noirish Los Angeles v2.0 - Page 28

ethereal_reality · #**541** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 4:01 PM**

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Ince Blvd., Culver City. -snapshot 1970.

eBay

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ethereal_reality · #**542** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 4:14 PM**

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A mystery 17 story building.

A special billboard that I think is rigged up for gas.

eBay / Los Angeles

I think the silver torch attached at the top actually flamed!..Very cool!

My kingdom

if anyone can figure out what new luxury apartment buillding the sign is advertising.

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odinthor · #**543** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 6:34 PM**

e_r, I submit for your delectation:

LA Times, 4/26/1964

which appears to be this imposing structure of today, the Huntley Hotel (just off Wilshire):

gsv

Alkapone · #**544** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 7:11 PM**

Movie Locations has the Huntley Hotel building in Point Blank (1967) with Lee Marvin: https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/p/Point-Blank.php

Alkapone · #**545** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 7:25 PM**

Is it the building to the right of Angie Dickinson screencaptured in here (?): https://cinematicfreeze.com/point-blank-1967-stills/

HossC · #**546** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 7:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A mystery location.

Trolley 966.(?)

It looks like someone is waving a white flag.

eBay

It's now part of the Hollywood Freeway looking across Cahuenga Boulevard E from just south of the Barham Boulevard bridge.

GSV

Scott Charles · #**547** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 8:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alkapone

Movie Locations has the Huntley Hotel building in Point Blank (1967) with Lee Marvin: https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/p/Point-Blank.php

I just watched that movie last week, and yes, the building does feature prominently in it.

ethereal_reality · #**548** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 8:09 PM**

If I remember correctly someone is thrown off the roof.

Alkapone · #**549** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 9:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

If I remember correctly someone is thrown off the roof.

It’s a Lee Marvin movie…who isn’t thrown off of something? Poor Ernest Borgnine even got tossed off a moving train!😂😂

odinthor · #**550** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 9:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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I don't believe we have seen this amazing c.1880 photograph on NLA.

"A portrait of men standing outside the Woodhead and Gay Store on 46 and 48 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, ca. 1880. Four men stand posed in front of the Woodhead & Gay General Store next to a horse-drawn cart to the right of them in back of which a fifth man stands, while several others in the background move along or seem uninterested in the photograph. A plow and other, boxed goods are piled in front of one of the men to the left. The general store itself is one story tall features three large panes for display windows, and extends eaves over the group of men. The H.J. Woollacott liquor store is also visible to the right."

losangelesrelics

[...]

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Turning to Woollacott: In 1880, Woollacott's store was just getting going. H.J. Woollacott was interesting. He began to prosper quickly enough to build a new home in a few years:

LA Herald, 1/17/1883

He sold the business for a considerable sum in 1906:

LA Times, 3/6/1906

But a long retirement was not to be:

LA Times, 11/8/1910

ethereal_reality · #**551** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 10:00 PM**

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Interesting information..Thanks, odinthor.

And THANKS for discovering the gaseous building! ..I owe you the keys to my kingdom.

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Alkapone · #**552** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 10:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HossC

It's now part of the Hollywood Freeway looking across Cahuenga Boulevard E from just south of the Barham Boulevard bridge.

GSV

White flags denoting a “Special” movement, probably railfans. PE #966 is seen in a number of postwar special trips…maybe up to about 1950 by which time the wooden 950-class had been retired out of service. For history from the original Los Angeles-Pacific 700-class through rebuilds and re-numberings see the Trolley Tuesdays section here: https://trolleytuesdays.blogspot.com/2021/02/trolley-thursday-2421-pacific-electric.html

ethereal_reality · #**553** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 10:27 PM**

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Alkapone, just by chance I happened upon this photograph earlier today on eBay. As you can see it has TWO white flags!

eBay

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Alkapone · #**554** Posted **Mar 25, 2026, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Alkapone, just by chance I happened upon this photograph earlier today on eBay. As you can see it has TWO white flags!

eBay

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Yes, carried the same as lanterns..… at both sides. The 966 has two up but it’s kind of hard to spot the other which has flopped backwards. As far as I can tell, all the 966 images were taken by Robert Tuttle McVay who died in 1986 at only 59 years and had been employed by Pacific Electric from around WWII. He was buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery (close to the Fox Hills Mall) in Culver City and was a grandfather. Copies of his images turn up in collections of some other railfans since these guys often shared amongst themselves. There’s a bit more info on him in this link: https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/static/ark:/13030/c85x2hsn

HenryHuntington · #**555** Posted **Mar 26, 2026, 3:47 AM**

Just to add a bit to alkapone's outstanding narration, we can date the photo of PE 966 to February 12, 1950. The occasion was a Bay Area Electric Railroad Association fantrip. The photo of LAMTA 1702 likewise was a fantrip, this time sponsored by the Electric Railway Historical Society of Southern California, run on February 26, 1961.

On a personal note, I purchased a couple of slide sets from Bob McVay back in the 1970s but never was privileged to have met him in person. In photos by other railfans, he was wont to appear wearing a black derby, or perhaps his old jalopy could be seen in the background. During my time cataloging visual media at SCRM, I always looked forward to handling his work. IMO, he was one of the more talented local rail photographers of his day, with a flair for composition and lighting that elevated his work above documentation.

Alkapone · #**556** Posted **Mar 26, 2026, 5:39 AM**

Very glad H.H. could identify that car as #1702. As far as I can find, the only 1700’s sequence car to survive (somewhat) was LAMTA 1707 which was ex-PE #457 and is covered here: https://www.wrm.org/visit/car-roster/passenger-cars/interurban/item/79-pacific-electric-457

odinthor · #**557** Posted **Mar 27, 2026, 1:48 AM**

Most will have long since seen this photograph of Spring St. north from First, ca. 1884-1885. As you will see, I have a reason to post it here; and, for quality, I post the image as provided by LAPL, which I've very slightly enlarged and enhanced the black/white:

https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/86555/rec/3

As I was researching Woollacott, I ran across publication of the above in the Los Angeles Times in 1915, which not only averred that it was the first publication of said photo, as well as that it dated to 1884 (LAPL says 1885), but which also provided a very thorough explanation of what businesses etc. the image shows. Here is their caption:

LA Times, 12/19/1915

The scene is somewhat different today (before being straightened, Spring, after a few straight feet, veered off diagonally to the right, to meet Main at Temple):

gsv

ethereal_reality · #**558** Posted **Mar 27, 2026, 2:02 AM**

That's one of the best descriptions of a photograph I've ever read.

Thanks for sharing it with us, odinthor.

ethereal_reality · #**559** Posted **Mar 27, 2026, 3:28 AM**

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A mystery location.

Seller's description.."Antique Sepia Snapshot Photograph Brien Co Western Auto Store Hollywood Blvd CA."

eBay

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ethereal_reality · #**560** Posted **Mar 27, 2026, 4:02 AM**

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This photograph caught my eye because the seller mentions Dog Town in the description.

Dog Town Surf cove 1970s vintage photograph, Venice CA

eBay

We saw the 'Dog Town' area about a month or so ago here on NLA . . .but now I can't find the earlier post. (and it was my post!)

Does anyone remember it?

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