noirish Los Angeles

[odinthor]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a rare look inside the ladies' room at the J.W. Robinson Dept. Store, downtown.

I certainly don't remember seeing this fanciful fountain before. (I wonder where it ended up....someone's garden no doubt)


eBay

The upper stories of the building are empty now, right?

I just had a thought, wouldn't it be amazing if the fountain is still somewhere inside the building!

(I've been trying, without success, to read the two signs in the doorways) -there appears to be a row of chairs facing a line of mirrors in the room at far right.

Pretty minor help, but I think the second word on the sign to the right is ROOM, with the previous word ending (maybe) in an L. It appears to me that, with the row of chairs, each "station" is separated, presumably for a bit of privacy.

Edit to add: Is the second word in the sign to the left LOUNGE?

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a rare look inside the ladies' room at the J.W. Robinson Dept. Store, downtown.

I certainly don't remember seeing this fanciful fountain before. (I wonder where it ended up....someone's garden no doubt)


eBay

The upper stories of the building are empty now, right?

I just had a thought, wouldn't it be amazing if the fountain is still somewhere inside the building!

(I've been trying, without success, to read the two signs in the doorways) -there appears to be a row of chairs facing a line of mirrors in the room at far right.

I believe this is the ''restroom" Lounge for both men and women. What do you Norishers think?

[HossC]

I know Malibu's a little outside our usual area, but the building in these Julius Shulman pictures intrigued me. This is "Job 4603: Medical Planning Associates Offices (Malibu, Calif.), 1970". I've picked a selection of the color images.



Here's closer view showing the two hexagonal towers.



The centrally-located pool is just visible in the shot above.



One of the offices.



That's not a bad view.



All from Getty Research Institute

I found a lot of passing references to this place, but nearly had to post it as a mystery location until I eventually discovered an address of 1601 Rambla Pocifico, Malibu. A 1975 LAT article says "About four miles up picturesque Rambla Pacifico Road in Malibu, Medical Planning Associates, a company of 60 architects, planners and former medical personnel, is finding ways to make hospitals work better by translating health care workloads into square feet.". Here's what you'll find there today. This view is looking south, and comes courtesy of the old Google Maps link posted by ProphetM a few days ago.


Google Maps via supercharge.info

Does anyone know what happened to the building? Was it knocked down, or the victim of brush fire?

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I believe this is the ''restroom" Lounge for both men and women. What do you Norishers think?

You could be right CBD, because the postcard says 'public rest room'.
Considering the time period, I thought the space looks like it was decorated with the feminine gender in mind, thus I typed 'ladies lounge'.
__

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by HossC

I know Malibu's a little outside our usual area, but the building in these Julius Shulman pictures intrigued me. This is "Job 4603: Medical Planning Associates Offices (Malibu, Calif.), 1970". I've picked a selection of the color images.

[snip]


Google Maps via supercharge.info

Does anyone know what happened to the building? Was it knocked down, or the victim of brush fire?

Based on this:

http://www.malibucomplete.com/mc_hazards_fires.php

It appears that the building was lost in the 1993 fire.

Earl

[ethereal_reality]

While looking through the 1938 city directory I happened upon this interesting advertisement for Thrifty Finance Company, 1920 S. Figueroa Street.



I was intrigued by the assortment of buildings and wondered if any of them might still be standing.

(I believe we're looking east in the old photo..............the 'even numbers' are on that side of the street)



Aerial of that area today.


google_earth





Enlarged for your further inspection . (I tried to make it one loooong photo but it didn't work)






I believe some of the buildings you see in the background might have been part of Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

So here's my theory:

The long horizontal building you see in the aerial has replaced the vintage buildings

this ugly monster with the parking lot on top.


....OR the buildings are still standing on the far side of the modern building.

(it's difficult to tell because the 'monster' building is extremely close to the older buildings on campus)

So a little help please. -what do you think?

_

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' house


I saw this earlier this evening on eBay.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOS-ANGELES-...sAAOSwFdtXxe3J

There is no street address (the back is blank), so I don't know if the house was actually located on Wilshire Boulevard or in the surrounding Wilshire District.

I thought perhaps someone might recognize it.

[ethereal_reality]

I thought this was interesting, especially after our brief discussion today of the 'public rest room' in J.W. Robinsons Dept. Store


Ladies Reception Room,

Van Nuys Hotel, Los Angeles [c.1910]


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Los-Angeles-...EAAOSwsTxXitBL

I'm curious, would there have been a Gentlemen's Reception Room too?

....or would the men have a 'Smoking Room' instead-

__

[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Nuns await the arrival of Senator Robert F. Kennedy during a campaign stop in the Los Angeles area." [June 02-04 1968]


https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Vie...-C021-003.aspx

Does anyone recognize the building being renovated in the background?

__

Incidentally, the nuns are Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, one of the few orders that still wear a full habit that's almost the exactly the same as what you see here. My sister-in-law is one of their nuns. They have quite a colorful history vis-a-vis Mexico and L.A.: [URL="https://carmelitesistersocd.com/"]

[HenryHuntington]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I think you're right FredH. I never noticed that before.

-serious minds want to know these details. (where's all our rail-fans?)






I like the way that tough little boy is standing. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how his life turned out.

_

This railfan had to find his copy of Robert C. Post's Street Railways and the Growth of Los Angeles first. And sure enough, right there on p. 66 is perhaps* this very photo, captioned: "After tracks of the Los Angeles Electric Railway had reached downtown, a well-dressed group posed at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Pico Street, where the line from the Electric Railway Homestead Association headed northward. A troller** can be seen perched directly above the dummy locomotive. - HUNTINGTON LIBRARY"

* I believe that the photo in the book and the one posted here were printed from the same negative but cropped differently. The left edge of the photo in the book bisects e-r's "tough little boy", who can be seen striking the same pose. And as the photo in the book shows the area behind the cars as well, I can see that there are rails there, which leads me to conclude that they've sunk into the dirt beneath the cars. Thus, it appears that their wheels are resting on dirt.

** A "troller" is an electrical current-collecting predecessor arrangement of what we think of as a trolley.

[Joe Gillis]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I believe this is the ''restroom" Lounge for both men and women. What do you Norishers think?

Are the chairs in the room on the right not for shoe shining? looks like a large chair facing a smaller lower chair for the shoe shiner?

[FredH]

[QUOTE=gsjansen;4844075]in "Kiss me Deadly", Mike Hammer begins his search into the reason why Cloris Leachman's character was killed, his 1st stop is supposedly 127 flower street.

however, the house that he go's into, which is supposed to be the flower street address, has a great retaining wall entrance walkway from the street with an amazing labyrinth of stairs and verandas that Mike Hammer walks up. whenever i searched for a photo of the house on Flower Street, I could never find it.

i stumbled upon this photo which is definitely the house that is supposed to be the flower street address. The photo indicates that the house is located at the intersection of Sunset and hill.


LAPL



gsjansen has the correct house.

Mike Hammer sets out for 121 Flower Street to interview a science reporter who is in hiding. Hammer ends up here:


Kiss Me Deadly, MGM

This house was located on the corner of Sunset and North Hill Place. Here are a couple of color photos:


Huntington Library


LAPL

The house was torn down in 1958. There is now a mortuary located on the property.


Hammer learns that Christina (Cloris Leachman) lived at 325 S. Bunker Hill Avenue. The house at 325 S. Bunker Hill was the famous "Castle".


LAPL

Did Hammer really end up at "The Castle"?


Kiss Me Deadly, MGM

Sure looks like it!



We also have a Noirish bonus here. A very short drive up N. Hill Place from the house on Sunset and N. Hill Place is none other than...


Cry Danger, RKO Radio Pictures.

Yes, the Clover Trailer Park from Cry Danger.

[bighen]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' house


I saw this earlier this evening on eBay.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOS-ANGELES-...sAAOSwFdtXxe3J

There is no street address (the back is blank), so I don't know if the house was actually located on Wilshire Boulevard or in the surrounding Wilshire District.

I thought perhaps someone might recognize it.

I believe this a picture of the house located at 674 Crenshaw, just south of Wilshire. The LA Library dated the photo as 1929. The last time I was in the area a few years back, the house was still there.

[IMG]http://[URL=http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/bighen3/media/674%20crenshaw%20in%201929_zpsglglbpot.jpg.html][/URL][/IMG]

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by bighen

I believe this a picture of the house located at 674 Crenshaw, just south of Wilshire. The LA Library dated the photo as 1929. The last time I was in the area a few years back, the house was still there.

[IMG]http://[URL=http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/bighen3/media/674%20crenshaw%20in%201929_zpsglglbpot.jpg.html][/URL][/IMG]

Recent photo. The tile roof is gone.

gsv

[ethereal_reality]

Good job bighen and CBD! What's up with that fountain (or whatever it is) that's 10x too large for their yard?
I see there's an 'open House' sign too, maybe there are interior photographs somewheres on the internets

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

This railfan had to find his copy of Robert C. Post's Street Railways and the Growth of Los Angeles first. And sure enough, right there on p. 66 is perhaps* this very photo, captioned: "After tracks of the Los Angeles Electric Railway had reached downtown, a well-dressed group posed at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Pico Street, where the line from the Electric Railway Homestead Association headed northward. A troller** can be seen perched directly above the dummy locomotive. - HUNTINGTON LIBRARY"

* I believe that the photo in the book and the one posted here were printed from the same negative but cropped differently. The left edge of the photo in the book bisects e-r's "tough little boy", who can be seen striking the same pose. And as the photo in the book shows the area behind the cars as well, I can see that there are rails there, which leads me to conclude that they've sunk into the dirt beneath the cars. Thus, it appears that their wheels are resting on dirt.

** A "troller" is an electrical current-collecting predecessor arrangement of what we think of as a trolley.

Thanks for the fine research HenryHuntington!

So was that set of rails intentionally 'sunk', or did they become that way due to the weight of the train?


Using your and Flyingwedge's information, I googled "Maple Ave and Pico" and to my surprise an additional picture popped up.

(1887) - First trolley in Los Angeles, Pico Street and Maple Avenue.


Saved by Antonio Miguel Vargas-Duran Jr. at https://www.pinterest.com/pin/85779567877020722/

_

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Joe Gillis

Are the chairs in the room on the right not for shoe shining? looks like a large chair facing a smaller lower chair for the shoe shiner?

I believe you're spot on Joe Gillis!

What I thought were 'mirrors' along the wall are actually the back of the raised chair where the men having their shoes shined sat.


super large detail

I hadn't noticed that small reception desk before.

_

[Blaster]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Recent photo. The tile roof is gone.

gsv

I believe the object in the yard is some kind of shrine or monument. Many of the homeowners in that area are Korean. Crenshaw at Wilshire is right on the edge of Koreatown.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

While looking through the 1938 city directory I happened upon this interesting advertisement for Thrifty Finance Company, 1920 S. Figueroa Street.



I believe some of the buildings you see in the background might have been part of Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

So a little help please. -what do you think?

Here's the picture in one piece.


LAPL

Before the post was edited, I'm sure I saw a request for a vintage aerial view, but Historic Aerials was being temperamental at the time. It's back to normal today.
I'm not sure if the little Thrifty Finance building is visible on this 1948 view. I think it would be under the watermark near the "a" of "Figueroa" if it's there. The
buildings in the background, which e_r identified as possibly being part of Los Angeles Trade Technical College, are to the right of the "Flower Street" label.


Historic Aerials

No sign of Thrifty Finance on the 1921 Baist map, but it shows the Polytechnic High School on the site of the Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The building on
the corner of Flower Street has the same outline as the one in the view above. To the right of the Polytechnic High School is Barnard Park. One of its curves is still
visible in the aerial above, but now it's just a memory. Does anyone have any information on this little street?


www.historicmapworks.com

[oldstuff]

[QUOTE=ethereal_reality;7563263]While looking through the 1938 city directory I happened upon this interesting advertisement for Thrifty Finance Company, 1920 S. Figueroa Street.



While it looks like the other buildings may not be there, I did find the apartment court where "Jimmie" Slayback lived with his wife and son in 1930. It is still there and was located at 1371 1/2 W. 25th St. The numbering has changed somewhat and is now 1367 w. 25th. They were built in 1929 and are still outwardly the same for the most part, with the exception (at least from the street) of the addition of new aluminum windows on the street side. The building has narrow arched gates with Spanish tile over them at each side and arches over each front door in the front section of the building. Originally they were numbered 1371 and 1371 1/2 and these were the front two apartments. No telling now which was which.

[ethereal_reality]

Yes Hoss, I decided not to bother you so soon for another aerial request, so I deleted it.

But you saw it, so thanks for the aerial Hoss! and the Baist map of course.
__



Let me get this straight, the two buildings (inside the red box below) are the ones that are visible in 1938 AD, right?


aerial by HossC



these two

detail / 1938 city directory


So they're gone then.
__


Also, good eye in spotting the intriguing curves of 'Barnard Park'.


baist detail

I hope someone can dig up some further information.
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