noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

At first I was going to smart off...but now I'm beginning to see a possible newspaper as well CBD.






Here are a few more snapshots of people posing by the same car.





Easter 1931







The same seller also had this snapshot on ebay. ( a few months ago...along with the photographs shown above)

[Harry's Place]

1930

[ethereal_reality]

That's a great one Harry.

I know we've discussd this strange place in the past, but I'm not sure if we ever figured out the location. (I'll have to check the old posts)


.

[ethereal_reality]

Initially I thought this was one of the Pneumonic Plague photographs' that someone is selling reprints of on Ebay.

But this one is an original print. (creases and all)

"RAT CATCHERS 1920 photograph CITY OF LOS ANGELES HEALTH DEPARTMENT Badges CAGES Dead Rats"


EBAY

SELLER'S DESCRIPTION:

"One original old photograph. Looks like the whole team showed up for this one. Some are wearing badges. One can easily read a can at right that states
'HEALTH DEPARTMENT CITY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA'. Guy kneeling at left appears to be hiding and does not want to be seen. Dead rats are placed about."


HERE

[59imperial]

According to information found on https://playingintheworldgame.com/20...hoot-i-scream/

"The cafe was built at 1201 Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA and stayed there from around 1926-1928. The land was sold to a new owner, and the building relocated to 8404 Long Beach Boulevard, three blocks away. Information from the South Gate Directory, dated July 1st, 1945, shows the building at this address from 1928 – 1949. It relocated again in 1949 to 8711 Long Beach Boulevard, and remained there until its demolition in 1979." Here's how it looked in 1977.
Hoot Owl Cafe, horizontal view, 8711 Long Beach Boulevard, Southgate, Los Angeles, California (LOC) by The Library of Congress, on Flickr

[Noir_Noir]

Two historical posts on the Hoot Hoot and it's locations -

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5111

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11778



Two additional pictures, the original location and it's final roosting spot,



fastcompany.com



Ebay

[ScottyB]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Initially I thought this was one of the Pneumonic Plague photographs' that someone is selling reprints of on Ebay.

But this one is an original print. (creases and all)

"RAT CATCHERS 1920 photograph CITY OF LOS ANGELES HEALTH DEPARTMENT Badges CAGES Dead Rats"


EBAY

SELLER'S DESCRIPTION:

"One original old photograph. Looks like the whole team showed up for this one. Some are wearing badges. One can easily read a can at right that states
'HEALTH DEPARTMENT CITY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA'. Guy kneeling at left appears to be hiding and does not want to be seen. Dead rats are placed about."


HERE

Great picture! I like the guy in the middle with only whites for eyes....brrr.

Fast fwd 100 years....rats in City Hall https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...d-city-n969171

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

I'm doing some work on early Hill Street and a couple pictures are confounding me. Any input would be appreciated.

These two Widney houses. Here's this image of Joseph Widney's pad at 321 S Hill. And what do we think is up there on the hillside?

usc



Now also at USC is this image of "Judge Widney"'s residence. See how much it looks like 321's neighbor, on the Sanborn.

usc

You picked a tough nut to crack, Beaudry!

On the 1888 Sanborn, the first four addresses on the west side of Hill Street below 4th Street are hard to read but might be 301, 305,
309, and 321.

The bottom photo appears to show 309 S. Hill, Judge R. M. Widney's residence until he built behind it on Olive (see the October 21, 1883,
Los Angeles Herald). The house in the photo certainly resembles 309 S. Hill (the third house south of 4th St.) on the 1888 Sanborn.

If the top photo shows Dr. J. P. Widney's 321 S. Hill before it was remodeled prior to 1888 (as you surmise), the house on the hill behind
it could be 317 S. Charity/Grand, which seems to line up west of 321 S. Hill. UCLA's copy of the top image ("View of houses near
present-day Grand Ave, Los Angeles") says the house in the background was on Grand (ex-Charity). In UCLA's image you can also see
a second set of streetcar tracks in front of 321 S. Hill (in case that's helpful for comparing the location with other photos).

Three one seven Charity looks to have been occupied by the Packard family as early as 1878. Mrs. David Packard is shown living there
on the 1881 Los Angeles map re-created in 1931 (Block 76).

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Initially I thought this was one of the Pneumonic Plague photographs' that someone is selling reprints of on Ebay.

But this one is an original print. (creases and all)

"RAT CATCHERS 1920 photograph CITY OF LOS ANGELES HEALTH DEPARTMENT Badges CAGES Dead Rats"


EBAY

SELLER'S DESCRIPTION:

"One original old photograph. Looks like the whole team showed up for this one. Some are wearing badges. One can easily read a can at right that states
'HEALTH DEPARTMENT CITY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA'. Guy kneeling at left appears to be hiding and does not want to be seen. Dead rats are placed about."


HERE

City Hall & Skid Row could use a few of those rat patrol dudes today. Acc. to L.A. Times, a city worker caught typhus from a rat flea bite in City Hall East. Skid Row is crawling with rats and fleas according to the Times. Rat populations seem to be surging all over the city, even in some nicer neighborhoods. San Diego too--not unusual to see rats scurrying around. Bedbugs and pesky little black ants that invade kitchens are more common too. Maybe the recent cold weather will help control the pests, at least for a while. I just hope we don't get an invasion of big spiders, like they have in Sydney (funnel webs, etc.). Spiders scare me.

[CaliNative]

[QUOTE=Noir_Noir;8479428]

Two historical posts on the Hoot Hoot and it's locations -

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=5111

I Scream Ice Cream. Clever. Bet that big owl scared the pooping pigeons away. Might also scare some small children. Maybe why they went out of business? Often a clever name isn't enough.

[Hollywood Graham]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

City Hall & Skid Row could use a few of those rat patrol dudes today. Acc. to L.A. Times, a city worker caught typhus from a rat flea bite in City Hall East. Skid Row is crawling with rats and fleas according to the Times. Rat populations seem to be surging all over the city, even in some nicer neighborhoods. San Diego too--not unusual to see rats scurrying around. Bedbugs and pesky little black ants that invade kitchens are more common too. Maybe the recent cold weather will help control the pests, at least for a while. I just hope we don't get an invasion of big spiders, like they have in Sydney (funnel webs, etc.). Spiders scare me.

I am wondering if those milk cans being used by the Rat Squad have to be returned and used for the morning milking.
Rats this summer were everywhere even here in Ojai because of the fire. I paid a local exterminator to get rid of them, he charged $150.00 and only caught one. He wanted another $50.00 to stay another week. I told him I will buy $50.00 worth of traps and do it myself. I caught a lot with the traps and BB gun too. Have not seen any since.

[Beaudry]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

You picked a tough nut to crack, Beaudry!

On the 1888 Sanborn, the first four addresses on the west side of Hill Street below 4th Street are hard to read but might be 301, 305,
309, and 321.

The bottom photo appears to show 309 S. Hill, Judge R. M. Widney's residence until he built behind it on Olive (see the October 21, 1883,
Los Angeles Herald). The house in the photo certainly resembles 309 S. Hill (the third house south of 4th St.) on the 1888 Sanborn.

If the top photo shows Dr. J. P. Widney's 321 S. Hill before it was remodeled prior to 1888 (as you surmise), the house on the hill behind
it could be 317 S. Charity/Grand, which seems to line up west of 321 S. Hill. UCLA's copy of the top image ("View of houses near
present-day Grand Ave, Los Angeles") says the house in the background was on Grand (ex-Charity). In UCLA's image you can also see
a second set of streetcar tracks in front of 321 S. Hill (in case that's helpful for comparing the location with other photos).

Three one seven Charity looks to have been occupied by the Packard family as early as 1878. Mrs. David Packard is shown living there
on the 1881 Los Angeles map re-created in 1931 (Block 76).

Thanks for your help! I think you're right about everything you're saying. What was really bugging me was how the address jumped from 309 to 321, especially since the addresses "tightened up" after the '89 City renumbering ordinance—I was comparing the '88 and '94 Sanborns:



And in '94 the third house down is 417, but I'm now sold that the third house down, pre-89, was definitely numbered 309. Especially since the Herald clip you linked to notes he was building it right behind his old place...and it's numbered 310, which would put it right behind 309 (310 became 416 Olive, also). See, I knew I'd come to the right place to get my head sorted out! And thanks too for the insight on the Packards—and I had no idea there was such a magnificent zoomable JP Widney at UCLA.

[ethereal_reality]

Interior of market on Figueroa.


EBAY




THE ADDRESS IS WRITTEN THE BACK.


4315 So. Figueroa St.
LA CA
June 13, 1931





The ceiling light situation.

What caught my eye was the chain leading from the globe fixture to an outlet(?) in the ceiling.

DETAIL

Then I noticed a barely visible string going over to the light on the left. Hanging in the center of all this is a large clear lightbulb.



What's going on here Was Rube Goldberg the electrician?

[ethereal_reality]

SOUTHLAND mystery location.


EBAY

Perhaps the photographer is standing on the roof of the Balboa Bay Bowling Alley? (because I don't see it anywhere in the photograph)

__


update:

I decided to include a close-up.
I decided against it.

In the upper left..is the 'Balboa Coffee Shop'..next to it is a small dark sign that says 'cafe'.

No doubt the best clue is Knight's Rooms & Apts. ( lower right)...and a Rexall Drugs up the street.

[ethereal_reality]

How 'bout some KODACHROME slides.


A boy's birthday party outing to the NU-PIKE in Long Beach. [c.1956]



"Boys..for the last time, TURN AROUND!!


EBAY




That's better....SMILE!







On the Rocket Ship Ride.








BOATS..and a good look at the background.



WHAT A DAY!

__

[ethereal_reality]

I can't quit thinking about the young rat catcher.

................................this young lad.


He is the only person in the rat catcher photo hiding his face.

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

SOUTHLAND mystery location.


EBAY

Perhaps the photographer is standing on the roof of the Balboa Bay Bowling Alley? (because I don't see it anywhere in the photograph)

___


update:

I decided to include a close-up.
I decided against it.

In the upper left..is the 'Balboa Coffee Shop'..next to it is a small dark sign that says 'cafe'.

No doubt the best clue is Knight's Rooms & Apts. ( lower right)...and a Rexall Drugs up the street.

___________________

We're looking west on Main St. at Bay St. in the Balboa neighborhood of Newport Beach. The building housing the Balboa Coffee Shop has been replaced by a branch U.S. Post Office, but the other buildings shown in the photo remain. The pharmacy on the corner of Main and Balboa Blvd. is still a pharmacy, though of course no longer Rexall. The building on the opposite corner of Main St. was once a hardware store and then a real estate office. It's now a beachwear shop.

The building presumably containing the bowling alley also remains. It once housed the Balboa Bakery (the eclairs were special) and later became a take-out eatery.

The location was fairly strategic, as the Balboa Pavillion was behind the photographer and across a walkway; while a half-block across Balboa Blvd. the once-famous Balboa Inn hosted big-name big bands in the 1930s-40s. A bit further on, the Balboa Pier still juts into the Pacific.

Please forgive me for waxing a bit nostalgic, but I misspent some of the happiest hours of my youth in and around here. And a bit later on, Class of '47 was, and might still be, one of the better dive bars in the OC for the not-so-youthful.

[CityBoyDoug]

Snow is predicted for parts of LA today. We'll see.

Last time it snowed in LA was 1962. I went outside tonight and believe me its cold here in LA.

This February 2019 is the coldest ever on record....

Tujunga 1962


curbed LA

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Interior of market on Figueroa.


EBAY

The ceiling light situation.

What caught my eye was the chain leading from the globe fixture to an outlet(?) in the ceiling.

DETAIL

Then I noticed a barely visible string going over to the light on the left. Hanging in the center of all this is a large clear lightbulb.

What's going on here Was Rube Goldberg the electrician?

Regarding the ceiling light bulb, my guess would be that the big fixture to the right blew out, so a temporary bulb was hung to give light. Cheaper than repairing the big fixture, or maybe they couldn't find the correct parts? This was the start of the Depression, so money needed to be spent wisely.

I have a question--what are the items for sale stacked on the counter at left, and the cylindrical thingies for sale ("2 for 25 cents") in wire bin below? Any ideas? Can't be Pringles--"can't eat just one"--they weren't invented until the 1960s. What would really be strange is if there was an open laptop computer on the counter. Twilight Zone stuff.

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

How 'bout some KODACHROME slides.

A boy's birthday party outing to the NU-PIKE in Long Beach. [c.1956]
___________________________________________________________________

Great slides, and commentary, E_R! Looks a bit chilly that day!

Speaking of chilly:

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Snow is predicted for parts of LA today. We'll see.

Last time it snowed in LA was 1962. I went outside tonight and believe me its cold here in LA.

This February 2019 is the coldest ever on record....
_________________________________________________________________

Yes, we had six days in the 80's last February. We haven't even hit a high of 70° yet this month. I'd love to see some snow of any kind today...we shall see!

Hollywood Hills could see a bit of snow as ‘coldest storm system I’ve seen’ hits L.A. area
By Hannah Fry
Feb 21, 2019 | 9:45 AM

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...221-story.html

Last night was cold and it didn't help that my electricity went off for extended periods twice last night. Before midnight.

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

___________________
Please forgive me for waxing a bit nostalgic, but I misspent some of the happiest hours of my youth in and around here. And a bit later on, Class of '47 was, and might still be, one of the better dive bars in the OC for the not-so-youthful.
___________________________________________________________________

HH, I enjoyed your waxing...and if you were having some of the happiest hours of your youth, it was definitely not misspent!