the left.


GSV

Here's a closer view.



6301 Wilshire Boulevard was a Bank of America in the 1956 CD (the only one I checked). I'll keep an eye out for a vintage picture as I work my way through the Shulman images.

I suppose it's possible that having started out as the Bank of Italy the ship logo is connected to Columbus although the logo-art seems a tad racy to be any one of the dumpy Pinta, Nina or Santa Maria. Just a thought.

[ethereal_reality]

Here's an amazing early view of the 3rd Street Tunnel and Angels Flight.



eBay




I've been trying to decipher the sign.* (note the man walking up the steps)


detail

but it's too blurry. something....Silent.

*you can read the sign in this angels flight photo posted back in 2011.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2463



And what's going on in the tunnel?


detail

top arrow: -it looks like a popcorn seller's wagon.
bottom arrow: -what's this on the ground.....horse manure?
is the guy leaning against the 'pole' the horse poop sweeper?



below: as you can see, the photograph was taken out of an album

back




Here's the complete photograph as found on eBay.



http://www.ebay.ca/itm/14340-OCLACA-...item2101667ebb

starting bid on eBay. $50.00 (I think it's worth it)

# # # #

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

And what's going on in the tunnel?

There were many complaints re the Third Street Tunnel after it was built as it had no lighting or ventilation. There were also often stagnant pools of water because the roadbed wasn't graded properly. It was said people actually became ill passing through the tunnel. All these problems were corrected. Maybe that work going on is what's shown in the photograph?



P.S.

I meant to say, re that sign, developer Edward D. Silent was one of the sons of attorney/developer Charles Silent. After Edward's brother Chester was killed in a hunting accident, their father developed and named Chester Place for him.

The sign is probably advertising the land it's on for sale (future site of the Hill-Crest).

That's a great early shot. Thx

[esotouric]

Recently, we launched a grassroots petition campaign to preserve Angels Flight. We also redesigned the funicular's website.

A happy side effect of this work has been the opportunity to ascend to the upper floors of the Bradbury Building, where Angels Flight Railway Foundation board chair Adele Yellin keeps an office, from which we return with many photographs and elevator ride videos.

If you enjoy period noirish LA fiction, our Kim Cooper's novel The Kept Girl is discounted for the Kindle at 99¢, and the paperback is on sale from Esotouric Ink. For more info about this fact-based 1929 cult mystery starring the young Raymond Chandler and real-life Philip Marlowe click here.

Claud Beelman's magnificent, long-shuttered Garfield Building is on the market, and last week we were able to duck inside the lobby and marvel.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HossC

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

I suppose it's possible that having started out as the Bank of Italy the ship logo is connected to Columbus although the logo-art seems a tad racy to be any one of the dumpy Pinta, Nina or Santa Maria. Just a thought.

ProphetM identified the ship as the USS Portsmouth a few days ago.

Originally Posted by ProphetM

The ship is the USS Portsmouth. According to Wikipedia, the founder of Bank of Italy (which became B of A) chose it as an emblem of the company in recognition of the ship's role in securing San Francisco (where Bank of Italy was founded) during the Mexican-American war in 1846.

The part about the logo on the USS Portsmouth (1843) Wiki page can be found here. Here's the ship in full sail.


Wikipedia

[ethereal_reality]

I didn't know that about the 3rd street tunnel. thanks t2.


I just came across this slide on eBay.
sellers description:

"Original Slide Sunset Blvd Edgemont Hollywood Los Angeles 1956 Street Scene"


eBay



Which led me to this second view.


http://www.kaiserpermanentehistory.o.../10/sunset.jpg





http://kaiserpermanentehistory.org/w...ne-17-1953.jpg


below: "Baby-in-a-drawer", Kaiser Foundation Medical Center Los Angeles June 17, 1953.


http://kaiserpermanentehistory.org/w...12_0524_05.jpg





Here's an amazing aerial from 1957 (that's Barnsdall Park and the Hollyhock House behind the hospital)


http://kaiserpermanentehistory.org/t...rn-california/



Now there are buildings crammed on every inch of that parcel (see below)


bing maps





But......the 1953 building was recently torn down


big maps

along with the building to the left and the diagonal building behind it.
(a total of three buildings gone)



the old buildings still show up on the google street-grid.


google street view



but they're gone here...


google_earth

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[HossC]

I love that 1957 aerial view.

Here's a 45 degree view of the new buildings.


Google Maps

[tovangar2]

I could not resist posting this. Irrefutable:


worthpoint

Thank you ProphetM for the link and HossC for the reminder.

(Thx to the thread, I finally, after 60-odd years, learned the name of the ship pictured on my childhood savings book. Amazing.)


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

Thx esotouric for the wonderful images and info.


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

Thank you too to e_r for the pix of Kaiser Sunset. My first was born there. It was a beautiful building.

[ethereal_reality]

I found this unique view of Hollywood and Vine last night on eBay.


http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Holly...item28065f4cdf

At first, I thought the blurry things in the foreground were cable wheels for a window-washing apparatus.


now I am pretty sure they're two of the architectural elements along the roofline of the Taft Building.


gsv
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[tovangar2]

It's fun to see the White King Soap ad mimic our landscaped billboards (on top of a building!):


ebay (detail) via e_r

That's an outstanding group of cars in the shot.

[ethereal_reality]

At first glance I thought the faux shrubbery was real t2.

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..from White King Soap to Anita Cream.

Here's an interesting advertisement.


eBay





'Anita Cream' ad on the side of Hamburger's Department Store, downtown Los Angeles.


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=22716

So who was 'Anita'......anyone know?

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[ethereal_reality]

We've seen many motels on NLA, but I don't believe we've seen this one.


"The Players Motor Hotel, 777 N. Vine Street, Hollywood 38, California"


eBay



And today.


gsv

The curved façade, that has so much potential, is wiped clean of details and painted Pepto-Bismol pink.
To add insult to injury, incongruent columns are added throughout.
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reverse of vintage pc.

eBay

I wonder about the "restaurant across the street".



Today it's something called 'The Oinkster'.


google_earth
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[haiku99]

found some info on this while reading up on the Culver City track posted a few pages back....motorcycles were also raced here, have read some harrowing accounts of how dangerous this was on a splintery wooden track at over 100 mph

• Video Link

YouTube silent newsreel on MC racing at the track



Road and Track

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

So who was 'Anita'......anyone know?

__

These days Anita Cream is a U.S. Attorney in Florida.




pearsons magazine

Send for a sample and a "booklet containing directions, toilet helps, pictures of California Missions, etc."

With a random list like that, I cannot imagine what the "etc" might represent.

I think 135 N Spring got wiped out by the old State of California building.


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


Thx haiku99. Thrilling stuff

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"The Players Motor Hotel, 777 N. Vine Street, Hollywood 38, California"


eBay

I wonder about the "restaurant across the street".

Today it's something called 'The Oinkster'.

The "restaurant across the street" has the address 776 N Vine Street. Martin Turnbull's Hollywood Places lists Sternberger’s Rite Spot there “Since 1919” into at least the 1940s. The Players Motor Hotel appears in the City Directories between 1961 and 1973. During that time the restaurant had several names, including Sternbergers. By 1969, the restaurant had taken the Players name. That ties in with the postcard, which I think includes a 1968 Impala in the cars on the street. Here's the full list from 1961 to 1973.

1961, 1962 Albert Allens Spot
1963, 1964 Albert A Allens Spot
1965 A A Allens Rite Spot
1967, 1968 Sternbergers Spot
1969 Players Restaurant
1973 Players Rite Spot

There's an article about last year's opening of The Oinkster on larchmontbuzz.com. I don't like the name, but most of the reviews are very positive.

[ethereal_reality]

As always, excellent sleuthing Hoss.

I hope we can turn up a photograph of Players Restaurant. -or better yet, Sternberger's Rite Spot.
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[ethereal_reality]

I just found this.


Was there ever a Carpenter's near the Rite Spot Cafe' on N. Vine Street?




waterandpower.com

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by HossC

The Vaughn-Schuler Co appears in the City Directories between 1918 and 1923. It was run by Versal V Vaughn of 639 W 50th Street and Howard G Schuler of 4707 Cimarron, although Mr Schuler's entry in the 1918 CD lists him as a resident of Kansas City. The business address was 3241 S Figueroa, and by 1923 they had three staff listed.

I don't know what happened to Mr Vaughn, because the 1925 and 1926 CDs list just H G Schuler at 3241 S Figueroa, and by 1928 it's The Schuler Co at that address. It didn't last long - the 1929 CD lists an automobile dealer named Gail Vandenbraak & Co at 3241 S Figueroa.

Versal Vestal Vaughan (what a name!) was born in Missouri in 1886. He was in Kansas City in 1910 where he was employed as a demonstrator of automobiles. He appears in Los Angeles in 1918 when he registered for the WWI draft. It was noted when he registered for the draft that he had "pleurisy attacks". Perhaps his lung trouble led him to move to California which was considered a "healthful climate". At that time he is listed as being self employed as the owner of the Storage Battery shop and the shop's address was listed as 701 W. Jefferson. Mr Vaughan lived at 3351 Royal Street. That would put him where the Shrine Auditorium now stands.

The 1930 Census still lists his occupation as a manufacturer of storage batteries. By 1940 he is living in the household of George Potts, his brother-in-law. Versal's occupation at that time is as a caster in a lead foundry. All that lead exposure must surely have given him more lung trouble. He had only worked 25 weeks in the preceeding year. Versal Vaughn died in January 1965 in Los Angeles.

Howard G. Schuler named his son Versal Vaughn Schuler. Howard Schuler was the brother-in-law of Versal Vaughn, having married Versal's sister Laura.