noirish Los Angeles

[HossC]

I found this photo of Vic Edelbrock's speed shop on eBay. Although the picture is undated, these details from edelbrock.com suggest it must be from the late-40s:

"During the war, Vic shelved his racing activities and used his machinist skills for the war effort. Vic's war-time experiences increased his perception of what he could build with the right machining tools.

At the end of the war, he purchased his first building to open a machine shop and repair facility at 1200 North Highland in Hollywood, CA.

Business flourished and in 1949, Vic moved into his first purpose-built shop on Jefferson Blvd."

eBay

Looking at the detailing, I'd say that the building currently at 1200 North Highland is the same one.


GSV

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1937, Railroad tracks and clean modern buildings near them? A panorama. Strong suspicion this is warehouse district near Alameda RR tracks, 1128 E 5th Street is listing for one of businesses depicted. vvvvv - http://digitallibrary.usc.edu /cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll170/id/71444/rec/78

[/IMG]

We've been here before... Atwater Village/Glendale

GSV





http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=20532

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=20534

[Wig-Wag]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

thought I'd share this great image...

Steam visits Glendale one last time, ca.1965

gatheringgardiners.blogspot.com

Michael, That is a wonderful, albeit “artificial” image. What immediately bothered me was the date attributed to it - 1965. It is way off the map. For the casual observer the tip off might be the 1970’s van in the parking lot. For the nut cases like me the locomotive itself is the marker.

The locomotive is Southern Pacific GS-4 4449, today one of the most famous and revered operating steam locomotives in the country. Built in May of 1941 she worked for the SP only 16 years, until October 2, 1957, avery short life for a steam locomotive. On May 24, 1958 she was donated to the City of Portland, Oregon and put on display in Oaks Park. She was not looked after very well and the pacific northwest weather quickly took it’s toll on her as seen in my photo from 1969. Had her deterioration continued she might have eventually been cut up for scrap, but in 1975 she was one of two steam locomotives selected to Pull the American Freedom Train on it’s Bicentennial tour. This sparked a rebirth and new career.

After two years of heading up the Freedom Train she was returned to the City of Portland where the the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society returned her to her SP “Daylight” colors of red, orange and black and began running her on public excursions. Today she is temporally out of service while undergoing another rebuild, expected to be completed in November.

Now, I described the photo as being an “artificial" image. 4449 is shown passing through Glendale Station during a April/May 1981 shippers special showcasing the "Glasshopper" a new type of hopper car built of fiberglass. It was designed to reduce tare weight while increasing payload.. We know it is this shippers special because the Glasshopper is just visible through the smoke behind the two red and orange passenger cars. h

Now, about the smoke. In the days of SP steam operations smoke was to be avoided when passing through populated areas and kept to a minimum while running. Indeed, the SP fireman’s handbook states that the locomotive is to be run with “a light haze of grey at the stack”. In steam days this little display would have found the engine crew called on the carpet immediately at the end of their run. At this point the engine had developed a problem that plagued it's return run to Portland, and while I no longer remember the exact details, I seem to recall talk of a bad load of fuel-oil. That said, all that smoke does make for a neat picture, especially when the magenta cast is removed.





Cheers,
Jack

[BifRayRock]

HossC. sorry I missed your prior post on 7th and Avarado
GW, I recognized the buildings, but couldn't place them in Glendale. Thanks for the assist.

Originally Posted by HossC

I found this photo of Vic Edelbrock's speed shop on eBay. Although the picture is undated, these details from edelbrock.com suggest it must be from the late-40s:

"During the war, Vic shelved his racing activities and used his machinist skills for the war effort. Vic's war-time experiences increased his perception of what he could build with the right machining tools.

At the end of the war, he purchased his first building to open a machine shop and repair facility at 1200 North Highland in Hollywood, CA.

Business flourished and in 1949, Vic moved into his first purpose-built shop on Jefferson Blvd."

eBay

Looking at the detailing, I'd say that the building currently at 1200 North Highland is the same one.

That narrative omitted Vic E's nearby "Breawood" garage at 363 N La Brea. See the '42 CD and https://books.google.com/books?id=sH...20blvd&f=false Per''39CD, when Vic wasn't under a hood or on the salt, he hung his Sunday clothes at 2329 S Sycamore. Before Vic's interest in the Breawood garage, it had a slightly different listing (in '38) at 367 N La Brea vvvvvvv.

Wonder if Vic and Co. used the services of Moderncraft Laundry at 900 N. La Brea.

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

Breawood Auto Service Station - 367 N. La Brea Source dates photos 1933. CD Listing is from 1938. 1936 CD has listing for Breawood Market at 401 N. La Brea.http://rescarta.lapl.org:8080/ResCar...00003/00000002 http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/37318/rec/50

Gingerbread roof design somewhere to the west of the Breawood garage. It does not look like it survived. Also interesting reminder that even in the '30s, there were warnings about inclusion of lead in fuel. Wonder if that advice had any beneficial effects








Signal Oil had semaphore-style traffic "signal" as part of its logo and evidently continued its use through the '60s well after the disappearance of those signals from the street.






https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-5433479...eon-sign-1.png


http://www.cruisin66.com/oldgas/sig2.jpg

[BifRayRock]

Breawood and Signal Oil


A word from our friendly sponsor?



http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/37318/rec/50

Burroughs himself was involved in the production of the first of the Tarzan radio serials, Tarzan of the Apes. It is considered to be the first major syndicated radio serial, and was popular from the start. This first serial gave the story of Tarzan and his background, and was very true to the novel. It also was good radio, with a vivid scenes and good sound effects for all the action. Burrough's daughter Joan played Jane, and her husband, James Pierce played Tarzan. The famed radio actor Gale Gordon (best known for principal Conklin on Our Miss Brooks) was Cecil Clayton. The second of the series, Tarzan and the Diamond of Asher, 1934, starred Carlton KaDell as Tarzan. Joan Pierce was pregnant, so Jane wasn't in this adventure. Also, Burroughs took more control than he had on the first series on this one, The Fires of Toth, begun in 1936, was the third and final serial series of the early era. All three are great jungle radio serials. http://www.otrcat.com/tarzan-p-1908.html

http://www.otrcat.com/z/tarzan-club.jpeg

[HossC]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

Also interesting reminder that even in the '30s, there were warnings about inclusion of lead in fuel. Wonder if that advice had any beneficial effects

Slightly off topic, but the man responsible for lead in gasoline was Thomas Midgley, Jr. While working for General Motors in 1921, Midgley discovered that adding Tetraethyllead to gasoline prevented "knocking" in engines. The resulting substance was marketed as "Ethyl" to avoid all mention of lead. Midgley was also instrumental in the synthesis of Freon and the introduction of CFCs into refrigeration equipment. Luckily for mankind, Midgley managed to be the cause of his own death when he became trapped in the ropes of device he'd designed to help him out of bed after he'd contacted poliomyelitis. From his Wikipedia entry:

In keeping with his tragic life story, Midgley's legacy has been scarred by the negative environmental impact of some of his innovations. His work led to the release of large quantities of lead into the atmosphere as a result of the large-scale combustion of leaded gasoline all over the world. High atmospheric lead levels have been linked with serious long-term health problems from childhood, including neurological impairment, and with increased levels of violence and criminality in cities.

Midgley died three decades before the ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas effects of CFCs in the atmosphere became widely known. Bill Bryson remarks that Midgley possessed "an instinct for the regrettable that was almost uncanny." J. R. McNeill, an environmental historian, opines that Midgley "had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history."

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by Wig-Wag

Michael, That is a wonderful, albeit “artificial” image. What immediately bothered me was the date attributed to it - 1965. It is way off the map. For the casual observer the tip off might be the 1970’s van in the parking lot. For the nut cases like me the locomotive itself is the marker.

The locomotive is Southern Pacific GS-4 4449, today one of the most famous and revered operating steam locomotives in the country. Built in May of 1941 she worked for the SP only 16 years, until October 2, 1957, avery short life for a steam locomotive. On May 24, 1958 she was donated to the City of Portland, Oregon and put on display in Oaks Park. She was not looked after very well and the pacific northwest weather quickly took it’s toll on her as seen in my photo from 1969. Had her deterioration continued she might have eventually been cut up for scrap, but in 1975 she was one of two steam locomotives selected to Pull the American Freedom Train on it’s Bicentennial tour. This sparked a rebirth and new career.

After two years of heading up the Freedom Train she was returned to the City of Portland where the the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society returned her to her SP “Daylight” colors of red, orange and black and began running her on public excursions. Today she is temporally out of service while undergoing another rebuild, expected to be completed in November.

Now, I described the photo as being an “artificial" image. 4449 is shown passing through Glendale Station on a 1981 shippers special showcasing the "Glasshopper" a new type of hopper car built of fiberglass. It was designed to reduce tare weight while increasing payload.. We know it is this shippers special because the Glasshopper is just visible through the smoke behind the two red and orange passenger cars. h

Now, about the smoke. In the days of SP steam operations smoke was to be avoided when passing through populated areas and kept to a minimum while running. Indeed, the SP fireman’s handbook states that the locomotive is to be run with “a light haze of grey at the stack”. In steam days this little display would have found the engine crew called on the carpet immediately at the end of their run. At this point the engine had developed a problem that plagued it's return run to Portland, and while I no longer remember the exact details, I seem to recall talk of a bad load of fuel-oil. That said, all that smoke does make for a neat picture, especially when the magenta cast is removed.





Cheers,
Jack

Yes Jack, right on all counts. Have had a conversation with a railfan on my photo-stream about these very concerns. The date on the negative obviously ignores the van but to my eye more obviously ignores the nose of the little, white Fiat(?) with the plastic bumper and lack of side chrome. Tim Zuka calls it 1981 and I've changed the ID in my Flickr account to that date. Unfortunately I can't really do much for the date here without taking the image down and as I just posted it for the visual component I'm going to leave it. As noir or LA history or even as a railroad artifact, it's got little going for it.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

The date on the negative obviously ignores the van but to my eye more obviously ignores the nose of the little, white Fiat(?) with the plastic bumper and lack of side chrome.

I vote for a white 1979 Toyota Corolla. I think I also see a Mercedes and Buick from the early-mid '70s. The brown hat is somewhat of a "red herring."




1945 - Pasadena's Santa Fe Station
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics24/00046624.jpg



1954 - Travel Town
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00121/00121176.jpg



1948 - Freedom Train (Clearly not a Traditional Steam Locomotive)
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060148.jpg

[BifRayRock]

1935 - Osborne Avenue and San Fernando Road


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/54599/rec/26







No Credit, no kidding. 10119 San Fernando Rd.


























Street sign. Notice Mile Marker. Pay no attention to train crossing signal.

















Cracked Gas






































Whiteman Air Park, constructed in 1946 at Osborne Avenue and San Fernando Road

1988 (San Fernando Rd., vertical, Osborne Av horizontal. )
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00094/00094714.jpg


1963
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics24/00031522.jpg


1960 Oops
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00091/00091709.jpg

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

You've seen the Margaret Herrick Library even if you've never heard of it:

ALS
It's in the old Beverly Hills Water Treatment Plant (Salisbury, Bradshaw & Taylor, 1928) on La Cienega and Olympic. The building almost got torn down in 1986 when it was derelict and covered inside and out with graffiti.

Library home page:http://www.oscars.org/library/using/...irections.html


AMPAS

Part of the library's collection can be viewed online.

https://31.media.tumblr.com/71ad687e...u6L1rown8a.jpg





1934 - View of Water Treatment Plant from Olympic and La Cienega Union Oil Station. Station is still there, as is the Library. http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/44283/rec/48

[Earl Boebert]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

[Snip]

1960 Oops
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00091/00091709.jpg

Cessna N7768E, deregistered (with a bang) 3 August 1960. Registered to the W.H. Coffin Air Service. Hope it wasn't his :-(

Cheers,

Earl


http://http://www.aviationdb.com/Avi.../7/N7786E.shtm

[Albany NY]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

I vote for a white 1979 Toyota Corolla. I think I also see a Mercedes and Buick from the early-mid '70s. The brown hat is somewhat of a "red herring."

After seeing that ominous cloud of smoke approaching, I wonder how many of those people pictured had to immediately run home and shower!

1976 - Freedom Train (Clearly not a Traditional Steam Locomotive)
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060148.jpg

I know a lot of my contributions have fallen flat, but this one I'm sure of. The photo above is from 1947-1949. The Freedom Train pictured above was an early diesel, built in 1947 in my hometown of Schenectady, NY, at the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) Works, only a couple of miles from the large GE plant (and a couple of miles from my childhood neighborhood). The locomotive was used as the "Spirit of 1776" only from September 17, 1947 to January 22, 1949, and is the only train to have visited all 48 contiguous states. ALCO designer Chester Mack's original design for the locomotive called for a large stylized gold eagle on either side of the engine (as shown above). The emblems were fabricated, but his supervisor nixed the idea, saying the eagles reminded him of those he had seen on German officers' uniforms in WWII. Though the train started its tour without the eagles, Mack soon managed to get them reapplied by pleading his case up ALCO's chain of command.

The Spirit of 1776 shortly after its construction, without the eagles.
freedomtrain.org

I remember during the summer of 1976 there was a train that traveled the country with a large bicentennial display inside. I saw it in Albany NY. It was called the "American Freedom Train" (not to be confused with the "Freedom Train" shown above).

[ethereal_reality]

More enigmatic snapshots from the early 1920s.

Various views of sets on a studio backlot.


eBay




"Fox Hill Studio, Beverly Hills"

eBay

at bottom- "I had Badge could _____. Go to movies free etc."











eBay






Moorish?

eBay






Tropics? (with grass huts)

eBay


I just noticed that faint water-tower.


So are all the snapshots of the same studio? -and what does the photographer mean by "Fox Hill Studio." Are these early images of 20th Century Fox?

__

[Albany NY]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1935 - Osborne Avenue and San Fernando Road

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/54599/rec/26

Is it possible that the old Osborne Market still exists under the façade of the current 7-11?

Google Maps

Interesting ornamentation on the building. Does it still linger under the newer plaster?
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/54599/rec/26

[Tourmaline]

Did you notice the symbols directly below your arrows? I think you have the footprint nailed. I assumed that the convenience store was new CBS construction, but the similarities are striking.

Originally Posted by Albany NY

I know a lot of my contributions have fallen flat, but this one I'm sure of. The photo above is from 1947-1949. The Freedom Train pictured above was an early diesel, built in 1947 in my hometown of Schenectady, NY, at the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) Works, only a couple of miles from the large GE plant (and a couple of miles from my childhood neighborhood). The locomotive was used as the "Spirit of 1776" only from September 17, 1947 to January 22, 1949, and is the only train to have visited all 48 contiguous states. ALCO designer Chester Mack's original design for the locomotive called for a large stylized gold eagle on either side of the engine (as shown above). The emblems were fabricated, but his supervisor nixed the idea, saying the eagles reminded him of those he had seen on German officers' uniforms in WWII. Though the train started its tour without the eagles, Mack soon managed to get them reapplied by pleading his case up ALCO's chain of command.

The Spirit of 1776 shortly after its construction, without the eagles.
freedomtrain.org

I remember during the summer of 1976 there was a train that traveled the country with a large bicentennial display inside. I saw it in Albany NY. It was called the "American Freedom Train" (not to be confused with the "Freedom Train" shown above).

Albany, you are absolutely correct. I originally misquoted the source which stated February "1948." I have since corrected the earlier post.


Here are some other images that might bring back memories. All images are from February 1948 at or near Exposition Park. The event was significant enough to warrant live TV coverage.


A
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics42/00040760.jpg



B
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060153.jpg


C
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060150.jpg


D
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060151.jpg


E
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060145.jpg


F
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060147.jpg


G
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics21/00060152.jpg

[ethereal_reality]

The "Spirit of 1776" was parked in front of the Park View (Neff) Apartments like the "Blue Goose" 10 years earlier, in 1938.

posted by Tourmaline



The 'Blue Goose" in 1938, posted by MichaelRyerson

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=28782

[Hollywood Graham]

Originally Posted by BifRayRock

1935 - Osborne Avenue and San Fernando Road


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...d/54599/rec/26







No Credit, no kidding. 10119 San Fernando Rd.


























Street sign. Notice Mile Marker. Pay no attention to train crossing signal.

















Cracked Gas






































Whiteman Air Park, constructed in 1946 at Osborne Avenue and San Fernando Road

1988 (San Fernando Rd., vertical, Osborne Av horizontal. )
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00094/00094714.jpg


1963
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics24/00031522.jpg


1960 Oops
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00091/00091709.jpg

BifRayRock, I am sorry I failed to notice the Mile Marker in the photo of the Slow sign. Your first photo showed the back of the pedestal sign and I noticed how thick the sign was and wondered just what it said on the front. I was thinking it might be a diamond stop sig, which I have never seen one. Then low and behold there was a front view and it said SLOW. Now that has to be a back lit sign of which I have not seen before. As an Auto Club sign collector I was really excited about seeing that. I want that pedestal and sign badly as well I guess the WigWag and throw in the Mile Marker also. One of the reasons I love this site is finding things like that, not to mention all the things that are long gone. Thanks for posting.

[ethereal_reality]

WANTED:

George A. O'Donnell, 22 years old, 186 lbs., 6 ft. 2 in., brown hair and gray eyes, neat dresser.



eBay

Wanted indeed.

__

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

WANTED:

George A. O'Donnell, 22 years old, 186 lbs., 6 ft. 2 in., brown hair and gray eyes, neat dresser.

Wanted indeed.

__

"Neat dresser".....sounds like something Joe Friday would say.

[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by Hollywood Graham

BifRayRock, I am sorry I failed to notice the Mile Marker in the photo of the Slow sign. Your first photo showed the back of the pedestal sign and I noticed how thick the sign was and wondered just what it said on the front. I was thinking it might be a diamond stop sig, which I have never seen one. Then low and behold there was a front view and it said SLOW. Now that has to be a back lit sign of which I have not seen before. As an Auto Club sign collector I was really excited about seeing that. I want that pedestal and sign badly as well I guess the WigWag and throw in the Mile Marker also. One of the reasons I love this site is finding things like that, not to mention all the things that are long gone. Thanks for posting.

Street sign. Notice Mile Marker. Pay no attention to train crossing signal.












Glad you noticed the interesting road marker and sign. I assume the marker was part of the so-called Bancroft System mentioned by ProphetM.

Originally Posted by ProphetM

There is one more find on this block which a lot of people are bound to miss. Directly across the street from the church, in the grass in front of a McDonald's, is a Bancroft Marker. Read about the Foothill Blvd. Milestone here. The Bancroft system was a very early road marking system. This marker was placed about 1906 and was rediscovered when the land was prepared for construction of the Mcdonald's. It is the only marker remaining in the area.



The Bancroft system measured distance along major roads from a central point. In LA County this point was the 1888 County Courthouse. The marker describes its own relative position: Mile 11 from the courthouse, block 220 out of 222. The F.B. stands for Foothill Boulevard, which is what this section of Colorado Blvd. was called at the time.