noirish Los Angeles

[westcork]

This is the studio where ******* ****** works. Ironically, it's been treated with an anti-graffiti coating.

Originally Posted by tovangar2

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All I could find out about 1331 W Sunset is it was built in 1924. It used to contain law offices, but now has art and design tenants:

loopnet

[tovangar2]

LOL


S Charles Lee, 1648 Wilshire, ca late 1940s:

ucla dl

Everyone knows that S Charles Lee (1899 - 1990) had a brilliant career. However, he got into difficulties during the depression and decided to save money by combining home and office. Lee bought the 1903 frame home at 1648 Wilshire Blvd (at Little St) in the Westlake district in 1935, moved his family into it and built Hollywood-Regency-style offices for his practice along the Wilshire frontage:

gsv

Undated:

ucla dl

S Charles Lee at his desk in his new digs:

islandora/ucla

Now:

you-are-here

The compound in 1978:

la conservancy

From the back today:

gsv

I guess he was able to hang on to his beloved Beechcraft, b/c here he is with it in 1938:

findagrave

1648 Wilshire is for sale (price reduced). It would make a great S Charles Lee Museum if anyone's interested.

Oh wait, forget it, it reportedly sold a year ago for $180K over asking.

If it's gonna get trashed, I hope the entrance and door (or the whole facade as long as I'm dreaming) are salvaged for my fantasy LA museum (NE corner 5th & Olive).

Watch this space.




UPDATE:

The home S Charles Lee had to give up in 1935 is at 1078 S Hayworth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90035. He'd built it in 1927 for $7K.
It became a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2016 and is now worth close to $2M:

gsv

[GaylordWilshire]

I like Shepard Fairey--glad he's making use of this interesting old building.





The space seems to have had many uses...Horace Moll, who ran the Moll School of Embalming--which appears to have become the Los Angeles College of Embalming before he died in 1929--was in the building by the mid '20s; he also advertised "Du Moll" cosmetics for the undead as well as preparations to rid your house of moths, roaches, and ants. Pretty noirish...as was the clap clinic ("one day treatment") there in 1947. N. N. Lewis's drug store was there in 1933; the spinner factory in 1951, Murray's Furniture in 1955....

Times and Esty

[HossC]

We've had a few discussions about the (lack of) safety of the streetcar waiting areas in the middle of the street, but have we seen this picture before? Dating from 1937, it shows a safety fence being tested outside Clifton's at 7th and Broadway. I'm assuming that the trial was unsuccessful.



eBay

[GaylordWilshire]

Times Feb 22, 1937


And some other experiments in safety, as seen in the Times Feb 21 and June 27, 1937:

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

That train appears to be The City of Los Angeles. There's a small round sign at the end of the club car. Same for the engine at the left side.


ebay

Disagree. On the "observation" car, note the different colors of the car body and the strip along the window. On the west coast, that was typical of the Daylights or the Lark (all-Pullman, overnight LA-SF train). The engine looks like one of the semi-streamlined steam engines the SP used into the 1950s on several of its "Daylight" trains and, in the pre-War years, on its Dallas-Houston trains in Texas.

I note several posters have also commented; I agree with their comments. I had the good fortune to ride the southbound Daylight into LA in 1955. It was a slow trip because there were so many grade crossings, particularly in the SJV, that the train fairly creeped. A similar experience is riding one of the Amtrak trains between LA and SD today. The train moves at a decent clip once it clears urbanized LA and Orange counties; not so much in the built-up areas.

[mdiederi]

Curious death of Mal Evans, road manager, assistant, and a friend of the Beatles, from the earliest Cavern days up until his death when he was shot and killed by police at his home at 8122 West 4th Street in Los Angeles..



xy_TwistedLogic's photobucket

February 12, 1976 issue of Rolling Stone

'Sixth Beatle' Mal Evans Killed in Los Angeles

By Patrick Snyder and Dolores Ziebarth

Los Angeles -- Malcolm "Mal" Evans, 40, who was road manager and bodyguard of the Beatles from 1963 until their breakup, was shot to death by police in his rented duplex at 8122 West 4th Street the night of January 4th.

Earlier in the evening, Fran Hughes, 26, who was living with Evans, called John Hoernle, Evans's collaborator on a book about the Beatles. Hoernle said he found Evans despondent, crying, "really doped up and groggy." Evans told him, "Please make sure you and Joanne [Lenard, the assistant on the book project] finish the book." Then the two men went to an upstairs bedroom, where Evans picked up a 30.30 rifle which Hoernle said was unloaded. They scuffled over the rifle but Hoernle was unable to take it away.

Hughes called the police, telling them, "My old man has a gun and has taken Valium and is totally screwed up."

Four officers arrived shortly and two of them, "David D. Krempa, 30, and Robert E. Brannon, 27, went upstairs. According to the police report, Evans, upon seeing the policemen, pointed the rifle at them. Lt. Charles Higbie of the LAPD robbery and homicide division said, "Officers directed him to put down the rifle. He refused to put down the rifle. The officers then fired six shots, four of which struck Evans, killing him instantly.

Evans's manuscript, tentatively titled "Living with the Beatles Legend", was to have been delivered to Grosset and Dunlap January 12th for publication this year. Evans, who had produced part of Keith Moon's last solo album, had also contracted to produce a new group called Natural Gas, made up of Joey Molland (formerly of Badfinger), ex-Humble Pie Jerry Shirley, ex-Rare Bird David Kaffinetti and Mark Clake (formerly of Uriah Heep). The group has not signed with any label but was scheduled to record January 5th.

Evans was described by friends as both a "fantastic person" and "very troubled man." He was separated from his wife Lilly, who reportedly had asked for a divorce shortly before Christmas.

"If Brian Epstein was the fifth Beatle," Evans's lawyer John Mason said, "then Mal was the sixth."

Evans's body was cremated in Los Angeles January 7th, with Harry Nilsson and other friends attending. The ashes were flown to England for final services.

There's a long-running conspiracy theory that Evans's book contained information about the famous rumor of Paul's death with a fake Paul taking his place, and Evans was actually assassinated to prevent the information from getting out. The manuscript for the book was lost.

[HossC]

I think the only previous NLA mention of Ahrens Bros Bakery was a small neon sign in a picture I posted here. This is one of their custom Studebaker delivery trucks in a photo that the seller dates as 1940s.


eBay

Unfortunately, the full image is only available at a smaller size, but it shows a little more of the background. No location is given - maybe someone recognizes the houses.


eBay

The reverse also names the Crown Body Corp as the company that made the truck body.


eBay

I checked the 1932 CD, and Ahrens Bros is listed with several addresses (below). In 1932, the company appears to have been run by three Ahrens brothers: Carl K, Edward F jr and Ralph H Ahrens. Skipping ahead to 1942, and the brothers no longer seem to be connected with the business. The 1942 CD lists H Q Jouckin as president of Ahrens Bros Inc. The company still had many addresses, but they all seem to be different to ten years earlier.


LAPL

The 1942 CD lists the Crown Body & Coach Corp at 2500 E 12th Street. The 1932 CD has them in the same building, but that part of E 12th Street was still known as McPherson Street at the time.

I did a quick picture search for Ahrens Bros, but only found this sack towel with a 1930s pie menu printed on it. I'm assuming that it's a reproduction of a real menu. The description says:

"With this 100% cotton flour sack towel, we're paying tribute to Ahrens Bros Pies, whose famous chiffon pies with Graham Kracker Krusts were popular in the 1930s. Customers could either buy direct from the company stores or have pies brought to their doors in a fleet of stylish delivery cars, made by the Studebaker Automobile company. The pies and cakes were kept in perfect condition in dry ice compartments."


Cool Culinaria on FaceBoook

[GaylordWilshire]

I don't know where those Colonials are, but I'm reminded of these old posts:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=7068

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=3323

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1895

[MartinTurnbull]

Until I saw this photo, I never knew that the youngest Marx Brother – Zeppo – became a theatrical agent. I came across this shot on VickieLester.com. It’s a shame the car got in the middle of the shot (or at least that it’s so blurry we can’t see it clearly) but this was the Zeppo Marx talent agency at 8732 Sunset Boulevard, which puts it at the western end of the Sunset Strip.

[MichaelRyerson]

Mystery photo, April 10, 2015


With apologies, no further info at this time. A week or ten days should tell the story.

[trbondii]

Hey everyone, wanted to throw a question out there since I'm desperate. Looking for some old photos for a book, and have exhausted almost all my resources, (i.e. LA Library, conservancy, friends, etc.) so thought I would try here. Does ANYONE know, or have LEADS to where I can obtain old photos from the Pico-Union district? Preferably around the 2600 block of West Pico Blvd. around 1905 to 1908. I can go all the way up to 1965. Very important for a book I am doing. THANK YOU.

[HossC]

Here are two streetcar pictures I don't remember seeing before. The seller dates them at 1961. The contemporary City Directories list M & N Pipe and Supply at 4700 Long Beach Ave East and the Metal Improvement Co at 1721 E 47th Street. Streetcar #1541 appears about a minute into the Ride The Last Red Car video.



eBay

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by trbondii

Hey everyone, wanted to throw a question out there since I'm desperate. Looking for some old photos for a book, and have exhausted almost all my resources, (i.e. LA Library, conservancy, friends, etc.) so thought I would try here. Does ANYONE know, or have LEADS to where I can obtain old photos from the Pico-Union district? Preferably around the 2600 block of West Pico Blvd. around 1905 to 1908. I can go all the way up to 1965. Very important for a book I am doing. THANK YOU.

Here are two but I'm afraid not that early and the location is going to be problematic...


The W. Pico Street Through-Car, 1919

"The fellow standing in the middle was the husband of one of my Maternal Grandmother's sisters. For you genealogists, he was the father of my first cousin once removed. She was born in 1918. Now at 92, this removed cousin is still very much with us and has a sharp recollection of days gone bye. The Pacific Electric Railway, more commonly called the Red Car Line by passengers and operated from 1901 to 1961. It provided fast and efficient transportation throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. In the 1950's we kids used it for trips to the beaches and back. The conspiracy theory believed by older Angelinos is that the local politicians were paid off by General Motors to replace it with hundreds of new buses."

Posted by Shorpy member 'woodchuck' - 09/19/2011



Pico Boulevard construction, 1925

Mules pulling construction wagons, Pico Boulevard Heights [Picfair Village], 1925.

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

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Pico Boulevard construction, 1925

Mules pulling construction wagons, Pico Boulevard Heights [Picfair Village], 1925.

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

That second photo is well west of Pico-Union:

"Picfair Village takes its name from the majestic Picfair movie theatre which stood at the corner of Pico and Fairfax until the early 1980s.

Initially hailed as "the New Wilshire...[and] a delightful place for a home," what is now Picfair Village was part of the Santa Monica Land and Water Co.'s 1922 development called Pico Boulevard Heights. Their tract office was located on the Pico street car line at Fairfax and Pico. They offered "choice lots on Genesee Street" starting at $1,250.

What is now Picfair Village was once home to the author Walter Mosley for a while, and one of his characters lived on Stanley."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picfair...e,_Los_Angeles

Just to confuse things Pico Heights post office is just west of Pico-Union

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

That second photo is well west of Pico-Union:

"Picfair Village takes its name from the majestic Picfair movie theatre which stood at the corner of Pico and Fairfax until the early 1980s.

Initially hailed as "the New Wilshire...[and] a delightful place for a home," what is now Picfair Village was part of the Santa Monica Land and Water Co.'s 1922 development called Pico Boulevard Heights. Their tract office was located on the Pico street car line at Fairfax and Pico. They offered "choice lots on Genesee Street" starting at $1,250.

What is now Picfair Village was once home to the author Walter Mosley for a while, and one of his characters lived on Stanley."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picfair...e,_Los_Angeles

I think I indicated the location issue.

[AlvaroLegido]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

Mystery photo, April 10, 2015

With apologies, no further info at this time. A week or ten days should tell the story.

Bruno, Mignonette, Fremont, Old County Courthouse ?

[Flyingwedge]

I wanted to go back to ensure I hadn't missed anything and to take more and better photos. One of the first things I noticed was that two of the four
loose stones I posted about previously are now missing! I guess I'll find out more about that in a week or ten days . . . .

And thanks to Beaudry for the tip about Ladera Park in the first place! After thinking about it, I have to believe all of these walls have been up since 1936, rather
than having been moved or reconstructed later on. FWIW, the parking lot can be seen on the 1952 aerial at Historicaerials.com.

So anyway, this is the north wall of the Senior Center parking lot, along the south side of 62nd Street, across from Ladera Park:


The east wall:


There's just a low edging of old courthouse stone along most of the south side:


The southwest corner:


The west wall, leading toward a locked gate behind the Senior Center:


Behind the locked gate behind the Senior Center:


A wall segment:


And in Ladera Park on the north side of 62nd Street, by the tennis courts, is this old non-working drinking fountain:


All Flyingwedge photos

[tovangar2]

Beautiful coverage FW. I hope you have time at some point to go to City Terrace to document the carved stones.

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

I wanted to go back to ensure I hadn't missed anything and to take more and better photos. One of the first things I noticed was that two of the four
loose stones I posted about previously are now missing! I guess I'll find out more about that in a week or ten days . . . .

And thanks to Beaudry for the tip about Ladera Park in the first place! After thinking about it, I have to believe all of these walls have been up since 1936, rather
than having been moved or reconstructed later on. FWIW, the parking lot can be seen on the 1952 aerial at Historicaerials.com.

So anyway, this is the north wall of the Senior Center parking lot, along the south side of 62nd Street, across from Ladera Park:


The east wall:


There's just a low edging of old courthouse stone along most of the south side:


The southwest corner:


The west wall, leading toward a locked gate behind the Senior Center:


Behind the locked gate behind the Senior Center:


A wall segment:


And in Ladera Park on the north side of 62nd Street, by the tennis courts, is this old non-working drinking fountain:


All Flyingwedge photos

As always beautiful coverage. Congrats.