noirish Los Angeles

[Lwize]

Originally Posted by ProphetM

This is not a blog; it's a discussion forum.

And apparently now it's too soon to discuss a 60 year old news clipping.

[GatoVerde]

I shot this last night on Aliso Street, what little is left of it. The building to my left is the bag company with the colored roof stacks -- I don't know the history of this bag company building but I am standing at what used to be the front of the building, on Aliso Street. Across the street in front of me is the site of Meier Brewing (Brew 102) whose facade would have also been aligned on Aliso Street like to the one to my left:

[Retired_in_Texas]

Originally Posted by GatoVerde

I shot this last night on Aliso Street, what little is left of it. The building to my left is the bag company with the colored roof stacks -- I don't know the history of this bag company building but I am standing at what used to be the front of the building, on Aliso Street. Across the street in front of me is the site of Meier Brewing (Brew 102) whose facade would have also been aligned on Aliso Street like to the one to my left:

I have to admit to being greatly puzzled by this photo. What you are calling Aliso Street doesn't appear to ever having been wide enough to be a street. Doesn't look to be more than 15-20 feet separating the buildings. I'm also curious about what appears to be some sort of pump station at the far end of the shot. Surely this isn't still a street subject to city maintenance, an ally perhaps. Which brings up another question. Did the City have a penchant for selling off portions of street rights of way in the times one or the other of those buildings would have been built?

[Lwize]

Originally Posted by Retired_in_Texas

I have to admit to being greatly puzzled by this photo. What you are calling Aliso Street doesn't appear to ever having been wide enough to be a street. Doesn't look to be more than 15-20 feet separating the buildings. I'm also curious about what appears to be some sort of pump station at the far end of the shot. Surely this isn't still a street subject to city maintenance, an ally perhaps. Which brings up another question. Did the City have a penchant for selling off portions of street rights of way in the times one or the other of those buildings would have been built?

Aliso Street is directly adjacent to the Hollywood Freeway, and was sacrificed in several locations for the freeway construction. As such, this Aliso alleyway remnant doesn't seem unusual under the circumstances.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Lwize

And apparently now it's too soon to discuss a 60 year old news clipping.

NOIR is a photo blog with discussions....in the style of a Forum.

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by PHX31

I apologize for this post, but I'm looking for some of the old photos in this thread that show the oil fields, especially those photos that have been posted that show vast amounts of oil derricks. Long Beach comes to mind as one location that had several oil field pictures posted. I did a search of this thread but came up empty.

...Thanks in advance for any assistance.

This link was posted recently on Facebook, it's got a bunch of oil field photos for you, all of which are captioned with which archive holds them: http://southland.gizmodo.com/los-ang...cks-1469825345

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by Moxie

This link was posted recently on Facebook, it's got a bunch of oil field photos for you, all of which are captioned with which archive holds them: http://southland.gizmodo.com/los-ang...cks-1469825345

Perfect, thanks

[OutlawImages]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Easter prize award at Hattem's Market, South Vermont Avenue and West 81st Street, Los Angeles, CA, 1930

Just remember, Easters come and Easters go but a hard boiled egg lasts a long, long time. Bon Appetit.

USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987

America's 1st Super Market

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xNVHf5L2tY

IM Hattem often said he arrived in Los Angeles "with fifty cents in one pocket and a bundle of dreams in the other." These dreams materialized with the building of his first market: Hattem's at the corner of 43rd Street and Western Avenue.

Hattem envisioned all the stalls of the typical market at the time being collected under one single roof. His vision was part of a great shift in the way Americans shopped for groceries. The self-service grocery store was a fairly new concept and many of the leading markets were moving to this business model.

Hattem's Western Avenue market was the first of its kind in many ways. Built in the California Mission style, it had a red tiled roof and a large front patio with a beautiful fountain. The market followed the self-service model with all departments under one roof including meat, produce, bakery, deli, and groceries.

A local newspaper, The Southwest Wave, coined the term "supermarket" in describing Hattem's opening in December 1927. The market was opened 24 hours a day and issued trading stamps–Monday was double stamp day. Los Angeles was a unique city, where space was available to expand dreams. This gave IM the opportunity to build both a beautiful grocery store as well as provide parking. Acknowledging the growing importance of cars ahead of the competion, Hattem's Market had a parking lot in the front of the store where shoppers could drive right up to the open front grocery, park their cars, and conveniently load groceries into their vehicles.

According to the Southern California Grocers Journal’s June 23, 1966, issue: “Although self-service markets were operated experimentally in California since 1916, Hattem’s was the first drive-in market in the country. The crowds were so large that the entrances had be roped off and customers were admitted in groups to keep from overcrowding the store.”

A great promoter, IM documented the opening of this store in 16mm film and his grandson, Michael Hattem, used the footage to create this short documentary for friends and family.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by FredH

A 1937 aerial photo of Colorado Street Bridge and Arroyo Seco. The Vista del Arroyo Hotel is lower center. The Rose Bowl is upper right.

L.A. Times



More photos from westcork last April:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=14131

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=14134

Bowl Game?





1919 (dates from source)

http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/4300/rec/85







1922 - construction

http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/322/rec/66









http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/168/rec/100






Rose Bowl Commencement pagentry to rival other bowl events? '20s

http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/608/rec/11







1926 New Year's Day - http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...7/id/85/rec/32







1930 - http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...2/id/335/rec/8







Completed stadium, date unk. http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...7/id/185/rec/3





How to get there?


1936 - proposed route of Arroyo Seco Parkway. Cypress Ave Bridge, Ave 26
http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/1788/rec/6




1938 - Arroyo Seco Parkway - Old Ave 43 Bridge (so long!)
http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c.../id/1781/rec/9





July 1940 Arroyo Seco GO!

http://cdm15123.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/1791/rec/17

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by PHX31

Perfect, thanks

You're welcome.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by OutlawImages

America's 1st Super Market

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xNVHf5L2tY

IM Hattem often said he arrived in Los Angeles "with fifty cents in one pocket and a bundle of dreams in the other." These dreams materialized with the building of his first market: Hattem's at the corner of 43rd Street and Western Avenue.

Hattem envisioned all the stalls of the typical market at the time being collected under one single roof. His vision was part of a great shift in the way Americans shopped for groceries. The self-service grocery store was a fairly new concept and many of the leading markets were moving to this business model.

Hattem's Western Avenue market was the first of its kind in many ways. Built in the California Mission style, it had a red tiled roof and a large front patio with a beautiful fountain. The market followed the self-service model with all departments under one roof including meat, produce, bakery, deli, and groceries.

A local newspaper, The Southwest Wave, coined the term "supermarket" in describing Hattem's opening in December 1927. The market was opened 24 hours a day and issued trading stamps–Monday was double stamp day. Los Angeles was a unique city, where space was available to expand dreams. This gave IM the opportunity to build both a beautiful grocery store as well as provide parking. Acknowledging the growing importance of cars ahead of the competion, Hattem's Market had a parking lot in the front of the store where shoppers could drive right up to the open front grocery, park their cars, and conveniently load groceries into their vehicles.

According to the Southern California Grocers Journal’s June 23, 1966, issue: “Although self-service markets were operated experimentally in California since 1916, Hattem’s was the first drive-in market in the country. The crowds were so large that the entrances had be roped off and customers were admitted in groups to keep from overcrowding the store.”

A great promoter, IM documented the opening of this store in 16mm film and his grandson, Michael Hattem, used the footage to create this short documentary for friends and family.

No question IM Hattem's was an accolade-worthy LA pioneer. The attribution of "first" is a head scratcher. When does a grocery store or grocery store chain become a supermarket? A&P, Ralph's, Safeway, Piggly Wiggly and others had equally interesting LA histories, all touched upon in this thread. When did each vault from market to supermarket?

One source singles out Ralph's as "the" So. Cal example of supermarket, although the omission of Hattem's may be a simple oversight. http://www.groceteria.com/about/a-qu...e-supermarket/ Another source holds that "in 1933, Cincinnati's Albers Supermarket became the first store to actually use the term "supermarket." (As distinguished from the coinage of the phrase.) http://www.neatorama.com/2010/08/02/...e-supermarket/ A cursory review of the LA directories suggests ubiquitous use of the term "supermarket" was a post WW2 phenomenon.

Related:
http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show...ostcount=11600

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=16887


Of course, the first "Food Palace" is another subject. . . . .


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7493

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics33/00066499.jpg

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

BifRay....I especially like the ones of the Pasadena Freeway under construction in 1940....cool.! One can even see the old river still running in the construction zone before it was diverted to the East side.

[Albany NY]

.

[FredH]

China City gets burned out - 1939 (photo taken from Ord Street - looking south)


http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78


But what is in the background of the photo is also interesting:

Main Street: (corner of Main and Alameda)

http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78

A little more south on Main

http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78

South a little more on Main:

http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78

Back on Alameda - a new Union Station:

http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78

Behind Union Station we have gasometers (what is the building in the foreground?)

url]http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15150coll2/id/3845/rec/78[/url]

A little north on Alameda is the area now occupied by the Terminal Annex Post Office:

url]http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15150coll2/id/3845/rec/78[/url]

Way down on Main Street is the original Brunswig Drug building and the annex next door. Spring Street runs along the bottom of the photo:

url]http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15150coll2/id/3845/rec/78[/url]

The high resolution photo is here:
http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/c...id/3845/rec/78

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by Lwize

Aliso Street is directly adjacent to the Hollywood Freeway, and was sacrificed in several locations for the freeway construction. As such, this Aliso alleyway remnant doesn't seem unusual under the circumstances.

Also don't forget that L.A. remained a fairly small city well into the 20th Century, depending on how we define small. By 1910 there were still only about 300K people here. There were a number of narrow streets here and there, and some still exist.

[Those Who Squirm!]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Of course, the first "Food Palace" is another subject. . . . .

I'd say the Age Of Retail Royalty and Mythology lasted far enough into my childhood for me to remember it. The Pavilions market at Olympic and Beverly Drive used to be a Food Giant, and when I went there a few years ago I was surprised to see they still had coffin freezers just as they did fifty years ago. For years there was a Drug King pharmacy near Westwood and Ohio. Although I believe it's now an Oriental rug store, you can still see the outline of the mortar-and-pestle logo over the front door. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there were also once Drug Baron pharmacies as well.

[Otis Criblecoblis]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Of course, the first "Food Palace" is another subject. . . . .

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7493

Does anyone know exactly what that thing sticking up in the back of the building is? It's in the drawing of the building as well, so it must be part of it. I assume it's some sort of exhaust, but its construction is unfamiliar to me.

[Graybeard]

Originally Posted by Otis Criblecoblis

Does anyone know exactly what that thing sticking up in the back of the building is? It's in the drawing of the building as well, so it must be part of it. I assume it's some sort of exhaust, but its construction is unfamiliar to me.

Looks like a cooling tower. Essentially, a cooling system radiator.

[Retired_in_Texas]

Originally Posted by Graybeard

Looks like a cooling tower. Essentially, a cooling system radiator.

That's exactly what it is. More than likely an Ammonia system, which are still in wide use today for large refrigeration systems. The gabled structure, also on the roof, would have likely housed the compressor(s). Somewhat interesting system as it doesn't appear to have any fan or water assist, strictly natural airflow. Probably didn't work too well when outside ambient temperatures rose above 80-85 degrees for any extended period of time.

[jtown]

Well, I'm about a year behind you in reading through the thread, but like many of you, I'm learning a lot about this city.

Following the threads about the Hotel Rosslyn, I took a break and was watching a music video by Andy Grammer yesterday. I did a spit-take as I saw the Rosslyn loom in the background of this very contemporary and hip vid. Because I'm a year behind, I don't know if this has been posted. I didn't find anything doing a search.


from Youtube.com

I'm posting the video. You can see the cameo by Rosslyn at about 2:22

• Video Link
Video from Youtube.com/AndyGrammerVEVO