noirish Los Angeles

[Godzilla]

__________________________________


A closer look at Florence and Hoover, circa July '32?



http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/40114/rec/3















http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/40114/rec/3








For those wanting a break from Rabbit, try J&R Barbecue. It only tastes like varmint.












Today's specials.

[Godzilla]

In April '32, Fletcher Drive looked almost as rural as Hoover Street and Florence Ave.



http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/48571/rec/2





Ranons Ave
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/48571/rec/2








Finger Waving or Waxing????










Oh Boy, if only we could have a strip mall?







http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/48571/rec/2


Not that anyone should care, but if asked, I prefer my Langendorf's unsliced.





The Depression hasn't prevented someone from maintaining the shrubs.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

CBD-- Interesting that this same picture with your family car etc was on ebay a few years ago (or at least that ER posted it here then)--

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=13054

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=13057


PS Hello unihikid, HossC, Michael Ryerson & all--

Hello Gaylord Wilshire !:
Yes, I am aware of that. You never know when a person you know will be discovered in some random photo. My mom was pregnant with my sister at the time of that photo.

That year my parents rented a furnished house for $100 a month to await the birth of my sister. It was a new post-war house. All of the door nobs and drawer pulls were plastic due to war-time shortages of metal.

He traded in that Buick for a '49 Mercury and then traded that for a '50 model Mercury. He said he got rid of the Buick because too many cops stopped him "to admire the car".

I discovered my aunt in a photo here on Norish. She and her friend were walking outside of a restaurant at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Its a really a small world.

Last year I found a 1916 photo of my family on ebay. How that person got that photo of my grandfather and grandmother, their children and relatives, I have no idea but they had it. I bought it as I had not seen it before.

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Feb 25, 1930 Lots graded and ready for development



Colvin's - Ask for the UV protection extended warranty! Void where prohibited by law.


Images from USCDigital Awnings and draperies from Colvin's

Another compressed glimpse of one long Boulevard, Wilshire, circa '30



http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si.../id/5293/rec/5



Was this a driving range, or just an orderly set of billboards?




"Fore!" ??






1930 - Fascinating skyline. Frozen in time.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Godzilla

In April '32, Fletcher Drive looked almost as rural as Hoover Street and Florence Ave.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/48571/rec/2

When I first saw this picture, I queried the location as Ranons Avenue doesn't intersect with Fletcher Drive. However, I think I've found the section of Fletcher Drive in the 1932 photograph, so this part of Ranons Avenue must have been renamed Weldon Avenue at some point.


GSV

Originally Posted by Godzilla

Finger Waving or Waxing????

It's finger waving. From Wikipedia:

A finger wave is a method of setting hair into waves (curls) that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and in the late 1990s in North America and Europe. The process involves pinching the hair between the fingers and combing the hair in alternating directions to make a wave shape. A lotion was applied to the hair to help it retain its shape. According to "Techniques of the 1920s and 1930s":

Finger waves were developed in the 1920s to add style to, and soften the hard appearance of, the bobbed hairstyles that became very popular during the flapper period.

Many Hollywood movie stars wore the latest finger waves which contributed to the popularity and evolution of this style.

I found four beauty salons in the 1932 CD that offered finger waving in their listings, but none fit the address of the one shown here.

[HossC]

When I took another look at the image below, I realized that it was taken from nearly the same point as the image above, but looking to the left. When I zoomed in on the lamppost, I found there was a street sign for Weldon Avenue there in 1932. Maybe the intersection with Fletcher Drive has been slightly realigned, and this part of Ranons Avenue became Roderick Road.

Originally Posted by Godzilla

It looks like the two houses in the picture above are still there.


Google Maps

Originally Posted by Godzilla

Not that anyone should care, but if asked, I prefer my Langendorf's unsliced.

So are you saying that Langendorf's sliced bread is the best thing since Langendorf's unsliced bread?

I carried on looking down this section of Fletcher Drive, and I think this might be the building with the Langendorf's advert on the side. I found a build date of 1929. The most likely candidate for the house on the left of the picture above is 3562 Fletcher Drive, which was built in 1923. It last sold for $17,500 in 1984, and now seems to be valued at over $420,000.


GSV

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Hello Gaylord Wilshire !:
Yes, I am aware of that. You never know when a person you know will be discovered in some random photo. My mom was pregnant with my sister at the time of that photo.

That year my parents rented a furnished house for $100 a month to await the birth of my sister. It was a new post-war house. All of the door nobs and drawer pulls were plastic due to war-time shortages of metal.

He traded in that Buick for a '49 Mercury and then traded that for a '50 model Mercury. He said he got rid of the Buick because too many cops stopped him "to admire the car".

I discovered my aunt in a photo here on Norish. She and her friend were walking outside of a restaurant at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Its a really a small world.

Last year I found a 1916 photo of my family on ebay. How that person got that photo of my grandfather and grandmother, their children and relatives, I have no idea but they had it. I bought it as I had not seen it before.

That is amazing, CBD--I can't imagine what the odds are of anyone coming across their family in random online photos taken in a city of millions decades later in even one picture--the odds must be astronomical--but in three? Wow.

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by Godzilla

Another compressed glimpse of one long Boulevard, Wilshire, circa '30

Was this a driving range, or just an orderly set of billboards?

Not one, but three Wilshire Boulevard houses are seen together in this shot, one still standing--the famous Higgins-Verbeck moved from 2619 to 637 S Lucerne, where it remains (the one with the turret near top center); the Jenkins/Getty house (no longer) at 641 S Irving, more popularly known as Norma Desmond's 10086 Sunset Boulevard--seen just to the right of the Higgins-Verbeck in front of the Los Altos; and, just below that, perhaps the strangest of all, the stark white Colonial of the "Richest Indian in the World," Jackson Barnett, at 644 S Rossmore.

[HossC]

"Original Slide - Los Angeles LATL 3008 PCC Trolley at S. Vermont & 7th Jan 1958."
Get an immediate improvement with Richfield Boron!


eBay

I'm struggling to see much that survives from the picture above.


GSV

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by HossC

When I took another look at the image below, I realized that it was taken from nearly the same point as the image above, but looking to the left. When I zoomed in on the lamppost, I found there was a street sign for Weldon Avenue there in 1932. Maybe the intersection with Fletcher Drive has been slightly realigned, and this part of Ranons Avenue became Roderick Road.



It looks like the two houses in the picture above are still there.


Google Maps



So are you saying that Langendorf's sliced bread is the best thing since Langendorf's unsliced bread?

I carried on looking down this section of Fletcher Drive, and I think this might be the building with the Langendorf's advert on the side. I found a build date of 1929. The most likely candidate for the house on the left of the picture above is 3562 Fletcher Drive, which was built in 1923. It last sold for $17,500 in 1984, and now seems to be valued at over $420,000.


GSV

Thank you HossC for your welcome follow ups. I think it a fair bet that if one were to enter the still extant building today and ask for Langedorf's bread, one might received a different type of finger waving.


Cosmetology has hopefully progressed since the 1930's. The practice of finger waving while fry'n and eat'n rabbit should be strongly discouraged.

Langendorf's California history is long.
1948 Billboard
https://ccoarchives.files.wordpress....read.jpg?w=600

http://www.porcelainsigns.com/wp-con...oorpush059.png




1963 Langendorf Delivery Trucks - in Los Angeles (per source)
erhttp://jpg2.lapl.org/pics24/00046908.jpg



1960 - Commerce, CA. Down there on Gage Ave. lies the Langendorf facility.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00102/00102984.jpg


1998 - THe Langendorf facility (on Gage Ave.)
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics10/00024941.jpg

[Godzilla]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Not one, but three Wilshire Boulevard houses are seen together in this shot, one still standing--the famous Higgins-Verbeck moved from 2619 to 637 S Lucerne, where it remains (the one with the turret near top center); the Jenkins/Getty house (no longer) at 641 S Irving, more popularly known as Norma Desmond's 10086 Sunset Boulevard--seen just to the right of the Higgins-Verbeck in front of the Los Altos; and, just below that, perhaps the strangest of all, the stark white Colonial of the "Richest Indian in the World," Jackson Barnett, at 644 S Rossmore.

Thanks for the follow up. There is a lot going on in that image, including traffic that seems to be fluid without the impediment of traffic devices (or accidents) at every intersection. Some three years prior to the introduction of Kong, the E.Clem Wilson scaffolding looks like a mighty attractive invite for any big ape to test his skills against So Cal's newest monoplanes. The Richfield Tower, is noticeable, but hardly dominates. Hard to imagine a time when virtually every multi-story structure had an unencumbered view.

[Hollywood Graham]

Godzilla I have one of those Call Box pedestals next to the Acme at Florence and Hoover. They were not very common in L.A., the only other one I have seen a picture of was at 1st and Spring 1920's. Mine has had the lettering ground off and am looking for one that has not been ground off to see what it said on the door. I was hoping this photo would divulge it but alas no. Thanks for posting it.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by Hollywood Graham

Godzilla I have one of those Call Box pedestals next to the Acme at Florence and Hoover. They were not very common in L.A., the only other one I have seen a picture of was at 1st and Spring 1920's. Mine has had the lettering ground off and am looking for one that has not been ground off to see what it said on the door. I was hoping this photo would divulge it but alas no. Thanks for posting it.

Is that a separate stand-alone call box or a signal box or a combination of the two? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVBi7_UsbWM (~4'10)

http://s3-media2.fl.yelpcdn.com/bpho...lrs9jYLQ/o.jpg


1963
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00115/00115034.jpg



Number of lights on the semaphore signals?. Some of them have the large red and green while other have the two red and green plus a small amber toward the bottom. Is the amber an afterthought or just not needed depending upon existing traffic congestion?

Red, green and yellow example.
http://www.antiquetrader.com/wp-cont...rontPagefw.jpg



Obvious repeat posts.

Undated, Grand and Wilshire (Provision for amber light at signal bottom)
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics26/00032543.jpg



1941 - Alvarado and Temple. Upon the advice of MR, signals receive blackout treatment. Notice the amber light.
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics50/00044600.jpg


1945 - Seventh and Broadway. Morning of VJ Day Aug 14, 1945
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00106/00106102.jpg


1947 - Sixth and Flower
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics48/00058608.jpg



1950 - Fifth and Grand
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics48/00058610.jpg


https://latimesphoto.files.wordpress...signals970.jpg



Unknown location (Should I stay or should I go?)
http://streets.mn/wp-content/uploads..._b-336x500.jpg

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

1945 - Seventh and Broadway. Morning of VJ Day Aug 14, 1945

http://jpg1.lapl.org/00106/00106102.jpg

Because of the lighting in the photograph, the man on the corner (lower right) facing left (head near street sign) looks like his derriere is in public view.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

https://latimesphoto.files.wordpress...signals970.jpg

Thank you for the photo. I don't recall seeing it before, but I'll enjoy it for a long time now. So much to look at :-)

[GaylordWilshire]

A prior posting of the shot, with a little more info--

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/...ostcount=19278

[ethereal_reality]

...and this, with interesting commentary by HossC and Beaudry.

HossC had written:

Originally Posted by Beaudry

I thought the same thing when I saw the pic, and now that I really study it, I'm sure you're absolutely correct. You would have to have one at Go and the other at Stop: you can only make the right turn from "Upper Fifth" (where Hope loops around the Engstrum atop the retaining wall) and because of the jog in the street between you and the continuance of Fifth -- with the Biltmore Garage staring you in the face -- there's no way you could make the turn in the path of all the oncoming traffic. And that's four lanes of one-way traffic coming at you westbound on Fifth (it was made a one-way in Oct '47).

I think what they were trying to say is, look, here's a guy who's pulled his fastback too far into the intersection and he's going to look at the semaphore across the street for his direction? The title of the article should be Don't Pull Too Far Into the Intersection.



Aerial view of the area -- note the retaining wall under construction, which dates the picture to the Spring of 1930.

USCdl

More images of said retaining wall here and here ...I did a little more digging into the retaining wall (so to speak) and discovered that it was designed by none other than the great Carleton Monroe Winslow, who, although Goodhue is generally known as the architect of the Central Library, Winslow had a mighty hand in its completion. As such, Winslow purposely conceived the wall's severe pilasters, arches and clean Egypto-Deco lines to complement the library across the street. I always thought it was a particularly effective and handsome structure; more's the pity it lasted just until the time -- early 1980s -- it could become appreciated.

One bit of it survives, of course -- I suppose most people think it's part of the Edison Bldg and thus was drafted by the hands of Allison & Allison. Ha!

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

I've been working on another house-history site to go along with those on Berkeley Square, Wilshire Boulevard, and St. James Park--this one, on Fremont Place. There are now 19 in the "inventory," more to come: fremontplace.blogspot.com

Facebook page HERE

Welcome back GW! I look forward to going through your Fremont Place blog.
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On the previous page (#1355) there are several photographs by Godzilla (re: Sanders photos) and a bunch by Tourmaline (re: Anna Mae Wong) that are not showing up.
Is anyone else having trouble seeing them? -or is it just my computer?

__

[GaylordWilshire]

Thanks, ER-- as for Anna May Wong, those shots aren't showing up on my computer either--

[Hollywood Graham]

http://s597.photobucket.com/user/cal...rdpi7.jpg.html

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Because of the lighting in the photograph, the man on the corner (lower right) facing left (head near street sign) looks like his derriere is in public view.

The pedestal call box at Florence and Hoover is a single door police box. You needed a key to access it, it was not for the public. As you see on the one I have the door words were ground off so they could repurpose the box.
The blue Cannon Electric box you posted a photo of was primarily used in the Eagle Rock area. It is aluminum and was painted blue at one time, silver another, depending what paint was on the truck.
Acme Semaphore signals had one red, one green light. The yellow light was flashing at night after the signals were shut down (mot much traffic then so the stopped operating and went into a caution mode. Some did have a Blvd. Stop Sigh with a flashing red light late at night. There were no other lights on an Acme. Acme did make a conventional tri-light after semaphore fell out of favor.