Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuckaluck
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Chuckaluck's picture above provides a nice segue between Carpenter's Sandwiches (far right) and the view down Wilshire that I've been looking at.
I know the tiled Texaco service station at New Hampshire and Wilshire has been on NLA several times before, but I think this close-up is new. The service station stood nearly opposite the I. Magnin store - for a wider shot of both, and a lot more history of this block, see
GW's blogspot post on
3240 Wilshire Boulevard.
USC Digital Library
Here's a better view of the service station. Again, I know that similar pictures have been posted before, but I don't remember seeing this one with the Green T Cafe on the left. There's three zoomable pictures in the set (link below image).
USC Digital Library
Of course, this is the old Calpet station, but I did doubt that for a while because
e-r's earlier picture makes it look like the wings sweep back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethereal_reality
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I now realize that it's just an optical illusion/camera trickery, as can be seen in the picture below. The Calpet station was adorned with far less signage than the later Texaco.
California State Library
Returning to my first picture, the Wiltern Theatre is visible in the distance. Nowadays, the view is blocked by trees and tall buildings.
Detail of first picture above
On the left, just past the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, I spotted a building that looked like a theater. When I zoomed in, I could read the text "Hammond Organ". Sadly, neither of the buildings either side of the sign are still standing (at least not in a recognizable form).
Detail of first picture above
Here's a listing from the 1939 CD with details of the Hammond Instrument Co. at 3328 Wilshire.
rescarta.lapl.org
The later buildings also housed a keyboard retailer - the Sherman Clay Pianos/Organs sign is still there, although the business has gone. Sherman Clay went out of business early in 2013, after 142 years of trading, but I believe this site closed earlier because la.curbed described the building as "empty" in
this article about redevelopment from 2010.
GSV
USC has a couple of other photos similar to the first, quite possibly from the same shoot. They are taken from slightly different angles, and include a bit of Switzer's on the left and the Gaylord in the background. The first has a better view of the Wiltern Theatre:
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/22062
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/93249
More on the I. Magnin store:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=16372