noirish Los Angeles

[ersatz01]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Quick--somebody get down there with a camera. David?

Here you go, ya'll - the building without the hideous red awning. I took these images this morning while walking to work. (Bear with me - this is my first time posting photos on this forum).

W.P. Story Building - southeast corner of 6th & Broadway - as of April 23, 2012.

[GaylordWilshire]

That is great, ersatz, thank you. Excellent first photo-posts. Well, the seven arched-but-bricked-up openings are interesting. Were they from a previous remodeling? Do we have any pics of such an incarnation? As for the garage opening--it's great to see the grille over it uncovered again....

[alanlutz]

That looks a lot better without the red awning all around. The Google Earth view still shows it on there but that's usually a year or two older. Now they need to restore the area above the windows the its original glory.

[westcork]

^^^
I bet some HGTV designer re-purposed that art deco garage door for some suburban ranch house redesign...

[ethereal_reality]

Thanks for posting your photographs ersatz01.



photo by ersatz01


below: The original 1908 design

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...ner-m3353.html

Where in the heck did those arches come from? I figured the 1934 makeover by Stile O. Clements was mostly cosmetic.
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[ethereal_reality]

I just found another piece of the puzzle and almost fell off my chair! Here is the base of the Walter P. Story Building as it appeared in the 1950s.

Is this Clement's streamline moderne renovation from 1934...or is this yet another makeover?


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335237065143

I'd give anything to see a color photograph of this facade. If this is indeed Clement's design...I am visualizing a reflective silver metal!

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[ethereal_reality]

Here is the above photograph in it's entirety.


http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...=1335237065143

This still doesn't explain the bricked up arches that were uncovered earlier this week.

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[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by GaylordWilshire

Now that I've got you in a good mood, e_r, I've got a question.... I don't keep kosher and, being Episcopalian, I'm not entirely sure what it entails, but is it kosher to offer a link here to one's own website? Not that I haven't been cheeky enough to do it before, justifying it because my site is, after all, completely non-commercial... just L.A. history, pure as the driven snow.

Of course it's OK Gaylord_Wilshire! Everyone here should visit your wonderful blog.

http://berkeleysquarelosangeles.blogspot.com/

I am forever grateful for all your contributions to 'noirish Los Angeles'.
Your interest in this thread over all these years has been nothing short of amazing!

[3940dxer]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the 'Hollywood Historic Review' newsletter you posted 3940dxer/David...As I pulled the camera back there was even more to this Hollywood Bowl Overlook than I thought.



google aerial

This place looks phenomenal! Can you imagine going up there at night during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl....talk about romantic.

____

That's very funny because on Saturday my wife and I hiked to that very spot on an "unofficial" trail I discovered that leads up there from the Bowl. It's actually quite a nice little walk, with seldom seen views of the 101 and Hollywood along the way.

Yes, there's an elevated lookout spot near the turnout, busy with "See Hollywood" tour vans and loads of out of towners. Actually I like seeing them around here, and feel glad that visitors come here to see the sights. Heck, I've lived here for 35 years, and still enjoy seeing the sights.

Speaking of unofficial trails, we also explored the longer "off limits" trail on the Eastern side of the pass this past weekend. Though trashy in places, and with remains of some homeless camps, it has some nice views of the Hollywood Freeway and passes by the big cross on the hill. We saw several deer running around up there. Here are some "unauthorized" views.

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


Looking North towards Universal City. In the lower center, the Highland exit ramp peels away the the left. The wide island shaped area between the 101 and Cahuenga West, now a highway maintenance yard, may in fact be the former site of Monkey Island. (More on that soon.)




Looking East, the Hollywood Reservoir dam is on the right. (The one that gave way in Earthquake.) Years ago while jogging by the lake I saw an enormous turtle swimming across the surface near the corner of the reservoir, in the right foreground. There's a small caretaker's cottage in the lower right, hidden by trees.

The house near the upper left of the shot with the big white wall used to belong to Madonna, but I think she has sold it. (Was this the "Wolf Lair" home? If not, it's in that same area.)




The camera faces South here, towards Hollywood. That's the Pilgrimage Bridge across the 101, with the Ford Theater (hidden) on the left. Big townhouse development in the foreground (not too bad looking compared to so many of the hideous new projects in these hills), but I know nothing about it. The Southern part of Whitley Heights is behind the freeway, on the left.




The cross, and the plaque beneath it. I wonder who owns this land?

[GaylordWilshire]

ersatz01

A clue...?

"Mullen & Bluett were still tenants in the New Story Building in 1967 and embarked at that time on a $500,000 renovation that includes facade and interior work. A Times mention of the work spoke of glazed tile brick and white ceramic glazes."

This from what seems to be a definitive story on the Story in Blogdowntown.

In one of the comments to the Blogdowntown post is this intriguing item:
"Have you ever seen the sculpted stair well at the back of the lobby?" Calling all cameras!

A few more Story Building and Mullen Bluett items...




The namesake, Walter P. Story--General Story to you. His full story here; another great shot of the Story includes a PCC car.


Four pics above, clockwise: LAT; Eric Richardson; USCDL; militarymuseum.org

[Wenders]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the 'Hollywood Historic Review' newsletter you posted 3940dxer/David.


This 1963 residence by Lloyd Wright (Frank's son) intrigued me so I thought I'd take a closer look.


from David's personal collection



below: Here is a 'google street view' of the house at7017 Senalda Road.






below: A detail showing the attractive triangular ornamentation (too bad about the location of the gas meter).


google street view




below: From this view it appears that a new pool house has been built behind the 1963 house. Notice how the angles of the pool house mimic
the angles of the main house. I would say this looks like a job well done.


google aerial

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The rest of this post can be filed under "how one thing leads to another".


In this broader aerial I noticed that above 7017 Senalda Road (the red A teardrop) there is a Hollywood Bowl overlook on MulHolland Drive.
I thought perhaps I could get a better view of the new pool house at 7017 Senalda from this overlook area.


google aerial



I traveled up to MulHolland via the 'Google-mobile' and quickly found the overlook. I wasn't able to find a good view of 7017 or it's pool house,
but I was impressed by this overlook that I previously didn't know existed.


google street view


There was a parking area, complete with a drinking fountain and even a telescope.


google street view







But now for the BIG SURPRISE. As I pulled the camera back there was even more to this Hollywood Bowl Overlook than I thought.




google aerial

This place looks phenomenal! Can you imagine going up there at night during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl....talk about romantic.

____

That Senalda Rd. Wright house has been a home of director David Lynch for many years, as well as two other buildings right next it. One of them was used in "Lost Highway" (entrance slightly altered after filming) as a main character's home, and one of them is used as a recording studio.

[FredH]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Thanks for posting your photographs ersatz01.



photo by ersatz01


below: The original 1908 design

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search...ner-m3353.html

Where in the heck did those arches come from? I figured the 1934 makeover by Stile O. Clements was mostly cosmetic.
___

Ethereal_Reality:

I found a bunch of pictures of this building, but nothing showing the arches. This picture from the Patton parade in June, 1945 already shows the facade:


militarymashup.com

The only thing I can think of (and it doesn't make complete sense) is that it was some kind of early earthquake retrofit done during the 1934 makeover. Possibly the building had some damage (1932 Long Beach quake?) and the arches were put in the strengthen the building. Why brick arches and not steel?


Library of Congress

[3940dxer]

I just wanted to thank all the recent contributors for the many great new posts in the last few weeks. It seems like this thread has been getting busier, and it's harder to respond to everything of interest -- and nearly everything posted here is interesting.

GW, I read through your Berkeley Square page and was really impressed. Obviously a huge amount of research went into it and it's interesting to read all the little details. What an amazing little neighborhood, and what a shame that it's gone.

e_r, in many of your posts it seems you've been reading my mind; several of your topics have somehow focused on places I've recently visited. Weird. I was glad to read the posts about the Story Building, as I had seen that name repeatedly when researching Lookout Mountain and wondered what the "story" was. Where did you find that "Hollywood Citizen" page? Are there more issues and/or covers available somewhere?

fhammon, good to see your mention of Nick's. We almost went there for breakfast a couple weeks ago, while exploring the "Cornfield" area. (Oops, that reminds me, I have some pics of old buildings there, that I meant to post.)

ersatz01, thanks for the Story Building photo. You saved me a trip downtown! Or maybe I'll go anyway, and explore something else instead.

And finally, Wenders, thanks for the info about the 7017 Senalda house. I've been exploring near that area too (actually the High Tower / Hollywood Heights neighborhood, which I plan to write about soon).

Actually, I've been doing tons of L.A. explorations lately, some with friends I've newly recruited to the hobby, I just haven't been so great about documenting it all here. More soon, I promise.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone. Great stuff!

[MOliscous]

You mention the tripartite building, AKA 205 S B'way, I'm sure plenty of people look at it and take it to be modern -- 207-11 S Bway is the Metropolitan Water Bldg, built 1905, and the structure facing Bway and Second, the three-part one, 201-205 S Bway/300 W 2nd is the California Bldg from 1911 (as is its neighbor to the northwest, 312 W 2nd)...sooooo is anything still inside still evident from its pre-WWI vintage?

No, in fact they are painting the interior hallways again. What used to be light blue and brown is now beige/tan. Everything is carpeted, drywalled with acoustic ceilings. The only time I've seen anything "old" is when I was in a utility room looking at old wiring. People are really surprised when I tell them how old this building really is.

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by 3940dxer

e_r, in many of your posts it seems you've been reading my mind; several of your topics have somehow focused on places I've recently visited. Weird. I was glad to read the posts about the Story Building, as I had seen that name repeatedly when researching Lookout Mountain and wondered what the "story" was. Where did you find that "Hollywood Citizen" page? Are there more issues and/or covers available somewhere?

I returned to my original post/links to see if I could find more info. on the "Hollywood Citizen".

Here's where I found the "Hollywood Citizen" image. It's an inspiring article.



http://www.hollywoodheritage.org/new...1/Schwabs.html


In my first post I was so busy commenting on I. Magnin & Co. and Schwab's Men's Store, I failed to notice that the "Hollywood Citizens"
building was right next door to Schwab's. Duh.

below: "Hollywood Citizen" next to Schwab's.



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Schwab's Men's Store today.


mitchumlover on http://www.flickr.com/


below: It looks like the wonderfully worn doors have been replaced.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/spatial...st/1602062727/

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by FredH

Library of Congress

This is a great find FredH! I missed this when I was looking through the W.P. Story Building photos at the Library of Congress.
Thanks for posting it.

[ethereal_reality]

Postcard view of downtown Los Angeles and a rather diminutive Goodyear Blimp.


foud on ebay

[GaylordWilshire]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Schwab's Men's Store today.

mitchumlover on http://www.flickr.com/

How long do you think I would have to spend in Techachapi or San Quentin if I were to be caught chopping down that tree? All that restoration work and it's blocked! Anyway, ...perhaps the restoration techniques used on Schwab's will be used on the Story Building....

[KevinW]

After watching the Video of Nancy Sinatra singing "This Town" on top of Bunker Hill and at LACMA, I found this great video of her singing "Who will Buy" at Ocean Park in Santa Monica, c.1967:



http://destinyclontz.blogspot.com/20...-will-buy.html

[jg6544]

I'm sorry, ficus trees are the worst possible choice for sidewalk trees.