http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8...5e970db4_o.png
Smog picture, 1950 (2)


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8...f68ae919_o.png
Smog picture, 1950


Faintly, through the noirish haze (smog) one might pick out the old Monarch Hotel it being at Fifth and Figueroa. We are looking east down Fifth. Our cars and chair are on the right. The camera is at Beaudry (or slightly east), I think, which would make that intersection up ahead Fremont.

Interesting - at first glance it looks like one picture is an inset of the other. They look like they were taken within a few minutes of each other, though. The parked car on the left is the same in both pics but the car on the right is not.

Which kind of makes it even more noirish... :)

I've posted both images now. I think the medium colored Chevy was just leaving the parking lot. I think the chair was probably the preferred perch of the attendant.

Fifth & Beaudry
 

Thank you, that one took me back.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2...117%2520AM.jpg
gsv

I'm slightly entertained by the fact that, after obliterating all obstacles to expand downtown, LA is finding the ones we built (the freeways) much harder to deal with.

If only "new" DTLA had been built east of Los Angeles St. We'd be at the river by now.

Another high noir image that I don't think has been seen here before:

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/627...70809pasac.jpg
Colorado Street 'Suicide Bridge', Pasadena, LAPL

Photograph caption dated August 9, 1937 reads, "Photo shows the bridge as seen from the nearby canyon walls, with the new steel mesh fence hardly visible. No suicides have leaped from the Colorado street bridge since work on the protective fence began several weeks ago. The new fence will not detract from the span's beauty."

--

It also makes for a killer (pun very much intended) background!

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9268/noirdesktop.jpg

Thx so much. As I said before, I think it was a big mistake not to recreate the original pavilion when Angels Flight was reinstalled. I'm usually not a fan of recreations, but the remnant is more than a bit pathetic-looking and the bulky added porch downright awful. Not enough room seems to have been made on the little perch constructed for the station house (below) to accommodate the full pavilion, but that too could be corrected, given the will.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_...126%2520PM.jpg
google maps

Thx too for the photo of the "hardly visible" fence that "will not detract from the span's beauty". Was everyone supposed to nod dumbly in agreement with that? The 30s was certainly a decade of suicides. Too bad more effort didn't go into alleviating the conditions that engendered them rather than attempting to control the venues for them.

^ I know, that "hardly visible" bit is a real knee slapper.

Speaking of the number of suicides in the 30s (and the reasons for them), I found the remarkable image (below) on another thread. The caption is "1930 Los Angeles Communists rioting during an unemployment protest downtown."

I can't identify a "riot" although the snarling officer on the left margin looks to me as if he'd like to start one. It appears to be a march, consisting of an orderly, neatly-dressed crowd on the sidewalk which seems to have been progressing along from the right. Eight or more officers appear to be attacking, maybe annoyed by the sign at the center of the image (?). Some obviously frightened people are attempting to get away while the majority are riveted by the scene.

I found a thoughtful national overview of the 1930-1939 Unemployed Workers Movement, which was supported by several groups, but it only mentions Los Angeles once:
http://libcom.org/history/1930-1939-...rkers-movement.

Can anyone identify this particular incident or even the street corner?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0...833%2520AM.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...postcount=2564

(I'm sorry I couldn't get the image to load any larger)

Well, it could very well have been the march (late February/early March, 1930) which originated, I think, around Figueroa and ended up over at the Plaza, organized by the Communist Worker's Party demonstrating for, among other things, increased unemployment benefits, a school lunch program for hungry school children and against the generally crummy situation in which working families found themselves. Lotta this kind of thing going around in 1930. Of course, Harry Chandler was not amused and arranged for a few heads to be cracked, which, predictably, only served to further radicalize the working man. Read Carey McWilliams' book, Southern California: An Island on the Land.
You can't go wrong.

Here are a couple of shots that may well be from the same event...


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8...052a4117_o.jpg
Mob scene, 2nd and Main Street

Striking view looking down on the milling crowd of Communists during the agitation. Arrows show the white caps of two policemen on guard at the fringe of the throng, 2nd and Main Streets. Photo dated: March 8, 1930.

LAPL


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8...19ae68e8_o.jpg
Communist demonstration on Main Street

Police monitors a crowd at a Communist demonstration on Main Street. Photo dated: March 8, 1930.

LAPL

EDIT: for correction, the march I was thinking of that started over at Figueroa and Washington was actually in March, 1933 (or October or November or...lol). I'll put up a couple of pics in a minute.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8...905b739b_o.jpg
Hunger March, 1933

A large crowd of Communist Party of America members have gathered to participate in a Hunger March, starting at Washington and Figueroa and heading for the Plaza. The march, organized by the United Front Conference Against Hunger, was designed to make a statement against the fate of the unemployed and poor. One sign reads, "Join R.W.P.U. says We" and another reads "Join the Pioneers". According to newspaper sources from the time period, the city leaders were concerned about violence and too much agitation occurring during the demonstration. Photo dated: October 2, 1933.

LAPL


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8...6d96a114_o.jpg
Hunger March at La Plaza, 1933

A large crowd of Communist Party of America members gather at La Plaza to participate in a Hunger March. The protest, organized by the United Front Conference Against Hunger, was designed to make a statement against the fate of the unemployed and poor. One sign reads, "We Demand $4.00 A Day Not $1.60," another reads "Where is the American Standard of Living?" and another reads, "We Demand Milk for Our Babies bay Cities Women's Counsel." According to newspaper sources from the time period, the city leaders were concerned that violence and too much agitation would occur during such demonstrations. Photo dated: November 7, 1933.

LAPL


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8...27314f53_o.jpg
Hunger March at La Plaza, 1933 (2)

A large crowd of Communist Party of America members gather at La Plaza to participate in a Hunger March. The protest, organized by the United Front Conference Against Hunger, was designed to make a statement against the fate of the unemployed and poor. One sign reads, "Free Hot Lunches in School for Children," another reads "Workers in all Neighborhoods Build Block Committees" and another reads, "Fight Against Foreclosures of Small Homes" According to newspaper sources from the time period, the city leaders were concerned that violence and too much agitation would occur during such demonstrations. Photo dated: November 7, 1933.

LAPL

[QUOTE=kznyc2k;6022324]Another high noir image that I don't think has been seen here before:

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/627...70809pasac.jpg
Colorado Street 'Suicide Bridge', Pasadena, LAPL

Photograph caption dated August 9, 1937 reads, "Photo shows the bridge as seen from the nearby canyon walls, with the new steel mesh fence hardly visible. No suicides have leaped from the Colorado street bridge since work on the protective fence began several weeks ago. The new fence will not detract from the span's beauty."

--
Interesting that they removed the chain link fence even though it's still called The Suicide Bridge

http://hometown-pasadena.com/wp-cont...eet-Bridge.jpg
Bill Wishner

Thank you Michael. That demonstration looks huge and appears to be happening on both sides of Main. I'm sure this is the same or a related event. "3-9-30" is written on the view I reposted, which may have been the publication date.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0...833%2520AM.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...postcount=2564

I have a very well-thumbed copy of Carey McWilliam's book, which I refer to often, but, I'm embarrassed to say, not this time. I've now found three pages devoted to the subject (and Suicide Bridge) at the end of Chapter XII, but not enough info is included to satisfy. I'll keep looking. Thx again.

(Apparently Pasadena was spending $20K per year to post guards on Suicide Bridge before someone came up with the fence idea.)

thank you for taking the time to detail all the instructions out for me...now all i have to do is see if i can follow them...i guess i'll try baby steps one at a time...

Maude, is it warm in here?
 

Here you go, belmont bob. I didn't realize when I first found the house on Bing Maps that the aerial view had one view of the house burned. So sad. It could've been somebody. It could've been a contender. :tup:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2268/scarff.jpgBing Maps

Serendipitous article over on onbunkerhill http://onbunkerhill.org/TheMonarch that touches on the Monarch Hotel and on a number of noir goings on which includes the following..."Gilbert Carvajal was a 17 year-old Marine stationed at Del Mar, part of Pendleton. He was at the Monarch on May 9, 1957, with his 45 year-old lady-friend Frances Nishperly when it all began. It was 1:15am and he decided it wise to hold up night clerk Frost E. Stacklager (H. N. Willey having retired, apparently) and make off with $22 and jewelry. A few minutes later the two robbed the Trent Hotel of $57.50; despite holding the clerk at knifepoint, the two next fled the Floyd Hotel empty-handed, but snagged $45 from the till at the Auto Club Hotel minutes later. At 23rd and Scarff Sts. the police began shooting into Carvajal’s car—he tried to make a run for it but was shot down in the street, taking one to the chest. Ms. Nishperly insisted Carvajal had kidnapped her from the corner of Pico Blvd. and Hope St., but police elected to discount this story."

The image with the Horticultural Pavilion also has very early home of J.W. Gillette center right-with extensive walled backyard. Was the Angel's Flight's builder hired by Col. Eddy

Albany NY, thanks for posting that..maybe soon I'll be able to do the dsame myself but for sure there it is all burned out...you found a view that I couldn't get. With the Bing birds eye it seem to depend on the angle and zoom level and how thye moon ans stars are in line at any given moment to get a certain view. The photos are sort of a mosaic of older and newer. But in this case you got a really good view...yeah it's such a shame that these wonderful opld houses keep going and going. It's bad enough when they are raised by a developer to build something new, but fire? That is so sad...Thanks for your trouble... and help...

If you have ever viewed the older areas of Detroit, and seen the dozens..no hundreds of house that have the same fate as this one, you can understand how someone in that area would feel. It really is sad!

Looking at this view we see the big box (Nee Costco) outbuilding apartment built in the back yard of the second house. What an eyesore.

Look at the pics again ....the house was rebuilt and thats the blue house:yes:
:tup: good to see that!!!!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...349%2520PM.jpg
waterandpower.org/museum

Thanks so much for that bit of info. I'd actually looked a long time at that little compound, so different from the other yards on the block. It has a lovely six-bay east-facing porch too.

What else did Gillette build? Angels Flight is the only project of his that I'm aware of.

I was sure you did. Hope my tone didn't come off as overly pretentious for suggesting it.

To MR: Good heavens no, it was just an admittance on my part that sometimes the convenience of google makes me lazy and I don't think to crack the books. (I do wish though that McWillians' index was a little more comprehensive.)

Thx again for the wonderful pix & info.