noirish Los Angeles

[ethereal_reality]

They look great all together! Good job Martin_Pal.





1940s matchbook, Los Angeles Calif.


eBay

and lounge.

eBay

Host, Michael Madura (I tried to find out more about Mr. Madura...without success)




inside cover

"Where the Customer is Invariably Wrong."



As I usually do, I checked out the address.

Initially, I was disappointed that there wasn't much to see.


gsv


but as I was leaving, I turned the google-mobile north on Norton Avenue and noticed an awning in the back of the building.


gsv


I couldn't believe my eyes when I zoomed in!


gsv / detail

After all these decades, a venue at 4009 W. Olympic still goes by 'Chatter Box'.

Of course I whipped the google-mobile around to take a second look at the front of the building.
If you look closely, you can make out the word 'Chatter' in this rather unattractive sign facing Olympic Boulevard (below).


detail

Has anyone heard of the 'Chatter Box' before?
_______________








for search purposes:

The Chatterbox Café and Lounge, 4009 W. Olympic Blvd. Host Michael Madura.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

#27164

Banners on 7th Street, Los Angeles
(This one is probably a decade older, but it's the same view, so I included it.)

In a final desperate measure to separate the people from the traffic, the City has poured 7 inches of concrete in the Waiting Zone [in the middle of the street].
The newest car I see is a 1954 Buick.

[tovangar2]

Thank you e_r for finding the color slides to begin with and to Martin Pal for pulling them together into a "coffee-table book" we can enjoy 4EVA :-)

[Martin Pal]

And THANK YOU, E_R, for finding and posting all of those gems!

[Martin Pal]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Has anyone heard of the 'Chatter Box' before?
_______________

It seems to me this came up recently in something I was looking at or reading,
but other than that I can't place it yet. Familiar...somehow...to me, though.

[ethereal_reality]

Disparate fashion sensibilities, 1920!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1920-Vintage...item5677f6d4fc

Annual Bathing Girl Parade, Balboa Beach Cal. June 20, 1920.

So what, pray tell, is a Spalding Maid?
__

[HossC]

More Spalding Maids.

Annual "Bathing Girl Parade," Balboa Island at Newport Beach, California. June 20, 1920. Panoramic photo by Miles Weaver.


www.shorpy.com

[ethereal_reality]

Well this is shitty news.


story here: http://www.latimes.com/local/westsid...719-story.html

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

The Mitchell Camera Corporation in the early 1930s.


http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archi...articleID=5328

and today:

gsv


It's interesting to note that during WWII, the building was covered in camouflage netting. (Mitchell Camera Corp. was manufacturing bomb-sights at this location)

More information by Mayor_Shaw here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=10105

From the 1970s to the 1990s this was the location of 'Studio One', arguably the most famous gay bar in Los Angeles.

__

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

story here: http://www.latimes.com/local/westsid...719-story.html

"The Factory is the latest in a string of landmarks in Los Angeles and West Hollywood to face demolition because of development pressures. The Palms, the city's last lesbian bar, was razed in 2013. Jewel's Catch One closed in March after years of serving as a meeting place for black gay men. Circus Disco, a gay club in Hollywood that catered to the Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, is also threatened."

Jewel's doesn't actually close until the end of the summer. The Vegan Village (Internet) Cafe was/is in this building too (also owned by Jewel Thais-Williams), so it's all good.

I just posted a gsv of "Jewel's Room" and "Jewel's Catch One" on the previous page. It's on W Pico and S Norton:

Originally Posted by tovangar2

gsv

(Oh noes, now I can't get "It's a Small World After All" out of my head!)


Thx e_r, that was a pretty good article from LAT. A rehabbed Factory building would be outstanding.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

It seems to me this came up recently in something I was looking at or reading,
but other than that I can't place it yet. Familiar...somehow...to me, though.

There's a Chatterbox Cafe located in Garrison Keillor's mythical Lake Wobegone, MN. I don't know if it was once a popular name for cafes, or a chain, or if Keillor was once at LA's Chatterbox and appropriated the name.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Jewel's doesn't actually close until the end of the summer. The Vegan Village (Internet) Cafe was/is in this building too (also owned by Jewel Thais-Williams), so it's all good.

I just posted a gsv of "Jewel's Room" and "Jewel's Catch One" on the previous page. It's on W Pico and S Norton:

Jewel's Room was once the home of Joseph's Royale:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=18426

[dannywa01]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Hi Danny, that's a great block of S Norton between County Club and Pico.

The city gives 4019 as the official address of your corner building (the other addresses, 4013-4027, are probably for individual shops). The permit for new construction is dated 10 Feb 1927. No. 4019 was purpose built for "stores and offices" (later permits refer to the building's use as "Public Assembly"). The New York Finance Company is listed as owner. Albert C. Martin, Sr was the architect (Martin's wiki page is here if you're interested). A.C. Martin's offices were in the Higgins building at W 2nd Street and Main, DTLA, in 1927. The firm he founded is still in business.

The former sign on the back of the building is in the typeface which Bank of America used years ago. Bank of America was listed as owner in 1949 when they got a permit to add their signage to the front of the building. Before that, in 1941, there was a Farmers and Merchants Bank branch at this address


via dannywa01

The building permit for 4019 W Pico:



http://ladbsdoc.lacity.org/idispublic/


gsv


Someone was shot and killed at No. 4019, during a party in 2000 (that can happen anywhere).


Here's an insurance map of your block in 1921. There were more empty lots than built ones!

baist map 1921, plate 37 / historic mapworks

The mixed-use building on the other side of S Norton looks interesting too. It went in in 1925 and houses "Jewel's Room" and "Jewel's Catch One":

gsv


The Vintage Los Angeles Mid-City fb page is here

LA.curbed's Mid-City archive is here

An aerial of the Forum Theater, 1924, with (almost) empty lots across the street:

lapl (detail) via LA movie palaces

Thank you sir soo much for your help! You are awesome! I was actually in elementary at around the time that guy got shot, and I actually remember coming down that street when a police officer told me that the street was blocked and that I had to go around. I guess everything fits now. The pictures you provided are amazing!!! Thank you ever so much for all your help! Thank you all!!!

[tovangar2]

LOL. OK Danny.

I'm not a "Sir", I'm a Dame.

Glad you enjoyed the pix & info

________________________________________________

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Jewel's Room was once the home of Joseph's Royale:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=18426

Thank you so much FW for the reminder of the gorgeous pix of the "Joseph's Royale". Totally swank.




usc dl via flyingwedge

Click the link for larger, clearer versions at FW's post


(I hope Danny sees these.)

To compare with 1926 shot above:

walk the night

[dannywa01]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL. OK Danny.

I'm not a "Sir", I'm a Dame.

Glad you enjoyed the pix & info

________________________________________________



Thank you so much FW for the reminder of the gorgeous pix of the "Royale". Totally swank.


(I hope Danny sees these.)

Foolish of me to assume you a man, I apologize. Thank you ma'am for your contributions. I actually came across images of Jewel's before, and that kinda motivated me to dig deeper into the history of the intersection. I know live on South Wilton Place between Pico & Venice, so if anyone has any images on either of those intersection from the past, those would be great as well!!! Now I feel like I'm asking for too much haha, but there's just so much to learn!

[tovangar2]

You'll be up to speed at doing your own searches in no time.

I can't wait to see what you find :-)

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

Hi Danny, that's a great block of S Norton between County Club and Pico.

The city gives 4019 as the official address of your corner building (the other addresses, 4013-4027, are probably for individual shops). The permit for new construction is dated 10 Feb 1927. No. 4019 was purpose built for "stores and offices" (later permits refer to the building's use as "Public Assembly"). The New York Finance Company is listed as owner. Albert C. Martin, Sr was the architect (Martin's wiki page is here if you're interested). A.C. Martin's offices were in the Higgins building at W 2nd Street and Main, DTLA, in 1927. The firm he founded is still in business.

The former sign on the back of the building is in the typeface which Bank of America used years ago. Bank of America was listed as owner in 1949 when they got a permit to add their signage to the front of the building. Before that, in 1941, there was a Farmers and Merchants Bank branch at this address


via dannywa01

The building permit for 4019 W Pico:



http://ladbsdoc.lacity.org/idispublic/


gsv


Someone was shot and killed at No. 4019, during a party in 2000 (that can happen anywhere).


Here's an insurance map of your block in 1921. There were more empty lots than built ones!

baist map 1921, plate 37 / historic mapworks

The mixed-use building on the other side of S Norton looks interesting too. It went in in 1925 and houses "Jewel's Room" and "Jewel's Catch One":

gsv

While I am quoting tovangar2, I'd like to welcome dannywa01 to the forum! FYI, in case you didn't know, your building at 4019 Pico was designed by one of the same architects as the iconic LA City Hall! Thanks to t2 for digging up the building permit.

A few notes on Jewels Catch One: While it was opened as a gay nightclub, it grew over the years to hosting events that don't necessarily cater to any particular sexual orientation. As such, I recently played there with my band and got a chance to check out the incredible interior. It's incredible because it has retained the original 1920's-era Spanish decor, and has been augmented by a good amount of 70's-80's era disco type decor. Somehow, these two styles work together PERFECTLY! So you've got your archways, burnt red tile floors, wrought iron wall sconces, etc., plus a healthy heaping of neon and mirrors.

I ended up accidentally leaving some gear behind and had to come back after the show during the week, when I had the chance to talk to Jewel personally. As it turns out, in spite of what the news articles may have said, the club may not be closing so soon after all. She really wants to find a buyer who will keep the essence of the club basically the same. Apparently there was a deal on the table but it fell through because she didn't feel the buyers were going to honor her wishes in that regard. I asked if she planned to try and have the building designated as an HCM and she said she'd love to, but, understandably, money was an issue. More info on the club's future to be found at their website, here.

The section of the building we played in is right on the corner, where you can see the sign that reads "Jewels Room." There's a much bigger ballroom toward the rear of the building that I never went into. I should've taken more photos.

However, there is this link which has scans of a bunch of old event flyers and autographed head shots from so many important 70's & 80's R&B artists - Thelma Houston, Phyllis Hyman, Shirley Murdock, and more. Not to mention, some photos of the exterior and interior of the building itself.

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by tovangar2

LOL. OK Danny.

I'm not a "Sir", I'm a Dame.

Glad you enjoyed the pix & info

________________________________________________



Thank you so much FW for the reminder of the gorgeous pix of the "Joseph's Royale". Totally swank.




usc dl via flyingwedge

Click the link for larger, clearer versions at FW's post


(I hope Danny sees these.)

To compare with 1926 shot above:

walk the night

Gosh, you're always on point t2. Where that bar is in the old B&W shot, there is now a stage and, obviously, the bar has been moved off to the left. The upstairs area is a "VIP" room. Of course, all of the walls are covered in mirrors.

[Flyingwedge]

The Darby's architect was John C. Austin. The "old family residence" at 234 W. Adams, referred to below, was moved to 340 W. Adams, where it remained until at least 1950:


August 8, 1909 LA Herald @ Library of Congress -- http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lc...arRange&page=5

This photo is undated, but I'd guess it was from around 1930, give or take a few years. The home we see part of to the left of The Darby, 226 W. Adams, is shown on the 1922 Sanborn Map as the "Hotel Darby Annex (Help's Quarters)":

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69215

The Darby is on the right in this photo looking east on Adams from just west of Grand on January 16, 1928:

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...d/1178/rec/115

This undated photo probably shows the Darby's lobby:

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69214

The dining room, also undated:

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69218

If you want to see more, there are three undated photos of room interiors here:
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69216
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69217
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...ll170/id/69219

At some point between 1943 and 1950, the name changed to the Grace Apartment Hotel. The front has lost some windows but gained some ornamental detail:

GSV Mar 2015

The east side of the building:

GSV Mar 2015

[JScott]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I posted this link beneath both photographs.

tovangar2 asked what happened to these people. She evidently didn't see your link. So I pointed her to a specific page on that site that would answer her question.

Pardon me for trying to be helpful to a friend.

[ethereal_reality]

It wasn't personal.

I simply pointed out that I had included the source.