noirish Los Angeles

[LA Kitty Kat]

I have a small mystery that I have been trying to solve since I started reading this forum. I have learned many searching techniques because of this thread, but I have been unable to find out anything about this property.

The building that I am trying to find out about was on the street where I grew up in Alhambra. It's approximate address would have been about 400 South Curtis Avenue. It was a large old house and at the time I lived there, I believe it was used as a day care or nursery school. Curtis Street curves around the property, so I believed it was built before the streets were laid out. The story I was told as a child was that it was built for a silent movie star, but that is unproven.

I have looked at historical aerials, and it is difficult to see, but there was only one large house, and now, there are 3 condominiums on that lot. I know that it was demolished in the late 70's or early 80's.

If anyone has any suggestions for searching, I would be most grateful.

[HossC]

This must be the section of Curtis Avenue you're talking about, LA Kitty Kat. Unfortunately, the watermark goes right through the property. It looks like the large house was there in 1972 (below, left), but gone by 1977. The image on the right is from 1980 because it's much clearer.


Historic Aerials

The search for actual pictures goes on!

[LA Kitty Kat]

Yes, this has been all that I have seen too!

[ethereal_reality]

Hoss, this is the inside cover from the 1963 Pioneer High School Yearbook, The Torch.






http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/...64505/?page=16

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

With flags and bunting could it have been a 4th of July Party?

Good eye CBD. That's definitely a possibility.



I wonder if this is from the same event? (that's Marion Davies riding the carousel)


http://2009and-scene.blogspot.com/20...on-davies.html

.....but this image shows a 'Happy Birthday' balloon in the upper left corner. (so we're back to square-one)

__

[ethereal_reality]

It's me...doing this again.

place 'beating a dead horse' gif here:






originally posted by Greg H



He was right, the blade sign did end up on the roof!


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...f185afd7da.jpg

There it is propped on the edge toward the backbehind the skylight.
__

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Good eye CBD. That's definitely a possibility.



I wonder if this is from the same event? (that's Marion Davies riding the carousel)


http://2009and-scene.blogspot.com/20...on-davies.html

.....but this image shows a 'Happy Birthday' balloon in the upper left corner. (so we're back to square-one)

__

I recall from my reading about Marion is that she hired a Merry-Go-Round for many of her themed parties.

Here's Gary Cooper at one of her Christmas parties.....she was such a madcap.

mediacashe

The Brass Ring for Marion was William R. Hearst.

mediacashe

[ethereal_reality]

And speaking of castles......


Here's a slide from 1967 of William S. Hart's Ranch in Newhall, CA.


ebay

I'm not sure if this little turret is still standing.

__

[ethereal_reality]

While Cheri May was dangling 14 stories above Grand Avenue, this handsome young man was walking down the street in front of the Mayflower Hotel.


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/570901690234972877/



__

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' location

Los Angeles April 1, 1947

Automobile driven by Dick Russell and a bus full of Chamber of Commerce ladies.


http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/vie...198/zz00280rb6

"In a race as part of a "Don't be April fools, obey Traffic rules" campaign to prove that safe driving always prospers.
Russell sped and disobeyed traffic laws in the automobile and almost beat safe driver Frank Lampley's bus full of Chamber of Commerce ladies,
until police officer Dick Barlow intervened." [California Rug Cleaning Co. is in the background]


hmmmm....so why do I find a bus full of chamber of commerce ladies humorous?

(and it's not out of character, I find a station wagon full of nuns humorous too.

Am I sick in the head?

[CityBoyDoug]

Here's a rare front entry view of the Marion Davies Beach House. The architectural style is .....well, a little this and a dash of that.


santamonicapastperfect

[ScottyB]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

hmmmm....so why do I find a bus full of chamber of commerce ladies humorous?

(and it's not out of character, I find a station wagon full of nuns humorous too.

Am I sick in the head?

Are we supposed to answer rhetorical questions?

[59imperial]

Originally Posted by HossC

I can't even see a likely building on the 1948 aerial view (the earliest available). For comparison, I've included a current view.


Historic Aerials/Google Maps

A little further digging suggests that at some point the company moved to 3060 E Valley Boulevard, possibly to avoid the path of the freeway. That's the building marked JK Restaurant Eq[uipment] on the right of the view above. Here's the front.


GSV

Here's how the property looked like in the mid to late 60s. In the GSV you can clearly see the shadow of where the large mill stone was mounted on the outer wall of the building with the unusual looking skylight. It looks like the smaller mill stone next to the entrance is still there. El Molino Mills Alhambra California by houseoftomorrow, on Flickr

[ScottyB]

Originally Posted by 59imperial

Here's how the property looked like in the mid to late 60s. In the GSV you can clearly see the shadow of where the large mill stone was mounted on the outer wall of the building with the unusual looking skylight. It looks like the smaller mill stone next to the entrance is still there. El Molino Mills Alhambra California by houseoftomorrow, on Flickr

Great find, 59imperial!
Here's that street view....you can see the shadow of the larger stone as well as the smaller one inside the gated entry.


GSV

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

And speaking of castles......

Here's a slide from 1967 of William S. Hart's Ranch in Newhall, CA.


ebay

I'm not sure if this little turret is still standing.

I think this is the turret, still standing in what is now The William S Hart Park and Museum at 24151 Newhall Avenue.


Google Maps via supercharge.info

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' location

Los Angeles April 1, 1947

Automobile driven by Dick Russell and a bus full of Chamber of Commerce ladies.


http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/vie...198/zz00280rb6

"In a race as part of a "Don't be April fools, obey Traffic rules" campaign to prove that safe driving always prospers.
Russell sped and disobeyed traffic laws in the automobile and almost beat safe driver Frank Lampley's bus full of Chamber of Commerce ladies,
until police officer Dick Barlow intervened." [California Rug Cleaning Co. is in the background]


hmmmm....so why do I find a bus full of chamber of commerce ladies humorous?

(and it's not out of character, I find a station wagon full of nuns humorous too.

Am I sick in the head?

The ladies and the nuns are amusing, yes, but I have to say, I prefer the Henry Willson prospect walking in front of the Mayflower.... Anyway, re the California Rug Cleaning Company, it was at 12020 W Pico...





GSV



LAT April 2, 1947 (perhaps it was the pulchritudinous young man strolling in front of the Mayflower who placed the ad in the last LAT image below....)

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

And speaking of castles......


Here's a slide from 1967 of William S. Hart's Ranch in Newhall, CA.


ebay

I'm not sure if this little turret is still standing.

__

The tower does stand and is located just below the house overlooking the herd of buffalo that graze on the hillside, opposite the tower. When I took a tour of the house and grounds a number of years ago, I believe that they said that Mr. Hart's sister, Mary Ellen, took her afternoon tea there.

[Andys]

Originally Posted by HossC

I think this is the turret, still standing in what is now The William S Hart Park and Museum at 24151 Newhall Avenue.


Google Maps via supercharge.info

This is a worthwhile visit/tour; docent has many interesting stories. The main house is fully furnished and period correct; worth the walk up the hill with nice views of the Hart property and Santa Clarita. Equally interesting, is the self guided tour of Wm. S. Hart's ranch house at the bottom of the hill, where he lived during the construction of the main house.
http://www.hartmuseum.org/

Andys

[HossC]

Originally Posted by 59imperial

Here's how the property looked like in the mid to late 60s. In the GSV you can clearly see the shadow of where the large mill stone was mounted on the outer wall of the building with the unusual looking skylight. It looks like the smaller mill stone next to the entrance is still there.


El Molino Mills Alhambra California by houseoftomorrow, on Flickr

Great find, 59imperial. I wonder if there are any vintage pictures of this neighboring building at 3086 W Valley Boulevard, Alhambra. The old El Molino building is on the left.


GSV

[HossC]

Thanks for the Pioneer High School yearbook yesterday, e_r.

I thought we might be without a Julius Shulman post today, because the Getty site was down for a couple of hours yesterday at the time I normally choose a subject. Luckily, it came back online, and I found this store in La Cañada. It's "Job 5521: David Parry, Kaché Store (La Cañada, Calif.), 1978". For a change, I've gone with all color images (they're worth it) and omitted the two black & white shots of the exterior.



Looking at picture above, I'd never have guessed that the interior would look like this.



The angled mirrors in the ceiling give an interesting effect - I like it.



This must be the front, with the red dress in one of the windows.



With the fire and tables, I thought this was a fancy restaurant when I first saw it.



I don't know if the items on the shelf were for sale or decoration.



All from Getty Research Institute

The photoset is less than 40 years old, but I couldn't find a location. I'd say there's a good chance that the building is still standing - does anyone recognize it?