noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Somborn had replaced the Hi-Hat with the Brown Derby by early 1932; Alexander Perino had taken over the space by late 1933. Elizabeth Arden opened her new store in the redesigned corner of the Bilicke Building on June 20, 1933.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Somborn had replaced the Hi-Hat with the Brown Derby by early 1932; Alexander Perino had taken over the space by late 1933. Elizabeth Arden opened her new store in the redesigned corner of the Bilicke Building on June 20, 1933.

Elizabeth Arden, 3933 Wilshire Boulevard, 1935

Elizabeth Arden at 3933 Wilshire Boulevard on the corner of Gramercy Place, next to The Bachelors. Maybe the husbands hung out there while the wives got massaged and facialed and gussied up at Elizabeth Arden.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

Yeah...thanks for the earworm, buddy. (Also, I think you're correct.)

Good, it's not just me with the earworm.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Can somebody tell me what the permit history is on 754 S Olive? NE corner of Olive and 8th Street. Presently a Dunkin' Donuts with the Olive Hotel on the upper floors. Shows earthquake retrofit plates and I've got a historic aerial showing what I believe is the same roof in 1948 and a 1950 map showing the Olive Hotel at this location. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can tell you that the Olive Hotel was built as the Hotel Rookwood in 1903.

[GaylordWilshire]

LAT June 28, 1914

The 12-story replacement was obviously shelved. And note that the Auto Club of So Cal occupied the donut shop back then...



LAT March 27, 1904


As FW had indicated, we've seen the Rookwood here before.... The BPs regarding the building are a serious tangle. Maybe someone will want to tackle it....

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

I can tell you that the Olive Hotel was built as the Hotel Rookwood in 1903.

Thank you, FW. Clearly the same building. Now if I could just come up with a pic of the western elevation (facing Olive) showing the ground floor businesses between 1945-55. I'll have a post about this at some point. It'll be a really cool one (I think).

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAT June 28, 1914

The 12-story replacement was obviously shelved. And note that the Auto Club of So Cal occupied the donut shop back then...



LAT March 27, 1904


As FW had indicated, we've seen the Rookwood here before.... The BPs regarding the building are a serious tangle. Maybe someone will want to tackle it....

Hard to believe that building has survived 115 years! But clearly it is the same building. And the Auto Club has been around town, perhaps stopping here before they went down to S Figueroa. At some point (late 30s early 40s), the Olive Hotel sat atop the Crown Grill Cocktail Lounge. Would like to get an image that included the street signage for that bar.

[odinthor]

Avalon's front street fountain ("front street" = "Crescent Avenue"; but everyone calls it "front street") was already looking old in 1938:

• Video Link

Glimpses of the fountain at about 3:44 and 4:58.

This is pretty much "my" Catalina. It didn't change much until starting in about the mid-60s.

[Lomara]

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

Yeah...thanks for the earworm, buddy. (Also, I think you're correct.)

Tar Pits!

[GaylordWilshire]

More NEC Eighth & Olive...


USCDL/dated 1912
GSV

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Avalon's front street fountain ("front street" = "Crescent Avenue"; but everyone calls it "front street") was already looking old in 1938:



This is pretty much "my" Catalina. It didn't change much until starting in about the mid-60s.

Catalina Golf Course.

My Boy Scout troop once set up a weekend camp on that Golf Course's choice greens. How we were ever allowed to do that, I don't remember. We even pitched tents. It was covered with a few tent stake holes when we left.

[odinthor]

So, odinthor, stop dancing around and tell us WHEN the Crescent Avenue fountain was constructed.

What, you don't like my choreographic skills?

"1934: Philip K. Wrigley, son of William Wrigley Jr., led a re-design of downtown Avalon, directing designers Otis and Dorothy Shepard to give Avalon a cohesive, Early California feel. This re-design included planting palm trees, building a serpentine wall, installing fountains, redoing signage all throughout Avalon and developing a bright and distictive color palette used in many building projects." From http://www.voncoelln.com/catalina/, which in turn credits the info to Catalina Island History by Stacey Otte, Executive Director & Jeannine Pedersen, Curator of the Catalina Island Museum.

So if the fountain already looked old in 1938, as testified by an earlier witness, and as evidenced by Exhibit A's film, I put it to you, m'lud, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that it must have been, with premeditation and forethought, deliberately antiqued upon installation!

You want more about the Shephards? OK, then: "One of the creative geniuses who influenced much of Catalina Island’s design was Otis Shepard, a legendary designer and artist who was a favorite of P.K. Wrigley. Shepard got his start in the 1920s painting billboards. He and his wife, Dorothy, another legendary designer, spent much of the early ‘30s designing and developing architectural guidelines and design elements that brought a cohesive sense of style to Avalon. Inspired by early California, including Spanish missions, Native American elements and Mexican art, much of the Shepards’ vision can still be seen today. The serpentine wall along Crescent Avenue, the distinctive street lights along Avalon’s waterfront and even the font on the street signs all were created by Otis and Dorothy Shepard. Catalina Island’s design and architecture were far from the only Shepard creations to live on into the future. The Shepards and Wrigley continued to collaborate, with the Shepards creating the distinct style of the advertising for Wrigley Chewing Gum as well as the image of the Chicago Cubs." From https://www.catalinavacations.com/blog/misc/catalina-island-design.

Now, back to choreography: This is a barrel roll turn:

• Video Link

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Avalon seemed a magical place to li'l odinthor, so different from the mainland. For those who did not experience it in the steamer days, at the steamer's original dock, let me describe how it was to come into port. As the steamer began to approach Avalon Bay, speed boats would jet out and circle the steamer in daredevil fashion--or so it seemed to us gawkers on board ship. A blast from the steamer signaled our arrival. As the ship docked, everyone would go to the side where the gangways were, and so the ship would list to that side. But meantime I would go to the front of the ship, as I would always have a feeling as if the ship was going to continue straight ahead, right up Sumner St. in the middle of town. When it didn't, I'd go to where the passengers were tossing coins overboard for the swimmers to catch or dive and get. One would hear the rattle of the baggage carts on the planks of the pier, as the baggage was unloaded before the passengers would be allowed off. Then there was the press to get off the ship, walk along the pier, and onto terra firma in Avalon, the ramp "aimed" pretty much at the fountain. A band would be playing songs reminiscent of imaginary old Spanish days, and the locals as well as visitors who had arrived previous days would be there to meet the steamer, the idea probably being that you'd likely unexpectedly meet someone you knew from the mainland. It was all thrilling, simply thrilling. At this point, my tale ends, as we leave the proximity of the fountain . . .

Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us odinthor.
You made me feel like I was right there beside you.

Originally Posted by odinthor

So if the fountain already looked old in 1938 it must have been, with premeditation and forethought, deliberately antiqued upon installation!

It never occurred to me that the fountain might have been constructed to look old. This is a very interesting theory.




Now guess what. I have another question....or two.

First of all; I'm pretty sure this the same fountain, right?

[c1953]

EBAY

What in the heck are all these people looking at?



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[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us odinthor.
You made me feel like I was right there beside you.


It never occurred to me that the fountain might have been constructed to look old. This is a very interesting theory.


Now guess what. I have another question....or two.

First of all.....is this the same fountain?

[c1953]

EBAY

What in the heck are all these people looking at?



__

Yes, e_r--same fountain.

You recall that I mentioned about watching the last brick set into place when they renovated the paving in that area. My vantage point was the room of the Hotel Mac Rae you see just above the seller's watermark's "T" next to the fountain's "tower," probably my favorite hotel room in Avalon (or anywhere)! I've watched the 4th of July festivities from there; and from there I've watched a winter storm blow in from over the ocean.

What are the fountain lookers looking at? Nowadays people toss coins in the pool under the fountain; but, if memory serves, there were big goldfish in there way back when. Not sure why that would be so interesting; but maybe they were tossing fish food in, and liked to see the fish scramble for it.

The tiles you see decorating the fountain are, of course, Catalina tiles, from the island manufactory.

The building you see to the right of the Hotel Mac Rae, long called the Hotel Monterey, but I think it has a different name now (and its appearance has been altered), is very old, going back to pre-fire days (pre-1915). When I stayed at the Hotel Monterey, in the room next to the office, the manager would pound on my wall if I spent too much time in the shower.

[ethereal_reality]

EBAY

You're right odinthor...the fountain is quite popular.
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[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' photo.

Is this Los Angeles?

"Original Slide SL77 * 1960s? Los Angeles Downtown Hill St. Forman Clark 970A"
-seller's description (no longer listed)



Maybe it doesn't 'feel' like Los Angeles because it's so rainy. (I know that's silly..but)

(& I'm pretty sure there were Foreman & Clark stores in San Francisco. (maybe NYC)

re: the theater down the street. I believe it says 'BRODKEY'. *does*not*ring*bell*
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p.s. there's also some writing in the sidewalk in the lower right corner.

[ethereal_reality]

The old Los Angeles Zoo in the 1980s.




flickr

I thought these two snapshots were interesting. I've seen photographs of the old cages but I don't remember seeing this small building before.



flickr

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[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' photo.

Is this Los Angeles?

"Original Slide SL77 * 1960s? Los Angeles Downtown Hill St. Forman Clark 970A"
-seller's description (no longer listed)



maybe it doesn't 'feel' like Los Angeles because it's so rainy. (I know that's silly..but)

(& I'm pretty sure there were Foreman & Clark stores in San Francisco. (maybe NYC)

re: the theater down the street.

'BRODKEY' [News Reel Theater?] *does*not*ring*bell*
__

p.s. there's also some writing in the sidewalk in the lower right corner.

Not sure if this is the same building, but this is Brodkey Jewelers in Omaha, Nebraska:

link

Note the “Foreman and Clark” signs, as well.

Brodkey's Jewelers, a family-owned chain that opened in Omaha in 1880, has filed for bankruptcy and plans to close its stores.

Brodkey's has nine stores. Four are in the Omaha metropolitan area; the others are in Lincoln, Grand Island, Norfolk, Hastings, Neb., and Des Moines.

https://www.omaha.com/news/brodkey-s-jew...695d58f-b7b1-5e5c-ac49-b14580466fb8.html

As to the Old LA Zoo building above, I've visited the old zoo a number of times, but I have no recollection of ever seeing that building.

[GaylordWilshire]

With so many Foreman & Clark branches in Los Angeles, the ebay seller must have assumed it was a local outfit... from post 2441:


Downtown
Hollywood Blvd
Wilshire Blvd
Burbank
Ponona

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks Scott and GW. I appreciate your help.
I've been baffled by that photograph for quite sometime.