I didn't see that one coming AlvaroLegido.
I say leave it up to the individual...all those names you listed are perfectly fine.

...or perhaps esprit de noir? or something more lilting like noir de corps (it rhymes, but doesn't make much sense) :)
__

Thanks for finding the Ivin Apartments in that aerial GW.
Great on-the-ground photographs westcork.
I liked the 'pie first' story Earl.

So many good posts this week (as always).

No, that building was shops and (I think) apartments. It used to be very nice, but is now all but buried under signage and the remodeled street frontage.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...450%2520PM.jpg
gsv

Homewood, which was our stop, is a bit further west. That was before my time, I don't know what it looked like.

(Did I post these before?)

Chic, chic, boom, chic, chic chic boom!

O meu ganzá faz chica chica boom chic
p'rá eu cantar o "Chica Chica Boom Chic..."

Carmen Miranda selling War Bonds in Pershing Square, circa 1943
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics33/00051008.jpg
LAPL

1943
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics32/00050976.jpg
LAPL

• Video Link

http://imageshack.us/a/img248/8237/a...oragedogca.jpg

Several weeks ago when I came across the Ambassador Dog & Cat Hospital sign on Beverly Boulevard, the American Storage Building caught
my eye again (left in the above photo).

We've seen seen this amazing building numerous times on the thread.

here by GaylordWilshire
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ng#post5703232

here by BifRayRock
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7862


http://imageshack.us/a/img707/7250/a...erlyblvdc1.jpg
google street view

From the street, the building just soars! Adding to its mystique is the nightclub that used to be on the top floor in the late 1920s and early 30s




This time around I noticed the interesting car-wash next door with a ziggurat roof.

http://imageshack.us/a/img404/8676/aabstorage3a.jpg
gsv


In my imagination I picture a 1920s era gas station.

http://imageshack.us/a/img109/2918/aabstorage3b.jpg
gsv



Do you suppose the slats in the 'tower' used to light up? Were the attendants dressed as Babylonians? ;)

http://imageshack.us/a/img809/7163/aabstorage3.jpg
gsv

Seriously, I am hoping someone here will dig up a vintage photograph of this intersection. I haven't had much luck.







As I continued my virtual tour, I came across this interesting curved building just south of the old American Storage Building where Beverly Blvd.
meets N. Virgil Ave. and Council Street. Yet another building where the main entrance is blocked off.

http://imageshack.us/a/img832/8444/a...ghborbever.jpg
gsv





I continued snooping, er..I mean touring down Beverly Boulevard and took a sharp left onto N. Commonwealth Ave. to check out
a few apartment buildings.

http://imageshack.us/a/img248/2369/a...monwealtha.jpg

There was a small art deco, and a larger 'chateauesque' (for lack of a better word) and a couch.
Then I noticed the street ahead appeared darker. I thought it was the shadow of the trees...






..but on closer inspection it turned out to be bricks!!

http://imageshack.us/a/img39/4798/aabstorage3e.jpg
gsv





I can't remember the last time I came across (by accident) a brick street of this size.
The bricks continue all the way to the Dead End. (above Silver Lake Boulevard)

http://imageshack.us/a/img694/3364/a...gecommonwe.jpg
gsv




One of the two manhole covers in the brick area. (I thought it might hold a clue)

http://imageshack.us/a/img42/9075/aabstorage3f.jpg
gsv





below: The portion of N. Commonwealth Avenue that is brick.

http://imageshack.us/a/img402/3449/aabstorbrick.jpg
google earth

So how rare are brick streets in Los Angeles? Does anyone know?
I've searched for a map (wishful thinking)
__





One last look at the American Storage Building that got me snooping.

originally posted by Godzilla
http://imageshack.us/a/img89/3928/aa...oragecstli.jpg
Cal St. Lib.
__

Amazing finds. ER. I wouldn't have guessed you could find that much brickwork anywhere in LA.

"........dressed up as Babylonians...."

That was the funniest thing I've read all day! :)

I bet it was at least considered. I get the impression people were pretty creative in those days. They came up with lion parks, ostrich farms, and eateries resembling hot dogs, tamales, ice cream cones and a Derby hat.

What do we have left.....? A donut in Inglewood.

I even wonder if there is even one Muffler Man left? They at least brought the Chicken Boy out of storage, now on north Fig in Highland Park.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...os_Angeles.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ch...os_Angeles.jpg

Ah! I used to know someone who lived on this street, back in the early 90s. She lived on the brick-paved part of the street. It had been the first time I encountered old brick paving in Los Angeles. She didn't live in an older apartment building, she lived in a new one, with "security" parking, which really just consisted of underground parking with a remote-controlled gate. Her car got broken into 3 times. The building she lived in is on the southeast corner of Council and N. Commonwealth.


I have so much catching up to do on this thread; I don't know if this has been posted before:

Sunset and Spring, 1940s
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3156/2...3bfd934a_o.jpg
Metro Transportation Library and Archive on flickr

I like this photo because it shows the back end of the Plaza Church, before the streets were reconfigured, and before they built the addition to the church, where they now offer Mariachi Masses. The original part of the church is now the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

:previous: Wow sopas_ej! What a great photograph.
I see there is a Hotel Atlantic and a Hotel Pacific on the same block!

__

Excellent!

Judging by the cars it looks to be more like 1939-40...but yeah, great shot! I wish every image were that high res.

Henry C Wilhelm, Kook or Visionary?
 

Like many of you at first blush this seems crazy but after googling "pyramid planetarium"
I discovered these structures are not uncommon! Take a look at this example at Texas A&M.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SiI8xMJXkt...mid+loredo.jpg

Now I see the hemispherical screen that I would expect.
So why the pyramid?
To protect the screen from the elements?
The screen must be pretty delicate.
If it is so delicate how does it hold its shape?
By positive air pressure!
Check out this portable planetarium.

• Video Link

So, was Henry C Wilhelm a kook or visionary?

PS, thanks for all the fascinating posts everyone.

Sunset and Spring
 

Sunset and Spring, 1940s
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3156/2...3bfd934a_o.jpg
Metro Transportation Library and Archive on flickr

Great photo, the tunnel visors on the Acme Semaphore Signal indicates it is after the war started. There are 2 41 autos in the photo.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8...cb8c0dbf_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955


11 July 1955. Reportedly one or more suspects have taken refuge in the attic of the super market. Tear gas has been fed into the space and officers with guns drawn are taking positions to block escape routes.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8...d96f3007_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (2)


11 July, 1955. Officer feeds tear gas into storage area.



USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8...ee13ff46_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (3)


11 July, 1955. Having cleared the stock rooms, Sgt. L.G. Ramsey (with gas mask) gives the all clear.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8...a0c036c5_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (4)


11 July, 1955. While three officers conduct a preliminary interview with a wounded suspect near the building, Radio Officer R.D. Rockwood (without hat) is giving his first official statement near the body of the suspect he shot and killed."


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8...150fe8a7_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (5)


11 July 1955. Officer William Mockett questions Mrs. Jeannette Hay, an employee injured during the robbery.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8...753b6910_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (6)


11 July 1955. General view following shoot-out. The would-be getaway car, a white 1955 Chevrolet sedan, sits with it's windows shot out. Next to it on the ground lies the body of one hold-up man.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8...15846d27_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (7)


11 July 1955. Detective Dominic Dascenzi shows revolver used by dead bandit to Suspect Alfred George.



USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8...4b47c02d_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (8)


11 July 1955. Wounded hold-up man Joseph Wiltz.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8086/8...758fa034_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (9)


11 July 1955. Hold-up man Sylvester Jones' troubles have just begun.


USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961



http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8...1104e0e6_o.png
Market holdup and shooting (120th and Avalon), 1955 (10)


11 July 1955. Sylvester Jones (suspect). Times have changed. I don't think I've ever seen a suspect uncuffed and alone in the front seat of a police car before.

USC digital archive/Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961

Plaza West
 

Thank you so much sopas ej. The very view I was wishing for. Outstanding :-)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...836%2520PM.jpg
Metro Transportation Library and Archive

Sunset/Spring/Main/Marchessault

Pavers
 

I mentioned this to someone who's interested in recovering the bricks. He figures someone must be interested in 100+ year-old (?) Los Angeles paving bricks and be willing to pay for them.

Trouble is, who owns the bricks and how would one get permission to recover them? Or does one just pull up with a truck and crew and get to work?

Just my opinion, but I think these ones shouldn't be touched. They're still part of a road in use. If the bricks on that long-closed section of Court Street were removed, though, no harm would be done. I'd look at it as a rescue! With that new development coming in, the old pavement would doubtless be torn up and disposed of, anyway. Better to let the Court Street bricks be in the hands of people like us who treasure history and would preserve them.

-Scott

I don't think your notation of the streets is correct. Main and Marchessault are not visible in this photo. Here are the streets as I understand them:

1. The extreme foreground street is Spring.
2. The street right next to Spring that runs along the back of the plaza church is New High Street.
3. The cross street is Sunset Blvd. - it passes out of view behind the church facilities as it approaches the plaza.
4. The street that goes to the left away from Sunset is also Spring Street. It takes a jog east at Sunset before proceeding north.
Main Street is one block further away and is not visible in the photo.

Of these 4 streets, only the Spring in the foreground is still there as a normal street. New High Street behind the church has only recently been taken over. Sunset in this photo is part parking lot and part driveway - one-way that goes from Spring to Main alongside the church. The small bit of Spring north of Sunset (as well as the properties on both sides of that street) is now part of a parking lot.

I think the photo was taken from the hill above Justicia Street, or possibly from the top of the Broadway tunnel's north portal.

Speaking of which, I found an interesting thing I had not noticed before about the Broadway tunnel. I will make a new post for that.

Broadway tunnel got lowered?!
 

So while looking at other stuff, I came across something that surprised me. My apologies if it has been mentioned here before, but if it was I either forgot or didn't understand what was being said at the time. Photos of the Broadway tunnel show that at some point the south portal was actually lowered. Weird.

Here are a series of pics to demonstrate.

First, an early pic - 1902:

http://waterandpower.org/Historical_...way_Tunnel.jpg
LAPL/Waterandpower.org

Note how the tunnel opening is pretty similar in height to the concrete area above the tunnel opening, so the total structure height is about 50% hole, 50% concrete. Two sets of stairs come down from Fort Moore Hill, meet in the center immediately above the tunnel opening, and then continue down one side, with one more L-turn near the bottom.

Here's a later picture, cars in evidence:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w...dwayTunnel.jpg
Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations

Now compare the height of the tunnel opening to the height of the concrete face above the opening. The concrete above the hole is now much taller, near double the size of the opening! And the stairs - they come down from both sides as before, but they meet way above the tunnel opening. They go down one side of the tunnel as before, but after the one L-turn, they make a U-turn back towards the wall, then another U-turn away from it, and then yet a third U-turn back towards the wall again.

Here's an additional view, about 1925:

http://waterandpower.org/Historical_...nel_ca1925.jpg
LAPL/waterandpower.org

Clearly the stairs have a lot further to go than they did in the first picture.

Just today I noticed the following picture:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V...2f2774970c.jpg
LA times/Daily Mirror

This photo shows the south end of the Broadway Tunnel during demolition, from the inside. In this photo you can actually see how far the tunnel was lowered, with an interior upper arch - the original hole - surrounded by brick, and then the opening under the bottom arch that was the lowered entrance.

I just thought this was interesting. :)

^ Wow, c'est tres interessant! Broadway probably underwent the grade adjustment when the then-massive Hall of Justice was erected circa 1923-24.

And amen to below. there's a faint chance work might take me to LA next month and I am chomping at the bit to get down there before Palmer spews his Orange County crud all over these survivors.

To identify the unidentified
 

For MichaelRyerson - here's a photo from your Flickr account, described as unidentified:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/7...3c06ea89_b.jpg
another unidentified, undated picture from the california historical society by MichaelRyerson, on Flickr

Full description:
titled: Empty street in El Paseo de Los Angeles, [s.d.]

Photograph of an empty street in El Paseo de Los Angeles, [s.d.]. A narrow road paved with paving stones runs from the foreground to the background at center. Multi-story brick buildings can be seen along the road at right, while lower structures can be seen on the left side of the road. A three-tiered fountain can be seen at left. Several trees are visible as well.

Not sure if this picture has remained unidentified - I searched for it in the thread but didn't find it posted at all. This is Olvera Street, looking south. I assume it's about 1929 as it's been cleaned up nicely but doesn't yet appear to have any vendors or visitors.

At immediate right is the Italian Hall. In the distance at left just beyond the US flag is the Avila adobe (behind the flagpole), then the LA Railway substation (behind the flag itself) and finally the tower of the plaza Methodist church. The fountain on the left side of the street is still around as well. A Google image search for 'olvera street fountain' generates several pictures - it's painted light blue.

"My Noirish Heart"
 

I can't help adding my emotion ! This outstanding photo answers so much to our feelings and researchs that I thought : "that guy (with one leg out) hopping the streetcar is living 1 second of Eternity".
And this is the very beginning of Sunset with its 17 383 numbers !!!