noirish Los Angeles

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

LOL! I agree with Bob Eubanks about that song, too!

The same Bob Eubanks that hosted the Newlywed Gameshow in the 1960s & '70s I guess? Or was it the Dating game? Also hosted Rose Parades for years and years until just recently.
____
Gasometers were taken down in the mid 1970s I suppose because they started storing gas underground in depleted oil/gas wells. The one in the North San Fernando Valley at Aliso Canyon leaked and stank up the north valley for a while. I bet those people would welcome the big gasometers back!

Now, whatever happened to Brew 102? Not as awful as some people say. Cheap price, good with a sandwich. Not true they used L.A. River water & storm runoff to brew it. Other brews you don't see very often are Hamm's and Olympia. Both had their fans and Hamm's had frequent TV ads in the 1950s & 1960s: the jingle "FROM THE LAND OF SKY BLUE WATERS....HAAAAAAMMMS" still rings in my head. Olympia was proud to be brewed in Tumwater, a suburb of Olympia WA. Schlitz beer was also common back then, and even had a brewery in Van Nuys. Don't see it very often anymore. Craft beers are taking over. I think Schlitz should be the official noirish beer.

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

I think Schlitz should be the official noirish beer.

I beg to differ. It has to be Lucky Lager. Nothing more noirish than getting shot while holding a can of Lucky.

Earl

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

Gasometers were taken down in the mid 1970s I suppose because they started storing gas underground in depleted oil/gas wells.
___________________________________________________________________

I remember asking once if anyone knew if gasometers were located in other U.S. cities, because I didn't think I'd ever seen photos of any in other locations. So, just now I looked up gasometers on wikipedia and they have info on places that have/had them.

The section on the United States starts off with this line: "Gasometers are comparatively rare in the United States."

Even rarer: Not one mention of any gasometers in Los Angeles or Southern California.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Now I'm curious about the light colored tressle. It appears to be 40 ft. 60 ft. above the ground.

Here are some close-ups from the early-80s. They're from a season 1 episode of 'The Fall Guy' called 'Goin' For It!'. As you can see, at that time it was a junkyard.



It looks like there was more than one row of these structures.



In this last shot, the block that I've arrowed was moving along the beam. I'm guessing that it was a massive crane system which went up and down the rails and across the beam to reach any part of the yard.



All Glen A Larson Productions/20th Century Fox Television

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

You can see it on the aerial photos from FrameFinder, based on it's location I'd guess it's something used to load trains. It looks like it was there all the way up to the mid-80's (that's the latest aerial I could d/l), I can't see it on the 2007 Google Street View (looking from Mission).

Although it was very close to the rail yards, I can't find any aerials showing rails going under the cranes, although it's quite possible/likely that cargo from trains was moved by them.

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the explanation, Hoss. It's really interesting how they moved the cars (and parts) using an elevated rail system. I don't believe I have seen anyrhing quite like that.

[ethereal_reality]

Here's yet another slide that shows the same general area and the gas-o-meter.

"Orig 35mm Slide LOS ANGELES Pacific Van & Storage WHITE KING SOAP Rails c 1960"


Ebay

The gas-o-meter is full in this shot. (or almost full)


FOR COMPARISON


This makes me curious about the black sheath that contains the gas. What do you think it was made of...extra-thick rubber?

...and why isn't it wrinkly when it's less full? ...(maybe I'm not understanding the concept)

.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

I remember asking once if anyone knew if gasometers were located in other U.S. cities, because I didn't think I'd ever seen photos of any in other locations. So, just now I looked up gasometers on wikipedia and they have info on places that have/had them.

The section on the United States starts off with this line: "Gasometers are comparatively rare in the United States."

Even rarer: Not one mention of any gasometers in Los Angeles or Southern California.

NYC used to have gasometers. In the "Godfather" (1972) you can see a big one in the backround at the cemetary when they buried the old man. Probably in Queens or Brooklyn or the Bronx?

[ethereal_reality]

And this view includes the 2nd gas-o-meter.


"Orig 35mm Slide LOS ANGELES 101 Freeway ABC Beer TAIX FRENCH RESTAURANT 1959-61?"


Ebay

This taller gas-o-meter appears to have a different design concept.








A nice glimpse of TAIX French Restaurant.







Advertising A B C Beer.


DETAIL

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by Earl Boebert

I beg to differ. It has to be Lucky Lager. Nothing more noirish than getting shot while holding a can of Lucky.

Earl

Up Schlitz Creek without a paddle. "With a name like Schlitz it has to be good (?)" They should have rented that slogan from Smuckers.

[odinthor]

Long Beach had its own gasometer (adjacent to Signal Hill), as I well remember (I rather miss seeing it):


https://dmairfield.com/places/losang...each/index.htm

[CaliNative]

[QUOTE=ethereal_reality;8587354][I]

A nice glimpse at TAIX French restaurant.



^^^^^

No relation to the better known Taix French Rest. in Echo Park area I presume, or was this a satellite location or maybe the original?

Was ABC beer brewed by the burgermeisters who made Brew 102?

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

This makes me curious about the black sheath that contains the gas. What do you think it was made of...extra-thick rubber?

...and why isn't it wrinkly when it's less full? ...(maybe I'm not understanding the concept)

.

I don't know if the LA gasometers worked like the ones in the UK, but here's a diagram of how they kept the gas in with telescopic sides and water seals. The article (link below) also has a time-lapse of a gasometer being demolished.


www.bbc.com

[HossC]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Long Beach had its own gasometer (adjacent to Signal Hill), as I well remember (I rather miss seeing it):


https://dmairfield.com/places/losang...each/index.htm

And don't forget the one in Hollywood. It's from back on page 180, which includes several good posts on gasometers, including Beaudry's one mentioned below by e_r.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Until recently I had no idea there were any of these 'monster' gas holders anywhere near Hollywood. I actually thought this photo was mislabeled until I read your post Beaudry.


usc digital archive

I believe this is looking west along Santa Monica Blvd. from the area of Mansfield or Highland Ave.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by odinthor

Long Beach had its own gasometer (adjacent to Signal Hill), as I well remember (I rather miss seeing it):


https://dmairfield.com/places/losang...each/index.htm

I remember that one too! I don't know how long that gasometer remained in use, but it might have outlived the other LA-area gasometers.


Here it is in 1927, below center with LONG BEACH ----> written on top, pointing to the nearby airport:



Flight c-300, Frame m-174 @ UCSB


1968, on the south side of the San Diego Freeway:



Flight TG_2400, Frame 2-61 @ UCSB


1994:



Flight napp-2c, Frame 6858-81 @ UCSB

[Handsome Stranger]

I just noticed that the Los Angeles Public Library has an very interesting blog post about a recently acquisition:

“The Business Property Map of Los Angeles” by Robert Marsh & Co. dates back to 1913 and represents the center of the city in an era of extremely important economic growth in Southern California.

Here's a very large (14754 x 6124 px) copy of the map, courtesy of LAPL!

[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

Looking at the aerial from 1976, you can still see where they were, but they're gone. My guess is that there were removed in 1975.

That sounds about right. I got my driver license in 1976 and that's when my parents stopped dragging me to see my grandmother.

Originally Posted by CaliNative

The same Bob Eubanks that hosted the Newlywed Gameshow in the 1960s & '70s I guess? Or was it the Dating game? Also hosted Rose Parades for years and years until just recently.
____

Now, whatever happened to Brew 102? Not as awful as some people say. Cheap price, good with a sandwich. Not true they used L.A. River water & storm runoff to brew it. Other brews you don't see very often are Hamm's and Olympia. Both had their fans and Hamm's had frequent TV ads in the 1950s & 1960s: the jingle "FROM THE LAND OF SKY BLUE WATERS....HAAAAAAMMMS" still rings in my head. Olympia was proud to be brewed in Tumwater, a suburb of Olympia WA. Schlitz beer was also common back then, and even had a brewery in Van Nuys. Don't see it very often anymore. Craft beers are taking over. I think Schlitz should be the official noirish beer.

That same grandmother LOVED Brew 102. She bought it by the case at Sav-On. She was born in 1898 and as a child had some disease that made her lose her hair, so she wore wigs. I remember the more Brew 102 she drank, the more her wig would migrate to one side of her head.

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

The same Bob Eubanks that hosted the Newlywed Gameshow in the 1960s & '70s I guess? Or was it the Dating game? Also hosted Rose Parades for years and years until just recently.
____
Gasometers were taken down in the mid 1970s I suppose because they started storing gas underground in depleted oil/gas wells. The one in the North San Fernando Valley at Aliso Canyon leaked and stank up the north valley for a while. I bet those people would welcome the big gasometers back!

Now, whatever happened to Brew 102? Not as awful as some people say. Cheap price, good with a sandwich. Not true they used L.A. River water & storm runoff to brew it. Other brews you don't see very often are Hamm's and Olympia. Both had their fans and Hamm's had frequent TV ads in the 1950s & 1960s: the jingle "FROM THE LAND OF SKY BLUE WATERS....HAAAAAAMMMS" still rings in my head. Olympia was proud to be brewed in Tumwater, a suburb of Olympia WA. Schlitz beer was also common back then, and even had a brewery in Van Nuys. Don't see it very often anymore. Craft beers are taking over. I think Schlitz should be the official noirish beer.

You forgot Lucky Lager. (I hear it's coming back)

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

The same Bob Eubanks that hosted the Newlywed Gameshow in the 1960s & '70s I guess? Or was it the Dating game? Also hosted Rose Parades for years and years until just recently.
____
Gasometers were taken down in the mid 1970s I suppose because they started storing gas underground in depleted oil/gas wells. The one in the North San Fernando Valley at Aliso Canyon leaked and stank up the north valley for a while. I bet those people would welcome the big gasometers back!

Now, whatever happened to Brew 102? Not as awful as some people say. Cheap price, good with a sandwich. Not true they used L.A. River water & storm runoff to brew it. Other brews you don't see very often are Hamm's and Olympia. Both had their fans and Hamm's had frequent TV ads in the 1950s & 1960s: the jingle "FROM THE LAND OF SKY BLUE WATERS....HAAAAAAMMMS" still rings in my head. Olympia was proud to be brewed in Tumwater, a suburb of Olympia WA. Schlitz beer was also common back then, and even had a brewery in Van Nuys. Don't see it very often anymore. Craft beers are taking over. I think Schlitz should be the official noirish beer.

I took the tour of the Oly brewery in the mid-70's, I was too young to sample the product though.

[FredH]

There was another gas-o-meter over by the produce market


The Postman Always Rings Twice, MGM, 1946



The Postman Always Rings Twice, MGM, 1946

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by FredH

There was another gas-o-meter over by the produce market

The Postman Always Rings Twice, MGM, 1946

Yup, per the 1921 Baists, 7th and Alameda.