noirish Los Angeles

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thank MR & GW. I am less disoriented now.





What's the lone house atop the hill at upper left?

_

That is, believe it or not, the old Auto Club Building which was situated on Hill Street, right where it makes the turn to run down to Sunset Boulevard north of the high school. It shows pretty clearly on the 1921 Baist, sheet 3, upper right hand corner. It also shows in this Shulman pic originally posted by HossC...(it's immediately to the left of the white apartment building at 560 N. Hill Street)

Looking south on Castelar, Julius Shulman, 1949

Beautiful Shulman image looking south on Castelar from about Bernardo Street in 1949. The houses on Fort Moore Hill are gone having been razed in '47. Although, surprisingly, the old Auto Club building and the apartment building at 560 N. Hill Street are still hugging the north slope.

via NLA HossC

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thank MR & GW. I am less disoriented now.


_

I posted some other images of the Sprint St detour last week from California Highways & Public Works magazine May=June 1949: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=33989

This one is from the same issue showing an overlay of the future Hollywood Fwy alignment:

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

What a lot of sadness. So many women victims.

Poor Rosenda Mondragon. More on her death at "Murder in Dogtown:"

http://www.dialmurder.com/

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I don't believe we've seen this particular brochure for the Hotel Ritz.

...

One last look; enlarged a bit for your viewing pleasure.



eBay

I hadn't noticed the hotel on the left. Does anyone know what hotel that is? Maybe we've discussed it before.

It looks like the hotel next door started out as an annex for the Ritz. A 1925 certificate of occupancy says it had 72 rooms. Here it is in 1929.

Hotel and annex at 813 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA, 1929


USC Digital Library

Notice that the annex is set back from the main hotel. The 1924 building permit for the foundations and retaining wall of the annex contains a note which says, "I understand that Flower Street is to be widened 5ft on each side." Here's the 1930 alteration permit outlining the changes necessary to shave five feet off the Ritz.


Online Building Records

From the late-30s until 1973, 819 S Flower Street appears in the CDs as the separate Stephens Hotel. The 1987 CD lists it as the Orchid Hotel. Nowadays it's known as the O Hotel & Spa.


GSV

[GaylordWilshire]

Before the annex--

LAPL


Not sure which image from the USCDL you posted, Hoss-- there are still image issues... but here's a before and after composite:

USCDL



LAT May 25, 1930

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

Future Hollywood Fwy alignment:

eBay

Not to beat a dead horse, but is the street-car running on the level with the red arrows or the level with the blue arrows? (shown below)


detail of NCD's photograph enlarged

Neither of them look like they run straight into the HofJ & Alhambra as shown in my eBay photograph.
__

[ethereal_reality]

& I've never noticed this 'pocket-park' facing Alameda Street before.


bottom portion of NCD's photograph / ENLARGED

It looks like there might even be a fountain in the middle of it.

*as most of you know, that's the circular Plaza at upper right.
__

[ethereal_reality]

I don't remember if we've seen this particular early view of the Plaza Church on NLA.





http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/i...0-e00a18064a99

It's simply labeled "Los Angeles Mission, Los Angeles" at NYPL. (no mention of Plaza Church)

I wonder what that triangular area on the hillside could possibly be? Could it be a fence-
_

[HossC]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Not sure which image from the USCDL you posted, Hoss-- there are still image issues... but here's a before and after composite:

USCDL

I'm still having problems with Photobucket, and they haven't replied to my email yet. I've re-uploaded the three images I posted earlier, so hopefully they'll show now. I'm also noticing missing images in posts by other Photobucket users, although a refresh or two usually fixes the problem. Please PM me if any of my images aren't showing up - the more information I have for my next email, the better I can tell them what's wrong.

In case my earlier images aren't showing at the moment, the first was a larger version of the left side of GW's comparison (although mine has a roof sign!).

[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

eBay

Not to beat a dead horse, but is the street-car running on the level with the red arrows or the level with the blue arrows? (shown below)


detail of NCD's photograph enlarged

Neither of them look like they run straight into the HofJ & Alhambra as shown in my eBay photograph.
__

The two pics are not contemporaneous.

[HossC]

Hopefully these images will all show, even if you have to refresh the page once or twice.

I have a mystery Julius Shulman subject today. I don't know what or where this building is/was. This is "Job 2510: Union Service Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1958".
NB. I've omitted one of the black & white images in the set as it's duplicated in color.



Here's one of the two color shots.



The only clue to the location is this reflection in the windows, which I've enlarged and mirrored. It shows a branch of Earl Scheib's Auto Painting, complete with neon globe sign. There are pictures of the globe online, but other than vaguely saying "Beverly Hills", none of the ones I looked at gave an address. The 1960 CD lists Earl Scheib's Beverly Hills branch at 9158 W Olympic Boulevard, but I can't see our mystery building at Historic Aerials.



The interior was very bright and airy. On the table in the foreground is an issue of Pageant magazine.



Back to black & white for the final image. Maybe the view through the window will help someone identify the location. I'm not even sure what the building was used for.



All from Getty Research Institute

[ethereal_reality]

I really love this building Hoss.


The design reminds me of the Eames House in Santa Monica Canyon. (well actually Pacific Palisades)


http://www.matchboyscollective.com/t...ouse-classics/ built 1949

It makes me wonder if the architect of the Union Service Center was a disciple of the husband & wife team, Charles & Ray Eames.



__

[ethereal_reality]

A friendly reminder:


http://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa/los-angeles


Don't forget to 'Spring Forward' tonight norishers.





http://clickamericana.com/eras/1910s...-sunshine-1918
__

[Noircitydame]

I came across these screen grabs from the great “711 Ocean Drive” on the IMCDB. The film (as “Blood Money”) was shooting as of the fall of 1949 and came out in July 1950.





A poster on IMCDB identifies the location as 9230 Wilshire, with a link to this photograph- which is the right building but the wrong address:


But even NLA was stumped by this location at one time. We now know it as 1440 N. Vine St. thanks to GaylordWilshire, who posted the same picture (originally as a “mystery” location, which he solved) in post #6558 along with a later one after it had become Clarence Dixon Caddy.

It’s The Hangover next door, with headliner Red Nichols & his Five Pennies. Those shrubs out front could use some pruning.

Beaudry posted a picture of the Hangover from the 1951 remake of M:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=31870

Martin Pal had this 1961 view
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=21276

and E-R had this night shot from 1957: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=28323

Back to 9230 Wilshire, I noticed while looking this up that the photos BifRayRock posted from its days as Maddux Lincoln aren't showing up any more so will repost some of them. They're all from the CSL, entire set found here (it lists the address as 9280 Wilshire)







I also had this one from after it became Hillcrest Motors, which I'm sure came from NLA but couldn't refind it; maybe it was the now-missing image from GaylordWilshire's original post, which also shows 9230 Wilshire as it looks today.


Lost the marquee over the entrance and replaced the street trees with palms- wise move.

The LA Times reported in July 1959 that Hillcrest's showroom at 9230 Wilshire was going to be remodeled and would lose its iconic 50-ft tower.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

The Murrieta Block was on the west side of New High Street, the fourth building north of Temple Street.
It was constructed in 1887:

Here we're looking north up New High Street from City Hall, c. 1931. The Murrieta Block, now the Dante Hotel, is across from
the upper/north part of the U-shaped 1909 Post Office:

USCDL -- http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/re...coll65/id/3897

detail


Katty-korner from the Marrieta/Dante Hotel was Schireson Bros.




Here's a clearer look from the 1932 photograph that FW also posted.

detail


I thought I'd try to find out a bit more information about the Schireson Bros. My first search brought up an address in Simi Valley!?


http://www.losangeles.com/places/schireson-bros-inc

So I ventured out that way in the google-mobile and found a rather nondescript building shielded by trees.

...on the side it said 'Volutone'.


gsv / detail


Lo-and-behold, the name Volutone led me to a magazine article that included a photograph of the interior of the Schireson Bros. store in downtown Los Angeles. (shown below)


http://www.sdmmag.com/articles/88692...rs-in-business

"The Schireson Bros. evolved into what we know today as Volutone Distributing."

"Brothers Jack and Nathan opened the doors of the original Schireson Bros. on South Broadway Street in Los Angeles in 1902."
___

[Noircitydame]

Originally Posted by HossC

Hopefully these images will all show, even if you have to refresh the page once or twice.

I have a mystery Julius Shulman subject today. I don't know what or where this building is/was. This is "Job 2510: Union Service Center (Los Angeles, Calif.), 1958".
NB. I've omitted one of the black & white images in the set as it's duplicated in color.


The only clue to the location is this reflection in the windows, which I've enlarged and mirrored. It shows a branch of Earl Scheib's Auto Painting, complete with neon globe sign. There are pictures of the globe online, but other than vaguely saying "Beverly Hills", none of the ones I looked at gave an address. The 1960 CD lists Earl Scheib's Beverly Hills branch at 9158 W Olympic Boulevard, but I can't see our mystery building at Historic Aerials.

It's really remarkable. The photos are beautiful.

Is it for certain it was in Beverly Hills? Wondering because I found a reference to the Union Service Center in 1961 at 5250 W. Imperial Highway. It was the United Auto Workers Local 887 meeting hall.

Earl's ad from 1958 shows he had a location at 5231 W. Imperial.


Could that be it?
5251 W. Imperial Highway via Googlemobile looks like the building reflected in the windows...

[BDiH]

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

I came across these screen grabs from the great “711 Ocean Drive” on the IMCDB. The film (as “Blood Money”) was shooting as of the fall of 1949 and came out in July 1950.



It’s The Hangover next door, with headliner Red Nichols & his Five Pennies. Those shrubs out front could use some pruning.

Red Nichols & his 5 Pennies with Bob Laine on piano.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Katty-korner from the Marrieta/Dante Hotel was Schireson Bros.


. . . a photograph of the interior of the Schireson Bros. store in downtown Los Angeles. (shown below)


http://www.sdmmag.com/articles/88692...rs-in-business

"The Schireson Bros. evolved into what we know today as Volutone Distributing."

"Brothers Jack and Nathan opened the doors of the original Schireson Bros. on South Broadway Street in Los Angeles in 1902."
___

Wow, e_r, that's wild that the same family still runs that business! And I like how you drew your arrow.

The LA City Directories tell a slightly different story about the Schireson Bros' beginnings. I did not find
the Schiresons on South Broadway.

The first directory to show the Schireson Brothers (Nathan and Jacob/Jack) together is the 1907 directory:

fold3.com

By the 1909 directory, they had moved to 349 North Main, which was in the next building north of the
St. Elmo/Cosmopolitan Hotel:

fold3.com

They are first listed in the music business in 1911, and the first reference to the New High St. location is 1926.

[HossC]

Apologies if these images don't show up straight away. It took about six previews before I could see all of them .

Originally Posted by Noircitydame

Is it for certain it was in Beverly Hills? Wondering because I found a reference to the Union Service Center in 1961 at 5250 W. Imperial Highway. It was the United Auto Workers Local 887 meeting hall.

Could that be it?
5251 W. Imperial Highway via Googlemobile looks like the building reflected in the windows...

Thank you so much, NCD, I think you've nailed it. Beverly Hills was given as the location for Earl Scheib's neon globe, but there may have been one at every branch.

Here's a detail view from the third image. Look at the building across the street.


Getty Research Institute

And here's the building currently on the north side of W Imperial Highway.


GSV

I'm pretty sure that the Union Service Center building is in the middle of the 1980 view below. Unfortunately, it seems to have been wiped out by the El Segundo Freeway.


Historic Aerials

BTW. The architects (if known) are usually named in the title of the Shulman photosets, but in this case their names were omitted. The description lists them as Smith and Williams.

[HossC]

Remember this former "mystery location" from two months ago?

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

eBay


Hoss, there's a noirish connection. The 1950s-era structure housed the County Coroner's office until the offices were moved to the county health center.
The building was turned over to the Center Theater Group in 1967.

"So what had been the morgue became rehearsal space." -said Stephen Rountree, Music Center pres.

I wanted to post a photograph of the building when it was the coroner's office, but I haven't located one yet.

This photo is dated 1956, so I believe it shows the building on the right when it was the County Coroner's Office. The image title is "St. Angelo is wrecked and gone."


Huntington Digital Library

Today, even the incline on N Grand Avenue has gone.


GSV

For a reminder of the 1887 St Angelo Hotel and its neighbors, check out gsjansen's post #4669.