Thanks, guys. I thought it had somewhat of a noirish quality to it.

gsjansen, those are great photos of the Carthay Circle neighborhood, an area of LA I've always liked. For three years when I was a small child, my family lived in a house in the Miracle Mile district, so we would drive through the Carthay Circle area often. What I find fascinating about the old photos of it is the Pacific Electric rail line that went through there on San Vicente Blvd., which of course today the former right of way is a landscaped median.

The neighborhood is talked about in the book "Wilshire Boulevard" by Kevin Roderick and J. Eric Lynxwiler; apparently it was originally called Carthay Center, created by real estate entrepreneur J. Harvey McCarthy, "who hoped to develop an attractive shopping complex and hotel surrounded by an enclosed neighborhood of Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean-style homes. McCarthy stressed aesthetics in order to set his project apart from all the other developments sprouting around Los Angeles. He had designers master-plan the 136 acres with pleasing, curved residential streets oriented toward the central shopping plaza. Access off Wilshire was via McCarthy Vista, a wide landscaped avenue that helped further distinguish Carthay Center (a deliberate play on the developer's name). The most unique feature was a California theme. McCarthy's father had been a 49-er, and the developer himself belonged to the Native Sons of the Golden West..."

A statue commemorating the forty-niners stood where McCarthy Vista crossed San Vicente Blvd. (back then called Eulalia Boulevard). Some years ago, the LA Times did a story on this statue; after having been there since the 1920s, it was stolen, presumably to melt it down for its metal. I haven't heard a follow-up to this story, I assume it's still missing? I haven't driven by that intersection in a while.

Here's a link to a 2008 L.A. Curbed article about it:
Carthay Circle Statue Stolen, Melting Feared

Pics from the article.
http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.02.statuemissing.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.02.dan.jpg

http://la.curbed.com/uploads/2008.02.statue.jpg

mdiederi, great post on the Sleepy Lagoon murder case, a subject that's fascinated me, but that I have yet to read about extensively. Some years ago a book came out about it that looked like it had lots of pictures, but I'm not sure if it had a picture of the Sleepy Lagoon itself. I want to say it did, but I could be wrong.

Ah, it's called "Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon." I THINK this is the book.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...SH20_OU01_.jpg
amazon.com

Thanks for telling me about that book, sopas ej. On the Amazon site they show pages with the list of illustrations, which says there's a map of "Williams Ranch and the Sleepy Lagoon Reservoir". Further googleing found a Times article that said the Williams Ranch area was in Montebello, and that that part of Montebello is now part of Bell, just south of Maywood, which would put it near the river.

Going back to the Carthay Circle, I'm sure many of us armchair LA historians know that the Carthay Circle Theater was a major venue for movie premieres. "Gone With the Wind" had its LA premiere here. Other notable movie premieres include Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Fantasia." For the latter film, the most elaborate cinema audio system at the time, Fantasound, was installed at this theater. Fantasound was a pioneering stereo process.

Fans await movie stars, 1937.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics47/00058278.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics47/00058291.jpg
LAPL

"Song of Bernadette" premiere, 1943
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics47/00058287.jpg
LAPL

Edit: What I find funny about the above photo is that if you notice the twin acorn streetlamps, the tops of them are blacked out because of WWII, yet they have all the arc lights going for the movie premiere. Japanese night air invasion be damned, we're gonna have a movie premiere with arc lights. :)



Silent film star Colleen Moore at the Carthay Circle, undated photo.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014959.jpg
LAPL

Photo from 1962, statue from inside the Carthay Circle Theater.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014964.jpg
LAPL

Mezzanine lounge of the Carthay Circle Theater, 1942.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014960.jpg
LAPL

Ceiling, 1942
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014958.jpg
LAPL

Proscenium arch of the Carthay Circle Theater, 1926
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014956.jpg
LAPL

http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014961.jpg
LAPL

Premiere of "The Life of Emile Zola," 1937.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...le_Theater.jpg
Wikipedia

Very interesting. Yeah, driving through that area today, it's nothing but industrial warehouse-type buildings, you'd never guess there was once a reservoir there where people went swimming.

I've been meaning to say that I also find this to be a very fascinating post, the letter being a firsthand telling of what life was like for a child in 1880s Los Angeles. Also, what fascinates me is that the lady was the managing owner (or married to the managing owner) of a place called the Beechwood Auto-tel in San Luis Obispo. I often drive to San Francisco on long weekends, and I take the 101 and stop at San Luis Obispo, that city being the halfway point on the 101 between LA and SF, more or less. I looked up the Beechwood Auto-tel and unfortunately, it seems it was long demolished. But I found a map of where it was located: http://japantownatlas.com/share/SLO%...town%201.5.pdf
If you scroll to the bottom, you can see where in SLO the Beechwood Auto-tel was located.

As an aside, I wasn't even aware that San Luis Obispo had a Japantown. I learn something new on the internet all the time. BTW if anyone hasn't been, San Luis Obispo is a cute little town, complete with a Spanish Mission. A campus of California State Polytechnic University is also located there and gives the town a youthful vibe.

Beverly Hills Speedway 1920-1924


(Does anyone have a larger version of this photo?)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...edway_full.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Speedway



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Bhspeedway.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Speedway

It blows my mind that the race track was made out of wood!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ry/LA20s16.jpg
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...446547&page=13


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...verlyHills.jpg
Bennett Hill at Beverly Hills in 1920
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_Speedway


Beverly Hills Speedway was located on 275 acres of land south of Wilshire Boulevard, between Lasky Drive and Beverly Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard, where now stands Beverly Hills High School, the Regent Beverly Wilshire, and numerous homes and shops. The 1.25-mile wood oval (California had approximately six wooden track speedways), which featured 45-degree banked turns, was built by a group of actors and others in the industry known as the Beverly Hills Speedway Syndicate, at a cost of $500,000. The track was inaugurated on February 28, 1920. Duesenberg was the dominant race car at the track, winning 12 of the 26 races held there. After only four years the 70,000-seat stadium was disassembled to make room for other improvements in the newly incorporated city of Beverly Hills, holding its last race on February 24, 1924 before a crowd of 85,000. The developers eventually moved the racetrack to Culver City, where it was located at the intersection of Culver Blvd and Overland Blvd, across the street from MGM Studios.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...446547&page=13

mdiederi...I really enjoyed your posts on the Zoot Suit Riots. It cleared up many questions I had relating to riots.
Somewhere in my files I think I might have a photo of the "sleepy lagoon". I'll look for it this evening.



sopas_ej, I found a postcard of the Beechwood Aut-O-Tel in San Luis Obispo.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1...abeechwood.jpg
ebay

gsjansen....that is exactly how I felt when I first found the letter. I was fascinated by it.

Would you, or any of us have guessed that the children preferred tackling the hill "mano e mano"
instead of using the wooden stairs due to the quagmire of mud on New High Street.

:previous: Great find, ethereal! Hehe thanks. Too bad the Beechwood doesn't still exist. I wouldn't have minded spending a night there on my drives to San Francisco and back.

And now from the LA Times, a little bit of LA/California lore.

Dead certain about his date with the hangman

If I remember correctly Beaudry has an affinity with the old Southland Hotel that was located at Sixth and Flower.



below: I found these never before seen (on this thread anyway :) ) photos of the Southland (formerly the Snow).

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2...landin1916.jpg
ebay

above: It looks like there are glass globes (electric?) atop the various pinnacles on the rooftop.
I also like the semi-ornate apartment building on Flower Street that you can see just behind the Southland.





below: The same photo with a slightly different vantage point. Here you can see the neighboring highrises.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/6...screengrab.jpg
ebay






below: A southward continuation of the above photographs.

http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/1860/1916m1a.jpg
ebay


This view is looking southeast along Flower Street.
Notice the semi-ornate apartment building that I liked so well in the first photo (in this pic it is far left).
The adjacent building to the south is handsome as well. (also notice the lone house)





below: Southland Hotel ephemera.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6547/scollection.jpg
Beaudry's collection

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3...ollection2.jpg
Beaudry's collection


Beaudry, I hope you don't mind me using these last two images.

when christine sterling made it a crusade mission to save the avila adobe, and to turn olvera street into a tourist destination, she wanted to dress up one of the 2nd floor story, drab brick walls that was visible from the street while walking north. the building she wanted to make attractive with a mural is the building that is center in the photograph

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics17/00008387.jpg
Source: LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics17/00008387.jpg

a fresco mural to be painted by mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros was commisioned in 1932 by F.K. Ferenz, director of the Plaza Art Center gallery, which was housed in the Italian Hall, the building who's 2nd story facade was to be painted, but the ultimate approval came from Olvera Street's main booster and renovator, Christine Sterling.

The theme of the painting, which became the fresco's name was America Tropical, suggested by Sterling herself.

In 1931, just before Siqueiros' arrival in Los Angeles, Depression-era anti-immigrant sentiment boiled over and the "repatriation" of hundreds of thousands of Mexican laborers (and in many cases U.S. citizens of Mexican descent) began locally with a raid at the Old Plaza.

During his stay in Los Angeles, Siqueiros, a lifelong revolutionary, absorbed the political moment. his fresco was not a flowery tribute to sunny los angeles, complete with palm trees colorful birds, lus foliage, and smiling happy mexicans..........instead The central visual and symbolic focus of the piece is of an Indian peon, representing oppression by U.S. imperialism, crucified on a double cross capped by an American eagle. A Mayan pyramid in the background is overrun by vegetation, while an armed Peruvian peasant and a Mexican campesino (farmer) sit on a wall in the upper right corner, ready to defend themselves against further american imperialist atrocities.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...7ca5970b-600wi
Source: Los Angeles Times http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...7ca5970b-600wi

when the mural was unveiled, the opening ceremony audience which included sterling and the political and business elites of Los angeles, gasped in horror at Siqueiros image of american imperialism.

Sterling deemed the mural anti-American an proceeded to have the portion of the mural that was most visible from olivera street white washed over.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/phot...17/mural_2.jpg
Source: Los Angeles Times http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...886e970c-600wi


I don't know if they closed off the stairs which allowed viewing the mural

http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics17/00008412.jpg
Source: LAPL http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics17/00008412.jpg

within 6 months, the entire fresco was painted over.

in 2008, the getty museum began restoration of the mural, and it is expected to be open with a visitors center and viewing area specially constructed in the next two years.

an architectural rendering of the visitors center and viewing gallery

http://art-for-a-change.com/blog/wp-...dbreak_101.jpg
Source: Art For A Change http://art-for-a-change.com/blog/wp-...dbreak_101.jpg

Restoration work of the mural under way

http://media.scpr.org/images/news/20...01/siq-pan.jpg
Source: Southern California Public Radio http://media.scpr.org/images/news/20...01/siq-pan.jpg

the full mural america tropical

http://www.amigosdesiqueiros.org/wp-...a-Tropical.jpg
Source: amigosdesiqueiros.org http://www.amigosdesiqueiros.org/wp-...a-Tropical.jpg

the true irony in all of this, Siqueiros ends up the winner, and Sterling the loser, because of the covering of white paint, the original piece has been protected and survived where it would have otherwise weathered and deteriorated into nothingness. The actions to censor the mural have ultimately resulted in it's preservation for generations to come.

1943 - Zoot Suit Riots
 

I'm not sure why but the info on the Zoot Suit Riots sounded awfully familiar to this Midwesterner and it took some time to figure out why.

Wasn't the zoot suit riots portrayed in the opening scenes in the movie American Me?

one more image of america tropical.

a circa 1970 view looking east from main street. after 40 years, the mural is bleeding through the whitewash

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5216/...ecdc4e10_b.jpg
Source: calle olvera http://www.calleolvera.com/history/m...ges/mural2.jpg

That's a great story how the Siqueiros' mural was saved by the white paint used to censor it.
I'd love to see it when the restoration is finished.

I'm not a game-boy, but there is a new trailer out today for the game "L.A. NOIRE"
Its pretty cool looking, and the music is very atmospheric. (make sure you view it LARGE)

You can find it here:
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/0...n_may.php#more

Yes, the movie "alludes to the fact that the lead character, Santana (played by Edward James Olmos), was conceived when his mother was raped by sailors during the Zoot Suit Riots."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Su...opular_culture

Looking west along 1st Street from Grand Ave. in 1931

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3...westalong1.jpg
usc digital archive

Found this one, a little bit bigger and different angle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...y/00045200.jpg
http://forums.autosport.com/index.ph...post&p=3117120


And another aerial a little closer. Looks like the stands are full of people.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...way_aerial.jpg
http://www.kitcarusa.com/kb.php?aid=160

And another one. Must be a couple years later because there are a couple more roads added in the Golden Triangle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...3ed1965c_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3345511...n/photostream/

And another one from further away showing a second track. Not sure what the second track is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...c24aaa9b_o.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3345511...n/photostream/

The cars were averaging over a hundred miles per hour on this wooden track. I've read some stories about drivers being gored with huge splinters from the wooden tracks used back in those days.

Gaston Chevrolet, race car drive and partner in the Frontenac Motor Corporation, and younger brother of the founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Co., died in this crash at the Beverly Hills Speedway on Thanksgiving Day, 1920.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...donnell202.jpg
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ontenac&page=2

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1..._monroe-fr.jpg
http://www.motorsnaps.com/v/1920s+Ra...oe-fr.JPG.html

Siqueiros
 

Were it saving the art for art's sake would be a fine thing indeed. But I fear this will be mostly used as a propaganda tool for the Educratic Class, who will troop their charges in by the busload to shape young minds, to help steer The Masses to think "correct" thoughts about their evil, hateful nation.

Great shot, ethereal-- the grade is impressive. And I like what is apparently an Auto Club "PARKING PROHIBITED" sign at left center.