noirish Los Angeles

[Krell58]

Here's a link to some new aerial photos of LA at night,
shot in natural color. They have a noir factor to them.
I'll give two links.

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/spectacula...ike-1700576586

https://www.storehouse.co/air

[HossC]

Thanks for the links, Krell58. As e_r will tell you, a lot of people skip links, so here's one of the images to whet your appetites.
The fact that I've reduced it to half the width of the original should give an indication of the detail these images contain.


http://sploid.gizmodo.com/Vincent LaForet

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

The Vista Theater today.


GSV

The style of this building is classical Spanish Revival...[there's a lot of it to be seen at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA.]
Don't the owners of this theater know that this building was not designed to be painted in that garish manner. Its new color scheme is actually ugly in the extreme.
It's gracious dignity and original beauty have totally disappeared.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Hollywood Graham

Just might have crossed paths you never know. I had a concession for parking cars at Smugglers Inn in the building that housed Retail Clerks Union (my wife was a member) that was in '69. Smugglers was part of Associated Host who owned Coffee Dan's and Diamond Jims. My Father had Ross Loos (the first health care insurance) with the City of L.A. then Kaiser. My wife had Kaiser so I was with them a long time.
I rode my bike or took the street cars into Hollywood a lot spending the money at movie theaters I made selling papers. You might have been in the same theater.

We lived near Paramount. We used to ride the streetcar into Hollywood to shop and to go to the barber college (for my mother's hair appointments) which was on the second floor of the building which subsequently became sort of famous for having Frederick's of Hollywood on the ground floor. She would treat us to a movie pretty often. I saw African Queen at Grauman's Chinese (at a matinee), King Solomon's Mines at the Warner, I think and The Naked Jungle somewhere on Hollywood Boulevard. Anyways, good times.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

1910; in the lower left corner is the house (2544 Eastlake) noted by the red arrow in the previous photo. Across the street from 2544, separated by
a vacant lot, are 2521 and 2533 Eastlake Avenue:

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...coll65/id/3129

Thank you FW. I love the ELA neighborhoods that time forgot. I spent an enjoyable hour touring around Montecito Heights in my googlemobile. Two more houses from your 1910 photo:

3121 George Street (it appears in the center of the old photo), built 1887:

gsv

And at the top of ELA Park, 3155 Minnesota Street (built 1896). Right margin in the 1910 view (I think):

gsv

Two curious things: There's a big piece of empty land at Minnesota and Gates. The googlemobile wouldn't travel along Gates to the right (note the mailbox):

gsv

In the aerial one can see that that bit of Gates leads to (but doesn't seem to access) a group of homes which can only be reached by some unnamed stairs off Eastlake and a narrow, drive (Altura Walk) a little further south:

google maps

[HossC]

Originally Posted by pwrof3

It came to my attention that all of the photos in my past posts were no longer working.

The above post by pwrof3 reminded me of sadykadie2's post from a couple of days ago. Even after refreshing my page several times, the image would not show for me.

Originally Posted by sadykadie2

I found this great postcard at a garage sale here in Costa Mesa just this morning. Any dates for this great building? Any history?

Using the image location within the post, I found this picture.



The LA Central Library was constructed in 1926 on the site of the State Normal School. Check out post #1221 by sopas ej (from almost five years ago!) for some interesting pictures of the area before and after consruction (including the one below). GW did a follow-up post with a couple of pictures showing the library under construction - you can see it here.

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Here's an aerial shot of the nearly completed Central Library, I assume this was taken while the finishing touches were still being put on the Library. You can see the Engstrum Hotel across the 5th Street from it, on the edge of the rise of Bunker Hill. The Edison Building/One Bunker Hill Building to the right of the Engstrum wasn't even built yet, nor was the Sunkist Building, which would rise to its left. Where 5th Street meets the hill looks unfinished, and you can see the narrow street that slopes down to meet Grand Avenue.

LAPL

[ethereal_reality]

CBD wrote: "It's gracious dignity and original beauty have totally disappeared."




Come on CBD, it hasn't totally disappeared. Other than the red paint, it's still a beauty.

This is where I first saw '2001 A Space Odyssey'.
__

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

In the aerial one can see that that bit of Gates leads to (but doesn't seem to access) a group of homes which can only be reached
by some civic stairs (Altura Walk) off Eastlake and a narrow, unnamed drive a little further north:


google maps

We have a mystery!


http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/32...20637568_zpid/

I love forgotten little corners of the city like this.
__

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by HossC

The theater, originally known as Bard's Hollywood Theatre, was designed by Lewis A. Smith and opened in 1923.


LAPL

From cinematreasures.org, here it is as Bard's Hollywood Theatre.


cinematreasures.org

A couple of reminders of how the Vista looked in the 1970s and 80s:


water and power


water and power

And now:

gsv

Vintage Theaters sunk a ton of money in the Vista. I'm glad they restored the roofline, but I miss the neon outlining it. Developer and first owner, Lou Bard, was an actual person. Lou Bard's Playhouse was a vaudeville and movie house.

There's talk of a hotel next door.

The Vista played Detroit in "True Romance" (1993) as I'm sure many of you recall.





P.S.

Then:

LAPL (detail)

Now:

gsv

The "B" for Bard remains:

militantangeleno

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

CBD wrote: "It's gracious dignity and original beauty have totally disappeared."




Come on CBD, it hasn't totally disappeared. Other than the red paint, it's still a beauty.

This is where I first saw '2001 A Space Odyssey'.
__

I first saw ''Star Wars" at the Chinese Theater on opening day. I went with a friend and he took a big sack to the movie. We had a cool homemade salad meal wrapped in foil while we watched the movie. It was Jack cheese, celery, carrots...things like that. It was a fun and memorable day....a long time ago.

I first saw ''2001....'' at the Pantages Theater on Hollywood Blvd. I went with my mother and siblings. Good to see that you have some great memories of days gone by.

I'm somewhere in that crowd.

http://aggressivecomix.com/2014/05/t...ovie-releases/

[JScott]

Even just in photographs, those horrible orange streetlights still hurt my eyes.

The city will look even more spectacular once they are all replaced by full-spectrum LED lighting!

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I first saw ''Star Wars" at the Chinese Theater on opening day....I'm somewhere in that crowd.

LOL, me too. Do you still have your "May the Force Be with You" button that you got with your ticket? Mine's around here somewhere. OMG, the 70s.


etsy

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by HossC

The above post by pwrof3 reminded me of sadykadie2's post from a couple of days ago. Even after refreshing my page several times, the image would not show for me.



Using the image location within the post, I found this picture.



The LA Central Library was constructed in 1926 on the site of the State Normal School. Check out post #1221 by sopas ej (from almost five years ago!) for some interesting pictures of the area before and after consruction (including the one below). GW did a follow-up post with a couple of pictures showing the library under construction - you can see it here.

Thanks Hoss! Don't know what happened with the image

[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL, me too. Do you still have your "May the Force Be with You" button that you got with your ticket? Mine's around here somewhere. OMG, the 70s.


etsy

And remember When Star Wars came out and you'd seen it, but your friends hadn't? They asked about it and I think all I could say was "I can't tell you, you just have to SEE IT

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks to everyone (tovanger2, HossC...Beaudry..etc.) who contributed information on the overlooked C.M Hoff Building (120 E. 5th Street),
and the architect Jasper Newton Preston.

originally posted by HossC


It's interesting that there were two additional store-fronts on Werdin Place (the 'private street' mentioned in the article).

In this view from 5th Street, you can see the three small (arched) windows, & a portion of the two store-fronts that are visible in HossC's 1904 newspaper clipping above.


gsv
___




Oh, and one more thing......


originally posted by HossC


This is the first time I've noticed the Hotel Baltimore was L-shaped (with a 'wing' extending to Werdin Place)

You can clearly see the 'L-shape' in this google aerial.

google_earth

Do you think the Hotel Baltimore had a 'rear' entrance on Werdin Place? (it seems possible since 'The Hoff' had two store-fronts facing Werdin Place)




eBay

In this 1917 postcard view, the much smaller C.M. Hoff building is visible behind the streetcar on the right.

As I said earlier, I had no idea the Hotel Baltimore extended west behind the Hoff Building.
__

[ethereal_reality]

"Prince George visits Los Angeles, 1928."


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Prince-...item234ff91b98

Posing with a cigarette.....how times have changed.

reverse

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Prince-...item234ff91b98

Is this Queen Elizabeth's uncle? cousin?

_

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

"Prince George visits Los Angeles, 1928."


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Prince-...item234ff91b98

Posing with a cigarette.....how times have changed.

reverse

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Prince-...item234ff91b98

Is this Queen Elizabeth's uncle? cousin?

_

Could be.....QE II,s Uncle?

Prince George, Duke of Kent (George Edward Alexander Edmund; 20 December 1902 – 25 August 1942) was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son and fifth child of King George V and Queen Mary, and younger brother of Kings Edward VIII and George VI. He held the title of Duke of Kent from 1934 until his death in a military air-crash. His death, on 25 August 1942, marked the first death of a member of the Royal Family on active service in 400 years.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL, me too. Do you still have your "May the Force Be with You" button that you got with your ticket? Mine's around here somewhere. OMG, the 70s.


etsy

I also got one with my ticket and ''loaned'' it to my mother. I asked her about it and she refused to return it to me. When she passed away I never found it among her things. LOL Yes, that was a long time ago.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Prince George's death, on 25 August 1942, marked the first death of a member of the Royal Family on active service in 400 years.

Very interesting. Thanks for the information CityBoyDoug.
__


Here is an interesting photograph, but the location is quite vague.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-ROUTE-...item487cc486c3

That looks like a large refrigeration unit in the upper left of the photograph. The partial hidden sign may say 'Signal Gas'.
__

Route 66 within the boundaries of So. California.


http://www.route66university.com/maps/california.php

[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I first saw ''Star Wars" at the Chinese Theater on opening day. I went with a friend and he took a big sack to the movie. We had a cool homemade salad meal wrapped in foil while we watched the movie. It was Jack cheese, celery, carrots...things like that. It was a fun and memorable day....a long time ago.

I first saw ''2001....'' at the Pantages Theater on Hollywood Blvd. I went with my mother and siblings. Good to see that you have some great memories of days gone by.

I'm somewhere in that crowd.

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL, me too. Do you still have your "May the Force Be with You" button that you got with your ticket? Mine's around here somewhere. OMG, the 70s.

Originally Posted by sadykadie2

And remember When Star Wars came out and you'd seen it, but your friends hadn't? They asked about it and I think all I could say was "I can't tell you, you just have to SEE IT

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I also got one with my ticket and ''loaned'' it to my mother. I asked her about it and she refused to return it to me. When she passed away I never found it among her things. LOL Yes, that was a long time ago.

The one and only radio contest I ever won was getting four tickets to see Star Wars on the 20th Century lot the same week it was released. I stayed up till 2:00 a.m. listening to KRTH-101 for the laser sound and was the first caller. I drove my best friend in high school, my older sister, and her husband in my aqua blue 1965 Chevy Biscayne from the OC to the 20th Century studios. The emcee for the evening was none other than L.A.'s (and Laugh-In's) announcer Gary Owens. That was truly a magical night. I think I saw the original 14 times.