noirish Los Angeles

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

eBay

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

One of those photos (1973) shows a lot of damage to the newsstand's awnings.

BTW. The building behind is still standing. It's now the Sunset Gower Studios.

Also, the upper decorative panels are all missing. I'm guessing that they were removed because they were unsafe in an earthquake.

BTW. The building behind in Martin Pal's photo is still standing. It's now the Sunset Gower Studios.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by HossC

Also, the upper decorative panels are all missing. I'm guessing that they were removed because they were unsafe in an earthquake.

BTW. The building behind in Martin Pal's photo is still standing. It's now the Sunset Gower Studios.

Gower Gulch

I bought a lot of Batman, Superman and other DC comic books at that newsstand back in the day when the price was 10¢.

Cover Girl Cosmetics were featured in Columbia Drugs window displays. Bing Crosby had his office in the building next door at Columbia Studios, now Sunset Gower Studios. There was a wall size photo of him in the lobby.

[ethereal_reality]

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Tonight I have a mystery location -within Pershing Square, circa:1960s

I'm referring to another eBay find from a few days ago.


Seller's description:..Dancing Waters @ Night, Pershing Square Los Angeles: 1950's 35mm Slide LOT x7


eBay

Hmmm, could one of you fine noirisher with ingenous computer knowlege buy this lot of 35mm slides and create a one-of-a-kind GIF? (is that even possible?)
I'd offer you the keys to my kingdom but I've given them to HossC for an earlier discovery.



If my GIF fantasy isn't feasible here's the next best thing...I'm guessing at the correct order.

Closer looks! (three of them)



I believe that's the clock on the Los Angeles Times Building. I'm wrong.








............................................................................................................................................OOOOOH!...AAAAAAH!


What I'm trying to figure out is where,exactly, were these extravagant 'dancing' fountains located within the park? ... They appear to be quite LARGE!

Does anyone have an illustration of the layout of Pershing Square from that era?


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[ethereal_reality]

These two photographs from 1965 might help.


e_r old file




e_r old file

But I don't see any fountains.
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[ethereal_reality]

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I believe we might have seen this company in the early days of NLA.


Seller's description:..940s Ducommun Industrial Building Los Angeles Art Deco Vintage Photo



eBay

Do you think the Ducommun Metals & Supply Co. was located on Ducommun Street?




There's only a small portion of the street left.



. . .between N. Alameda St. (to the west) and N. Garey St. (to the east)

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[ethereal_reality]

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And refresh my memory:

Have we seen this rather elaborate school?


Currently on eBay

Seller's description:...Antique Photo 1898 Los Angeles Highland Park School Early View

Does anyone know the name of the architectural style? . . . because I'm stumped.


Look at that bare hill in the background. - - - - > I imagine it's chock-full of houses now. Pan right, there's one small building(?) on top. (unless those are trees)

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[sadykadie2]

Originally Posted by Snix

Spotted a couple of nice images of Tick Tock Toluca, the Burbank area cousin of the famous Tick Tock Tea Room restaurant on Cahuenga in Hollywood. It was a very handsome 1946 Late Moderne building at 10121 Riverside Drive, demolished around 1999 for a Koo Koo Roo.


eBay postcard

eBay menu

The restaurants were owned by Helen and Arthur Johnson.
Here's a little bio in the Valley Times

(Sep 22, 1950)

I went to Tick Tock in the mid 80's as a teen. I was fascinated at the time that the waitresses were in their 60's (which seemed aged to me at the time)

[ethereal_reality]

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I located a fountain (as seen in this slide from 1964) - but it doesn't seem to be large enough to be the 'dancing' fountains.


eBay

Perhaps if there were four of these square fountains lined up next to one another, then they might be big enough.



Is it just me or does the man walking on the curb look miniature?
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[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I believe we might have seen this company in the early days of NLA.

Seller's description:..1940s Ducommun Industrial Building Los Angeles Art Deco Vintage Photo


eBay

Do you think the Ducommun Metals & Supply Co. was located on Ducommun Street?

I found an address for the Ducommun Metals & Supply Co at 219-227 S Central Avenue, quite close to Ducommun Street, but I believe this photo shows a later location at 4890 S Alameda Street. I think this is the same building today, albeit with a heavy make-over.


GSV

[odinthor]

e_r, in re Dancing Waters: I don't have a specific reference to the precise site in Pershing Square; but here's some information:


LA Times, 11/26/1957


LA Times, 12/16/1957

Perhaps the display made use of one of the sites of the two Roth fountains in the Square:


LA Times, 8/2/1954


LA Times, 12/22/1954

The donor of the Roth fountains lived but a few months more after the fountains were dedicated:


LA Times, 4/28/1955

For more information and some pictures, see: https://restorepershingsquare.blogspot.com/2022/06/pershing-squares-lost-memorial-to-love.html

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Is it just me or does the man walking on the curb look miniature?
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_______________________________________________________________

It's not just you, E_R, because I thought that, too, before I read what you'd written!

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HossC

re: Ducommun Metals & Supply Co.


4890 S Alameda Street -GSV

Good find, Hoss.

If the Bradbury Building doesn't pan out for our NLA Headquaters perhaps we should buy this building. (I see it's for sale)

Hmmm. . .I'd love to see

N

L

A

in big letters on the tall pylon.



Yes, that's a hint for whomever is good at doing that sort of thing......And while you're at it design us a flag.

Is that asking too much?
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[ethereal_reality]

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Originally Posted by odinthor

e_r, in re Dancing Waters: I don't have a specific reference to the precise site in Pershing Square; but here's some information.

Thank you so much, odinthor. I'm working my way through the newspaper articles as I type.




Good news, noirishers! ..I have a mystery location that doesn't concern fountains.


This one.

"1889 Photographic Print Of Los Angeles Country Home In California - Rare History"


eBay


Does anyone know where-near Long Beach- A.J. Spencer lived?..I would just about die if it's still standing.




Is it too soon to use the whip emoji again?
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[odinthor]

e_r, his home was of interest to Mr. Spreckles of sugar fame:


LA Times, 10/27/1887

It was 2 1/2 miles north of Long Beach:


LA Times, 5/19/1888

He liked Eucalypti:



And was interested in Peaches as well:


History of Los Angeles County, 1889, p. 632

In this lattermost publication the same house pic is included (along with further biographical information on Mr. Spencer . . . but no precise location for the house in Long Beach) . . .

I'd guess from mention of the view that the house was somewhere on the "heights" at or near Signal Hill.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

If the Bradbury Building doesn't pan out for our NLA Headquaters perhaps we should buy this building. (I see it's for sale)

Hmmm. . .I'd love to see

N

L

A

in big letters on the tall pylon.



Yes, that's a hint for whomever is good at doing that sort of thing......And while you're at it design us a flag.

Is that asking too much?
.

Ask and ye shall receive...

[HossC]

Great work, Scott Charles. I was toying with the idea of a little Photoshopping, but it wouldn't have come close to your masterpiece.

It looks like Ducommun did the building make-over themselves. This image dates from 1973.

Swiss watchmaker Charles Ducommun founded Ducommun Inc. in 1849 during the California Gold Rush as a hardware supply store, and eventually evolving into an aluminum distributor to the aircraft industry. Designed by Albert C. Martin & Associates, this 2-story reinforced concrete building was built in 1941.

LAPL

There's an 1868 sketch of Charles Ducommun's early hardware store here. The 1875 CD gives the address as "nr cor Main and Commercial". The company obviously did well in the late 19th century. Here's Charles Ducommun's hardware store at 204 N Main street in 1886. The men in the doorway remind me of the intro to 'Cheers'.


LAPL

[Snix]

This one is on eBay now marked "1971 Los Angeles California Fast food take out" and I can't imagine any of you could identify this place, BUT I think this is a meetup of the Horseless Carriage club and I'm gonna guess that the gentleman in the hat is Disney legend Ward Kimball. ������������������

eBay

[Snix]

I must say that the Ducommun building is in remarkably good condition. The 'heavy makeover' HossC notes is mainly security fencing and sun shades on the windows. This building was designed in 1940 by A.C. Martin! That's some serious cred.

LAT11.10.40

Of course Schultheis cruised down to check it out...


Herman J Schultheis Collection/LAPL

Herman J Schultheis Collection/LAPL


TODAY
It's for rent at less than a buck a foot. CHEEP!



LoopNet
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/4890-S-Alameda-St-Vernon-CA/35294571/

Originally Posted by HossC

I found an address for the Ducommun Metals & Supply Co at 219-227 S Central Avenue, quite close to Ducommun Street, but I believe this photo shows a later location at 4890 S Alameda Street. I think this is the same building today, albeit with a heavy make-over.


GSV

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Ask and ye shall receive...

It's fantastic! Thank you so much, Scott Charles.

And I love the little details. . .like the smaller horizontal lettering above the entrance. . .and the flag! (I really wasn't expecting the flag.

Like most noirisher you've gone beyond the call of duty.



post-script

Excellent follow-up on the Ducommun building (now NLA HQ), SNIX. (I almost missed your post)
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[ethereal_reality]

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RE: The Spencer Residence, somewhere in the Long Beach area.

Originally Posted by odinthor

I'd guess from mention of the view that the house was somewhere on the "heights" at or near Signal Hill.

I'll snoop around in the area & see if anything turns up, odinthor....Hmmm, but it looks awfully flat to be Signal Hill.

It's surprising that none of the articles on Mr. Spencer esq. included the address of his home.



In the mean time:..Keeping digging! ... and so will I.
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