noirish Los Angeles - Page 1380

tovangar2 · #**27581** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Looks like it was built as a base for signage (that amphitheater must have a name). Aren't those holes on top for posts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Looks like a trip-hazard to me. Should be removed.

LOL. Do you need a lookout? (Actually, if you offered to remove it, the authorities would probably say yes)

gsv: may 2012

HossC · #**27582** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

We've discussed the Marlborough School for Girls several times on NLA, but somehow we've missed the Marlborough Gardens apartments.

"The Marlborough Gardens, Hollywood California" (1800 Winona Blvd. per the 1917 city directory)

eBay

Today, the expanse of lawn that harbored Marlborough Gardens has given way to a monolithic apartment block.

Images at Historic Aerials show that Marlborough Gardens survived until at least 1954 (below), but the 1964 image shows the current apartments.

Historic Aerials

Flyingwedge · #**27583** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 8:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

From the Times, July 26, 1936:

These shots don't offer much in the way of clues, but there is that back wall...

GSV

I agree that this, by the sidewalk on the north side of 62nd Street, is probably an LA County Courthouse remnant:

I think we lost some of the original sandstone at the park in a 1959 renovation:

July 12, 1959 Los Angeles Times @ LAPL

This is the area of the ampitheater up behind the benches; these don't especially look like old courthouse stones to me:

However, above the ampitheater is the foundation of an older wall, plus a small remaining wall segment at right:

That segment could be a courthouse remnant:

And what's this by the maintenance shed?

And this?

And these?

Across the street at the Senior Center are the two retaining walls that er pointed out. Whether this wall has been here since 1936 or was moved here in 1959 or some other time remains to be investigated:

A closeup:

This is the shorter wall along the sidewalk on the south side of 62nd Street:

All Flyingwedge photos

# # #

Other pieces of the old LA County Courthouse went to the Otis Art Institute:

June 16, 1937 LA Times @ LAPL

More was used as a base for the George Washington statue on the old courthouse site:

October 18, 1937 LA Times @ LAPL

This is the best photo I could find, which unfortunately only shows a tiny bit of the base. The kids are laying a wreath at Washington's statue next to the Hall of Records on February 22, 1965:

LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/00115/00115478.jpg

Now the statue is in Grand Park in downtown LA, although apparently with a different base:

LA County Arts Commission -- http://www.lacountyarts.org/civicart...tdetails/id/62

ethereal_reality · #**27584** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 9:03 PM**

Thanks for making the trip out to Ladera Park FW! You made my afternoon.

_

tovangar2 · #**27585** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 9:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Thank you FW. Gorgeous! I hope you came away with a souvenir.

ethereal_reality · #**27586** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 9:23 PM**

then and now.

1246-1248 Elysian Park Avenue, Los Angeles CA in 1928.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/71181

Interesting garage doors (the way they're hinged) I'm trying to figure out how they opened. (a single-width door that's separate from a double-width hinged door?

and today

GSV

Garage doors replaced with....plywood?

Thanks for posting that 1954 aerial showing the Marlborough Gardens HossC.
That was quite an impressive lawn wasn't it.

It almost looks like E.T.

HossC · #**27587** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Library of Congress

This appears to be the original, uncolorized version of the picture above. Just like the image I recently posted of the Orphans' Asylum, this is also only at 20% of the full size. Denver Public Library currently have it listed as "View of an unidentified house on Figueroa Street ...". I've emailed them to identify it as the Stimson House, but they haven't updated the description yet.

Denver Public Library

I think the house on the left is the Frank Sabichi house, as identified by GW post #1843. There are some really good recent pictures of the Stimson House in post #7050 by 3940dxer.

ethereal_reality · #**27588** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 10:13 PM**

"SL55 Vintage 35MM Original Slide Los Angeles Standard Gas Station 1607A"

eBay

But no specific street address.
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Martin Pal · #**27589** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 10:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

reverse info / as seen on eBay

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Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC

I found the picture below in a collection of 1938 flood photos on www.vintag.es. It appears to show the same scene with a little less destruction. The caption says: "March 2, 1938: A mudslide at Harper Avenue and Sunset Boulevard caught this automobile and closed the area to traffic."

For clarification to anyone who might need it, despite the press photo information, Sunset Blvd. and Harper Ave. are in West Hollywood. Bel Air is several miles to the west.

Harper Avenue, north of Fountain, I believe, has this designation:

JScott · #**27590** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

And what's this by the maintenance shed?

And this?

And these?

All Flyingwedge photos

Gahhh, my heart rate instantly shot up about 20 bpm seeing these! My teeth are about to shatter from gnashing, as well. ^^ I of course would never actually steal a stone like that, but I definitely would make it a point to ask (on bended knee, if need be) someone in maintenance there for permission to let me give one of those a safe home where it could be properly worshipped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Yes, remnants of the old County Courthouse Arizona red sandstone frame the signage/cornerstone at the current county courthouse and it's deteriorating:

JScott Los Angeles Past

gsv

The grey granite cornerstone from the 1888 structure is at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on what's left of Poundcake Hill as JScott notes on his blog.

Thank you for pointing that out! Also, as I showed in my post from the other day, the cornerstone of the old Court House is clearly visible in situ in this photo, and it bears no resemblance to the one in today's Courthouse.

Denver Public Library Digital Collections (detail)

Supervisors Bonelli, Dorn and Hahn putting the finishing touches on the then-new Courthouse's cornerstone.

Los Angeles Public Library

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaudry

The photo is too indistinct to tell for sure, but somehow I don't think the stones pictured here ended up anywhere in the 1957-8 Courthouse, after all.

ethereal_reality · #**27591** Posted **Apr 9, 2015, 11:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by latoetagger

detail of the old #1 substation on Boyleston.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=27025

The "buckets" on the wall are tile tubes for the electrical wiring to pass into the building.
The wood beam attached to the building has insulators that the wire connect to and then enter the building

I believe this building at 1147 Venice Boulevard (a few blocks southeast of Alvarado Terrace) used to be a substation.
(I searched the thread and couldn't find any previous mention of it)

GSV

Besides it's basic design, it also has the tell-tale 'tile tubes' described by latoetagger.

detail

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Also.........

while looking at the aerial below, I noticed an impressive red-roofed residence almost completely surrounded by buildings.

google_earth

below: You can catch a glimpse of it in this view from Venice Blvd.

GSV

close-up: The house looks 'noirishly' mysterious.

GSV-detail

Does anyone have access to a Sanborn map of this area? -or a vintage aerial (HossC?

)

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Flyingwedge · #**27592** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I believe this building at 1147 Venice Boulevard (a few blocks southeast of Alvarado Terrace) used to be a substation.
(I searched the thread and couldn't find any previous mention of it)

GSV
__

Also.........

While looking at this aerial, I noticed an impressive red-roofed residence almost completely surrounded by buildings.

google_earth

Does anyone have access to a Sanborn map of this area? -or a vintage aerial (HossC?

)

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Good eye, er! The building on Venice was a transformer house. The home at 1449 Constance was pushed back to make room for the building in front.

1906 Sanborn, NW corner of 16th St. (Venice Blvd.) and Constance St.:

LAPL

1950 Sanborn, NW corner of Venice and Constance:

LAPL

ethereal_reality · #**27593** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 12:53 AM**

Thanks so much FlyingWedge! It's good to see those Sanborn maps.
It's interesting that the house was moved to the back of the lot to accommodate that apartment building.
I figured the addition was just built on the home's ample front lawn.

I wonder if there are any remnants of that large well on the 'transformer house' property?
(I bet the current owners have no idea what's lurking below their feet)

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HenryHuntington · #**27594** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 12:57 AM**

Just for sake of completeness, the building in question was once LAP's (later PE's) Burlington Substation. It served the Venice Short Line, Santa Monica via Beverly Hills line and the Vineyard Local line.

tovangar2 · #**27595** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JScott

The photo is too indistinct to tell for sure, but somehow I don't think the stones pictured here ended up anywhere in the 1957-8 Courthouse, after all.

I think they were probably just looking for a piece of the old red sandstone big enough and long enough to slice up into the frame to surround the signage for the 1958 courthouse cornerstone. I'm assuming the Greek-key design was carved into the old stone for the 1958 building per Paul R. William's design. The decorative piece of stone was probably used for the newspaper photo b/c it looked interesting and historic.

ethereal_reality · #**27596** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 2:36 AM**

"Young lads with Shine-Box and Newspapers, Los Angeles California, 1910s."

eBay

I'd love to know the back-story to this photograph.

And what's up with that tree.... do the trunks of palms normally look that way? (remember, I grew up in the Midwest

)
It looks like a perfect tree to climb.

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tovangar2 · #**27597** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 4:59 AM**

Those are really cute kids :-)

I thought this was a Mexican Fan Palm, but on second thought the tree may be a Sabal Palmetto. Exotic here, it is native to the South, along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts up to North Carolina. It is the state tree for both South Carolina and Florida. Hearts of Palm are harvested from these, but doing so kills the tree.

Some examples in their native clime:

davesgarden

Still rare in California, here's an example in WLA:

gsv

CityBoyDoug · #**27598** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 6:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"Young lads with Shine-Box and Newspapers, Los Angeles California, 1910s."

eBay

I'd love to know the back-story to this photograph.

And what's up with that tree.... do the trunks of palms normally look that way? (remember, I grew up in the Midwest

)
It looks like a perfect tree to climb.

__

Those palm trunks are kept clean today. If you leave the truck covered in dead frond stems, they become the home of rats.

HossC · #**27599** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 11:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Does anyone have access to a Sanborn map of this area? -or a vintage aerial (HossC?

)

I had a look at Historic Aerials, but they just seem to show blurry versions of the current layout. Besides, Flyingwedge's Sanborn maps tell the story much better.

After looking for old aerial images, I wondered if there were any vintage pictures of the area, so I searched the USCDL for "Constance", as e_r's picture shows Venice Boulevard near Constance Street. I came up empty-handed for pictures of Constance Street, but did find this image of Villa Constance. The picture is dated 1935, although Villa Constance first appears in the 1932 CD. The address was 5244 Melrose Avenue, quite close to Paramount Pictures.

USC Digital Library

The 1956 CD seems to be the last time Villa Constance appears by name, but the listings up until 1987 show multiple residents with apartments numbers. The 1989 image at Historic Aerials is the first to show the building currently on the site.

GSV

ethereal_reality · #**27600** Posted **Apr 10, 2015, 3:41 PM**

Villa Constance is a really nice discovery HossC. Too bad it's gone

'mystery' location.

old file / probably eBay

Can anyone read the sign on the factory building at left?

My guess is somewhere in the San Fernando Valley....but where exactly, I don't know.
(I've also been trying to figure out the accident.....which train hit the car? and from which direction?)