noirish Los Angeles

[tovangar2]

LOL. e_r beat me to it

(https://store.kiwanis.org/Subcategor...Road-Signs.htm)

[ethereal_reality]

"Candid shot of Walt Disney by Hermann Schulteis 1940s."


eBay

Wow, I wonder if this was taken in an orange grove in Anaheim?

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Don't you all love the brown chenille bedspreads? What more could one ask for. So lovely and authentic of the era.

No, not brown CBD, but these twin chenille bedspreads in Sea Nymph* look especially homey.


eBay

"Photographer Technician Hermann Schulties' Wife 1940s."
__



Yes it's close: either 'Sea Nymph' or 'Green Spray'.

http://www.cnbhomes.com/teal-paint-c...-paint-colors/

How many of you noticed Pluto in the color slide?
__

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by rick m

This home always eluded me in my years of studying all of Bunker Hill ! And its next door property looks great as well- Great find....

Everything in that photo is amazing. I was thinking the same thing as Michael Ryerson, as far as wondering what year the photo was taken. It definitely couldn't have been much earlier than the 30's since it's in color, as MR said.

Regarding 129 S. Olive, I've got a question for all the BH fanatics. First, take a look at what I think is a later shot of the same home, in much worse shape:

lapl

I was just wondering if 129 had an identical or near-identical twin next door to the south. Mainly I'm asking because of the railing at the top of the veranda in the B&W shot, looks like it could be original (though I wonder if it would look that way if I had a higher res shot), yet in the color shot, the wrought iron railing looks very much like it could be original too - more so, actually. So, just wanted to make sure we're looking at the same house in both shots.

It also looks like the entire front yard has been scooped away in the B&W shot, and the front stairs rebuilt to reach from the porch straight to the sidewalk. I wonder if that's what caused the porch to start drooping like that.

One more time for comparison:

ebay

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

Here is one of those random ''candid'' downtown Los Angeles photos from the mid 1940s. Photographers would take them and later hope you would purchase.

[Incidentally this is my stepfather, he's the one who's first wife was a suicide in 1943, that I've mentioned before.] He bought his suits at Desmond's. He later loaned me
his Desmond's credit card....which was a mistake. He let me use it twice and that was the end of that.


album

Great photo and story. Is your stepfather the same one who had an office in the Chester Williams building?

I have one of those street shots of my grandma and her friend walking down some downtown LA street. They graduated from Manual Arts High class of winter '45 and worked for the phone company. I'd guess this was summer of 1945 or 1946.

[ethereal_reality]

That's a great photograph NoirCityDame.



W. C Watkins Wholesale Confectioner, 708 Merchant Street, Los Angeles CA


eBay





detail


What's that round thing in the cab with the driver? It almost looks like a big spot-light.







We've seen Watkins once before courtesy of ChuckaLuck.

lapl


To see the interior of Watkins Wholesale Confectioners go here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=17974

[rick m]

Originally Posted by Tetsu

Everything in that photo is amazing. I was thinking the same thing as Michael Ryerson, as far as wondering what year the photo was taken. It definitely couldn't have been much earlier than the 30's since it's in color, as MR said.

Regarding 129 S. Olive, I've got a question for all the BH fanatics. First, take a look at what I think is a later shot of the same home, in much worse shape:

lapl

I was just wondering if 129 had an identical or near-identical twin next door to the south. Mainly I'm asking because of the railing at the top of the veranda in the B&W shot, looks like it could be original (though I wonder if it would look that way if I had a higher res shot), yet in the color shot, the wrought iron railing looks very much like it could be original too - more so, actually. So, just wanted to make sure we're looking at the same house in both shots.

It also looks like the entire front yard has been scooped away in the B&W shot, and the front stairs rebuilt to reach from the porch straight to the sidewalk. I wonder if that's what caused the porch to start drooping like that.

One more time for comparison:

ebay

It was a sore spot he would highlight- and it was adjacent to that parking lot..

[ethereal_reality]

Putting the Kodachrome to good use.


The Sontag Drug Store on the northeast corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Cherokee Avenue, 1940s.


eBay

Look at that stylish lady in maroon with the black hat. Yowsa!
__

The building still stands.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

Great photo and story. Is your stepfather the same one who had an office in the Chester Williams building?

Yes, Noir City Dame, he had an office in the Chester Williams Building from 1935 till 1961.

The building is still there but its turning into lofts. I don't think I could standing living in that building. Its way too 'downtown' for me. Its a lovely building...all the halls inside are white marble.

That's a great street photo of your Grandma. They look so happy...what a great time that was.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Stylish man. -I believe those are glass blocks imbedded in the sidewalks. We discussed them on NLA years ago, but I wasn't able locate the earlier discussion.
They're to let light into the basements...if the basement extends out to the curb. (right?)

That's the way he dressed all the time...even at home on Saturday and Sunday.

Yes ER, those are glass blocks set in the sidewalk to illuminate the basements below. There used to be a lot of them but I believe most are now gone but I'm not sure.
That building to left may be Security First Bank on 5th street. He used to go in that bank and schmooze with the lady bank clerks.
He had several girl friends even after he was married to my mother...which caused 4 more children that he had to find homes for. We suspect there were others before that.

I did mention the Desmond's credit card because the boy's clothes in that store were spectacular. I didn't use an actual card, I just said his name to the clerk.
It was like a candy store to me, as I was used to the mundane local stores in suburban Alhambra.
He let me use his 'name' twice at that store but never again. He indicated it was not fair to my siblings for me to get fancy Desmond's clothes [ that he had to pay for].

I enjoy those color slides ER.!! Its like being in 1940.

[ethereal_reality]

Here's another spectacular Kodachrome slide of Hollywood Boulevard in the 1940s.


eBay

note U.S.O. Club banner, "One Door South."

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

That's the way he dressed all the time...even at home on Saturday and Sunday.

Yes ER, those are glass blocks set in the sidewalk to illuminate the basements below. There used to be a lot of them but I believe most are now gone but I'm not sure.
That building to left may be Security First Bank on 5th street. He used to go in that bank and schmooze with the lady bank clerks.
He had several girl friends even after he was married to my mother...which caused 4 more children that he had to find homes for. We suspect there were others before that.

I did mention the Desmond's credit card because the boy's clothes in that store were spectacular. I didn't use an actual card, I just said his name to the clerk.
It was like a candy store to me, as I was used to the mundane local stores in suburban Alhambra
He let me use his 'name' twice at that store but never again. He indicated it was not fair to my siblings for me to get fancy Desmond's clothes [ that he had to pay for].

I enjoy those color slides ER.!! Its like being in 1940.

I think I can make out the name on that awning behind him- its Geo. D. Davidson Jewelry, 445 S. Spring (so, it would be on the way to the bank).

LAT 10-10-48 ad

George was there until July 1964.
LAT 7-7-64

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

"These lights on the sides of the cars are to let the engineer and train crew know which car's brakes are applied or not. The green light indicated that the brakes are released on the car. The yellow light indicated that the brake is applied and the red light indicated a emergency application (not all cars have a red light). This also helps to alert the crew if a car's brakes are still applied or stick while moving".


eBay

Thanks for digging up this information HenryHuntington. (and for the very nice compliment as well)
My plebian guess of "caution...go...stop" was completely wrong. lol

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

[b]___

If these photos all were taken during WWII, I am wondering about the duration of any "blackout' rules because of those great neon pictures.

It was pretty short duration- the dimout regulations that affected theater marquees, illuminated signs (and night baseball/football etc) for the Pacific Coast officially went into effect in Aug 20, 1942 (though most Hollywood theaters had already gone dark by late May '42 on, I guess, a voluntary basis) and were lifted as of Nov 1, 1943.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

I think I can make out the name on that awning behind him- its Geo. D. Davidson Jewelry, 445 S. Spring (so, it would be on the way to the bank).


LAT 10-10-48 ad -clip

George was there until July 1964.

Impressive sleuthing Noircitydame on that street candid! I was correct on the bank and you were able to see that jewelry store name. So he was just around the corner from his office, The Chester Williams building.

The old Security Bank building has morphed into a book store. I suppose it caters to the new intellectual locals who live in the lofts. I hardly recognise the downtown LA area.

I was looking at the address and noticed that the jewelers were... "Railroad Watch Inspectors". I would imagine we don't see many of those these days.
When I was a kid those railroad watches were a big deal.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

....he had an office in the Chester Williams Building from 1935 till 1961.

The building is still there but its turning into lofts. I don't think I could standing living in that building. Its way too 'downtown' for me. Its a lovely building...all the halls inside are white marble.

That's a great shot of your stepfather CBD

Curlett and Beelman's 1926 Chester Williams Building has been used as a location for several films. A couple of gritty examples:

The memorable 6th-floor defenestration scene from "Inception" (2010) was filmed there:

warner bros / seeing-stars

...and "Se7en" (1995) showed Morgan Freeman exiting the entrance:

newlinecinema/itsfilmedthere


gsv


flickr

Walgreen's has the ground-floor corner space these days:

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by Tetsu

Everything in that photo is amazing. I was thinking the same thing as Michael Ryerson, as far as wondering what year the photo was taken. It definitely couldn't have been much earlier than the 30's since it's in color, as MR said.

Regarding 129 S. Olive, I've got a question for all the BH fanatics. First, take a look at what I think is a later shot of the same home, in much worse shape:

lapl

I was just wondering if 129 had an identical or near-identical twin next door to the south. Mainly I'm asking because of the railing at the top of the veranda in the B&W shot, looks like it could be original (though I wonder if it would look that way if I had a higher res shot), yet in the color shot, the wrought iron railing looks very much like it could be original too - more so, actually. So, just wanted to make sure we're looking at the same house in both shots.

It also looks like the entire front yard has been scooped away in the B&W shot, and the front stairs rebuilt to reach from the porch straight to the sidewalk. I wonder if that's what caused the porch to start drooping like that.

One more time for comparison:

ebay

Probably not the same one since those Washingtonian Palms are too big to have been put in at or just before the time of the color photo. Maybe the same builder....?

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

That's the way he dressed all the time...even at home on Saturday and Sunday.

Yes ER, those are glass blocks set in the sidewalk to illuminate the basements below. There used to be a lot of them but I believe most are now gone but I'm not sure.
That building to left may be Security First Bank on 5th street. He used to go in that bank and schmooze with the lady bank clerks.
He had several girl friends even after he was married to my mother...which caused 4 more children that he had to find homes for. We suspect there were others before that.

I did mention the Desmond's credit card because the boy's clothes in that store were spectacular. I didn't use an actual card, I just said his name to the clerk.
It was like a candy store to me, as I was used to the mundane local stores in suburban Alhambra.
He let me use his 'name' twice at that store but never again. He indicated it was not fair to my siblings for me to get fancy Desmond's clothes [ that he had to pay for].

I enjoy those color slides ER.!! Its like being in 1940.

My Stepdad also dressed like that. My mom had to make a big fuss to get him to wear rubber-soled shoes and a open collar on vacation at the beach in the 60's.

Re: the glass blocks. I think that there are still some in the sidewalk on Olive Avenue in Burbank, just above San Fernando on the east side of the street. They are in front of the L. W. Gregg building at 214 E. Olive. (built in 1925). As a child, I remember asking my mother about them and she told me that they let light into the basement. They also had one of those freight elevators to the basement in front of that building but I think that is now gone. I remember seeing it open one time and was fascinated. My mother used to work in the building, probably some time in the 1930's, and I did too, much later and for a short time.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by Tetsu

I was just wondering if 129 had an identical or near-identical twin next door to the south. Mainly I'm asking because of the railing at the top of the veranda in the B&W shot, looks like it could be original (though I wonder if it would look that way if I had a higher res shot), yet in the color shot, the wrought iron railing looks very much like it could be original too - more so, actually. So, just wanted to make sure we're looking at the same house in both shots.

My guess is it's the same house as the Melrose appears to be in the same position in both shots.

[tovangar2]

Here's a pretty shot. When Wilshire finally made it to downtown, drivers were greeted by the backs of the 530 W 6th building, 1930, (now a telecom center), Dodd and Richards' 1921 Heron Building, Walker and Eisen's 1928 Oviatt and at this particular time, a Mickey Mouse billboard for Standard Oil:


laconservancy

The One Wilshire Building (John O Merrill), 624 S Grand Ave, replaced the parking lot in 1966. The unassuming One Wilshire, also a telecome hub, is the most expensive office building DTLA by sales price per square foot. It's one of the world's three top communications properties, along with 60 Hudson St in NYC and Telehouse in London.

One Wilshire backing 530 W 6th (center) and the Heron Building (left):


loopnet

Some interior shots are here

A typical interior view:

csudh

Power is supplied by DWP, but in the event of a blackout, the building’s five generators will kick in. It takes the generators three seconds to start up and stabilize. During this brief period, the entire building runs on batteries. There are 11,000 gallons of diesel stored on site, enough to run the generators for 24 hours before being refueled.
- csudh