noirish Los Angeles

[Martin Pal]

Twice!

[fhammon]

Originally Posted by trbondii

Hey everyone, wanted to throw a question out there since I'm desperate. Looking for some old photos for a book, and have exhausted almost all my resources, (i.e. LA Library, conservancy, friends, etc.) so thought I would try here. Does ANYONE know, or have LEADS to where I can obtain old photos from the Pico-Union district? Preferably around the 2600 block of West Pico Blvd. around 1905 to 1908. I can go all the way up to 1965. Very important for a book I am doing. THANK YOU.

I believe our own board member and uber-awsome NLA contributor tovangar2 lived in that area for awhile. You might could flag her down with a PM.

Also.. I don't know if this interests you or not but the area bounded by Figueroa (east) to Union (west), Pico (north) and Washington (south) used to be Maj. Horace Bell's farm until he subdivided it and sold it off sometime in the 1870s.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25803

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=25834

Also conservative (ex KABC) radio talk show host Larry Elder grew up in the Pico-Union district, his father operating a small dinner there. I know for a fact that he loves talking about it. He's approachable by various means.

[Tourmaline]

Originally Posted by HossC

I think the only previous NLA mention of Ahrens Bros Bakery was a small neon sign in a picture I posted here. This is one of their custom Studebaker delivery trucks in a photo that the seller dates as 1940s.


eBay

Unfortunately, the full image is only available at a smaller size, but it shows a little more of the background. No location is given - maybe someone recognizes the houses.


eBay



I checked the 1932 CD, and Ahrens Bros is listed with several addresses (below). In 1932, the company appears to have been run by three Ahrens brothers: Carl K, Edward F jr and Ralph H Ahrens. Skipping ahead to 1942, and the brothers no longer seem to be connected with the business. The 1942 CD lists H Q Jouckin as president of Ahrens Bros Inc. The company still had many addresses, but they all seem to be different to ten years earlier.


LAPL

Thought I saw a '30s image of 176 N La Brea location (near Beverly Blvd.), but unable to locate it thus far.


1945 - Ahren's Kitchen (and Bakery), located on the corner of Larchmont and Beverly.


http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics28/00063832.jpg

[GaylordWilshire]

Speaking of moving stones, I'm reminded of an old post about the mobile bricks of the 1888 city hall: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1801


And there's this: http://losangeleshistory.blogspot.co...-also-see.html

[fhammon]

Originally Posted by Martin Pal

Twice!

..and thrice!
Thank you Flyingwedge.

[Tourmaline]

Speaking of Plessier, a '32 view of the Wiltern that Barbara Stanwyck might appreciate. The film is "The Purchase Price," but judging from the advertising, the audience apparently chose talent over the project.







http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/54948/rec/1

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by trbondii

Hey everyone, wanted to throw a question out there since I'm desperate. Looking for some old photos for a book, and have exhausted almost all my resources, (i.e. LA Library, conservancy, friends, etc.) so thought I would try here. Does ANYONE know, or have LEADS to where I can obtain old photos from the Pico-Union district? Preferably around the 2600 block of West Pico Blvd. around 1905 to 1908. I can go all the way up to 1965. Very important for a book I am doing. THANK YOU.

There's not much. This is from the Pico-Union Project (1153 Valencia St):


These two from the Evangelical Free Church 1356 S Albany:




Those two organizations would probably have better copies.

Also, gsjansen posted an lapl shot of Lake looking north from 12th earlier on the thread: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2032

-------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by fhammon

tovangar2 lived in that area for awhile. You might could flag her down with a PM.

Nah, I never lived there, but a couple of my kids do now.

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by Tourmaline

Thought I saw a '30s image of 176 N La Brea location (near Beverly Blvd.), but unable to locate it thus far.


1945 - Ahren's Kitchen (and Bakery), located on the corner of Larchmont and Beverly.


http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics28/00063832.jpg

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Speaking of moving stones, I'm reminded of an old post about the mobile bricks of the 1888 city hall: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1801



and http://losangeleshistory.blogspot.co...-also-see.html

I suppose it would be bad form to snake one of those while the building is still standing. I wonder if they're open on Sundays.

[tovangar2]

Originally Posted by MichaelRyerson

I suppose it would be bad form to snake one of those while the building is still standing. I wonder if they're open on Sundays.

LOL. You're bad. Heinsbergen took that load of bricks as part payment for the work he did in the current City Hall. Curlett and Beelman ran with it.

Info on Anthony Heinsbergen's house is here

[GaylordWilshire]

Also known as the the Heinsbergen Design Studio



Water & Power



historicplacesla.org

[Tetsu]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

then (1977) and now (2014)


"55, 51, 45 W. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena CA."



gsv

Not much difference....just fancier shops and a couple of trees.

http://pasadenadigitalhistory.com/

I think there's actually a huge amount of difference lurking behind the largely untouched facades. This particular block, the one bounded by Colorado, Fair Oaks, Union, and DeLacey, was basically the first major redevelopment efforts in Old Town, known as One Colorado. Apparently they tore out lots of what was behind the facades and rebuilt everything fresh, much like what recently happened to the Charnock Block in downtown. It was a bit of a controversial thing. Pasadena Heritage and all the other local preservationists felt that they were ripping out too much "historic fabric." Just a little tidbit I remember from when I was a kid and my mom would make me to the walking tours put on by Pasadena Heritage in Old Town.

[Tourmaline]

1932 - Familiar Cardboard containers, including Ahren's (bottom)


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...id/54948/rec/1

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by trbondii

Hey everyone, wanted to throw a question out there since I'm desperate. Looking for some old photos for a book, and have exhausted almost all my resources, (i.e. LA Library, conservancy, friends, etc.) so thought I would try here. Does ANYONE know, or have LEADS to where I can obtain old photos from the Pico-Union district? Preferably around the 2600 block of West Pico Blvd. around 1905 to 1908. I can go all the way up to 1965. Very important for a book I am doing. THANK YOU.

I know what it's like to be stuck for a photo, so I'm happy to try to help!

Let's start with Engine Co. No. 13 (opened 1900) at 2669 W. Pico on the NE corner with El Molino (later Kenmore), c. 1904:

Lafire.com -- http://www.lafire.com/stations/FS013...ation_1000.jpg

This is 1912, looking west on Pico from El Molino/Kenmore. The building with the rounded corner is 2684-86-88-90 W. Pico, on the SW corner, catty-
corner from the fire station. The building is on the 1907 Sanborn map. Dr. Craik -- at first I thought it said Dr. Crank -- is in the 1913 LA City Directory
at 2686 W. Pico:

Lafire.com -- http://www.lafire.com/stations/FS013...e_E13_1500.jpg

There are a couple other photos of Engine Co. No. 13 at the lafire.com site, but you probably don't want all fire department photos.

Here is 1301 S. Westlake, SW corner of Pico, 1910. This house is on the 1906 Sanborn:

HDL -- http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/single...d/11820/rec/45

That's all I could find near your preferred timeframe window. Since you said you could go up to 1965, I'm assuming you've seen these:

Pico and Union 1928: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si.../id/1089/rec/4
Pico and Union 1930: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/si...d/6097/rec/220
Pico, Lake, and Hoover 1928: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co.../70691/rec/322

Good luck with your book!

[tovangar2]

The link in my last post was to info about the 1931 Anthony Heinsbergen house in Pacific Palisades, but not everyone bothers to click links (as e_r has warned me) so here it is in the flesh as it were.

I love how Anthony Heinsbergen surrounded himself with sumptuousness and spent his life doing what he loved. I can just imagine him going from his beautiful home to his gorgeous studio each day to design something new to wow us.

Apparently, Joseph Cotton owned the house after Heinsbergen's death and redid the interiors in plain white with white shag carpeting. The next owner hired someone to recreate the murals from photographs (with varying degrees of success). The house last sold in 2002. It's approx 6K sq ft on four levels.

17800 Tramonto Drive, Pacific Palisades 90272 (somewhat reminiscent of Sebastian's house in "Notorious", 1946):


Carved over the door are the words, "Domus Constructa Pigmento" (The house that paint built):


The original murals were oil on canvas:

pix: art+works

The hillside below the house looks a little alarming in the last gsv (2012):



UPDATE: As per the Oct 2015 gsv, there's now a four-story house built on the down slope behind the Heinsbergen house. There's room for one or even two more.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Fun bit of info re the Heinsbergen Design Studio (not to be confused with the house), A.T. Heinsbergen, Anthony's son, lived his last ten years in the quarters above the studio, behind those little slate-covered dormers. Sounds cozy.

[tovangar2]

Great Pico-Union finds FW

That one Pico & Union corner building you linked to made me think of the Doria again. Probably none are early enough for trbondii though.

Here's a Wm Reagh (that medallion has gone missing quite recently):

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

below: Another survivor...the Doria Apartments at Pico & Union circa 1971.


lapl

Entrance to the Doria (just for fun. It's not often photographed):

flickr


flickr

Originally Posted by HossC

USC Digital Library

Originally Posted by oldstuff

There is another picture of the same area (sans flooding) which is also from the USC Library/ Auto Club Collection. It shows Eddie Miller Tires in a different building, apparently in the next block from the previous one and gives a date of 11-23-1928. This one also shows the tracks in the street which are covered by water in the flooded pictures. The edge of the apartment building is just visible at right.


I can't get it to copy but it is located at :
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...coll59/id/1090

And one more from 1928: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...coll59/id/1090

[GaylordWilshire]

Pico & Union



These from this prior post:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=17179

and

USCDL

[MichaelRyerson]

Pico and Union Streets, Los Angeles Railway crossing, Los Angeles, 1928

USC Digital/Automobile Club of Southern California collection, 1892-1963

[GaylordWilshire]

and in snow, from this prior of Hoss C's: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=17130

[GaylordWilshire]

LAT Feb 23, 1929/GSV