noirish Los Angeles

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Saturday morning 'mystery' photo #1.


eBay

Does anyone know the location of this photograph?

The Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill and Lumber Company was on the corner of Alameda and Macy Streets. Flyingwedge previously posted the image and map below:

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

An undated (c. 1930?) photo of Olvera Street, showing the Kerckhoff-Cuzner Mill and Lumber Company in the background at the NE corner of Alameda and Macy:

LAPL -- http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics17/00008486.jpg

1921 Baist Map:

Historicmapworks.com -- http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/19411/Plate+005/

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks Hoss, that helps a lot.
I mistakenly searched for Cozner instead of Cuzner.

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

Dunno about the cop, but the car is a 1956 [ish] Austin Healey 100.

Thanks Earle!


Here's another great photograph of an Austin Healey.


http://cdn.silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Clint-Eastwood-Austin-Healey.jpg

Does anyone recognize that blonde guy in the back?
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[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thanks Hoss, that helps a lot.
I mistakenly searched for Cozner instead of Cuzner.



Thanks Earle!


Here's another great photograph of an Austin Healey.


http://cdn.silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Clint-Eastwood-Austin-Healey.jpg

Does anyone recognize that blonde guy in the back?
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1956: Clint Eastwood, age 26, sits astride his British-made Austin-Healey convertible in Los Angeles sporting the latest in beachwear."

[ethereal_reality]

Yep, you got it CBD.


We've seen world famous Ciro's many times on NLA, but this amateur slide is a first for us.


eBay




Here's Senor Wences with his smoking hand puppet. (and by hand puppet, I mean hand puppet. )


https://classicmovienight.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/senorwences1935.jpg










http://greatbutforgotten.blogspot.com/2015/05/senor-wences-comedy.html

If that doesn't give you nightmares, I don't know what will!


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[John Maddox Roberts]

I saw Sr. Wences at the Hollywood Bowl in '57-'58. He was an opening act for a Danny Kaye show. He used to be a fixture on the Ed Sullivan show.

[59imperial]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Los Angeles policeman posing by 'mystery' car.


eBay

Does anyone recognize this precinct? -or the make of the sexy policeman.....er...I mean sexy car.

-the flags are half-mast. makes me wonder what tragedy has occurred.
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The policeman is posing in front of the Torrance City Hall. The officer's arm patch appears to be Torrance PD.

[HossC]

For today's Julius Shulman post we have an unidentified Van De Kamp's Bakery. This is "Job 946: Welton Becket and Associates, Van De Kamp's (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1951".



And here's the dining area.



Both from Getty Research Institute

The information for the set above doesn't give a location, but it does say "See job 1201". Here are the two images from that set which show the kitchen area. I assume they were taken at the same place. This is "Job 1201: Welton Becket and Associates, Van De Kamp's (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1951".





Both from Getty Research Institute

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

This home is in the Montecito Heights area, just north of E. Avenue 33. Los Angeles County says the house was
built in 1885; there's a 1910 building permit to move the house to the rear of the lot.

Here is the house in December 2015:

GSV

1888:

BEHR-0062 @ CA State Library

The writing on the photo says that the big "Show House" behind 3320 was destroyed by fire in 1890.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

That's quite a find Flyingwedge!

-so glad 3320 has survived. Now to find out more information on the curved "Show House".
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The big house behind 3320 N. Griffin Avenue was the Von Keith residence:

November 3, 1889, Los Angeles Times @ LAPL

The Von Keith home was located about where the tree in the center of the photo is; I think below the tree is where the short stairway under the
central tower is in the 1888 photo. That's 3320 N. Griffin Avenue in the lower right corner:

Bing Birdseye View

If you ever wondered where the neighborhood's E. Von Keithian Avenue (upper right corner) got its name from, now you know:

Google Earth

John H. Von Keith was a landscape painter and author of Von Keith's Westward or 1,000 Items on the Wonders and Curiosities of Southern California (1887),
copies of which are available at these locations. When he registered to vote on September 24, 1888, the 51-year-old, Massachusetts-born Von Keith listed
his occupation as "Artist" and his home as "N. Griffin Ave." His daughter Wallula married pioneer Los Angeles grocer George A. Ralphs.

Von Keith apparently lost the home due to financial difficulties before it burned down:

December 23, 1890, Los Angeles Times @ LAPL

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by HossC

For today's Julius Shulman post we have an unidentified Van De Kamp's Bakery. This is "Job 946: Welton Becket and Associates, Van De Kamp's (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1951".



And here's the dining area.



Both from Getty Research Institute

The information for the set above doesn't give a location, but it does say "See job 1201". Here are the two images from that set which show the kitchen area. I assume they were taken at the same place. This is "Job 1201: Welton Becket and Associates, Van De Kamp's (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1951".

It could be the one at 6556 Wilshire @ Masselin in the former Slapsy Maxie’s. It was under construction as of Feb. 15, 1951 and open by the end of June. Welton Becket & Associates did the remodel, in “contemporary California style.”

Capable of serving 13,000 people a day, it had an 85-seat counter in the main dining room, a “sidewalk café” separated from Wilshire Blvd be a glass wall, a bakery department, take-out food bar and public lounges.
2-15-51 lat


Van de Kamp's ad for their Wilshire Coffee Shop, June 1951
6-25-51



lapl http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics25/00062149.jpg (seen on NLA before)

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent sleuthing Flyingwedge! So the 'Show' house turned out to be the Von Keith residence.


CA State Library / detail

Do you think that's Mr. Von Keith and Wallula up there?

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

The Von Keith home was located about where the tree in the center of the photo is; I think below the tree is where the short stairway under the
central tower is in the 1888 photo. That's 3321 N. Griffin Avenue in the lower right corner:

Bing Birdseye View

I think you're spot-on FW.

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[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' location.

"Caledonia Laundry Service, Los Angeles [1920s]


eBay

I posted this extra-large so you can see down the street.


The real size is more like this...


eBay





My search at lapl lead me to the Caledonia Hotel at 1219 S. Palos Verde.


1926

I don't believe the Caledonia Hotel is connected in any way with the Caledonia Laundry.

I also found a Caledonia Way on the far side of Forest Lawn in Glendale, but that doesn't look like the spot either.

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[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by 59imperial

The policeman is posing in front of the Torrance City Hall. The officer's arm patch appears to be Torrance PD.

Good eye 59imperial. Thanks for your help.


Here's an interesting photograph showing Torrance police officers posing with confiscated liquor in 1925.


http://blogs.dailybreeze.com/history/files/2015/02/torrancebooze.jpg

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

The Von Keith home was located about where the tree in the center of the photo is; I think below the tree is where the short stairway under the
central tower is in the 1888 photo. That's 3321 N. Griffin Avenue in the lower right corner:

Bing Birdseye View

If you ever wondered where the neighborhood's E. Von Keithian Avenue (upper right corner) got its name from, now you know:

Google Earth

Great post, Flyingwedge. E Von Keithian Avenue once ran just behind the houses on Avenue 33. This 1910 Baist map also shows Idlewild Terrace, which is mentioned in the LAT article posted by Flyingwedge. Notice the other short roads like Turtle Avenue, Vista Avenue and Lupin Terrace which aren't on the current map.


www.historicmapworks.com

The 1914 map isn't as clear, but looks very similar, except that the "Idlewild Terrace" name has gone.


www.historicmapworks.com

By 1921, all the empty plots marked on the maps above have disappeared. In fact, most of the area between Griffin Avenue and Avenue 33 is just labeled "Mt Olympus Tract".


www.historicmapworks.com

The 45 degree views don't really show the height of the hill behind 3321, so here's a lower angle. I also checked out Bing Maps, and that doesn't even show E Von Keithian Avenue.


Google Maps

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.

"Caledonia Laundry Service, Los Angeles [1920s]


eBay

I posted this extra-large so you can see down the street.

I found a couple of employees of the Caledonia Laundry Service listed in the 1925 CD, even though the business itself doesn't appear. That changes in 1926, when the company gets a full listing at 401 E 58th Street, where it remains until at least 1968. During the 1930s, other branches are also listed. The clipping below is from the 1936 CD. It includes addresses at 435 S Western Avenue and 4789 Whittier Boulevard. The 1938 CD doesn't have these extra addresses, but does have a branch at 736 S Fetterly Avenue.


LAPL

[HossC]

Thanks for locating the branch of Van de Kamp's in yesterday's photos, Noircitydame.


--------------------


My last set of Prudential Building photos by Julius Shulman should've included a night shot (I'm not sure how I left it out), so I couldn't resist these two. This is "Job 344: Wurdeman & Becket and Harry Bennett, Prudential Building (Los Angeles, Calif.),1948".





Both from Getty Research Institute

Seeing as it was all on its own, and from the same year, I thought I'd include this picture of Ohrbach's at the Prudential Building. Just visible between the first two pillars is the Stiles Oliver Clements designed Citizens National Bank which I posted a Shulman picture of in post #33516. This is "Job 355: Wurdeman & Becket and Harry Bennett, Ohrbach's, Prudential Building, (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1948".


Getty Research Institute

[Tourmaline]

Related

http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6267502&postcount=16656

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=7384509&postcount=34303

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=7384717&postcount=34305

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by HossC

Thanks for locating the branch of Van de Kamp's in yesterday's photos, Noircitydame.


--------------------


My last set of Prudential Building photos by Julius Shulman should've included a night shot (I'm not sure how I left it out), so I couldn't resist these two. This is "Job 344: Wurdeman & Becket and Harry Bennett, Prudential Building (Los Angeles, Calif.),1948".


Seeing as it was all on its own, and from the same year, I thought I'd include this picture of Ohrbach's at the Prudential Building. Just visible between the first two pillars is the Stiles Oliver Clements designed Citizens National Bank which I posted a Shulman picture of in post #33516. This is "Job 355: Wurdeman & Becket and Harry Bennett, Ohrbach's, Prudential Building, (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1948".


Getty Research Institute

Lovely night views.

LAPL has this one looking down the column walk the other way (showing the Van de Kamp's Wilshire Coffee Shop there at the end)
dated 1951

lapl

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

From a Los Angeles Magazine article I just read:

18 of Your Favorite Classic L.A. Places That Are About to Disappear
by Chris Nichols
July 30, 2015

Most of the following are not designated landmark buildings and most of them are not as well known as the handful of buildings that get saved each year but they play a big part in the unique culture of Southern California. Major change is upon us in 2015 as new topples old and local favorites disappear. Summer isn’t even over and these classic places are heading for extreme remodels, complete demolition, or have already passed into history. Goodbye special places, hello blandness.

L.A. Magazine article

Formosa Café: Interior
7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
This 90-year-old restaurant enjoys city landmark status, which protects the building, but not the ancient booths, lanterns, and funk inside that made this a favorite of film location scouts and fans of old Hollywood noir. A remodeling in July stripped the interior and replaced it with less.

Article link: HERE.

If anyone wants to research any of the others on the list, here they are:

El Dorado Lanes
8731 Lincoln Blvd, Westchester, CA 90045

Here's the El Dorado Lanes in January 2016, closed for renovation:

GSV

Here it is reborn in April 2016 as Bowlero (I haven't looked inside yet):

Flyingwedge photo taken out of the driver's side window, waiting for the traffic signal to change

[ethereal_reality]

ebay

Originally Posted by HossC

In 1926 the company gets a full listing at 401 E 58th Street.

Here's 401 E. 58th Street today. I'm trying to picture those two fine ladies posing in front of the building.


gsv




The Los Angeles Motorcycle Salvage building down the street might be the two-story building that's visible behind the car in my vintage photo. (see detail below)




I believe the four second-story windows in the front have simply been covered over.



The windows that are visible on the far side of the building appear to be similar to the ones in the vintage pic. (wide borders/trim)


gsv




But I was a bit lazy & didn't check out all other addresses you mentioned Hoss.

(since the 402 E. 58th St. address was from a 1926 directory, I thought that date was closest to the date of the vintage photo)
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[odinthor]

I have a deal of unidentified flotsam in my personal collection. This splendid photograph, from the photo album of an unidentified Someone, is identified by that Someone as "Street in Los Angeles." By the mix of architectural styles, it would seem to be--if in downtown L.A.--the sort of streetscape one would find in the south 100-south 400 blocks, or so; but I see nothing familiar, and I would think that the double-horned peak of the tower at dead center would be ever-memorable. There is lettering on the front of the trolley, but, play with contrast and so on as I will with the photo, I can't quite make it out. The British flag at right is intriguing and perhaps a clue to the date though not to the location. Of even less help is the photo on verso of the album page, which I'll share at some point, showing a cluster of structures identified as "Residence of Fred Robinson, Los A." Does anyone recognize anything in the photo?


From the odinthor collection.