noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

I am completely surprised the old Wilmington Bowl building still stands!
I'd really like to find a photograph of the interior.

-good research Hoss.
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Torrance Herald, Jan. 2, 1947

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[HossC]

From 'Boxing in the Los Angeles Area, 1880-2005' by Tracy Callis And Chuck Johnston, here's the interior of the original Wilmington Bowl.


books.google.com

I also found another picture of the later building.

"Crowd Standing Outside Wilmington Bowl at Afl Anti-Communism Rally"


http://www.allposters.com

[ethereal_reality]

re: Hoss' discovery of the extant Wilmington Bowl building.


Even the Daily Breeze blog doesn't realize the 1940s era Wilmington Bowl is still standing.





Here's an excerpt from their article on Gorgeous George. (the second paragraph)


http://blogs.dailybreeze.com/history...awthorne-home/

-maybe you should contact them Hoss & let them know the building still stands.
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[ethereal_reality]

Gorgeous George's wife Betty running her fingers through his golden locks [c.1950]


http://www.wwf4ever.de/Gorgeous_George-125-hof.php

I really like his tie, I believe it had an orchid drawn on it.
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*I was right about the necktie....I just found this.

Apparently GG was especially fond of orchids.


http://www.gorgeousgeorgebook.com/

Believe it or not, at one point in time he was known as "The Human Orchid". -say whaaat?

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[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

re: Hoss' discovery of the extant Wilmington Bowl building.

Even the Daily Breeze blog doesn't realize the 1940s era Wilmington Bowl is still standing.

I saw that article while I was looking for interior pictures.

While cross-referencing the vintage pictures with current aerial views, I spotted a small building just south of the Right Step Hotel. It caught my eye because it's at a slight angle to E Ananheim Street. In all the recent GSV images it's hidden by the trucks that are for sale in the yard, but then I went back to 2011. The structure now being used as an office looks like its the surviving base of Earl's Litehouse. The dark red building in the background is the Right Step Hotel.


GSV

Here's e_r's original picture for comparison.


http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-fas...-48389383.html

[ethereal_reality]

You found the base to the mutant coffee pot!!

-even the diamond shapes are visible. (circled in red below)





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[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by HossC

I managed to successfully merge the second and third images into the panorama below.
As e_r would say, be sure to scroll right . ----------->


USC Digital Library/USC Digital Library

I couldn't get the third picture to merge, but thought I should include it anyway. It fits on the left of the other two.
Originally, this image was quite washed-out. I've done my best to improve the contrast.


USC Digital Library

An amazing photo stitch! I noticed something in the third photo that Hoss wasn't able to merge. That house at right just below center, I guess that's the west side of Hill north of Temple, seems to have a twin that still stands in Lincoln Heights:


GSV

I spotted it some months ago while driving around. I have some decent pics of it somewhere that I took with my phone but I can't find them. I would've thought that it was the same house and it was moved there, but it looks like the door and window on the porch are arranged opposite of the house in Hoss' pic. I know little houses like these were built all the time with prefab floorplans, just cool to see a survivor like this that's obviously pretty old.

[ethereal_reality]

I happened across this photograph tonight on eBay.

"Elk's Parade, Los Angeles 1921."


eBay

Lots of people wearing hats.
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[ethereal_reality]

...and I just found this as well.

Another R. H. Rood snapshot from the 1920s.


eBay

I'm still trying to decipher all of Rood's writing. (especially the words at the bottom of the picture)

That said, I'm mostly curious about the location. Does anyone recognize that mountain in the distance?
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[tovangar2]

"Rebuilt from Regal Coupe.
1st St & Hill Street Police Garage before Police Dept took over garage - while building new City Hall for Council cars.

Rarin to go"

[CityBoyDoug]

Now you guys got me doin it... .

Couple ordering some food, sitting in a Buick, Century and served by a lady with a big feather in her cap.
Somewhere in Hollywood - 1954.


LIFE

Two more for the road.... ....

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Tetsu

I noticed something in the third photo that Hoss wasn't able to merge.

I also noticed in that photo tetsu, the one-time home of J.W. Gillette (lower left, collanaded, east-facing porch, squared-off gable), builder of Angels Flight for Col Eddy. It has been engulfed by urbanization (Mount Lee and Mount Hollywood back the scene).

Originally Posted by HossC

USC Digital Library

Thx for posting this Hoss.

A closer view (a bit earlier than the one above):

uscdl (detail)

An even closer view of some of the shops:

uscdl (detail)

Back in 1878-1879 the Gillette home was in a very suburban setting. Hill St, coming down off Court Hill, is a lane at best. The Horticultural Pavilion (Ezra Kysor, 1879), on Fort Moore Hill, is at upper right, just nearing completion:

seaver center

In 1871 this area was truly rural, even though it was close to town. A little lane runs north from Temple to reach the ten-acre Protestant cemetery:

ucla dl augustus koch (detail)

The in-between stage, 1892. Temple street frontages have been graded and Hill Street is now a proper, if somewhat disjointed, street.
The Protestant cemetery has been reduced to a five-acre remnant:

uscdl (detail)

The Gillette home. A detail from the photo above:

uscdl (detail)

322 Temple was demolished and replaced with a garage in 1919/1920.

The two homes on the north side of Temple, just west of Hill St also appear in all three photos.



The Gillette home site is now within the footprint of the current Hall of Records.

[AlvaroLegido]

Originally Posted by Beaudry

Not the only place they shot rear projection, I think: there's this great scene in the drug store -- City Hall prominent in the bg, almost tooo prominent, if you ask me -- look at the way the painted line ends. Looks a little off, don't it?

The drugstore is fictional but matches one of these shops on Temple Street.

Originally Posted by tovangar2

A closer view (a bit earlier than the one above):

uscdl (detail)

An even closer view of some of the shops:

uscdl (detail)

[HossC]

This is the office of architect Craig Ellwood, designed by Craig Ellwood. Under the main name it says "Emiel Becsky Architect Associate". It's Julius Shulman's "Job 757: Craig Ellwood, Craig Ellwood Offices (Los Angeles, Calif.),1950".





I like the way the sign crosses the glass.





All from Getty Research Institute

Craig Ellwood (born Jon Nelson Burke) seems to have been quite a flamboyant character, so I was surprised that I couldn't easily find an address for this building. From putting together scraps of information, my best guess is 1710-1714 Westwood Boulevard. Property websites give a build date of 1950, which is consistent with the photographs. If the current building is the same as the one in the pictures above, it's been altered quite a bit, but the overall dimensions are about right, and the end walls appear to match.


GSV

There's plenty online about Craig Ellwood - here are a few sites to get you started:

wikipedia.org
ncmodernist.org
la.curbed.com

[GaylordWilshire]

Somewhere along the way here we've run into Pearl Morton-- though I don't remember that she once had girls turning tricks in the old courthouse. Here's something interesting via a post by Wm Deverell in The Huntington's 'Verso' blog:

http://huntingtonblogs.org/2015/11/n...-in-the-1890s/

[ethereal_reality]

Amazing story! I've never heard of purified extract of turkey opium before.
-thanks for the link GW.

By coincidence, I happened across this fine photograph of the old courthouse on eBay last night.



you can bid on it here.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/B-W-8X10-PHOT...4AAOSwYIdWFbZu

[tovangar2]

Well done Hoss! It looks like it could be restored with no trouble at all (I hope that happens someday. Ellwood's a favorite of mine. This building is near where I live. I never would have guessed its history and pedigree):

Originally Posted by HossC

This is the office of architect Craig Ellwood, designed by Craig Ellwood. Under the main name it says "Emiel Becsky Architect Associate". It's Julius Shulman's "Job 757: Craig Ellwood, Craig Ellwood Offices (Los Angeles, Calif.),1950".

All from Getty Research Institute

gsv

Originally Posted by HossC

gsv



Thx for the links too.

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' monument.


google_earth


I noticed this rocket-like "pillar" on a triangular piece of land off the northeast corner of Evergreen Cemetery.


gsv

Does anyone know what it represents? (there are several plaques, but they're too small to read from the google-mobile)
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But that's not all.

A few feet away from the pillar is this odd vent-like thingy (there's an opening at the top)


detail / gsv

For the life of me I can't figure out what is it.




When I viewed it from this angle (below) I thought it might be an emergency vent related to the large tanks across the street. (but I admit that's a wild guess)


detail / gsv


Here's one last look at both the thingy and the pillar.


gsv
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[ethereal_reality]

Hoss' discovery of the Wilmington Bowl yesterday (or was it the day before?) piqued my interest in the area.

Here's the "Women's Club, Wilmington Calif." [no address]


found earlier today on eBay

I have no idea whether this is still standing or not. (maybe it's someone's home by now)
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[HossC]

The 1946 San Pedro CD lists a Womans Club at 1101 Lakme Avenue, Wilmington. It's been modified, but still looks like a pretty good match.





Both GSV