noirish Los Angeles - Page 391

BifRayRock · #**7801** Posted **May 16, 2012, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Below left: The view from the Standard station seen in the movie toward the northwest corner of the interesection--note the match of the lamppost to the one in the movie screenshot above. Below right: A '70s shot toward the one-time Ralphs from the empty lot where the pharmacy once stood.

Top pics: Pleasant Family Shopping; MGM. Four pics above, clockwise: MGM; Google SV; LAPL; LAPL

A slightly better shot of the wet streets, sometime in the late '20s (since the Chapman didn't open until '29(?).

"The Chapman Market, designed by Morgan, Walls & Clements and opened in 1929, is representative of the Spanish Revival architecture popular in that era. Designed as the first-ever drive-in market, the Chapman is now a Koreatown nighttime hotspot, as well as home to boutique eateries like Bosco Cake Salon, which we reviewed last month. The main building is at 6th and Alexandria, with an auxiliary building across the street.

Charles Chapman and his brothers were major land owners; besides opening Chapman Market, founded what's now known as Chapman University and also published county almanacs and county histories under the name "Chapman Brothers." Charles Chapman also scored the nickname "The Orange King of California." http://franklinavenue.blogspot.com/2...d-but-its.html

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu

Moxie · #**7802** Posted **May 16, 2012, 4:19 PM**

Wow! Love all the photos, BifRayRock, but especially the ones of the Hotel Normandie and the aerials. Thanks for posting them!

GaylordWilshire · #**7803** Posted **May 16, 2012, 4:22 PM**

Beverly Hills Historic Preservation

Over at the bountiful Beverly Hills Historic Preservation, I found this shot of the '56 version of Queen for a Day's golden coach....

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Alden Jewell

Now that's one discreet limousine. Yet another façade for Hillcrest Motor Co. at 9230 Wilshire (see prior post HERE).

BifRayRock · #**7804** Posted **May 16, 2012, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Beverly Hills Historic Preservation

Over at the bountiful Beverly Hills Historic Preservation, I found this shot of the '56 version of Queen for a Day's golden coach....

Understated elegance. Room enough for the entire household, including the help. Was there a trooping of the colours after a major service?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/autohis...n/photostream/

Unless there was another Cadillac Dealership in the zipcode, Hillcrest is alleged to have had a very accomplished celebrity in its employ, none other than the second man to have traversed the moon. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/s...ic-flight.html

http://www.google.com

And in nearby Culver City . . .

http://www.flickriver.com

BifRayRock · #**7805** Posted **May 16, 2012, 6:11 PM**

The source indicates this is Beverly Hills Race Track.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1337191989940

Presumptively rare video of cycles on the same track, ca. '21 Interesting shots of covered grandstand and oil derricks in the background.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=...type=3&theater

ethereal_reality · #**7806** Posted **May 16, 2012, 8:40 PM**

Excellent! update on the Hotel Normandie renovation BifRayRock.

___

below: What is the oversized building I circled in red? I can't seem to place it.

originally posted by BifRayrock

http://www.lapl.org/

I've never noticed so many palm trees...they're lined up like soldiers.

__

Moxie · #**7807** Posted **May 16, 2012, 9:10 PM**

Doing a rough count of blocks, it may be the Public Storage building at Beverly Blvd./N. Westmoreland Ave. I was going to post a pic from Google, but Photobucket is having issues at the moment.

GaylordWilshire · #**7808** Posted **May 16, 2012, 9:11 PM**

LAPL

That's the Public Storage building at Beverly near Virgil. One of my favorite buildings in town, it seems much, much higher than its 14 stories. It was originally the American Storage Company.

Google SV, April 2009

BifRayRock · #**7809** Posted **May 16, 2012, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

below: What is the oversized building I circled in red? I can't seem to place it.

http://www.lapl.org/

I've never noticed so many palm trees...they're lined up like soldiers.

____________

I suspect the stand-at-attention palm trees seem more pronounced than usual due to the time of day/location of the sun.

Regarding the identity of the circled building, Moxie and GW beat me to the punch. I have been given to understand that for many years the building was used by Pacific Bell, but have never been able to confirm that. There were also rumors of a speakeasy and of course, a vault. Note how close it was to the Palomar and the Bimini Baths. And speaking of the Bimini Baths, an oldtimer or two mentioned that building the Ralphs at Third Street and Vermont required extra deep pilings because of the Bimini slough that ran underneath it. Have not seen any photos of this undertaking.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...86986&page=116

I also wondered about the original Cedars of Lebanon on Sunset, causing me to think of the former Queen of Angels . . . Which provides a good excuse to post this:

http://www.flickr.com

Old Cedars of Lebanon Hospital Entrance

http://en.wikipedia.org

ethereal_reality · #**7810** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:13 PM**

Obsolete railroad spurs are always such a cool thing to find.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

Facing the Cornfield are some very old railway tracks. Clearly, these were a spur line that passed by the loading docks on the buildings. Walking around there one sees that the owners and tenants have chosen to preserve, even showcase these old tracks.

The Cornfield was home to River Station, one of L.A.'s earliest railway stations -- perhaps the first -- I'm not sure.

"Exterior view of the River Station in Los Angeles." -LAPL

http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=51220

below: "Exterior view of the River Station in Los Angeles.
The building is constructed of brick, with several arches at the front of the building." -LAPL

http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/F...olNumber=51219

The first photo is obviously an earlier building (there were no dates on either of the photos).

Is that a glimpse of the wooden pedestrian viaduct/bridge that once crossed over the rail yards in the second photograph?
I believe it is, but I am not 100% sure.

below: In this aerial you can see the enormous length of the wooden viaduct as it crossed over the railyards.

http://www.lapl.org/

below: Another excellent view of the old rail yards showing the wooden footbridge.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...ller/index.htm

And there is even a 'noir' connection.

originally posted by gsjansen

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=3993

We've covered the bridge numerous times in the past.

To see color photos of the bridge, as well as views from the bridge go here.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=4002

To see the bridge illustrated on old maps go here.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=4000

GaylordWilshire · #**7811** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:20 PM**

LAPL

GoogleSV

Country Club Drive at Gramercy, 1958 and 2011

LAPL

GoogleSV

Main and 7th, 1933 and 2011

LAPL

GoogleSV

Culver City: W. Washington between La Cienega and the west end of Adams, wet (1933), dry (1937), and... 2011. The current building on the site appears to be newish... but
is it modeled somewhat after the Tropical Inn, or might it actually incorporate part of the original? Well, perhaps not quite the original--here's a postcard of the Inn from the '20s:

LAPL

Moxie · #**7812** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:21 PM**

3940dxer's post about the old rail spur reminded me of this website about "The Rat Hole" that has lots of great pics of what's left in that part of L.A. (or, at least, what was left in 2005): http://www.dpdproductions.com/page_r...y_rathole.html

BifRayRock · #**7813** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:23 PM**

Speaking of rail spurs, looking at aerials of the West Hollywood area (San Vicente and Santa Monica), noticed this shot. To be sure, there are similar shots, but I haven't seen anything specifically identifying the riding academy and the Gold Seal Dairy. Those black dots toward the bottom right of the picture may be Jerseys or Holsteins.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1337203341401

__________________________________________

For some unknown reason, this wonderful photograph, identified as "1925 Klubnikins Packing House in Boyle Heights" brings to mind several posts by EW that touch on alleged "sanitation" issues near what is now Union Station.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...86986&page=116

Both the "Bimini Baths" and the "Klubnikins" images were found in another area of this Forum. Some of them have been posted here before, but there are some nice Los Angeles images posted by Jesus E Salgado there, that seem at home here too. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...86986&page=116

Sorry, I can't resist. (Photos identified as '25 but the police cars are clearly later models. Monte Vista at Ave 57, Highland Park; Temple and Los Angeles Streets; Hollywood.)

ethereal_reality · #**7814** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:24 PM**

Thanks for the info. on the Public Storage building Moxie, G_W & BifRayRock. It's quite the edifice!
So it was never a Bekins building?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

That's the Public Storage building at Beverly near Virgil. One of my favorite buildings in town, it seems much, much higher than its 14 stories. It was originally the American Storage Company.

BifRayRock · #**7815** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

GoogleSV

Country Club Drive at Gramercy, 1958 and 2011

Nice shots!

(It probably goes without saying that once it realized its Mail Box was in a flood plain, the Post Office relocated the box - hopefully to higher ground.)

ethereal_reality · #**7816** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

How in the world did I not know about this culinary Xanadu?? Someone please tell me they have photos of the interior.

___

BifRayRock · #**7817** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

So it was never a Bekins building?

Don't think so.

google

ebay

http://www.flickr.com

Santa Monica Blvd ca.'40s

http://www.flickr.com

Another view of the Bekins bldg in West Hollywood? From Croft Ave, '27 before Barney's?

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...170279&page=46

ethereal_reality · #**7818** Posted **May 16, 2012, 10:46 PM**

Interesting Bekins ephemeral/photos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

I would like to know more about this particular photo. The info. might have been in one of the links you provided but I missed it.
I am especially curious about this extra wide street.

BifRayRock · #**7819** Posted **May 16, 2012, 11:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I would like to know more about this particular photo. The info. might have been in one of the links you provided but I missed it.
I am especially curious about this extra wide street.

I have seen the photo before, but the source of this particular photo is unknown other than it is a repost from another area of the "Skyscraper" Forum. It just says 1925 Police Cars. Unfortunately, there are no other source references. Look at this page and you should find it.http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...86986&page=116

All photos are from that page and everything is dated "1925."

From one of the latest posts for that thread entitled: "Evolution through time of Los Angeles California"http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...86986&page=173

GaylordWilshire · #**7820** Posted **May 17, 2012, 12:22 AM**

Modern Mechanix