noirish Los Angeles

[BifRayRock]

May 1939, Box Market, 1532 W. Whittier Blvd.









http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/34165

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

There are so many signs in the photograph I'll let the pic speak for itself.


duke.library.edy/

I haven't had time to check google_maps to how much this intersection as changed.

I think we're looking at a reverse view of the shot below. It's the western intersection of Huntington Drive and Monterey Road (they also intersect further east).

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.


http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/

I posted this comparison in reply.

Originally Posted by HossC

I've marked where I think the vintage photo was taken on the 1948 aerial view below. For comparison, the 2012 view is on the right.


Historic Aerials

Here's a roughly equivalent view today.


GSV

[BifRayRock]

1937 - Lloyd L King, Ford Dealership - 5912 Pacific Blvd., Huntington Park








http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/31087

[BifRayRock]

12 West Main Street, Alhambra


Sidewalk clock originally installed in 1913 by Henry Wellman. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/gene...downtown-clock


http://image.pasadenastarnews.com/st...h=400&maxw=667



1939
http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/32912







1939
http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/32915





1939













GoogleStreetView






Unrelated. I'm hungry for Hydrox.

Alpha Beta


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/10647





http://gogd.tjs-labs.com/pictures/be...956-048-M5.jpg


http://s.ecrater.com/stores/49641/4e...f5e_49641b.jpg



VVVVV

[HossC]

That's a helluva coincidence. I was minutes away from posting a picture of that same clock in Alhambra.

This is Julius Shulman's "Job 102: Burke and Kober, Woodruff's Mens Store (Alhambra, Calif.), 1947".



Here's a night shot.



The final picture gives us a look inside.



All from Getty Research Institute

I found a 1962 biography of Clinton V Woodruff at ancestry.com (it can be viewed without a subscription). It says "He now owns Woodruff’s Men’s Store at 28 West Main Street, at that location since 1932, and Woodruff’s Boy’s Store at 24 West Main Street, as well as Woodruff’s Women’s Store at 30 West Main Street." That means we must be looking at 28 West Main Street, Alhambra. Today, it looks like this - I'm not sure if it's the same building.


GSV

The Woodruff's was just a couple of doors away from the sidewalk clock posted above by BRR.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

That's a helluva coincidence. I was minutes away from posting a picture of that same clock in Alhambra.

This is Julius Shulman's "Job 102: Burke and Kober, Woodruff's Mens Store (Alhambra, Calif.), 1947".



.

When I lived in Alhambra, this store was a notch above places like Sear's and Penny's. But it was well below Desmond's.
They always had Levi's jeans which were my favorite in my youth....especially the famous 501 style.....button fly.
I walked through those doors many times when I thought my mom wouldn't object to the resultant charges on our credit card.

[BifRayRock]

Merick's Super Market, Compton [405] Compton Blvd., Compton or (120 S. Atlantic Blvd., Compton) Undated. (Not 100% on location, but near McCown's Drug Store.)




http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...3coll2/id/8302









http://www.webstore.com/item,pgr,Metrick-Food-Center







Von's in Lynwood. No date.
http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...3coll2/id/7135

[FredH]

adcouncil.org


ER - The "Native-American" in the Keep America Beautiful ad was Iron Eyes Cody, born Espera Oscar de Corti
in Louisiana in 1904 from Sicilian immigrant parents. He moved to California and had a career playing Native-American
parts in the movies. It appears that, as time went on, he even claimed to be Native-American. His Wikipedia entry is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Eyes_Cody


Personally, I thought it was a great ad and he looked authentic. No harm, no foul as far as I'm concerned.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I didn't know this photograph even existed until my Aunt passed away and her daughter sent it to me a few months ago.

This is my Aunt LaRee and myself in front of the Crawford Building on the MGM lot in the mid-1980s.


personal collection

note my shirt has Lorimar on it (I wish I had kept it)




__

By George, you were a handsome devil! and still are, I am sure.

[BifRayRock]

1929 - Huntington Park Skating Rink - Slauson Ave.


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/29021










http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...coll2/id/29017

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by FredH

adcouncil.org


ER - The "Native-American" in the Keep America Beautiful ad was Iron Eyes Cody, born Espera Oscar de Corti
in Louisiana in 1904 from Sicilian immigrant parents. He moved to California and had a career playing Native-American
parts in the movies. It appears that, as time went on, he even claimed to be Native-American. His Wikipedia entry is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Eyes_Cody


Personally, I thought it was a great ad and he looked authentic. No harm, no foul as far as I'm concerned.

I well remember Mr. Cody's famous TV ad concerning pollution. To me the ad was embarrassing and cringe-worthy. The idea that a Native American male would appear on national TV in the mode of crying was not believable....regardless of the facts and sentiment in the background. It seemed corny at the time but that was before the days of PC.

[HossC]

This Julius Shulman photoset shows the Singer building in Pasadena. It's "Job 543: Matcham and Heitschmidt, Singer Building (Pasadena, Calif.),1949".



From the window displays, I assume that Helen Smith sold women's clothing - the sign next to the door is too small to read.



That last image shows the view from Oakland Avenue, and also gives us a look at the back of the Sears building.



All from Getty Research Institute

You'll find the Singer building at 520 E Colorado Boulevard. I'm not sure why Mr Shulman visited in 1949 - the building was completed in 1926, as you can see from the pictures I posted in post #27607. The previous "now" picture I posted showed the hideous makeover on the neighboring Sears building. This time I'll concentrate on Singer building.


GSV

The building with the twin radio towers in the final Shulman image is the old Star News building at 525 E Colorado Boulevard. It's received a couple of passing mentions on NLA, but I couldn't find any close pictures. It's still standing, minus the radio towers.


GSV

[ProphetM]

This photo was posted to the Los Angeles Relics Facebook group, and I am wondering mainly about the multi-story building in the background center.



The caption by LA Relics says,
"Part of Chinatown, called "crib district" and featuring houses of prostitution, 1891. View is looking west from Alameda Street towards the Plaza; several doors of the Lugo Adobe can be seen. Source: Digital Public Library of America"

But I'm thinking this is a bit off - isn't that the roof of the Lugo House in the background at far right, with the dormers? The foreground adobe with the doors must be some other building. Given the location of the Lugo House this does seem like Alameda Street, looking up Ferguson Alley. But,
1) That adobe in the foreground wasn't also called the Lugo Adobe, was it? And,
2) I really don't remember that taller building! Is this the back side of a building facing the plaza along Los Angeles Street? It seems fancy for the back side of a building.

[HossC]

I think I've found your mystery "taller building" in the image below. It's a 1934 photo showing the proposed site of Union Station. Ferguson Alley is above the second "A" of Alameda, and the Lugo House is above the "E". The building looks taller in the image above because of the angle, but it's actually dwarfed by the later building to its right which can be seen in some pictures of the Lugo House.


USC Digital Library

[HossC]

Today's Julius Shulman post shows the Gallatin Medical Building in Downey. This is "Job 2751: Lyle Nelson Barcume, Gallatin Medical Building (Downey, Calif.), 1959".



This appears to be a courtyard area. Does anyone know what the bank of 15 holes was for?



The last shot shows an office with funky plaid curtains and a matching seat.



All from Getty Research Institute

The medical center was at 10720 Paramount Boulevard. A 2015 article on thedowneypatriot.com suggests that the site has been "vacant for more than a decade" and that "Gallatin Medical Center was demolished in the early 2000s". Their dates are a little out as I found the building still standing in 2008 (the windows aren't even boarded up in the 2007 view). A new block (probably housing) is currently under construction on part of the cleared site to the right.


GSV

Just down the street, I spotted this building at 10727 Paramount Boulevard. The signs show that it housed medical, realty and financial companies.


GSV

I thought that the building was being torn down in the later images, but it stayed in the same state for a couple of years. A bit more Googling told me what had happened - it's quite clear in the video below.

• Video Link

A press release at downeyca.org (PDF) says that a 34-year-old was arrested about a week later on suspicion of arson, although I couldn't find out if he was convicted. The press release says that the building dates back to 1948. Another article at thedowneypatriot.com says that 10727 Paramount Boulevard was previously destroyed by a fire on January 1, 1970.

[Lomara]

Originally Posted by HossC

The medical center was at 10720 Paramount Boulevard. A 2015 article on thedowneypatriot.com suggests that the site has been "vacant for more than a decade" and that "Gallatin Medical Center was demolished in the early 2000s". Their dates are a little out as I found the building still standing in 2008 (the windows aren't even boarded up in the 2007 view). A new block (probably housing) is currently under construction on part of the cleared site to the right.


GSV

I remember when Gallatin Medical Center was torn down. It was quick work. It was there for years all boarded up, then poof, it was gone.

This Downey Patriot article says it was to be torn down in October 2011.

http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/the-...llatin-complex

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

Today's Julius Shulman post shows the Gallatin Medical Building in Downey. This is "Job 2751: Lyle Nelson Barcume, Gallatin Medical Building (Downey, Calif.), 1959".



This appears to be a courtyard area. Does anyone know what the bank of 15 holes was for?

Recent view of Paramount Blvd, the vacant lots and construction sites.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by HossC

We've seen Eatons Restaurants and some of their menus before, but I think this location is new to NLA. This is Julius Shulman's "Job 610: Douglas Honnold, Eatons Restaurant (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1949", and the summary says "12010 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City (Los Angeles, Calif.), now demolished."



... and the illuminated pig.



Both from Getty Research Institute

There seems to have been numerous "Eaton's". Exactly how many and where remains unclear.

One source mentions five locations.

Date: 1939 - 1950s
Notes: Eaton's was a chain of five Southern California restaurants and one hotel. The first restaurant, Eaton's Santa Anita, opened on Dec. 29, 1939, and was part of the hotel, Eaton's Santa Anita Resort Hotel, that was located adjacent to the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia on the grounds of the Lucky Baldwin Ranch.

In addition to Eaton's Santa Anita, the restaurants were named: Eaton's Rancho, on Ventura Boulevard at Laurel Canyon; Eaton's Steak and Chicken House, on [3550] Wilshire Boulevard at Ardmore; and Eaton's Chicken House, on Lacienega at [8500] Burton Way.

Eaton's Santa Anita closed on Sept. 23, 1969 because of unpaid taxes that totaled $42,000. http://www.restaurantwarecollectors....p?title=Eatons

The '38CD lists [Charles] Eaton's Chicken at 8500 Burton Way, which clearly predates the above information by a year. Recall seeing a location on Doheny too.


These Eaton's photographs are from 1957. Location is presently unknown.


http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/compou...coll2/id/62826

















Here is a 1949 menu that depicts all five restaurants. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Burton Way location entrance bears a striking resemblance to the former Fish Shanty. http://www.restaurantwarecollectors....atons-menu.pdf


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OU__4L95-G..._7616289_n.jpg



Eaton's at Wilshire and Ardmore. (Unk. date.)
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00008/00008635.jpg

http://wilshireboulevardhouses.blogs...lease-see.html

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

To me the ad was embarrassing and cringe-worthy. The idea that a Native American male would appear on national TV in the mode of crying was not believable
....regardless of the facts and sentiment in the background. It seemed corny at the time but that was before the days of PC.

I respectfully disagree CBD.

The 1971 public service ad, which sought to combat pollution, was widely successful. It secured two Clio awards, incited a frenzy of community involvement,
and helped reduce litter by 88% across 38 states. It raised billions of dollars to help protect the wilderness of America.

Even as a 10 year old I was deeply touched, and every time the commercial aired it stopped me in my tracks. I decided then and there NEVER to liter, and made sure
no one littered in my presence. (to limited success)

stats from:
https://priceonomics.com/the-true-st...crying-indian/
and...
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...y-1046084.html
___



There was another commercial I loved as a kid (from around 1966/67) It was set to a hollywoodized 'Indian' drumbeat.

I'm curious to see how many of you remember this one.

• Video Link

Yes, I know......the commercial is for beer, but I just absolutely loved the animated bear and drumbeat.
I even asked my parents if we could go to "The Land of Sky Blue Waters" on vacation. lol.

__

[HossC]

We've got another medical building from Julius Shulman today. This is "Job 1711: Manning-Lambert Medical Building, 1954".



I've omitted a close-up view of the front. Here's the reception desk.



I've also left out a picture showing the end of a corridor. At least this one has a piece of medical equipment on the right.



All from Getty Research Institute

I took a gamble on this building being in LA (there's no location with the photoset) because the architects are Smith and Williams, and we recently saw their offices in Pasadena. It looks like this building is also in Pasadena, but the only reference I've found is the one below from a book called "Outside In: The Architecture of Smith and Williams". Does anyone recognize the medical building or know if it's still standing?


books.google.com