noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

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I happened upon this strange cabinet card earlier today on eBay.


eBay

As you can see the photo-studio is Steckel's Lamson or Steckel Lamson located at 120 1/2 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, Cal.



Here's the hard part.... I need help deciphering the woman's name.



What with the odd pose I imagine she's an aspiring actress.

..... Go minions!
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[ethereal_reality]

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And here's a great snapshot of "11th and Broadway" taken in 1928.



The eBay seller is asking an obscene $39.99
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[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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Let's take a closer look.

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Looks like it was moved on its lot to face Bixel, becoming 691 S Bixel, in 1922 and then demolished in 1956.

While looking for something else last night, I found this 1950 photo of 691 S. Bixel ("View of a two-story Victorian house on Bixel Street north of Seventh Street."):



2001-0790 @ CA State Library

[GaylordWilshire]

Great find, FW. Very interesting to see the house in its relationship to its two different curbs.

Into every LA house must a little noir creep, and it's not so hard to believe so as this house moldered away down on Bixel Street....



LA Mirror, Feb 2, 1954

[Bristolian]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Great find, FW. Very interesting to see the house in its relationship to its two different curbs.

Is there a logical explanation as to why a house would be rotated 90 degrees on a lot? Was getting a new street address the reason?

[ethereal_reality]

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So spectacularly noirish, Flyingwedge and GaylordWilshire. .. Kudos








Abandon all hope ye who enter here. . .comes to mind.


Is it just me or does this look like a shady enterprise?


eBay

"Vtg 1965 House 1222 N La Brea Los Angeles CA Chris's Modeling Studio Photo"

Could this PHOTOGRAPH -offered by the same eBay seller- be a glimpse inside Chris's Modeling Studio?



He needs a new roof.

[JeffDiego]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

While looking for something else last night, I found this 1950 photo of 691 S. Bixel ("View of a two-story Victorian house on Bixel Street north of Seventh Street."):



2001-0790 @ CA State Library

FASCINATING old house. Very atmospheric. Thanks for sharing, Flyingwedge.

[GaylordWilshire]

Re 1103 W 7th St/691 S Bixel

Originally Posted by Bristolian

Is there a logical explanation as to why a house would be rotated 90 degrees on a lot? Was getting a new street address the reason?

While this stretch of W 7th St began as residential, it became a major traffic artery out of downtown toward the developing west--and so the lots became much more valuable as commercial space. This was true of almost all the big east-west streets (Wilshire Boulevard perhaps chief among them). The original houses--which had often replaced humbler buildings--were mostly demolished but quite a few were relocated--some much father away than to just another position on the same lot, as in the case of this house. After the reorientation, a store building (designed by the firm of Morgan, Wall & Morgan) was built on the corner of the lot by banker Nicola Bonfilio, a big LA muckety-muck who'd had an earlier iteration of the Morgan, Walls firm design his own house at 2019 S Figueroa, as seen below. While it looks like the store building at the nwc of 7th and Bixel had undergone some seismic retrofitting to strengthen its unreinforced masonry design, it was demo'ed in 2007. As of June 2022 the lot was half grass and half parking.



LAPL

[Bristolian]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't realize the lot was large enough to allow the house to be moved to create space for the new building.

[ethereal_reality]

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I happened upon this color slide on eBay the other day & as you see it includes a glimpse of the nicely designed Toff's sign.



eBay



The coffee shop looks a little worse-for-wear by 1977 but the sign is still in its place. ..Go HERE
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[ethereal_reality]

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Programmatic Architecture / And mystery location.


"Igloo Ice Cream, Paper 'Tintype' Photo Los Angeles CA 1920s"




Newly listed on eBay..Asking $269.41





Let's take a closer look at this AMAZING photograph.


Enlargement courtest of yours truly.



Which of you sleuths noticed the schooner?







. . .and the Polar Bear?




There may be a clue at far right. Do you think the 'Igloo' was near a ballpark or -perhaps- a zoo???

Your guess is as good as mine.


Get to work plebes!.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

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I happened upon this color slide on eBay the other day & as you see it includes a glimpse of the nicely designed Toff's sign.



eBay

Good to see Toff's again. I was a semi-regular there when a cup of coffee was 10¢. A no-nonsense coffee shop. I recall when First Federal was under construction at Hollywood & Highland. Now, it's gone, too. I remember when we passed by the old Hollywood Hotel to see Them at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1954. That corner has changed a few times over the years. Notice that Orchid Avenue no longer exists as it does in the photo. It now dead ends behind the Dolby Theatre.

[GaylordWilshire]

The Igloo was at the swc of Pico and Victoria. We've seen it here before.... Looks like it was taken just after school let out--LA High is not far to the north.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.
Programmatic Architecture / And mystery location.


"Igloo Ice Cream, Paper 'Tintype' Photo Los Angeles CA 1920s"




Newly listed on eBay..Asking $269.41

Let's take a closer look at this AMAZING photograph.


Enlargement courtest of yours truly.

[Bristolian]

Currently on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364564160122



I saw the 844 address and took a WAG that the street could be Gardena Boulevard. Currently, very close at 848 is this building:



Being very close, I figured the addresses could have been adjusted over the years. The general shape of the building, windows and doorway are very similar but the details in brickwork don't matchup and the proportions seem off by just a little bit. Still I love the vintage photo.

The eBay description:
An antique image. Photo like new. The butcher has a Gardena Mechanics baseball advertisement on the window.

Gardena Mechanics baseball sounds interesting. Any guesses as to the date?

I'm currently having trouble enlarging the images on the host site but will do so when I can.

[HossC]

The Gardena Meat Market at 844 W 165th, run by Joseph C Bliss (his wife was called Minnie), appears in the 1922-23 and 1925 Gardena CDs. The left window says "James' Cash Grocery", so maybe it had a different owner when the picture was taken.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Programmatic Architecture / And mystery location.

"Igloo Ice Cream, Paper 'Tintype' Photo Los Angeles CA 1920s"

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

The Igloo was at the swc of Pico and Victoria. We've seen it here before.... Looks like it was taken just after school let out--LA High is not far to the north.

That was my first thought too GW, but here's a picture of the one on Pico.

Exterior view of The Igloo, an igloo-shaped ice cream parlor, located at 4302 W. Pico St. The igloo is attached to a huge "ice berg," on top of which sits a stranded ship. Two polar bear flank the entrance.

To me, the iceberg is a slightly different shape, and the ship is definitely different. Could e_r's picture be an earlier incarnation (the ship looks simpler) or another location? Maybe I'm imagining it, and maybe the original ship was stolen and replaced.


LAPL

[Mackerm]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here. . .comes to mind.


Is it just me or does this look like a shady enterprise?


eBay

"Vtg 1965 House 1222 N La Brea Los Angeles CA Chris's Modeling Studio Photo"

Could this PHOTOGRAPH -offered by the same eBay seller- be a glimpse inside Chris's Modeling Studio?



He needs a new roof.

Mergosono

Nothing to be suspicious about. Still, I wouldn't venture into the basement without Jodie Foster.

[Bristolian]

Originally Posted by HossC

The Gardena Meat Market at 844 W 165th, run by Joseph C Bliss (his wife was called Minnie), appears in the 1922-23 and 1925 Gardena CDs. The left window says "James' Cash Grocery", so maybe it had a different owner when the picture was taken.

Thanks Hoss,

Currently, Gardena Bl. runs between 164th & 166th streets so it very likely could have been 165th st. back then. There is an 844 165th Place but that area is much more residential.
According to Zillow, 844 Gardena Bl. was built in 1911 but over 100 years later, none of that building's features match the old photo. Zillow has a build date of 1923 for 848.

Happy 100th birthday to 848

[riichkay]

Screen grabs from "Larceny", a 1948 crime/noir picture released by Universal....starring John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea and Shelly Winters....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfeW...channel=ChrisT


The picture opens in Miami Beach but about 12 minutes in the action moves out here to "Mission City"....



....this is the Sante Fe RR station in Pasadena.



....John Payne gets off the train and hails a taxi....



.....adjacent to the station is Wilkinson's Lighting Fixtures, at 182 S. Raymond Ave.



...the Wilkinson building survives with the assistance of seismic retrofit....





The cab heads down Los Robles Ave. and turns right onto E. Green St.....




....this streetscape was decidedly pedestrian-friendly back in the day, perhaps somewhat sterile now....






At the corner of Los Robles and Green we find The Tournament Room....






Payne is staying at the Pasadena Athletic Club building....



...the bottom of the blade sign for Spanish-language radio station KWKW, then at 1300 on your AM dial, is visible.



One more from in front of the Athletic Club, facing west....






The Athletic Club was a handsome building....




.....razed in 1978 to make way for Plaza Pasadena Mall, which has now been demolished.




Later on Payne wants a cup of coffee, he heads to this place....




....which appears to be the Richardson Pie Shop at 44 N. Marengo Ave...






Payne decides he likes Southern California, and wants to look at some houses....so it's off to McNulty Realty....






....adjacent to the realty offices is the Le Roy Gordon Beauty Salon at 62 S. Los Robles Ave.









McNulty shows John Payne this place, quoting the listing price of $100,000....






Payne returns to his lodging, affording us a view of the s.e. corner of Los Robles and Green.....

[nealberke]

Some good news about Noirish outages...

Hello Neal,

We are aware of the issue and have our server admin doing a server upgrade this week. This should resolve many issues moving forward. Thank you for your continued support and letting us know.

Thanks,

SkyscraperPage Team