noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Duly noted, HossC--except maybe in this case reducing the length! Anyway:

Originally Posted by HossC

Could this be the 301 N Vermont address with the bus turning east onto Beverly Boulevard? There was a building on that corner at least into the 1980s. The view below is from 1972.


Historic Aerials

The intersection is higher than the section of Beverly Boulevard to the east. I've tried to find vintage views of the intersection to prove or disprove my theory, but haven't found anything so far. The former site of 301 N Vermont is now the location of the Vermont/Beverly Metro Station.


GSV



The sign on the right says "OF LANGUAGES". I'm pretty sure that the second word of the sign on the left is "SCHOOL", but I can't make out the first word. The City Directories I checked don't list any language schools at the intersection above, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong .

It's baaack-- I lied earlier when I said I'd lost interest in this quarry-- while Henry Huntington sealed the deal with his contribution of the RTD route map in post 33617, the truth is
I couldn't stop looking. Another confirmation of the location of the Washington Thrift branch --a B of A branch before it was Guardian Thrift and then Washington Thrift--is the serration
of the tile roof and the downspouts of the O T Ross Building at 3806 Beverly (SW corner of Vermont. Note what's in the red oval below:



GSV


And a little on the Ross building:

LAT Nov 18, 1927

[ethereal_reality]

And directly across Vermont Avenue from the delightful Ross Building is this Mount Vernon Wanna-Be.


gsv

It just seems so out of place. So how old this building?

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[GaylordWilshire]

duplicate post

[GaylordWilshire]

I really didn't back too aggressively, but it's hard to believe we haven't covered LA's Mount Vernon on NLA before-- I also thought this building had more written about it elsewhere online too, but I don't see much. Building permit records aren't a lot of help. There's a 1922 "new" permit--and I've read that it was built in the 1960s-- For some reason I thought this building had been moved from somewhere else. A studio lot?


PS:

LAT Oct 16, 1977

The article mentioned that it was at 400 N Vermont-- no BP for "new" came up on first look, BUT... it WAS moved south to 270 N Vermont in 1978. (BP issued 5-24-78.)


This ad suggests a build date of 1960-- as Pacific Savings:

LAT Sep 30, 1960


Still more: Yep, 1960:


LAT June 19, 1960

[Earl Boebert]

The George D Sturges house by Frank Lloyd Wright is up for auction. Information page, with some interior shots, here:

https://lamodern.com/frank-lloyd-wri...ges-residence/

It's being done by LA Modern Auctions, who listed Jack Larson and James Bridges' 1971 VW as being by Ferdinand Porsche. Well, yeah, but *really?*

Cheers,

Earl

[HossC]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

I really didn't back too aggressively, but it's hard to believe we haven't covered LA's Mount Vernon on NLA before-- I also thought this building had more written about it elsewhere online too, but I don't see much. Building permit records aren't a lot of help. There's a 1922 "new" permit--and I've read that it was built in the 1960s-- For some reason I thought this building had been moved from somewhere else. A studio lot?

The article mentioned that it was at 400 N Vermont-- no BP for "new" came up on first look, BUT... it WAS moved south to 270 N Vermont in 1978. (BP issued 5-24-78.)

The 1960 building permit was actually for 404 N Vermont.


Online Building Records

The 1978 relocation permit says the building was moved from 400 N Vermont to 270 N Vermont (as mentioned in GW's post).


Online Building Records

[HossC]

After we passed 10 million views, I wasn't sure if I'd mark any more milestones. Then I saw a pictures of the Watts Towers, and couldn't resist using them for 11 million views. Once again, thanks to ethereal_reality and all the other contributors to this great thread.


Original image from iwitnesslife.wordpress.com

[ethereal_reality]

Well done HossC!

Congratulations Everyone!

[ethereal_reality]

I'm not sure, but it looks like this 1950s 'bus slide' was taken on the roof of a parking garage.



eBay

I spy the top of the Eastern Building.



Do you see the garage anywhere?

http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot...city-city-view




http://footage.framepool.com/en/shot...er-los-angeles

I don't believe I've ever seen this angle before. What a strange pinnacle. I'm surprised no one has filmed a movie scene in that mysterious open space.

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[HossC]

Thanks for finding yesterday's Julius Shulman subject, Tourmaline. I checked every listing for "Security First" in the contemporary CDs. After you identified the location, I found that branch listed as "Security 1st"! There are very few of the original design details left.


---------------


Today we have Julius Shulman's views of American President Lines. The first shot makes the narrow store look deceptively small. This is "Job 20: W. Dorwin Teague, American President Lines, Ltd. (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1947".



Even this shot from the window doesn't show the depth. I'm guessing that the circular windows near the stairs are there to simulate portholes.



Finally, we get to see the full length of the counter, and the world map behind.



The lady in the center has obviously been shopping at one of the many fur stores we've seen in pictures of this era.



All from Getty Research Institute

I found American President Lines at 510 W 6th Street in the 1942 CD. Today, 510 is the number on the awning over the entrance on the right. The entrance was once a big arched opening, so American President Lines must have been in one of these stores, probably the GNC store in the middle.


GSV

Here's a 1948 advert for American President Lines showing the SS President Wilson, which can be seen in model form in the shop window. Maybe someone can work out how much $2470 in 1948 would be worth today.


eBay

[ethereal_reality]

WOW! What a fantastic interior Hoss. Just amazing

Originally Posted by HossC

The 1978 relocation permit says the building was moved from 400 N Vermont to 270 N Vermont.

Too bad they didn't move it back east somewhere.

It reminds me of the replica of Independence Hall across from Knotts Berry Farm. I could never see the point of it really.
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[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location.

This intersection appears to be higher than the surrounding area.


eBay
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Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

According to this route map...

http://www.chicagorailfan.com/los72gnw.gif

...Line 42 ran as suggested through this intersection, so you and HossC have nailed this one. As always, excellent work!

Okay, I'm confused:
What year is the route map from? I take Public Transit frequently and I don't recognize any of those numbers on it as bus lines on the lines I'm familiar with. (This has #42 on Sunset Blvd.? #217 has been on Fairfax Ave. as long as I can remember etc., for example. Before many lines were renumbered in the early '80's.)

It also doesn't seem to jive with this "Discontinued RTD/MTA Lines" page on wiki, which has bus line #42:

42/42A - Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard - Stocker Street - La Tijera Boulevard
Line 42/42A was cancelled in June 2012; replaced by Lines 40, 102 and the Metro Expo Line. Line 42A was a short line route while line 42 was a regular line.

This page has all the stops listed:
http://www.lifeinus.com/Transportati...fm?RouteID=593

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

And directly across Vermont Avenue from the delightful Ross Building is this Mount Vernon Wanna-Be.


gsv

It just seems so out of place. So how old this building?

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I well remember when this building first appeared on the scene. It was so jarring that it was painful to look at. Its simply dreadful for Los Angeles.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by HossC

Here's a 1948 advert for American President Lines showing the SS President Wilson, which can be seen in model form in the shop window. Maybe someone can work out how much $2470 in 1948 would be worth today.


eBay

In 2016 that $2470 would be about $24,000.

These ships were actually troop transports that morphed into civilian liners.

SS President Wilson was an American passenger ship originally ordered by the Maritime Commission (MC hull 687) during World War II, as one of the Admiral W. S. Benson-class Type P2-SE2-R1 transport ships, and intended to be named USS Admiral F.B. Upham (AP-128).
The ship was laid down on 27 November 1944 at the Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Alameda, California, but was cancelled on 16 December 1944. The ship was finally launched on 24 November 1947, completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 27 April 1948. Under the name SS President Wilson, she was bareboat chartered by the Maritime Commission to American President Lines.
She was sold to Oceanic Cruise Development, Inc. (C.Y. Tung Group) on 27 April 1973, and renamed Oriental Empress. Laid up at Hong Kong, the ship was eventually scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1984.

[ethereal_reality]

I found this interesting photograph in an old file of mine labeled eBay finds.
The only information I have is....

"Lewis Estate, Beverly Hills 1946"


eBay

Well, it's pretty obvious they're filming a movie, but what movie? I thought I recognized the lady at lower left, but now I'm not so sure. (could it be Alexis Smith?)

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[HossC]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Okay, I'm confused:
What year is the route map from? I take Public Transit frequently and I don't recognize any of those numbers on it as bus lines on the lines I'm familiar with. (This has #42 on Sunset Blvd.? #217 has been on Fairfax Ave. as long as I can remember etc., for example. Before many lines were renumbered in the early '80's.)

It also doesn't seem to jive with this "Discontinued RTD/MTA Lines" page on wiki ...

The map posted by HenryHuntington is from 1972. This page has links to the other parts of that map, as well as a four-part map from 1954.

I was also confused by that Wiki page about old bus routes.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I found this interesting photograph in an old file of mine labeled eBay finds.
The only information I have is....

"Lewis Estate, Beverly Hills 1946"


eBay

Well, it's pretty obvious they're filming a movie, but what movie? I thought I recognized the lady at lower left, but now I'm not so sure. (could it be Alexis Smith?)

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Looks like Alexis Smith to me-- think this is Night and Day-- the story of Cole Porter, with, improbably, Cary Grant as Porter. Looks like Grant under the umbrella at left. The whole movie is fantasy. "Gay? No one's gay here."

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

I well remember when this building first appeared on the scene. It was so jarring that it was painful to look at. Its simply dreadful for Los Angeles.

???? How odd. I think it is PURE Los Angeles.

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the "Night And Day" info. GW.

Here's a pretty good aerial view of the George Lewis Estate. From what I just read, it was also known as "Hill Grove".


http://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot...rge-lewis.html





http://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot...rge-lewis.html


Sadly, "like several great Benedict Canyon estates from the 1920s, Hill Grove was demolished and it's grounds subdivided in the 1960s." ARRRGH!

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[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I found this interesting photograph in an old file of mine labeled eBay finds.
The only information I have is....

"Lewis Estate, Beverly Hills 1946"


eBay

Well, it's pretty obvious they're filming a movie, but what movie? I thought I recognized the lady at lower left, but now I'm not so sure. (could it be Alexis Smith?)

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That is indeed Alexis Smith. The movie is "Night and Day" with Cary Grant (in dark suit under the umbrella) as Cole Porter. The site is the George H. Lewis estate.