noirish Los Angeles

[CityBoyDoug]

As ThoseWhoSquirm said:

Signal sponsored The Whistler, a popular radio suspense show that ran in the late 1940s and 1950s. If you like that sort of thing it's worth a listen and can be found wherever OTR recordings and podcasts are available.


This has been posted before but since the famous radio show was mentioned, here it is again. Note the sponsor.

The opening:

I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes... I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whistler


personal collection

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by FredH

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/65072/rec/9

[/url]

That's the old Los Angeles Cracker Co. Building! It's been remodeled since this c. 1886 photo, but the width of the 2nd and 3rd floor windows in front match (although in the old photo the middle window is a door), and the 2nd and 3rd floors on the side match.

California State Library

Previously posted here: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=15667

[Flyingwedge]

This is between Overhill Drive and Angeles Vista Blvd., on the north side of the street. The photo is undated, but the white car looks like some flavor of 1941 Chevrolet (if wrong, correct ID welcome!):

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/395/rec/137

2012:

GSV

When I was a little kid it was still a market but it was called Food Fair.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1931

USCDL

Before there was Calpet/Texaco, I. Magnin, and Switzer's, there was Lawler, Cole, and O'Melveny:



Attorney Oscar Lawler survived the 1919 bombing of his house at the northeast corner of Wilshire and New Hampshire; the celebrated Calpet/Texaco station replaced it eight years later.

Full story here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...ue-please.html





Businessman and Hellman-family in-law Louis M. Cole built at the southeast corner of Wilshire and New Hampshire—later the site of Magnin's.

Full story here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...boulevard.html





Henry O'Melveny, another big L.A. lawyer who built at the Wilshire/New Hampshire intersection—the southwest corner, later the site of Switzer's—moved his house to Windsor Square in 1930 and remained in it until he died in 1941.

Full story here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...e-see-our.html


LAPL

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

This is from the 1906 LA City Directory, under Plumbing and Gas Fitting:

Fold3.com

708 E. 9th Street is just east of San Pedro Street; just a parking lot there now.

Garrett Joseph Eustace, Sr. was born in Ireland in 1844 according to census records. He came to the US in 1860 and initially settled in New York. He served in the Civil War on the Union side in a New York regiment, between 1862 and 1865.

He came to California between 1892 and 1896 when he first appears in the voter registrations. He was a naturalized citizen. Mr Eustace does not appear in the census records in New York. His wife's name was Honora Emma O'Donnell. The 1900 census indicates that they were married 29 years. He was widowed at the time of that census. Garrett Joseph may have died in Los Angeles in 1917.

The Emma Eustace in the photo is Garrett's daughter. Their son, Garrett, Jr. was born in 1868. The man in the photo is probably her uncle James Eustace, born in Ireland in 1867.

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks oldstuff!


Emma and Uncle James strike a pose.

[WCArch]

Makes me wish i could have seen LA in those days.
http://westcoastarch.blogspot.com/

[GaylordWilshire]

UCLA


I know we've seen Lucca's here before, but I don't remember reading that it replaced the original restaurant in the building. Above is the original, at the southwest corner of Western and Fifth. The building was built in 1925; Marchetti's moved to Beverly Hills in 1933.




The 1933 opening of Lucca's in a shot from a prior NLA post here.


June Street Architecture


The interior of Marchetti's:

UCLA


Other prior NLA posts on Lucca's:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=3450
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=3146


And more detail here--including the sad thing now on the sw corner of Western and Fifth.

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1931











http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/19265/rec/45

3257 Wilshire - Chesterfield's - is another overlooked gem, destroyed in the early '70s. Many similarities to Bullocks Wilshire down the street. (Brief write up: http://urbandiachrony.wordpress.com/...nue-1931-2013/ ) Interesting how new construction seems to mimic some of the fluted columns found in this and other buildings, notably, Bullock's Wilshire. Curious about the interior.

The second picture provides a glimpse of the Green T Cafe (far right). I recall another image posted here with the Green T adjacent to the tiled Texaco Station advertising a 50¢ Ham dinner.

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Before there was Calpet/Texaco, I. Magnin, and Switzer's, there was Lawler, Cole, and O'Melveny:



Attorney Oscar Lawler survived the 1919 bombing of his house at the northeast corner of Wilshire and New Hampshire; the celebrated Calpet/Texaco station replaced it eight years later.

Full story here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...ue-please.html





Businessman and Hellman-family in-law Louis M. Cole built at the southeast corner of Wilshire and New Hampshire—later the site of Magnin's.

Full story here: http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...boulevard.html

Familiar steps and fire hydrant? Light standard seems slightly different.

[Flyingwedge]

Designed by Marcus P. Miller, it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

This was taken prior to the building's September 1, 1931 opening:

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/17503/rec/13

Possibly taken August 29, 1931:

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/91129/rec/2

1931 east side; the sign says CAUTION GRADE 22.7 PER CENT:

California State Library

1931 Franklin entrance:

California State Library

1981 north side:

California State Library

March 1987, rehabilitated:

LAPL -- http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics40/00054905.jpg

South side:

Bing 2012

Franklin entrance:

Thomas Safran and Associates Properties -- http://www.tsahousing.com/properties.aspx?propID=1085


Thomas Safran and Associates Properties -- http://www.tsahousing.com/properties.aspx?propID=1085

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent post on the Montecito Flyingwedge. What a great old apartment building!
Is that a small penthouse on top or is it just for housing mechanical equipment/elevator/etc?
if it's just for housing equipment why so many windows?






http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike68/361289929/lightbox/

It's actually quite large when you compare it to the plastic lawn chairs and the grill.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Designed by Marcus P. Miller, it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

This was taken prior to the building's September 1, 1931 opening:

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/17503/rec/13

Possibly taken August 29, 1931:

USC Digital Library -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...id/91129/rec/2


March 1987, rehabilitated:

LAPL -- http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics40/00054905.jpg

A building with much history that I assumed was covered here before, especially its connections with a former president and many silver screen luminaries. Would have been my first choice but for what appeared to be semicircular balconies. Then there are the missing windows on what might be described as the third floor in the subject photo. Clearly in mid construction.

San Franciscans would be at home with the inclines near the Montecito. Functioning brakes are always a good thing.

[WCArch]

Brand new article about the Wilshire Grand Tower at
http://westcoastarch.blogspot.com/20...eshape-la.html

Lots of renderings. To bad it had to take out the old Wilshire Grand Hotel though.

[ethereal_reality]

LAPD 1952

ebay

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by WCArch

The Wilshire Grand Tower at
http://westcoastarch.blogspot.com/20...eshape-la.html

Stunning renderings! Welcome to NLA WCArch.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

LAPD 1952

ebay

That cool photo posted by ER reminded me of my photo of members of the Satyrs Motorcycle Club. The club is located in Los Angeles and was founded after WW II. I think the motorcycles are the well known Harley ~ Davidson brand. "Buddy" the short sleeved man's father was a local Los Angeles Superior Court judge.


Personal collection

Member's meeting, circa 1980. I believe they met in a local church.

[ethereal_reality]

Los Angeles Auto Show 1955

ebay

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Different sources indicate The Beverly Hilton opened in '53.

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics19/00019480.jpg

The building in the left of that triangle containing the Hilton is J.W, Robinsons Department Store aka Robinsons (opened in 1952) and, after merging with another chain in 1993, known as Robinsons-May. It closed in 2006 for various reasons. There have been a lot of proposals on the Beverly Hills ballot concerning remodeling and or redeveloping of this area. So far, none have proceeded.

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1987
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics30/00049642.jpg

Trader Vic's, on the corner, seen in the 1987 photo above opened in 1955. This location closed in 2007. What they called an "updated" version of Trader Vic's opened in 2009 at the L.A. Live entertainment complex in downtown, across from the Staples Center.

The Beverly Hilton has been home to the Golden Globes ever since I can remember. Richard Nixon's west coast campaign headquarters were here in 1960 and for his run as Governor in 1962--where he lost and delivered his famous line "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore" to the press the next day. Some films have been shot there. One I can remember is Frost/Nixon. Merv Griffin owned it for a time and opened a nightspot called the Coconut Club. President Obama gave a speech early in his Presidency there as well as stayed there a time or two.

On the right of the above photo, the woman in the light colored jacket is crossing to the corner where this fountain is located:


I Am No Stalker

It is known as Electric Fountain and it was built in 1931 at a cost of $21,000 by architect Ralph Carlin Flewelling, who also designed the Beverly Hills Post Office, recently discussed.

It was used in a Go-Go's music video in 1981 and can be famously seen in the film Clueless when Alicia Silverstone pauses in front of it and the fountain comes to life as she realizes she's in love.


I Am No Stalker

[ethereal_reality]

Let's stop at Pico and Rimpau for some Lutfisk.
ebay

A very classy curved market. -notice the coat of arms (shields) in the arched leaded windows.





I'm not sure what lutfisk is.