Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinTurnbull
Someone just sent me this photo of the original Brown Derby, telling me it was the original derby on the site of the Chapman Hotel.
I’d never heard that the original Brown Derby had moved so I asked him about it. Turns out, the original Brown Derby was built on the site that later became the Chapman Hotel. It had to vacate its location on Wilshire between Alexandria and Mariposa when the land was requisitioned for the women’s village for the 1932 L.A. Olympic Games. So it was temporarily moved farther down Wilshire to 3927 Wilshire
Then, later, it was rebuilt at its famous location at Wilshire and Alexandria, next to the Gaylord.
I've been reading and researching these iconic LA buildings for a number of years, but this was the first time I'd come across this information. Is this news to anyone else here, or am I the single dumb bunny...!??!? |
The first post on the Brown Derby was back in 2009, and there have been dozens since. The gist of it is, the BD in your shot opened, facing due south at 3427 Wilshire between Mariposa & Alexandria, in 1926; in 1931 a branch opened at 3927, as seen in your second shot, in the 1930 Bilicke Building (on the site of the Harrington house at
646 S. Gramercy). This BD replaced the short-lived Hi-Hat (apparently also owned by Herbert Somborn, aka Mr. Gloria Swanson) and only lasted a year or so itself. The 3927 branch may not have lasted long, but was too early to have been any kind of "temporary" location during the move of the BD hat. Enlarged into the bookstore space to the west, 3927 became the first Perino's in 1934. The hat-shaped Derby moved half a block east to 3377, oriented to the northeast corner of Alexandria, in 1937.
An ad shows the 3427 and 3927 BDs operating at the same time:
LAT Feb 29, 1932
USCDL
A pretty Lincoln in front of the short-lived Hi-Hat...