The Sportsman Bowl was at 1950 N Central Avenue in Compton. You can read more about Woodley Lewis on his Wikipedia page. I also found an interesting article at nytimes.com which mentions Woodley Lewis and the Sportsman Bowl in the history of Skateland USA. The article says that Woodley Lewis was arrested for bookmaking in 1970, and the interior of the bowling alley was destroyed by a suspicious fire soon afterwards. The building lay empty for over a decade until Craig Schweisinger reopened it as Skateland USA in 1984. The article also lists links with some of the rappers who formed NWA. Here's a picture of Skateland.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...1.jpg~original
nytimes.com/Craig Schweisinger

The building still stands, but is empty. Sadly, the pointy sign has gone. NB. Some references give the address as 1950 S Central Avenue, but it says 1950 North on the building.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...2.jpg~original
GSV

:previous: Excellent sleuthing Hoss!

Dag-Nabbit! I thought the spikey 'space-age' sign was still there....then I realized the first color photo is from 1984. :(


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Here are two interesting photographs from 1929 of markets in Los Angeles.

#1
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...924/8hgihy.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1929-Photo-G...kAAOxyWalR3czj

above: "1929 Grocery Store, Market Interior Los Angeles." I believe that's meat in the enclosed counter on the right...........................:previous:







#2
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...923/6IIokk.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1929-Photo-L...4AAOxyY3ZR3czY

"1929 Photo Los Angeles Outdoor Market Vendors, Produce Meat Velvet Tobacco"
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http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...924/TPv2lc.jpg

Does anyone have a guess as to when this photo might've been taken?

How about 1949. I don't see any 1950 cars.

I didn't realize Woodley Lewis played for the Los Angeles Rams!

1951

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/ZH0cli.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1951-Bowman-...wAAOSwu4BV24b8



In my naivety, I thought he was a famous bowler.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...921/JEdI9v.jpg


-did ya'll notice his name at the top of the sign?

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...921/1zDQVq.jpg
detail

I was looking at the 1929 market interior again.

Any idea what this rounded ceramic(?) 'urn' on the meat counter was for? (is it full of gizzards & Livers ;))

detail
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...923/gkfQe2.png


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& I believe I found the Cream of Wheat ad that's visible against the back wall.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...922/vTtMPf.jpg
pinterest

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...922/sJWNlo.jpg
detail #2

These two Julius Shulman pictures come from another miscellaneous set of images. I've omitted color and black & white images of two subjects: Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Wilshire because it hasn't changed, and First Federal Savings and Loan at Hollywood and Highland because the pictures are similar to the picture I posted here. This is "Job 4573: Miscellaneous buildings, 1969". The first building looks familiar, but I just can't place it.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...6.jpg~original

I've found various references to the William Simpson Construction Company online - for instance, they built the Sunkist building we've discussed this week - but I couldn't find an address for this structure. Does anyone know where it was and whether it's still standing?

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...7.jpg~original

Both from Getty Research Institute

:previous:

1956
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...922/0NdBtO.jpg
lapl

I found this address Hoss, which places it very near Beverly Hills City Hall.

I don't believe the building is still there, so I've been looking for aerials of Beverly Hills from the 1960s and 70s hoping to catch a glimpse of it.
(of course, this could entirely be the wrong address)
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I thought the building in your color photo looked like a Minuro Yamasaki design....

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...922/msTHaj.jpg
detail / getty

so I perused a list of his buildings but nothing seemed to match.

_

A few minutes ago I happened across this fantastic Kodachrome slide on eBay.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...921/pWX6f0.jpg
ORIGINAL SLIDE http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-SLI...YAAOSwagdXSkQw

The seller has this dated as 1957.

Does anyone recognize this intersection? (it's probably along Central Avenue....but I don't know the cross street)
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Here's a closer look at the Central Chevrolet building. (it looks like it's going out of business)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...923/mS8PDh.jpg
detail

I just realized the two diagonal lines on the pylon contain neon cars!!
They were probably synchronized to appear to be traveling.

how Cool is that!
_

Thanks for looking, e_r. I can't see a matching building on the aerial photos from 1964 or 1972 (assuming that Google Maps showed me the right place to look). I did find a reference to William Simpson living in Beverly Hills, but the company also seems to have links with Encino and, more recently, Redondo Beach. Could this enlargement of the building on the right be a clue?

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...a.jpg~original

The links to the online building permits only work for a short time, so you can't post them directly. You'll have to screengrab the plans and upload them to an image hosting site. Feel free to post here for help, or PM me if you want more information.

OMG, we've seen plenty of hideous 1960's eyesores here, but this bldg. in the color photo is a true winner in the over-the-top tackiness category. Sheesh. In my opinion, of course. Please tell us it has been demolished. A strip mall would be an improvement.

I am trying to figure out the location of this photograph I just found on eBay.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...921/lftFrd.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pacific-Elec...-/162084640321

Seller's description: "Pacific Electric #969, 3 Car Interurban, Crystal Beach Color Slide."

note the interesting roof-top sign atop the pink building in the distance.




A quick google search led me to this photograph.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/6a9hyw.jpg
http://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-co...2/MP-00319.jpg

"Pacific Electric interurban no. 973 pauses for passengers at the Crystal Beach passenger shelter."

(note that the Crystal Beach sign is missing in the color slide from eBay / I don't know how the seller knew it was Crystal Beach)

The trouble is, I don't know where Crystal Beach is located.



I've looked at this map until I'm cross-eyed.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...922/OjLgN7.jpg

:previous:No Crystal Beach.

Map detail from:
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPG...c_electric.jpg
_

This looks a bit like the Santa Monica area. There is a Crystal Cove down near Newport.

Great photo...somewhat nostalgic.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...psypuunplk.jpg
Previous on NLA by ER.

I'm afraid that you need a more detailed map, er. In any case, Crystal Beach was a stop on the Venice Short Line on what was then called The Trolleyway but now is called Nielson Way. The stop was located between Ocean Park and Pico Blvds. in Santa Monica. PE 969 and 973 are both headed southbound.

Deliveries to PE of the type of bus in the photo began ca. mid-1950, which sets the earlier bound. As its shown still in PE livery, the photo probably isn't later than the end of 1954. By that time, most or all of PE's busses had been repainted into the two-tone green scheme favored by successor Metropolitan Coach Lines. Sorry that I can't be more accurate.

"Woah, Nellie!"

Angelinos of a certain age will recognize Central Chevrolet as a major sponsor on KTLA with pitchman Dick Lane touting the cars on live telecasts. IIRC, the dealership was located at E. 7th St. and Central Ave.

Also IIRC, Mr. Lane's career as a noirish-era actor has been covered here, although the search function didn't work for me. Here's his Wikipedia page, in any case:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Lane_(TV_announcer)

Of course, no mention of Mr. Lane and Central Chevrolet would be complete without recalling the time that he got a little overly enthusiastic during a live commercial and slammed his hand down on a Chevy's fender - which proceeded to fall off the car. :)

Dick Lane....his gravel voice was irritating to a large degree. The glasses, the face and the voice...omg, frightful.!!!

DL....middle
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...pshrmmvplc.jpg
youtube clip

I loved pretty much everything about Dick Lane. Kinda like how I feel about Bunker Hill.

I Think the large building is that hospital near temple (the name escapes me right now),its a community church now run by the same people who run Angelus Temple, they walk around the area and have made a big impact.They take the homeless off the street and get them set up with jobs and so forth. I want to say its the Dream Center? I do know my aunt was born there in 1947, and around 1996 a good friend of my dad had his memorial service there. It was pretty vacant by then,and the service was held in the gym,which was huge, and had a nice rose garden adjacent to it. His wife said that it was the only place where they could hold the service and have any friends of Ron (Holden, who had a top 10 record on Donna Records) speak freely and not disrespect a house of worship, which i thought was pretty cool.

I'm really trying to figure out the name of the Hospital, I know its near the Scout House, and is on the northern side of the 101 ,between Temple and Sunset.