noirish Los Angeles

[CityBoyDoug]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' motorcycle club, 1970s. [Glendale]


Look at all those tail lights!

tumblr

I thought it would be interesting (and fun ) to try and figure out what motorcycle club these gentlemen belonged to. They might be parked in front of their club (or favorite bar?)
If you look closely, you can see that they're all wearing German helmets with the spike on top.
There's a distinct possibility that this is a gay motorcycle club.



Note that there are numbers along the whole length of the yellow curb.


detail

That is the Blue Max Motorcycle Club.
The photo is Glendale, CA 1970.

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' motorcycle club, 1970s. [Glendale]


Look at all those tail lights!

tumblr

I thought it would be interesting (and fun ) to try and figure out what motorcycle club these gentlemen belonged to. They might be parked in front of their club (or favorite bar?)
If you look closely, you can see that they're all wearing German helmets with the spike on top.
There's a distinct possibility that this is a gay motorcycle club.

They're parked in front of 3643 San Fernando, I can't get a good street view from that side of the street, but Glendale Glass is still there. The clue was the billboard, that's advertising for Forest Lawn's exhibits(a Bowie exhibit shows on the current street view).

[Otis Criblecoblis]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

LA cities now use drones to photograph your property from the air to see if you've made additions or improvements. Then they send the Property Tax investigators to your property to make additional assessments. Now your tax bill is higher.

Doug, that is actually one bad thing that hasn't happened. Bear in mind that Pasadena was intimately acquainted with the improvements we made here, so they didn't need to use surveillance to find it out.

Because of the historical overlay zone we live in, we weren't unduly penalized by our improvements, tax-wise. There was just a small incremental increase based upon the small increase in square footage.

[Handsome Stranger]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' motorcycle club, 1970s. [Glendale]

Look at all those tail lights!

tumblr

I spy with my little eye...

a and a .

[ethereal_reality]

Good Eye....Spy....Handsome Stranger. I didn't see either of these logos.

I see the green stamps but I'm still looking for the Kiwanis. *Squints eyes...leans forward*

update:

I think I found it. Is it above the swan?

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

That is the Blue Max Motorcycle Club.
The photo is Glendale, CA 1970.

p.s. Thanks for naming the club CBD. I'll see if I can find some additional information.
______



Oh, and thanks to BillinGlendaleCA as well.

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

They're parked in front of 3643 San Fernando, I can't get a good street view from that side of the street, but Glendale Glass is still there.
The clue was the billboard, that's advertising for Forest Lawn's exhibits(a Bowie exhibit shows on the current street view).

Does anyone recognize the make of the baby-poop colored truck parked up ahead?
I know it isn't important...but why isn't the license plate centered?

I almost forgot you Lojack.

Originally Posted by Lojack

The closeup seems to say P.D. LOADING ZONE
I don't see numbers but maybe its a time limit?

oops...I meant letters. I was looking at it upside-down.(lame excuse. you were looking at it upside-down too)

[ethereal_reality]

A bit more.

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

They're parked in front of 3643 San Fernando.

GSV

I wonder if this used to be a motorcycle bar? (or perhaps the Blue Max HQ)

[HossC]

The early '70s editions of American Motorcycle Association News, e.g. here, list 3643 San Fernando Road as the home of Harley-Davidson of Glendale Inc.

[odinthor]

Hmm. I wonder what's going on here . . . ?



Covering up the accommodations for a former sign?

Oh that poor tree...

[ethereal_reality]

Yes odinthor, that poor tree has gone through hell. The last time I saw a tree that ragged a tornado had just passed through.

2012




There used to life at that cut-off part.




The motorcycle pic, obviously, pre-dates the tree.

Originally Posted by odinthor

Hmm. I wonder what's going on here . . . ?
Covering up the accommodations for a former sign?

It's a party store...so maybe that square opens up periodically...and confetti shoots out.

Seriously, I think it's covering wires and what-not (for a sign...like odinthor said)

[ethereal_reality]

Oh...and one more thing.

What the heck is above the front door?



From a distance I thought it was an old clock...but now I don't think so.

an exhaust fan?

[ethereal_reality]

Here's a rare find. (I am almost certain we haven't seen it on NLA)



EBAY / SOLD

It shows a steam shovel (with steam shooting out) working in a lot kitty-korner from [what I believe to be] the Angelus Hotel.






ebay / I saw it just the other day - but it's gone already.



DETAIL

_

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

A bit more.


GSV

I wonder if this used to be a motorcycle bar? (or perhaps the Blue Max HQ)

The Google says it was the Harley dealership(it's further up the street now).

American Motorcyclist Nov 1971

But wait, there's more! A picture of Harley Davidson of Glendale at that building:

Harley-Davidson of Glendale website

[HossC]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a rare find. (I am almost certain we haven't seen it on NLA)


EBAY / SOLD

It shows a steam shovel (with steam shooting out) working in a lot kitty-korner from [what I believe to be] the old Angelus Hotel.

Yep, that's the Angelus Hotel at Fourth and Spring. The image below is dated 1905.


USC Digital Library

I believe that the Angelus opened in 1901. Kitty corner to the Angelus was (is) the Hellman Building, which I believe was started in 1902, so that gives us a fairly narrow time slot for the steam shovel photo. In fact, "the old Angelus Hotel" was nearly brand new!

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by HossC

Yep, that's the Angelus Hotel at Fourth and Spring. The image below is dated 1905.


USC Digital Library

I believe that the Angelus opened in 1901. Kitty corner to the Angelus was (is) the Hellman Building, which I believe was started in 1902, so that gives us a fairly narrow time slot for the steam shovel photo. In fact, "the old Angelus Hotel" was nearly brand new!

The "A Visit to Old Los Angeles" website(by someone named Odinthor) shows the Angelus without the clock. PCAD(from UW) says it was built in 1901, there were plans to expand by building higher in 1904 and 1907. The hotel was razed in May of 1956. It is now a lovely parking lot.

[HossC]

Originally Posted by BillinGlendaleCA

The "A Visit to Old Los Angeles" website(by someone named Odinthor) shows the Angelus without the clock. PCAD(from UW) says it was built in 1901, there were plans to expand by building higher in 1904 and 1907. The hotel was razed in May of 1956. It is now a lovely parking lot.

This 1907 article from the Los Angeles Herald mentions the proposed height extension. It also shows the building without the clock.


California Digital Newspaper Collection

The text is very small, so here's a transcript:

Angelus Hotel Leased for Twenty Years by Loomis Bros.

ONE of the largest hotel leases ever made in Southern California has just been closed, and the Angelus hotel property, owned by John V. Hunt, will for the next twenty years be the property of the Angelus Leasing company.

Since Loomis Brothers first took the management of the hotel they have been trying to persuade the owner to increase the size of the hotel by adding two stories. Mr. Hunt was reluctant to make the improvement and the Loomis brothers would not do so because of the short lease which they held. The new lease changes conditions, and improvements will soon be made.

For several weeks past rumors have been current in hotel circles that the Angelus building and ground was being leased to some new corporation. The situation has been explained by C. C. Loomis, president of the Angelus Hotel company, and also president of the new Angelus Leasing company.

About March 5 Mr. Loomis, accompanied by E. W. Cason of the hotel brokerage firm of Cason & Arnold, went east to the owner of the property, where after considerable negotiations a lease was made for a period to exceed twenty years, and which calls for a total rental of close to $1,300,000.

The Angelus Leasing company has been incorporated with a capital of $100,000 for the purpose of taking over the property in its entirety, but the Angelus Hotel company will continue the business as usual, merely being the operating company.

It is officially stated by the Loomis brothers, who control the stock of both corporations, that within a few months one story, and probably two, will be added to the present building, which will mostly provide for tlie needs of the growing commercial trade.

John V. Hunt, the owner of the property, places a valuation of six and seven thousand dollars per front foot on the ground. He purchased this property less than ten years ago for a total of $100,000.

The property is 120 feet on Spring street by 155 on Fourth street to an alley. The present building contains 250 rooms.

[TracedogsLA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

'mystery' motorcycle club, 1970s. [Glendale]


Look at all those tail lights!

tumblr

I thought it would be interesting (and fun ) to try and figure out what motorcycle club these gentlemen belonged to. They might be parked in front of their club (or favorite bar?)
If you look closely, you can see that they're all wearing German helmets with the spike on top.
There's a distinct possibility that this is a gay motorcycle club.



Note that there are numbers along the whole length of the yellow curb.


detail

Great post Ethereal. Awesome photo really. LMAO - "might be a gay motorcycle club". I love it. It indeed was. They left their records for posterity. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c88w3hmc/

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Here's a rare find. (I am almost certain we haven't seen it on NLA)



EBAY / SOLD

It shows a steam shovel (with steam shooting out) working in a lot kitty-korner from [what I believe to be] the old Angelus Hotel.

That's quite an image, e_r. Thank you for saving it for us.

Here's the plan of The Angelus' seventh floor from 1915. Fourth Street is at the bottom/north. Which room would you pick?



The Los Angeles Tourist (1915) @ Internet Archive


From the same source and link, here is what those rooms cost:



According to USInflationcalculator.com, an item that cost $4.00 in 1915 would cost $99.98 today.


Here's an old post on The Angelus, with links to other, older posts.

[Flyingwedge]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

tumblr

Thanks to TracedogsLA's tip, I see that photo is at the USC Digital Library ("Five Blue Max members on motorcycles").

I think this shows the same guys in the same spot, but the photo looks in the opposite direction ("Rear view of Blue Max members on motorcycles").

[Mstimc]

Originally Posted by Flyingwedge

Here's the plan of The Angelus' seventh floor from 1915. Fourth Street is at the bottom/north. Which room would you pick?



The Los Angeles Tourist (1915) @ Internet Archive


From the same source and link, here is what those rooms cost:



According to USInflationcalculator.com, an item that cost $4.00 in 1915 would cost $99.98 today.


Here's an old post on The Angelus, with links to other, older posts.

I guess I'm missing something. Despite the references to "private baths", all the room look like they share a bathroom with at least one other room?

[Tourmaline]

"When Sunset near North Orange Drive, . . . was residential."

1931, looking north at Sunset Blvd., on North Orange [Edit] Drive. Note Hollywood Roosevelt in background. Hollywood High occupies area to the right.

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/co...ll170/id/41486