noirish Los Angeles

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by gsjansen

and here's a 1921 image of the Gaylord i know i have never seen before

LAPL

It must have been a shock to find out that your cozy suburban South Kenmore Avenue house was soon be in the shadow of a skyscraper. Here's another "nearly-complete" shot of another multi-unit structure, also still standing, this one a few miles to the west, but older:

LAPL
The Beverly Hills Hotel, ca. 1912

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL

Who's up on his horticulture? Are the long hula skirts on these palms something they sprout annually, and then shed? Sounds pretty messy. (I find it hard to believe that the city trims all the palms on a regular basis.) Btw, if I lived on this block (9th west of Normandie), I would have the exterminator spray daily. Those are some serious rats' nests.

[JordanRHughes]

Love these shots of all the old cars!

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I'm finally starting to read that book by John Buntin, "L.A. Noir." But I'm also reading a very interesting book by Jeremiah Axelrod called "Inventing Autopia." That's my problem, often I don't just read one book at a time, but several at a time. But anyway, it's a fascinating book, it basically chronicles LA's development during the 1920s Jazz Age, when LA's population really exploded and people really took to driving, and the city itself started decentralizing away from downtown. It also explores the psycho-social aspects of Angelenos that started developing around this time, like how Angelenos don't really get too involved with their neighbors ("neighborliness" is considered minding your own business and staying out of your neighbors' business) but can make and stay connected with friends who live several miles away in another part of the metropolis (yes, being able to drive cars anywhere in LA contributed to this), how Angelenos saw their city vs. how city leaders envisioned Los Angeles at the time...

What I found interesting is that basically by the 1920s, LA's traffic patterns were already on their way of being established how they are today, namely that there really is no discernible traffic pattern, that it seems that people seem to drive anywhere and everywhere. It was in the 1920s that random business and commercial districts started popping up, seemingly overnight, in areas that never had business districts before (much to the dismay of downtown businesspeople). And these weren't just local, neighborhood businesses that were popping up, but many of these became regional centers in the sense that people from all over LA would randomly drive to these newer business districts in random areas; the book referred to them as "shoestring business districts." Western Avenue is one example, but of course many other major thoroughfares in LA developed these random commercial areas.

Western and Melrose looking east, 1928

USC Archive
income protection australia
Western Avenue looking north from Beverly (?), 1924

USC Archive

Wilshire looking east from Western Avenue, 1930s

USC Archive

Western Avenue looking north from 9th St., 1937

USC Archive

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

LAPL

Who's up on his horticulture? Are the long hula skirts on these palms something they sprout annually, and then shed? Sounds pretty messy. (I find it hard to believe that the city trims all the palms on a regular basis.) Btw, if I lived on this block (9th west of Normandie), I would have the exterminator spray daily. Those are some serious rats' nests.

I'm not up on my horticulture, but my understanding is that as these types of palm trees grow (I think these particular kind are called Mexican fan palms but I could be wrong), the fronds will die as new ones sprout, and the dead fronds will form a sort of skirt. They eventually fall off (they definitely do in high winds, along with some of the live fronds) but they also do get trimmed off by tree trimmers.

[sopas ej]

1952, Judy Garland opening at the Philharmonic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles. This is a few years before "The Man That Got Away," but she'll probably do "Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart."


USC Archive

George and Gracie, and Jack Benny and Mary Livingston, going to see Judy:

USC Archive

Mommy Dearest herself, going to see Judy:

USC Archive

Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Stewart, going to see Judy:

USC Archive

[ethereal_reality]

Here's another photo of the quite massive Gaylord.
I'm curious, has anyone here been inside it?
Due to it's bulk I would think it would have to have an atrium for light & ventilation.

I just answered my own question..... in the aerial photograph gsjansen posted earlier.
I was under the impression the Gaylord was a cube, but the building is L-shaped.
Hence no need for an atrium/skylight.



usc






Below: A view of the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1920.



usc

[ethereal_reality]

I thought this story about a 1959 murder in Los Feliz was interesting (and very noir).



Genaro Molina



http://blog.allanellenberger.com/boo...ery/#more-5848

[ethereal_reality]

One of the readers comments in the above article mentioned
the Spanish Kitchen Restaurant mystery on Melrose.

This brought me way back.
I remember looking in the windows of the extremely spooky Spanish Kitchen.
Everything was just as it was in the 1930s or 1940s (plates on the tables..coats on hooks..old newspapers.. etc).

Does anyone here remember this place?
It was in the vicinity of El Coyote.....but on the north side of the street.

[ethereal_reality]

Greyhound Bus Station
Notice the hole in the wall bar.



Frank Bailey





below: Here'a a close up of 'The Corral' cocktail lounge.



Frank Bailey

-note the neon 'rope' in the window.
__

[ethereal_reality]

The Chapman Park Hotel and Bungalows.




ebay







calisphere





calisphere





calisphere




calisphere

[ethereal_reality]

Another view of the VERY cool Zephyr Room.




calisphere




below: Interior of the Zephyr Room.



calisphere




below: The Chapman Park Hotel pool



calisphere





below: Last but not least, one of the Chapman Park Bungalows



calisphere

[sopas ej]

Very cool pics of the Chapman Park Hotel, I've never seen those before. I like the Zephyr Room pics too.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

One of the readers comments in the above article mentioned
the Spanish Kitchen Restaurant mystery on Melrose.

This brought me way back.
I remember looking in the windows of the extremely spooky Spanish Kitchen.
Everything was just as it was in the 1930s or 1940s (plates on the tables..coats on hooks..old newspapers.. etc).

Does anyone here remember this place?
It was in the vicinity of El Coyote.....but on the north side of the street.

Very interesting murder-suicide story. I'd never heard of it before; I wonder if the house is still vacant, or if it even still exists.

I do remember the Original Spanish Kitchen, on Beverly. I remember reading about it and the urban legend in the LA Times too, when I was a teen. It's now a beauty salon or something, with the sign altered to say "SPA." I think it opened in the late 1990s, but I could be wrong. There's now another restaurant on La Cienega with a replica "Original Spanish Kitchen" sign on it.

[LASpaceCadet]

Sorry for the photo dump but I'm a bit swamped at the moment so its hard to keep up with all the interesting stuff you all are digging up! Here are some panoramas looking north towards downtown. These provide glimpses of the area is now known as "South Park." The area south of downtown seem to have always been transitional in nature, with residences rubbing up against industry and the tail end of Broadway (with the Mayan and the Belasco representing that thoroughfare's furthest reach). There are a number of hotels (Morrison, Bristol, Casa Loma, Figueroa, Young Apts.) and attendant entertainment like theaters and dance halls. But still, the areas character remains heterogeneous and elusive. Which is probably why I'm so fascinated by it.


From the USC Digital Archives - Panoramic view of downtown Los Angeles, looking east with the 8th Street and Olive Street intersection in view, ca.1910-1913


From the USC Digital Archives - "View looking north on Spring Street or Main Street from an industrial district toward downtown Los Angeles" (View north from Mode O'Day Building from Washington between Broadway and Hill)


From the USC Digital Archives - Looking north towards downtown from Jefferson and S. Grand


From the USC Digital Archives - Panoramic view of Los Angeles looking west from the Howard Huntington Building (1060 S. Broadway @ Eleventh Street), November 21, 1931


From the USC Digital Archives - Panoramic view of Downtown Los Angeles from 9th St. showing Broadway, Spring St. & Main St. intersecting 9th St., 1917

And speaking of the Morrison Hotel...

[gsjansen]

and of course, you can't have one without the other..............


UCLA Digital Collections

[sopas ej]

I don't remember if I ever posted this pic on this thread, but I recently posted this on another thread talking about freeways:



Confusing freeway route signs, 1960

gbcnet.com

In 1964 Caltrans decided to simplify the route numbers so that there wouldn't be redundant signage, which became more complicated when the Interstate System routing numbers came into use. Example, what is now I-5 from LA to San Diego used to be US-101. I think at one time, it was co-signed as both US-101 and I-5. Now, of course, the US-101 designation ends a little southeast of downtown LA.

[Mark L]

Google Maps




the doors hard rock cafe today

[GaylordWilshire]

LAPL

LAPL

When I ran across the shots above I naturally thought of Chris Burden's
Urban Light at LACMA:

soenyun

The older shots are dated 1920s. I'm guessing that they're new standards on the manufacturer's lot. Or perhaps they're in city maintenance yards awaiting installation along Los Angeles streets, where some remain--and, who knows?--some may now be part of Urban Light.

[gsjansen]

very illuminating photos GW

here's an image i don't think has been posted before.....(but as usual, i could be wrong.......)

it's undated, but i would venture a guess of 1890 or so

looking west on 4th from spring. the circle represents the SW corner of 4th and broadway. It is an amazing image that shows in great detail the 3 great 4th street painted ladies..........the rose mansion, (SE corner of 4th and grand), the brunson mansion, (NW corner of 4th and Grand), with the hildreth house of sorrows, (NW corner 4th and hope) in the background. the lesser but still magnificent hershey residence is visible on the ne corner of 4th and grand to the left of the brunson


USC Digital Archives


here is what 4th from grand to hope looked like in 1982


LAPL

the KPMG Tower sits right where the saltbox and castle used to reside on long gone bunker hill avenue. the former sites of all 4 of the buildings mentioned above are contained in this image......amazing what changes occurred in 90 years

[gsjansen]

a great view of the melrose and the richlieu taken in 1881


LAPL

you can see the old city hall peeking out just to the left of the melrose

view looking south on grand across 2nd street from in front of the richlieu 1886.jpg


LAPL

a great view of the rose mansion at the se corner of 4th and grand 1888


LAPL

directly across grand on the ne corner of 4th and grand sat the hershey residence. the Rose is visible across grand


LAPL

and of course just across the street to the west of the hershey residence on grand avenue sat the magnificent brunson


LAPL

a great 1886 view of the olive street entrance of the crocker mansion looking east on 3rd from grand


LAPL

[sopas ej]

I don't remember if this was ever posted before, but here's a picture of Spring and 1st Streets, looking south, in downtown LA, circa late 1890s:

sunsite.berkeley.edu

So fascinating...