noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

lightened

detail

MR, have we discussed this barn-like structure? It looks ancient.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

lightened

detail

MR, have we discussed this barn-like structure? It looks ancient.

Not to my knowledge. It is actually the side of an apartment building at 701-703 Temple and it dates to at least 1910 (Baist). Unless this is a trick of the lens and this is one of the several other apartments slightly west of 701.

[HossC]

The building appears in the 1954 image below (it's below the housing court near the arrow), which I posted while we were discussing some of its neighbors back in September. Using this picture with the 1921 Baist map, my guess was somewhere around 717 Temple Street, but nothing much showed up in the building records. I'll check the CDs.

Originally Posted by HossC

Detail from picture at USC Digital Library

When the DWP knocked it down in 1957, the demo permit just lists it as a house. The building at 251 N Hope was apartments, but I can't find a name.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by HossC

The building appears in the 1954 image below (it's below the housing court near the arrow), which I posted while we were discussing some of its neighbors back in September. Using this picture with the 1921 Baist map, my guess was somewhere around 717 Temple Street, but nothing much showed up in the building records. I'll check the CDs.

As I said 'trick of the lens.'

[HossC]

When I saw the first thumbnail of this Julius Shulman set, I thought it was the Lytton Savings Bank on Sunset Boulevard. It's actually "Job 3791: William H. Harrison, Monte Vista High School (Whittier, Calif.), 1964".



This appears to be a different building.



Now the black & white images. I've left out a different angle on this corner. The only extra information it gives is that the little object at the front of the roof is a cluster of lights.



There's only one interior shot.



All from Getty Research Institute

As far as I can tell, the Monte Vista High School was only open from 1964 (Wikipedia) or 1965 (article below) until 1979. The following is from a blog post at My Whittier:

Back in 1978 the Whittier Union High School District’s board of trustees met and made a landmark decision that would change the landscape of Whittier forever: the closure of Sierra High School and Monte Vista High School.

This decision completely changed the make-up of the district forever. Sierra High School, located at 9401 Painter Avenue, was only open from 1957 – 1979. It will always be linked forever with Monte Vista High School, located at 11515 S. Colima Road which was open from 1965-1979.

[...]

Monte Vista High School, whose school nickname was the “Mustangs”, was located on the south side of Whittier. It was eventually sold to the Los Angeles County and is the location of the Sherriff’s [sic] academy.

I've compared the current buildings to those that were there in 1973 (the first Historic Aerials image after 1964), and they all seem to be original. The site still appears to be the Explorer Training Academy at the Sheriff’s Training Academy and Regional Services (STARS) Center. Unfortunately, the building with the zig-zag roof is now hard to see from the road. Where's that chainsaw, GW?


GSV

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Seems amazing that this building still exists...including a northward wing that was added after the 1925 image was made...and not only that--it's still an animal hospital.





Dr Shipp’s Animal Hospital


PS Actually, the attached "wing" I mentioned seems to be a whole complex--not sure if it's part of the vet clinic or not

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

What a treat to see inside! Thanks Hoss.

This brought to mind the question of whether many average families still buy and use sewing machines? When I was growing up it seems to me most every one of my friends mothers had a sewing machine, not only to repair a tear or sew on a button, but many made a lot of clothes, including my own mother. A trip to a Singer store to pick up and view new "patterns" was not an uncommon occurrence on the weekends. I even recall television ads for the latest model of sewing machines and I can't remember the last time I saw one of those. I remember my mother often sewing late into the evening when I was watching tv. Or, as my father would say when he came in, "What is your mother building now?" Anyone else remember sewing machines in the house?

[Earl Boebert]

Still lots of home sewing going on, especially among quilters.

Can't Resist Off Topic: My Colonel in the Air Force was the son of a New York City tailor and apprenticed to his father before being called up in WWII. He relaxed off duty by making his own uniforms and suits. His wife told my wife that he was never happier than when he was sitting on a high stool with one leg crossed, hand-stitching a lapel.

Cheers,

Earl

[jg6544]

Sad to note the passing of Kevin Starr, greatest historian of California and LA ever.

[GaylordWilshire]

Learned a lot from him



As for sewing...




The building with the Singer store on Main Street at far right is gone... (PE Building at left)

Just thinking that probably only about 5% of US households have a sewing machine these days...could it be any more than that? Can't imagine anyone under 50-60 having one....

[Lomara]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

This brought to mind the question of whether many average families still buy and use sewing machines? When I was growing up it seems to me most every one of my friends mothers had a sewing machine, not only to repair a tear or sew on a button, but many made a lot of clothes, including my own mother. A trip to a Singer store to pick up and view new "patterns" was not an uncommon occurrence on the weekends. I even recall television ads for the latest model of sewing machines and I can't remember the last time I saw one of those. I remember my mother often sewing late into the evening when I was watching tv. Or, as my father would say when he came in, "What is your mother building now?" Anyone else remember sewing machines in the house?

My Mother and also both Grandmothers sewed, as it was far more economical for them to make the family clothing this way. Grandma sewed with her Singer treadle machine up until she wasn't able to sew anymore. My Mom made me dresses until I became a fashion conscious teen and wanted name brands. (It was the 80's). She still made dresses and shirts for the grand and great-grandchildren up until she passed away. Her clothing lasted longer than anything store bought. It was well made and very durable.

When she passed, her Granddaughters all wanted to take her sewing machines and cabinets and fabrics and notions so they could continue the tradition. As far as I know, they continue to use them.

One of the things I learned from Mom is that during the depression years, it was common to use flour sacks to make shirts from. The bags would be disassembled and bleached until the cloth was white and soft. My Grandmother made my Dad & Uncle shirts from flour sacks.

When I was a child I received a metal Singer machine as a Christmas gift. My Grandpa (a carpenter) fitted a cabinet for it, and I still have it. It has one stitch setting, and needs servicing, but it did help me make a set of Gryffindor robes about 12 years ago. When I first received it, I made Barbie doll clothing with it. Mom gave me another machine more recently, but I haven't made anything with it. Most of the time I use the machine to mend clothing, not to make clothing. Pottermore sorted me into Slytherin house last year, so maybe I'll make Slytherin robes next. 🐍 (Let's see if the snake emoji shows up)

[HossC]

My grandmother knitted and crocheted, but my mother used to sew. As well as clothes, she could turn her hand to curtains and soft toys. When I was young, she made me a pair of jeans from some industrial grade denim she'd bought from a market. They were so stiff that they stood up on their own until they'd be washed a few times!

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks Michael_Ryerson and HossC for responding to my question earlier today.

I have more question if you don't mind.


There appears to be a small east-west street to the left of the house with the arrow.

You can clearly see two smallish streetlights to the left of the house.


detail / MR's 1951 photo is dated 1951

1954 aerial / usc


Did that little street have a name...or was it more like an alley?


__

[ethereal_reality]

Duo 'mystery' locations


"Little Tokyo" Los Angeles, Japanese-American, Nisei Parade Postcards 1950s"

#1

ebay

-note the Florsheim Shoes sign in the distance.



#2

ebay

Kyodo Drug Co.....Pacific Mail Order Company.....

Is this a different street than the first postcard?....or just a different block.


__

[Bristolian]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

ebay

Thanks for recognizing the house rick m!

Actually, the McBurney house is seen through-out the film "Angel's Flight: (and maybe even some interiors).

I'm going to keep my screenshots small/medium because the print of the film on YouTube is abysmal (grainy...blurry...fuzzy...


victim

Thanks to the many fine posts here, I feel like I know Bunker Hill fairly well now. It may already be obvious to many here but I remember seeing the benches the victim is laid out on in this photo from the comprehensive Bunker Hill post #33323 by Flyingwedge last January.



408136 @ Huntington Digital Library

This photo is dated June 10, 1966 so it was taken very close to the time of the filming of "Angel's Flight". The benches as well as the yellow diamond shaped sign with the reflectors are a match. Has the McBurney house been leveled by the time of this shot and we see the vacant lot next to the red and blue mailbox? That would seem to make sense when you consider the angle of the screenshot.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Baxter Street in Echo Park, circa 1939.



Herman Schultheis at http://www.lapl.org/






Herman Schultheis at http://www.lapl.org/



below: A view of Baxter Street today.


google street views

Nice little article this week from LA Weekly on Baxter Street





.

[BifRayRock]

1927 - 542 S Figueroa - Dalton's
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...ll170/id/23247

Permits indicate the structure began life as a livery stable (1906) and was transformed into a garage (1915) and eventually destroyed as part of highway improvement (1964).





By the date of photo (1927) neon was here to stay.











Central Library

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...aphed_2012.jpg


http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarkin...8ee9094c92.jpg


https://assets.hemmings.com/story_im...0@2x.jpg?rev=1

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

Still lots of home sewing going on, especially among quilters.

Can't Resist Off Topic: My Colonel in the Air Force was the son of a New York City tailor and apprenticed to his father before being called up in WWII. He relaxed off duty by making his own uniforms and suits. His wife told my wife that he was never happier than when he was sitting on a high stool with one leg crossed, hand-stitching a lapel.

Cheers,

Earl

My father was an AAF officer in WWII and said that the tailor who served in one unit he served in was a godsend. He could really make those functional, often ill-fitting uniforms look snazzy. And the guy picked up quite a bit of money tailoring the officers'and NCOs' uniforms.

[ProphetM]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

This brought to mind the question of whether many average families still buy and use sewing machines? When I was growing up it seems to me most every one of my friends mothers had a sewing machine, not only to repair a tear or sew on a button, but many made a lot of clothes, including my own mother. A trip to a Singer store to pick up and view new "patterns" was not an uncommon occurrence on the weekends. I even recall television ads for the latest model of sewing machines and I can't remember the last time I saw one of those. I remember my mother often sewing late into the evening when I was watching tv. Or, as my father would say when he came in, "What is your mother building now?" Anyone else remember sewing machines in the house?

My mother had a sewing machine and used it fairly frequently for small jobs when I was growing up in the 1970s-80s. I believe sewing was among her classes in high school (1960 graduate back in Iowa). My wife also has, or had, a sewing machine, used occasionally. Her mom quilts and so she grew up with sewing and her mom has had some pretty nice machines.

My daughter is 16 and goes to the arts high school here in Las Vegas, majoring in Japanese but is also in a fashion program with sewing involved. She received my mother-in-law's previous machine, which is more advanced than anything my wife or mother ever had. She uses it frequently for just about anything - clothing of all sorts, curtains, the occasional stuffed animal. She's made gifts and paid projects, and has even repaired some of our clothes! I get the impression that sewing is undergoing just a bit of a resurgence with young people. (My daughter was sewing before she entered the fashion program at high school.) Learning on your own has become easier because of the internet and especially YouTube.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

That's a great find Jon Paul!


Baxter Street in Echo Park, circa 1939.



Herman Schultheis at http://www.lapl.org/

below: A view of Baxter Street today.


google street views

Bus bottoms out on Baxter Street. Call the tow truck.


the eastside