A similar view, circa 1932. http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co.../47656/rec/161



http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
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http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
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Manhattan Place
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0



"Brown Derby? Turn left!"

Before autonomous cars. some used backup operators on the running board to make turn signals and offer directions.
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0



Derby sign
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0





Wilshire Methodist and E Clem Wilson in the background?
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0
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http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/utils/...ood&DMROTATE=0

Glad you enjoyed the City Hall groundbreaking photographs t2.
__



Grace Kelly biking into the east gate of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...661/fJOMGa.jpg
Hollywood-Kodachrome.Skyrocket.blogspot

:previous: That's the art deco Irving Thalberg Building in the background (just outside the east gate of MGM*)






The Thalberg Building in 1942 (architect Claude Beelman 1938-39)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...911/SAR6mV.jpg
http://www.thestudiotour.com/sonypictures/buildings.php

* Sony Studios has moved the east gate to Madison Avenue to encompass the Thalberg Building.

Thanks, Martin Pal! The locomotive float in your 1940 photo above depicts one of the early Southern Pacific "Golden State" GS-2/GS-3 passenger engines used on the newly streamlined Coast Daylight. These are distinguished by a single headlight in the nose. Later classes had two headlights in the nose.

An interesting tidbit. These locomotives were equally at home hauling passengers or freight. During WWII the U.S government severely restricted the building of new passenger locomotives. So, when SP placed orders with Lima Locomotive Works, of Lima, Ohio for these locomotives during the years 1942 thru 1943 the GS designation was changed to indicate "General Service".

Cheers,
Jack

Nice Find, ER!

I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest Washington Street Service. Note that in your top photo both the front and side roof mounted destination boards have been blurred out.

Post cards of individual streetcars from this early period of Los Angeles Railway history are few and far between and were probably taken as LARY promotional pieces. Its to bad there are no dates on the the cards as that might lend credence to the information below.

My comments here stem from a paragraph in Interurbans Special No. 11, Los Angeles Railway. This is a History of LARY and its predecessor companies.
The paragraph notes that "In 1902 Los Angeles Held its La Fiesta, an early day rival to Pasadena's Rose Parade. To transport the crowds downtown to witness the flower-bedecked floats, service was run on all LARY lines lines." The list contains 17 lines, one of which is Washington Street.

If anyone can find a better answer, please post it!

P.S., the 'Basket" on the front of the car was an early safety device to scoop up errant pedestrians who stepped in front of a moving streetcar. Many traction companies used these, and those on LARY cars were not changed to the later "Lifeguard" type until the company was taken over by National City Lines and renamed Los Angeles Transit Lines (LATL).

See:The first two photos on this PE Historical Society page for a comparison of the two types. http://www.pacificelectric.org/categ...ailway/5-line/

The older Gent is probably the Paymaster.The others were probably the motorman and security.

Another thought occurred to me this morning. These may not be official postcards but rather snapshots from a postcard camera such as an Eastman Kodak 122A printed on heavy stock. This would account for the lack of information on the reverse. Also, additional research this morning finds that Car 189 in the top picture was acquired from the Pacific Electric and was built in 1899, coming to LARY in the the great merger of 1910. Does anyone know when Los Angeles held its last La Fiesta, as this dates the photo later than 1902? The 1910 merger resulted in the Pacific Electric coming under the control of the Southern Pacific Company and the city service lines going to Henry Huntington as Los Angeles Railway. Car 9000 in the lower photo was LARY's first Pay Car and was originally numbered 500. Employees entered the front door, collected their pay from the Paymaster and exited the rear door. This car was rebuilt as number 9000 in 1906 (which helps to date the photo but calls into question the WS Service on the reverse as it remained a Pay Car until dismantled in 1913. This was the only car of this type in LARY service. as a result of this mornings research I am inclined to suggest that WS stands for Work Service rather than Washington Street.

Cheers,
Jack

The Thalberg Building made a few appearances in later episodes of 'CHiPs'. Here's the main entrance playing the part of a hospital when the Getraers were expecting a baby.
Apologies for the quality of the screengrabs - these episodes aren't yet available on DVD.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...bergCHiPs1.jpg
MGM TV/Rosner TV

The Culver Boulevard side also played a hospital a couple of times, but here it's the LAPD.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...bergCHiPs2.jpg
MGM TV/Rosner TV

Culver Boulevard was wider in the '80s, with the street a lot closer to the building. On the opposite corner was this great 'MOTEL' sign.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...bergCHiPs3.jpg
MGM TV/Rosner TV

The motel building is still there, although now it's the Culver Madison Apartments, and the sign has gone.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...adisonApts.jpg
GSV

The Thalberg
 

:previous:

One more screengrab of the back of the Thalberg, this time from 1988's "Naked Gun". (I love the flurry of open, metal-framed casements on the right):
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P...64340%2BAM.jpg
itsfilmedthere

Working out his Moderne sensibilities, here's the 1935-37 Hollywood Post Office by Claud Beelman (with an assist from Allison and Allison) for the WPA
(Louis A Simon is listed as "Supervising Architect"):
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l...65641%2BAM.jpg
gsv

...to compare with Beelman's much larger, but very similar, Thalberg Building (1938-39):
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P...65915%2BAM.jpg
sonypictures.com

And finally, Rhett, Dimples, Andy and Mrs Norman Main skip out of the Thalberg:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...64913%2BAM.jpg
judyandfriends

:previous: I like this before and after Hoss. The motel was built in 1953, but I'm still searching for it's former name.

The large building down the street in your 1980s 'Chips' photograph is the old Culver City City Hall.(below)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/G6WyNr.jpg
http://www.culvercity.org/en/Visitor.../CityHall.aspx


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...633/A8cA83.jpg
http://www.culvercityhistoricalsocie...city-timeline/



Today all that's left of the original building is the front façade (some sites say it's a 3/4th sized replica).


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...909/vq38rx.jpg
gsv


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...540/NvIdEU.jpg
http://www.culvercity.org/en/Visitor.../CityHall.aspx

I've outlined in red the old footprint of the 1928 city hall building.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/jhqdRA.jpg
google_earth




hmmmm...on second thought, maybe it was only this long. (I dun'no ;)) -what do you guys think?
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...912/qOQY24.jpg
google_earth




One last look at the façade.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...901/EqXntf.jpg
http://culvercitytimes.com/photo/cul...ource=activity

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320...537/YzmUVh.jpg

Thanks Jack. -appreciate the help.

Yesterday afternoon I came across this amazing photograph of post-1933 earthquake Venice High School.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...537/15IUor.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Pho...item463e87ecd1




before the earthquake.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...913/lIFovG.jpg
http://www.venicehistorical.org/


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/x7v6z5.jpg
cardcow




below: 'Fountain of Education' by Harry Fielding Winebrenner 1922.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...661/lkk4Dz.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrna_..._Education.jpg

"In 1921 actress Myrna Loy posed for Venice High School sculpture teach Harry Fielding Winebrenner for the central figure 'Inspiration' in the sculpture group."





Today
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...538/45dCwU.jpg
http://marvistamom.com/2015/05/20/ve...tion-may-26th/

:previous: After years of neglect and vandalism (for years it was surrounded by an ugly iron fence) the original statue group was taken down in 2002
and replaced with this beautiful bronze replica of 'Inspiration' was installed in 2010.

I'm not sure what happened to the other statues in the sculpture group. Does anyone know?

__

Thalberg Building
 

My sister worked for MGM and had an office in the Thalberg Building during the 1980s - the times of the Kerkorian/Turner cha-cha-cha.

I visited her there a few times. I remember wide hallways, and movie posters on the hallway walls. It was a hushed and purposeful place, and the folks I met that worked there seemed happy - many long time employees, and were into Hollywood history and the film industry.

I had lunch with her a couple of times in the commissary, and once in the Lion's Den executive commissary, and saw a few television and film actors. There were movie posters on the walls, and next to them were Oscars on little shelves.

I have a photo from the MGM Stills Department of Dorothy, Toto, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow in the poppy field.

It looks like you're second guess was pretty close, e_r. The clearest shot I could find on Historic Aerials was 1980:

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...tyHall1980.jpg
Historic Aerials

The 1948 image shows the word "CULVER CITY" on either side of the roof. The later shots are considerably more blurry, but I think the lettering survived into the '60s.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...tyHall1948.jpg
Historic Aerials

I'll have to see if it appeared in 'CHiPs'.

:previous: Excellent find HossC!

I love the 'CULVER CITY' written on the roof in that 1948 aerial.

Note the buildings that were lost for the rear parking lot.

Folks, in light of some additional research I have revised my original answer to ER's question above. Post#30026.

Cheers,
Jack

Cecilia Rasmussen noted in LAT in 2003 that La Fiesta ran from 1894 to the start of WWI. It's here. (There was the one-time revival in 1931 too.)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/9tmFZn.jpg
eBay

Thanks for the clarification Wig-Wag.

La Casa de la Centinela



Have we visited the Adobe Centinela on NLA?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/OtOPhb.jpg

reverse
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...909/5snYvM.jpg



It's still stands northeast of LAX.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...661/woH8oV.jpg
google_earth



It barely survived the construction of the 405.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/EzlSwN.jpg
google_earth




pretty darn close!

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...673/awdYdD.png




There's actually a sign facing the freeway that I hadn't noticed before.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...912/xNs6GB.jpg
gsv




Here it is from Midfield Avenue.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...538/TuN9In.jpg
gsv




There's another interesting building just inside the gate to the right.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...661/qxTdNj.jpg
gsv / detail

Myrna Loy statue, Venice High School + Centinela Adobe
 

No, but apparently the other figures were done by students.

An interesting, detailed history is here.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G...14430%2BAM.jpg
moreaboutmyrna

________________________________________________________________

The Centinela Adobe was built in 1834. Canadian Daniel Freeman was living there when he founded the City of Inglewood (named after his hometown) on a portion of his Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela. The smaller building is Freeman's 1887 land office. It used to be on Florence Ave near Eucalyptus. The adobe is not in Inglewood. It is maintained jointly by the City of Inglewood and the Historical Society of the Centinela Valley. - wiki

The adobe in 1889:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...20855%2BPM.jpg
wiki

The Centinela-Inglewood Land Company office (1887):
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-m...22942%2BPM.jpg
wiki

More info from LAT

I wondered whether La Casa de la Centinela Adobe was still in its original location. This 1952 image shows the Adobe prior to the freeway construction, so unless it was moved before 1952, it got lucky!

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...tinela1952.jpg
Historic Aerials

Aerial shot of the Thalberg Building in 1946.
Madison Ave. is on the left and the original
east gate entrance on the right.

http://www.culvercityhistoricalsocie...lding-1946.jpg


The East Gate entrance in 1939.

http://www.culvercityhistoricalsocie...939-Medium.jpg

Thalberg Building
 

Thank you Martin for the reminder that there were small businesses on Madison and Washington then (lower, right corner). All later swept away for more parking in front of the Thalberg.

It was the funeral home business, next to the Thalberg on Madison, that hung on forever. No one could dislodge them. I cannot remember now when it was finally absorbed into the lot. Relatively recently. It was eventually rebuilt to blend in with the Thalberg. (I think when the new east gate arch was built)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...34359%2BPM.jpg
google maps

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K...40840%2BPM.jpg
gsv