noirish Los Angeles

[Wig-Wag]

I was finally able to track down some definitive photos of the LARY/LATL First and Chicago Streets loop. Yes Margaret, there really was a transit loop at this location.

First up, for reference, the original photo. If you look carefully at the rear of the car closest to the camera you can see the rails curving to the right, behind it.


URL=https://imageshack.com/i/ey4obDVoj][/URL]

Photo 2., is a Google Street View image showing the buildings on first street that are visible across the triangle in the original photo, while photo 3., is a GSV referencing the current vest pocket park.





Photo 4., is from the Andy Goddard collection on the pacificelectric.org website and shows a March 1963 LAMTA excursion at the the loop where it curves up alongside the brick building still extant and facing the park. These are the rails seen behind the car in the first photo.



Photo 5., is also from the Andy Goddard collection an shows the same scene from the passenger boarding side of the cars.



Now to see if I can track down the location of the PE Butterfly 12 at Compton, from ER's post No. 27287. . .

Cheers,
Jack

[Tourmaline]

1931 - Tu-way Market, 760 Boyle Ave. (Neighbor Wheeler Dye Works appears to have been in business through 1960.)

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/17409/rec/5


Intense sun or water based paint?

Signage looks old before its time.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

It's looking east on Wilshire from Fairfax in 1929.




usc digital archive

Advertising/Weather balloon near the Wilshire Tower Building, or something else?? (Which way to Kansas?)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=547









1910
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00007/00007966.jpg





Pasadena via dirigible, undated
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics31/00035364.jpg



1962 - Disney's Matterhorn
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00106/00106418.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Wig-Wag

I was finally able to track down some definitive photos of the LARY/LATL First and Chicago Streets loop. Yes Margaret, there really was a transit loop at this location.

March 1963

Thanks so much for settling the question once and for all Wig-Wag! I appreciate your hard work.
...but how'd you know I go by Margaret on the weekends?



(I'm kidding)

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Lockheed produced the Model 14 which evolved into the Hudson B14-bomber. However, I think the aircraft in the picture is actually a Boeing 247. (They look similar, but Lockheed had the twin rudder versus Boeing's single rudder.)

"United Airlines" Boeing 247 (?)civilian trim, circa '37. When weight and space came at a premium.
lapl

Lockheed Model 14
wiki

http://wesclark.com/burbank/hudson_bombers.jpg

For more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRWQYuymGZ8

MR, you may find this doc. particularly interesting! Lockheed Aircraft Company in 1940 - Aircraft & Aviation Documentary featuring the Hudson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vhqo...eature=related

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/1787/rec/445

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by HossC

I've just come across a color video of the Arroyo Seco Parkway taken in 1939. It's a 16mm Kodachrome movie which shows parts of the new road still under construction. I don't think it's been posted before.

Arroyo Seco Parkway: Dawn of the Freeway Age:




Both pictures are from the YouTube video 1939 Arroyo Seco.



The video was uploaded by Caltrans, and they have another video where they match up some of the film with present day footage to celebrate the road's 70th anniversary back in 2010:

Arroyo Seco Parkway Then and Now 2010

I'm guessing that the different colored parts of the road surface were supposed to indicate lanes, although the 1939 drivers don't seem to pay much attention to them.

Guessing the artist preferred the Arroyo in Autumn or ingested the wrong mushrooms.


http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4111/rec/515

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Otis Criblecoblis

Throop Polytechnic Institute did begin to evolve into Caltech in 1908, but before that time it was a different sort of institution. It placed the manual arts on the same level as the liberal arts and the sciences. Its motivating principle was that learning how to work with one's hands, how to solve physical problems by direct action, helped build a better citizen whether one went on to become a machinist or a lawyer, a physician or a plumber.

This is a great description. Thanks for the information Otis Criblecoblis.

After a google or two, I found that Amos Gager Throop established a Universalist group in Pasadena in 1886:
The church survives as the Throop Unitarian Universalist Church. (a church that doesn't discriminate )


https://plus.google.com/104445099113928100150/posts

above: Throop Memorial Church, Frederick Kennedy Jr. Architect ca. 1922


He also has a peak (I spelled it right this time *) named after him.


http://peakery.com/throop-peak-california/


http://peakery.com/throop-peak-california/

"Throop Peak is a 9,142 ft. peak in the Angeles National Forest. The high peak provides views of the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles Basin all the way to the ocean."

__

[Tourmaline]

Choices when staying in Santa Monica?

1930s - Hotel Windermere

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4334/rec/620






Accommodations for NICE people.



Olympic Auto Hotel - conveniently located at Lincoln and Olympic Blvd

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4307/rec/528

[Tourmaline]

Blowing off steam after being denied a room at the Olympic Auto Hotel?

Description Back of postcard: The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. Chief Oxendine of the famous Lumbee Tribe won his battle against the Klu-Klux Klan, then traveled over 3,000 miles to scalp HUCK-L-Berry, the Hollywood Clown. Ziggi, the Chimp, loves riding the Grifith [sic] Park Merry-Go-Round and acting the part of a Cowboy. Color by Stan Solo.

????


1959 - Griffith Park merry-go-round "circus".

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/singl...d/4703/rec/569

[Tourmaline]

1907 - Colorado "Street," Pasadena

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/3368/rec/604

[ethereal_reality]

two rare snapshots


"1941 B&W Photo Snapshots "Red Car" Pacific Electric Track Removal Long Beach Ca."


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-B-W-PHO...item35cdc1fa29




http://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-B-W-PHO...item35cdc1fa29

Written on the back. "Carl, Marie, Chuck and Fancher (Francher) June 1941. Built this machine for pulling street car rails."

(The original photographs are clearer than the enlargements I created)

__

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

I was scouting around in Boyle Heights and found lovely, 4-acre, tear-shaped Prospect Park tucked into the little pocket made by the San Bernardino, Golden State and Santa Ana freeways. Boyle Heights was subdivided by William Workman (1839-1918) in 1868 from his Paredon Blanco vineyards. One-hundred-and-five-acre Brooklyn Heights was further subdivided in 1876. It finally got off the ground in the late 1880s during the then boom. There are still a number of late 1880s homes around Prospect Park on Mitchell Place, Bridge Street and Echandia, which borders the park (some street names have been changed). Residents would have crossed the covered 1870 bridge at Macy street to get home from town. Incredible to think how much LA has been through, the scandals, earthquakes, floods and so much built and demolished, but these unassuming little homes, isolated on their hilltop, seem to have remained blissfully unaware of it all.

1877 View over Prospect Park, looking west across Los Angeles.
El Aliso is on Aliso, LAHS on Poundcake Hill, the Plaza is recognizable and
the old Clock Tower Courthouse is right where it should be:

kcet

It's been a while since we've seen Prospect Park. ER appears to have been the first to come across it a while back: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...75#post5260475

[Tourmaline]

1956 - Motel "66," Monrovia

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/3985/rec/774

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by westcork

Paradise Motel on the corner of Sunset and Bellevue/Beaudry. It looks like the neon has been removed. I lived directly above this motel (on Sunvue) in my younger days

You posted it here in 2008 http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11349


ebay

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=los+a...28.51,,3,-3.44


http://www.seeing-stars.com/oc/ParadiseMotel.shtml

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

...another amazing survivor.


ebay




The Paradise Motel.


gsv
__

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo.../id/3839/rec/7

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Maybe not the finest, Gwinn's was one of Pasadena's finer restaurants. Bennie's was always further west!



2915 E. Colorado Blvd. (Food and car service?)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7249/7...51969f67_b.jpg




Bennie's 3875 E. Colorado Blvd
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7...4deaa7b4_b.jpg

A second look?

Gwinn's, where the Waffles are tasty.

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/3227/rec/809





Living large at Eaton's in Arcadia (From the description, you could walk in Lucky's footsteps.)


http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4003/rec/840



Eaton's 1958 (Later edition)

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4006/rec/855



The Westerner. 161 Colorado Place. (Gary Cooper's favorite place to Honeymoon?)




http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4012/rec/879



The Westerner pt. deux

http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/compo...d/4009/rec/868

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by Otis Criblecoblis

Throop Polytechnic Institute did begin to evolve into Caltech in 1908, but before that time it was a different sort of institution. It placed the manual arts on the same level as the liberal arts and the sciences. Its motivating principle was that learning how to work with one's hands, how to solve physical problems by direct action, helped build a better citizen whether one went on to become a machinist or a lawyer, a physician or a plumber.

Ernest Batchelder taught at Throop. He was named Director of the Art Department in 1907, not too long before the institution decided to specialize in engineering and the sciences. This change was largely orchestrated by George Ellery Hale. Batchelder wasn't exactly tossed out on his ear, and would likely have been given something to do for as long as he wanted to stay.

But Batchelder was concerned for his students whose training in art had been so rudely terminated. It was for this reason that he started his tile studio. He wanted to give his former students an opportunity to learn more about art and design while at the same time learning salable skills.

And so, Throop Polytechnic gave birth not just to Caltech, but the Batchelder-Wilson Tile Company as well.

Wow, had no idea about the Throop-Batchelder connection - thanks for the info.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

I was scouting around in Boyle Heights and found lovely, 4-acre, tear-shaped Prospect Park tucked into the little pocket made by the San Bernardino, Golden State and Santa Ana freeways. Boyle Heights was subdivided by William Workman (1839-1918) in 1868 from his Paredon Blanco vineyards. One-hundred-and-five-acre Brooklyn Heights was further subdivided in 1876. It finally got off the ground in the late 1880s during the then boom. There are still a number of late 1880s homes around Prospect Park on Mitchell Place, Bridge Street and Echandia, which borders the park (some street names have been changed). Residents would have crossed the covered 1870 bridge at Macy street to get home from town. Incredible to think how much LA has been through, the scandals, earthquakes, floods and so much built and demolished, but these unassuming little homes, isolated on their hilltop, seem to have remained blissfully unaware of it all.

1877 View over Prospect Park, looking west across Los Angeles.
El Aliso is on Aliso, LAHS on Poundcake Hill, the Plaza is recognizable and
the old Clock Tower Courthouse is right where it should be:

kcet


all: gsv

Tovangar....its so hard to imagine that not too long ago most all of the LA area was barren farm land.

Here's my brother and myself somewhere in the San Fernando valley. The place was a large ranch with fields and rabbits in cages. This is where my mom placed us in hiding for a few months. They had tractors and plows.
The lady in the background we called Aunt Sammy. I wish I had the address....maybe I can find it. I was so shocked that there were streets but no curbs....so primitive for City Boy me. Breakfast was hot cereal and that very bitter post wartime canned grapefruit juice.

Right photo is front of the house. Tom, myself and mom. The dog: Poochie. This is how we dressed on Sunday when she was dating Mr. H, the attorney who got her a divorce and she later married. He bought us those HATS..... OMG!

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Commercial buildings on Mills Place looking toward Colorado Blvd., May 1977, Pasadena


http://cityofpasadena.net/library/central_library.aspx

Here's the Equator's next door neighbor again.


I couldn't find any additional info. on it. (is it a part of Equator?)
__

Not sure about the Equator's neighbor but I do know that the Equator itself has been around a long time - think it opened in the 80's. Back then, Old Town was known as Pasadena's "Skid Row" but it was also an area full of old hippies, artists, and bohemians and there was a ton of cool stuff going on there artistically, from punk bands to avant-garde . I was a bit too young to remember many exact details but I just asked a friend whose dad was a big part of that scene what was going on at the Equator back then. A few blocks over there was also the E-Bar which operated out of the Vandervort Building at 34 S. Raymond which was another hub for the creative types in the neighborhood. That also reminds me of Hotel Carver/Doty Block, where many of those same folks lived during the 70's and 80's (I could swear we've covered on NLA but I couldn't find anything). The Wikipedia article on the Hotel Carver is a pretty interesting read. It was also, incidentally, designed by Frederick L. Roerhig, whom we mentioned recently in regards to his Rindge House in LA.

Late 1800's:

http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com...architect.html

1983:

http://www.mlopezcounselingservicesf...806964.jpg?330

Hometown-Pasadena.com

Present-day-ish:

http://www.mlopezcounselingservicesf...18926_orig.jpg

As a child, I remember the esoteric words painted on the north wall of the building quite well:

http://www.mlopezcounselingservicesf...833867.jpg?322

It reads, "“’My people are the people of the dessert,’” said T.E. Lawrence picking up his fork.”

Part of the wall collapsed in the 1987 Whitter quake, and that spelled the end of that (pun intended), though the building was fortunately rehabbed. I've got a photo that I took myself (somewhere) of the words when I was a kid - I need to dig it up. Someone even took the time to track down the guy who painted the mural - article here.

[ethereal_reality]

Excellent details! Thanks so much Tetsu.
_

[tovangar2]

I've been looking all over for a photo of the "China Palace" mentioned in that link I posted, but so far no luck.

"Built in 1894, the site of Edwin Mills, by Equator, began as the China Palace. Its storied past includes housing a thriving marketplace, a stable, a mechanic shop, a storage space, and, ultimately, in 1993, Equator Café. Under the creative guidance of Teddy B. and his commitment to the community, Equator has steadily matured from a popular coffee shop to Old Pasadena’s first hookah bar, an internet café and finally, to this hidden-gem-of-a-landmark, restaurant and bar."
pasadena independent

I'm not even sure what China Palace was (?)

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

Your childhood photos are priceless CBD. You and your brother are wearing those hats with such aplomb!


(Nice pile of rocks. I hope you checked it for dinosaur eggs.)

I do remember big swathes of the Valley being very rural. Even inland from Hermosa Beach there were still orange orchards (I remembered the smell of smudge pots just typing that) and at least one flower farm (for seed). I couldn't even place them now. All my reference points are gone. My own kids thought our 1980s-90s trips to SFV's Pierce College at Victory and DeSoto were way out in the country (cows and horses seemed exotic to them). They were shocked when the huge strip mall got built out there. It made it seem so ordinary.

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

Thx HossC for the 1966 panorama. It was neat to see a corner of the "village" atop the HOJ and I somehow never noticed the ritzy landscaped terraces on the Hall of Records penthouse level.