noirish Los Angeles

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.

I happened upon this photograph of a Pacific Electric car a few weeks ago on eBay.


Can any of you transit aficionados (I'm looking at you HENRY HUNTINGTON) tell me what the contraption attached to the front of the rail-car is?


eBay

It looks like a big waffle maker but I doubt that's what it is.

.

____________________

Sorry for the tardy response, e-r, but home repairs have upended life at Chez Huntington of late.

This car was rebuilt from a passenger car and in the configuration shown was used by Pacific Electric as a weed burner on private rights-of-way 1948-52. It was retired due to a combination of reduced need as rail service contracted and the employment of chemical agents *cough* instead.

The car actually exists at SCRM after having been restored to its original style.

Details here: https://socalrailway.org/collections/pacific-electric/1001-details/

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Do detailed maps like this exist for all parts (every city block) of L.A. and other cities, or just commercial areas? How far do they go back? From the 19th century to the present? How often are they updated? Are they digitized and available online, or do you need to go to places like the Hall of Records? Who made these maps?--Government? Street map companies like Thomas Bros.? Title Insurance companies...? Sorry to inundate you with questions, but these land use maps are interesting. Ultimately they must have something to do with taxes or commerce, as collecting taxes is key to governments and commerce is key to business. I keep thinking of that scene from "Chinatown", where Gittes (Nicholson) goes to the Hall of Records and pretends to cough so he can tear out a map platt page like this without being heard by the snooty clerk.

The Sanborn Maps were for fire insurance. The LA Public Library has an overview of the maps here: https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides/sanborn-atlases

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

The Sanborn Maps were for fire insurance. The LA Public Library has an overview of the maps here: https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides/sanborn-atlases

Thanks.

[Snix]

The Hamilton Methodist Church was dedicated on March 6, 1904. It was designed by architect Henry Starbuck. He was married four times. Check out this noirish tidbit about wife #3

...his third wife, Mrs. Margaret (Mabee) Lee...She was implicated but was never charged in a triple murder that occurred in July 1910 on their property, The Margaret Starbuck Ranch, now known as Lions Head Ranch in Cazadero, California. This led to their separation in 1911 and divorce in 1914

Los Angeles Evening Express
3/5/1904

Starbuck Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_F._Starbuck

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Very sad. It was seen here in post 6928 in 2012:

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
[...]


Oh, and one more thing.


Here's a look inside the lobby of the Hotel Cordova.


Courtesy of odinthor's A Visit to Old Los Angeles


I think the odd angles might be the result of a. . .um. . .fish tail. . . no. . .fish eye lens.

.

e_r, it looks to me as if the whimsy of the architect or owner deemed it appropriate that the entrance hall be in the form of a near-hexagon, for reasons we can only guess at.


I have a couple of articles about the Cordova which . . . throw absolutely no light on that question, but which might be interesting.



LA Times, 5/5/1912

and


Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer, v. 11, p. 8, May 17, 1913

[ethereal_reality]

That's very interesting information, odinthor. Thanks for finding it.


The Rutland Apartments (mentioned in the 1st & 4th paragraph) still stands on the north-west corner of S. Main and Washington Streets.


Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer, May 17, 1913



Here's a glimpse of one of the somewhat spooky hallways in the Rutland. (the ceiling lighting fixture looks original)


YELP

The woman is a tenant.




The main entrance on Main Street is rather striking with its oversized marquee.


GSV








The view from the intersection of S. Main & Washington.


GSV

It was built in ...(I must have missed the date)...1910?






Here's a bit more information from odinthor's article.


Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer, May 17, 1913

hmm. .so what is meant by moulded granite? Wouldn't it be carved granite. Moulded makes me think of a malleable material like terracotta, not granite.


Is terracotta malleable?
.

[ethereal_reality]

.

Mystery of the Douglass Temple.


Is anyone familiar with this place?


eBay (no longer listed)

The photograph no doubt shows members of a multiracial religious group.


The building is a fine example of the Arts & Crafts Movement....I hope it's still standing.


I checked to see if the LA stood for Louisiana but I looked closer and I'm pretty sure there's a period after both the L and the A.

(and the seller said it was Los Angeles)


Douglass Temple...March 23, 1919
.

[Herrenz]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.

Mystery of the Douglass Temple.


Is anyone familiar with this place?


eBay (no longer listed)

The photograph no doubt shows members of a multiracial religious group.


The building is a fine example of the Arts & Crafts Movement....I hope it's still standing.


I checked to see if the LA stood for Louisiana but I looked closer and I'm pretty sure there's a period after both the L and the A.

(and the seller said it was Los Angeles)


Douglass Temple...March 23, 1919
.

Hello! Long time lurker (since this thread's inception) but now deciding to join the conversation. Anyway, I did some googling and found this blog with the same photograph from eBay.

Here's a screenshot of the post. I desaturated it to make it easier to read.

AfricanUSABlack

Can't find any more information from my casual googling.
There's a mention of an academic paper somebody wrote on the religion and congregation. Perhaps one of you sleuths has access to some journal databases.

[Noir_Noir]

rescarta.lapl.org


According to a permit of 1915 it was built as a "Temporary Church" in this location.


In 1919 it was moved to a new location.



ladbsdoc.lacity.org



rescarta.lapl.org



Google Maps Street View

[odinthor]

Welcome to posting, Herrenz! Thanks!

*******

The only thing I have found about the Douglass Temple in either the LA Times or the LA Herald is this from the latter:


LA Herald, April 5, 1919.

[Mackerm]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A Visit to Old Los Angeles


I think the odd angles might be the result of a. . .um. . .fish tail. . . no. . .fish eye lens.

.

Originally Posted by odinthor

e_r, it looks to me as if the whimsy of the architect or owner deemed it appropriate that the entrance hall be in the form of a near-hexagon, for reasons we can only guess at.

I'm pretty sure it was three images stitched together, something like this:



Note the angle in the beam on the left, and the circled glitch where the artist connected two lines which didn't quite come together. In ordinary wide-angle lenses, straight lines stay straight, so the photographer panned to take three photos from the same viewpoint.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

The Sanborn Maps were for fire insurance. The LA Public Library has an overview of the maps here: https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides/sanborn-atlases

Thanks Flying for the Library information and link.

[ethereal_reality]

.

Excellent information on the Douglass Temple & the Universal Brotherhood of Spiritualism, Herrenz.

. . .& thanks for the additional information, Noir Noir and odinthor.... It's all appreciated. (because I couldn't find a darn thing)

Noir Noir, do you think the house currently at 1434 E. 21st is the former temple or an entirely different structure?

It's so ugly I almost wish that it isn't the old Douglass Temple.




.

[Noir_Noir]

I don't think it's an entirely different structure. No permits to suggest the original was removed from the site.

Here's part of a 2005 permit to convert the church into a duplex + garage. The Douglass Temple Universal Brotherhood of Spiritualism are listed as the owner.



ladbsdoc.lacity.org


The original photograph you posted likely documents the first Sunday service (March 23, 1919) at the new location of 1434 E. 21st St.

The permit to move it from Lenard is dated March 15, 1919. They had about a week to shift it and be ready for the big turnout the following Sunday.

Here's the Douglass Temple on the 1922 Sanborn Map.



www.loc.gov


They had meeting rooms next door at 1430 E. 21st and the Rev George Shields lived at 1442, two doors to the right.

[ethereal_reality]

.
It's so amazing to see the Douglass Temple on the map! Thanks again, Noir Noir.






Mystery sect or fashion-challenged Pilgrims?





I believe there are possibly two males. . .top, center. . .& bottom, center. (holding the doll)



Here's the complete RPPC with the photographer's information at the bottom.



....G. E. Lawrence...133 ....1/2 S. Spring St....Los Angeles, Cal


Their attire seems vaguely familiar (no, not Thanksgiving Pilgrims). .I'm thinking. .um. .Russian Molokans? . . .French Huguenots?. . .or. . .um. . Calvinists? (are Calvinists, pilgrims?) . . . .or





I decided to include the seller's description.


No longer listed on eBay

.

[odinthor]

e_r--

Welsh!


https://costumesociety.org.uk/blog/post/...xploration-of-the-welsh-national-costume

[ethereal_reality]

.

That's it! ...Thank you so much, odinthor.

Does anyone know if there was a Welsh conclave in Los Angeles back in the 1880s?

In the mean time I'll see if I can find some information myself.
.

[odinthor]

Not sure if this is the specific event connected with the photograph; but it's likely that it's the same organization, as I gather from other articles, the Welsh Presbyterian Church, which met in the First Prebyterian Church at Fort and 2nd, at least for a time (later, they were on Crocker St.).


LA Herald, 3/2/1892

And I'd guess the two men in the photo are John Humphreys and John LLewellyn. The latter is probably he of the Llewellyn Bros. Columbia Foundry at San Fernando and Magdalena; the former is a collector living at 843 Hemlock (info from the 1891 CD).

[unihikid]

Originally Posted by Lwize

1903 church at 1376 E 18th st, LA 90021 just destroyed by fire.

Any info on its history?


(GSV, hosted by me)



https://abc7.com/downtown-los-angeles-church-fire-lafd/10981866/

So sad. I want to say back in the late 90's early 2000's it had a fire as well. I used to use this as a point of reference on my way home while traveling along the 10. There used to be an original Mc Donald's arched building that wasn't too far away. All things i'd look out for while in traffic. Speaking of fires, (also something i look at while in traffic) the Pierce Brothers Funeral Home is being rebuilt after a fire that happened last year. (Its near the 10 and 110 interchang).

[ethereal_reality]

.

This photograph caught my eye because the stand alone house looks like a little movie set.



old er file

"A house in the new Glen Oaks Tract, built up close to the canyon wall."


I believe the Glen Oaks tract was situated somewhere between Glendale and Pasadena but the photograph shows a pretty big canyon wall so it threw me for a loop.



.