noirish Los Angeles

[SHERIFFPAUL]

Crab Cooker is going to re-build, I hope it's in the same spot. I took a photo of the area after they demolished the place but cannot find it. Thanks for the old photo.

[ethereal_reality]

To see the Hatchimonji Dance Party L.A. 1923 photo go HERE

Originally Posted by robeach11

The only Ike Hatchimonji I find was born in 1928 and just passed away in 2018. No Hatchimonji surnames listed in known L.A. directories until 1962.http://www.fukuimortuary.com/obituary/ike-hatchimonji-

Thanks for finding this obituary robeach11. I really appreciate it.

What caught my eye [in the obituary] was the mention of Heart Mountain Relocation Camp.


fukuimortuary



This photograph is from the same repository as the 1923 Dance Party photograph.

Caption by Ike Hatchimonji: "May 1942 - El Monte, California"

In front of family store. Hatchimonji family about to leave for the Pomona Assembly Center then the WRA camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
L-R: Tasuke Ike, Megumi Mike, Kumezo father, Nobue mother, and daughter Gloria, wearing the family ID tags.


Densho

The man in the 2018 obituary is Tasuke Ike.[far left]


from the funeral home

IKE TASUKE HATCHIMONJI


R.I.P. Good Man

[ethereal_reality]

Does anyone have an idea where the KNX Transmitting Station was located in the 1920s? Multiple photographs in this group.

"KNX Radio, Los Angeles, Transmitting Station, orig Photo Lot, c1921"


EBAY



Is this the station? (why the water tower?)

EBAY






The view from the station?

EBAY





Was the station near Palomar observatory?

EBAY





Is this, in fact, Palomar....or some other observatory?

EBAY

I'm asking too many questions.





I'm guessing this one was taken inside the station.

EBAY







And lastly, this one showing...umm..people.

EBAY


Early history.

KNX began as a five-watt amateur radio station, 6ADZ, which Fred Christian put on the air on September 10, 1920, broadcasting on a wavelength of 200 meters (1500 kHz).
In December 1921, the station moved to 360 meters (833 kHz) and became KGC, sharing time with other stations that broadcast on the same frequency. On May 4, 1922,
the station increased power to 50 watts and became KNX.


The seller has additional information on KNX HERE (scroll down)

Unless I missed it, the actual location of the early transmitting station is never mentioned.

__

[ethereal_reality]

I'll end the day with this enigmatic photograph.

As you can see, it shows a group of tourists sitting inside a faux-street car. [c1900s]


EBAY

Does this little streetcar look familiar to anyone?


reverse

EBAY

PRINTED BY
Mc_ _ _ _ Reynolds, Jr.
2 = 2 So. Broadway,
LOS ANGELES, - CAL.


The seller mentions both Los Angeles and San Francisco....so the photograph could have been taken anywhere along the coast of California.

"Photograph of men and women posing in a small train caboose. Los Angeles photographer stamp on reverse. I had similar photos in the past
and some were identified on the back as California scenes (LA and SF) in 1904."

.

[HenryHuntington]

Given the terrain and the proximity both to the L.A. market and to an observatory, Mt. Wilson comes to mind. The larger (100 inch) telescope at the Hale Observatory dates to 1919, so there's a potential match. OTOH, I don't see anything in the outdoor photos presumably of Mt. Wilson that tie to a commercial broadcast tower. Per the site linked below, the KNX transmitter has been located in Torrance since sometime in the 1930s...

https://www.fybush.com/site-020313.html


The seller's brief description appears to have been abstracted from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KNX_(AM)

As with your own search, e-r, I was unable to definitively locate the KNX transmitter from the date it became a full-time operation until it moved to Torrance. I got the sense that the earlier, lower-power transmitter(s) might've been co-located with the studio(s). Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[acorn8332]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Tribute to the, recently fallen, Moreton Fig, The Plaza - Los Angeles CA


Dave McMenamin at Las Angelitas del Pueblo

Hope I'm not too late with this. I dug out this shot of the Moreton Bay Fig from October, 1969. Taken with my trusty Instamatic.

[Otis Criblecoblis]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

Given the terrain and the proximity both to the L.A. market and to an observatory, Mt. Wilson comes to mind. The larger (100 inch) telescope at the Hale Observatory dates to 1919, so there's a potential match.

The telescope dome in question is not on Mt. Wilson. Both the 60-inch and 100-inch domes are more utilitarian in appearance, made of metal, not masonry. And the Palomar dome didn't exist in the Twenties.

Which only heightens my curiosity of just what and where the dome in the photos was (or still is, for all I know).

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Does anyone have an idea where the KNX Transmitting Station was located in the 1920s? Multiple photographs in this group.

"KNX Radio, Los Angeles, Transmitting Station, orig Photo Lot, c1921"


EBAY

Perhaps a chance that the c1921 date on the picture and the others in the group are well off the mark.

I think this might be the Torrance transmitter facility that HenryHuntington referenced in his post. This would date the picture to 1938 or later.

This 2002 picture from inside a later building at Torrance shows the original preserved name plate.



www.fybush.com







Picture maybe taken at the left side of the front door of the original 1938 building.


Detail from calisphere.org

[HossC]

Here's a 1938 Dick Whittington shot of the KNX building. USC also have some interior images dated 1938 which may show the inside of this building.

Outdoor photo showing the complete building of KNX radio station


USC Digital Library

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for the follow-ups to the KNX Transmitting Plant snapshots Henry Huntington...Otis Criblecoblis....Noir Noir...and HossC.

Here's a thought....perhaps the seller threw in the observatory snapshots as an enticement..and have nothing to do with the radio transmitter.

Originally Posted by Noir Noir

Perhaps a chance that the c1921 date on the picture and the others in the group are well off the mark.

I think you're probably correct Noir Noir. The clothing the young man is wearing looks more 1938 than 1921.






Earlier today I happened upon another interesting KNX photograph. The date on this one is 1925. (close, but no cigar)


homesteadmuseum

"The photo shows a couple of employees poring over what appears to be a newspaper in the midst of the station’s control room.
An inscription along part of the newspaper (or whatever that is) reads, “A token of friendship / to ‘Dad’ Allen / Van of KNX / 6/26/25.”

_

[ethereal_reality]

Here's another interesting tid-bit.


Read more HERE


A long...long...time ago, on NLA, someone posted an early photograph of a neighborhood in Hollywood. Behind one of the houses on this particular block
(near a garage, if I remember correctly) there was a small transmitting tower. I wonder if this could have been Fred Christian's home?

Does anyone remember that photograph?
_________________________________


p.s. I tried to locate Fred Christian's address in the city directories without success. There are just too many damn Christians. .............I'm going straight to hell.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Is this the station? (why the water tower?)

EBAY

Originally Posted by Otis Criblecoblis

... And the Palomar dome didn't exist in the Twenties.

Originally Posted by Noir_Noir

Perhaps a chance that the c1921 date on the picture and the others in the group are well off the mark.

I'm thinking that the date's off. The photo below shows Palomar Observatory on October 26th, 1947. It appears to show the same building and water tower in the background. As far as I can tell, they're still there, but I can't get a ground-level view.


archives-dc.library.caltech.edu

[Jungmann]

1

[Jungmann]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thanks for the follow-ups to the KNX Transmitting Plant snapshots Henry Huntington...Otis Criblecoblis....Noir Noir...and HossC.

Here's a thought....perhaps the seller threw in the observatory snapshots as an enticement..and have nothing to do with the radio transmitter.



I think you're probably correct Noir Noir. The clothing the young man is wearing looks more 1938 than 1921.






Earlier today I happened upon another interesting KNX photograph. The date on this one is 1925. (close, but no cigar)


homesteadmuseum

"The photo shows a couple of employees poring over what appears to be a newspaper in the midst of the station’s control room.
An inscription along part of the newspaper (or whatever that is) reads, “A token of friendship / to ‘Dad’ Allen / Van of KNX / 6/26/25.”

_

The young man pointing at the sign wears a ribbon on his jacket that says A.A.R.L. That stand for American Amateur Relay League, a national ham radio organization that goes back to the Teens. In those early days, hams relayed messages from one amateur station across the country to another until the final stop on the chain delivered the message to the recipient.

On his lapel is a badge I can't quite make out, but the first letter might be a W. This might identify the guy's own Federal ham call sign. The FCC divided the country into ten or so sections--California and the West Coast was W6 and then three individual letters, so his badge might read W6XYZ.

I agree this collection is a hodgepodge.

I was a ham when I was a kid--now I've gone and revealed my ultimate geekness. Although messing around with radios was a lot of fun

[Noir_Noir]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A long...long...time ago, on NLA, someone posted an early photograph of a neighborhood in Hollywood. Behind one of the houses on this particular block
(near a garage, if I remember correctly) there was a small transmitting tower. I wonder if this could have been Fred Christian's home?

Does anyone remember that photograph?
_________________________________


p.s. I tried to locate Fred Christian's address in the city directories without success. There are just too many damn Christians. .............I'm going straight to hell.

Here's Fred in the 1922 CD.


rescarta.lapl.org

[HenryHuntington]

Wasn't there a thread a year or two (they all run together now) back about a preacher in East Hollywood or environs that used a low-power radio broadcasting setup as part of his ministry? Harold Way sounds familiar. Or maybe I'm just conflating this thread with that one.

[robeach11]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

To see the Hatchimonji Dance Party L.A. 1923 photo go HERE

Thanks for finding this obituary robeach11. I really appreciate it.

What caught my eye [in the obituary] was the mention of Heart Mountain Relocation Camp.


fukuimortuary



This photograph is from the same repository as the 1923 Dance Party photograph.

Caption by Ike Hatchimonji: "May 1942 - El Monte, California"

In front of family store. Hatchimonji family about to leave for the Pomona Assembly Center then the WRA camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
L-R: Tasuke Ike, Megumi Mike, Kumezo father, Nobue mother, and daughter Gloria, wearing the family ID tags.


Densho

The man in the 2018 obituary is Tasuke Ike.[far left]


from the funeral home

IKE TASUKE HATCHIMONJI


R.I.P. Good Man

That's some great stuff you have there... about a great man.

[nealberke]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Does anyone have an idea where the KNX Transmitting Station was located in the 1920s? Multiple photographs in this group.

"KNX Radio, Los Angeles, Transmitting Station, orig Photo Lot, c1921"


EBAY



Is this the station? (why the water tower?)

EBAY






The view from the station?

EBAY





Was the station near Palomar observatory?

EBAY





Is this, in fact, Palomar....or some other observatory?

EBAY

I'm asking too many questions.





I'm guessing this one was taken inside the station.

EBAY







And lastly, this one showing...umm..people.

EBAY


Early history.

KNX began as a five-watt amateur radio station, 6ADZ, which Fred Christian put on the air on September 10, 1920, broadcasting on a wavelength of 200 meters (1500 kHz).
In December 1921, the station moved to 360 meters (833 kHz) and became KGC, sharing time with other stations that broadcast on the same frequency. On May 4, 1922,
the station increased power to 50 watts and became KNX.


The seller has additional information on KNX HERE (scroll down)

Unless I missed it, the actual location of the early transmitting station is never mentioned.

__

Great history of KFI with photos:
https://www.oldradio.com/archives/st.../LA/kfipix.htm
More history: https://www.thebdr.net/articles/prof...ry/HPH-KFI.pdf
This article by KFI engineer Newcome Weisenberger might explain the water tower. http://antiqueradios.org/gazette/water.htm

[HossC]

Originally Posted by HenryHuntington

Wasn't there a thread a year or two (they all run together now) back about a preacher in East Hollywood or environs that used a low-power radio broadcasting setup as part of his ministry? Harold Way sounds familiar. Or maybe I'm just conflating this thread with that one.

We discussed the "First Radio Church" back in 2016, kicked off by the photo below. That's what came to mind when I read your comment, HH. It was in the Silver Lake area. You can start reading the posts about it here.

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I found this intriguing 'mystery' photograph the other night on eBay.

"Los Angeles Non-Denominational First Radio Church Historic Press Photo"


http://www.ebay.com/itm/LA6-1920s-Lo...oAAOSwqBJXVKQk


The writing on the back lists..."L.A., Historcial, Churches, Misc., First Radio Church" (in that order),

and written on a post-it attached to the back...."KHJ = 1922, Sister Aimee 1924"

[HenryHuntington]

Thanks, Hoss!

Speaking of things running together, it was KHJ that began in Silver Lake, not KNX. This Getting Old process can have some cerebral drawbacks for sure.

Some of the radio stations that we take for granted today certainly had some interesting beginnings just about a century ago: back yards, back rooms, real breadboards, Amateur Nite at the Bijou programming somehow spawned a medium that helped an anxious population pull through the Depression a few years later.That seems like a pretty fast adoption rate even by today's standards.