Big Orange Landmarks

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 8, the Foy House, on...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:36:40 -0500

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 8, the Foy House, on the first of its four locations. It’s now on Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights.

usclibraries:

In a few years, the northwest corner of Figueroa and 7th streets will likely host the West Coast’s tallest building. In 1919, it was home to this two-story Victorian house.

Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library.

Bolton Hall Have you visited Bolton Hall, Los Angeles Cultural...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:12:00 -0500

Bolton Hall

Have you visited Bolton Hall, Los Angeles Cultural Monument No. 2? This rocky building, designed by George Harris in Tujunga, is celebrating its centennial in 2013. It’s now a museum, with “Artifacts, photographs, documents and memorabilia of Sunland-Tujunga and the foothill area are displayed. They range historically from the Gabrieleno Indian village through the Mission and Mexican land grant periods to the development of Sunland-Tujunga and the rescue of Bolton Hall.”

Cannot wait to see. More. esotouric: Dutch Chocolate Shop open...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:17:53 -0500

Cannot wait to see. More.

esotouric:

Dutch Chocolate Shop open M-F 10-4 thru Xmas. See Batchelder’s tile palace while you can! on Flickr.

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 25 Read more about...

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:39:39 -0500

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 25

Read more about the Banning Residence. It’s a place you should visit if you’re ever down Wilmington way. Unique for L.A.

lahistory:

Despite the gray skies over Wilmington, many turned out for the lovely “Victorian Christmas” hosted this weekend by the Banning Museum. Visitors whisked through the 1864 mansion (the salon and dining rooms were beautifully decorated for the holidays), explored the exhibits in the Visitor’s Center and rode the horse-drawn trolley to the Drum Barracks. Children sat in vintage desks in the “school room” to write a letter to Santa while other children filled the barn to craft their own vintage holiday cards. These photos are just several highlights of a great event:

Dancers from the Yesteryear Dancers perform a tango to the song “Las Mariposas,” recorded by Charles Lummis in 1904.

Angi Ma Wong always shares great historical stories as she volunteers with the Banning Museum as well as the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. On this occasion, she shared her research (for a future book) about Lin Ying, the Chinese cook of the Banning household. Only 18 when he started, Lin Ying became a fixture in the Banning kitchen and even traveled with the Banning family when they summered on Catalina Island.

In the basement (formerly the ballroom) of the Banning Museum, the exhibit “Improbable Gateway: The Los Angeles Transportation Legacy” features LA’s transportation history as it relates to Phineas Banning and the port he helped create. Several huge interactive maps light up to illustrate distance between Los Angeles and the port. In this photo, the lights indicate where the now-gone Rattlesnake Island stood in relation to today’s port.

The interactive computer exhibits feature a combination of then-and-now transportation statistics along with historic photos that relate to local history.

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 27 Read Christina...

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:03:00 -0500

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 27

Read Christina Rice’s write-up on the Castle at On Bunker Hill.

losangelespast:

“The Castle,” a Queen Anne-style house that dated from 1882, Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, 1960’s. Move to Heritage Square to be restored, it was burned to the ground by arsonists. From a series by George Mann.

See the Interior of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No....

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:11:30 -0500

See the Interior of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 117, the Beckett Residence

Head to Plan-It Locations, get a good look, and imagine what a stunner this 1905 West Adams mansion must’ve been back in the day. Of course, it’s still impressive, making the landmark’s current condition that much more heartrending. Thanks, Diana, for the link.

And with music from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s “Please Read the Lettter.”

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 906 usclibraries: An...

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:12:00 -0400

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 906

usclibraries:

An arch - part of the Fourth Street Viaduct over the Los Angeles River - under construction in 1930.

Part of the California Historical Society Collection in the USC Digital Library.

Villa Maria An interior shot of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural...

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 00:08:38 -0400

Villa Maria

An interior shot of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 230, a 1908 Tudor Revival mansion designed by F.L. Roehrig for lumberman William E. Ramsay.

Big Orange Landmarks

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 70 usclibraries: USC...

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:06:21 -0400

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 70

usclibraries:

USC history was made 132 years ago today with the laying of the cornerstone of the university’s first structure. That original building — once named Widney Hall and now known as the Widney Alumni House — still stands today on USC’s University Park Campus. In 1955, the building was designated California Historical Landmark No. 556. A plaque in front of the structure reads:

Dedicated on September 4, 1880, this original building of the University of Southern California has been in use continuously for educational purposes since its doors were first opened to students on October 6, 1880, by the university’s first president, Marion McKinley Bovard. The building was constructed on land donated by Ozro W. Childs, John G. Downey and Isaias W. Hellman under the guiding hand of Judge Robert M. Widney, the university’s leading founder.

This etching from the USC Digital Library’s Dick Whittington Collection shows the building as it appeared in the late 19th century.

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark No. 187, weighing nearly...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:49:24 -0400

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Landmark No. 187, weighing nearly 18 3/4 tons.

lahistory:

San Pedro’s Korean Bell of Friendship is rung four times a year, which includes Korean Independence Day on August 15. This massive and intricately-decorated bell and pavilion was dedicated in October 1976 to the people of Los Angeles by the people of the Republic of Korea to celebrate the US bicentennial as well as to honor Korean War veterans. The bell is patterned after the Bronze Bell of King Songdok, which was cast in 771 A.D. and is still on view in South Korea today.

This photo comes from the Los Angeles Public Library photo archive. For more information, see book “Los Angeles’s Koreatown.”

Help Save Pickfair Studios Okay, so this old wooden studio is...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:03:00 -0400

Help Save Pickfair Studios

Okay, so this old wooden studio is not a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. In fact, it isn’t even in the city of Los Angeles (mostly). But the former Pickfair Studios, The Lot, at 1041 North Formosa Avenue, just south of Santa Monica Boulevard, is terribly historic, one of the strongest sites in defining what Hollywood has meant to the world for the past century (almost, anyway, or at least since 1919, when this studio was constructed).

But now it’s going to be destroyed to accommodate a bunch of glass-and-steel structures, some reaching six stories. Buildings, distinctive neither historically or culturally, you’d see anywhere.

I don’t want my home to be the same as everyone else’s home. I want my home to be special.

The CIM Group, which defines itself as “a transformational real estate and infrastructure investment firm,” a definition that’d make Noah Webster jump out a friggen window, is planning on starting the studio’s leveling within days. (Really, no offense, but who the hell reads that company profile and goes, “Man, that’s what I need to do with my life!”)

Now, like lots of you, I’m a cynical schmo who more often than not believes City Hall cannot be fought (in fact, in this case, the City of West Hollywood has already issued its support of CIM; that was in May 2007). However, I figured maybe at the very least you should know about the situation before you realize it’s too late to make even a token gesture of support (like I did!). While we may not be able to do anything about saving Pickfair Studios (let’s face it, we didn’t do such a great job at saving Pickfair), there’s got to be a tipping point. Maybe this will serve as another chip at our souls, someday shoving us out of our complacency. Perhaps the next time a piece of our heritage is threatened we won’t mutter, “Those bastards,” and go back to watching Pawn Stars. Or maybe we will. You never know what’s going to set off the Old Man. Hahaha.

Read more about the site’s history at My Historic L.A., the LAist, and the Los Angeles Times.

Read about the development’s background at the Los Angeles Conservancy.

See what’s going on at Save the Pickfair Studios!

A West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission Special Meeting will be held Tuesday, March 27. Short notice, but let’s move it.

Join the Save the Pickfair Facebook page.

Sign a Save Pickfair Studios petition. (Really, short of doing nothing, it’s the least you can do.)

Thanks, everybody. And, photographers, let’s take as many pictures of the place as possible while we still can.

Saint Sophia Cathedral Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:18:04 -0400

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument No. 120, designed by Kalionzes, Klingerman & Walker. Dedicated in 1952. Located at the corner of Pico and Normandie.

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 58, A&M Records...

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:56:43 -0400

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 58, A&M Records (Original Charlie Chaplin Studio)

maudelynn:

Kermit the Frog, dressed as Chaplin, stands guard over Charlie’s beloved Hollywood Studio

via http://www.zinmanco.com/portfolio_page2.html

Crabby Appleton Remember Crabby Appleton, the L.A.-based group...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:45:37 -0400

Crabby Appleton

Remember Crabby Appleton, the L.A.-based group behind the top 40 song “Go Back?” Of course you don’t. But here, on their eponymous 1970 debut album, the combo poses in front of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 11, the West Temple Apartments (the Rochester). The building is also featured in the movies Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). Don’t go looking for it, though; it was torn down in 1979.

Manzanar Cemetery Monument Los Angeles Historic-Cultural...

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:46:23 -0400

Manzanar Cemetery Monument

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 160, Manzanar is located in Inyo County, CA. One of ten WWII relocation centers for Japanese-Americans in the United States, Manzanar held 10,000 people beginning in March 1942.

The monument’s inscription reads, “Memorial to the Dead.”

Celluloid Heroes Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 194,...

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:03:00 -0400

Celluloid Heroes

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 194, the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

God Save the Kinks

“Celluloid Heroes”

Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star,
And everybody’s in movies, it doesn’t matter who you are.
There are stars in every city,
In every house and on every street,
And if you walk down Hollywood Boulevard
Their names are written in concrete!

Don’t step on Greta Garbo as you walk down the Boulevard,
She looks so weak and fragile that’s why she tried to be so hard
But they turned her into a princess
And they sat her on a throne,
But she turned her back on stardom,
Because she wanted to be alone.

You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard,
Some that you recognise, some that you’ve hardly even heard of,
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame,
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.
Rudolph Valentino, looks very much alive,
And he looks up ladies’ dresses as they sadly pass him by.
Avoid stepping on Bela Lugosi
‘Cos he’s liable to turn and bite,
But stand close by Bette Davis
Because hers was such a lonely life.
If you covered him with garbage,
George Sanders would still have style,
And if you stamped on Mickey Rooney
He would still turn round and smile,
But please don’t tread on dearest Marilyn
‘Cos she’s not very tough,
She should have been made of iron or steel,
But she was only made of flesh and blood.

You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard,
Some that you recognise, some that you’ve hardly even heard of.
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame,
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.

Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star
And everybody’s in show biz, it doesn’t matter who you are.

And those who are successful,
Be always on your guard,
Success walks hand in hand with failure
Along Hollywood Boulevard.

I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show,
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes,
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die.

You can see all the stars as you walk along Hollywood Boulevard,
Some that you recognise, some that you’ve hardly even heard of,
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame,
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.

Oh celluloid heroes never feel any pain
Oh celluloid heroes never really die.

I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show,
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes,
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die.

lahistory: View of the S.S. Catalina in Avalon Bay as on June...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:53:32 -0400

lahistory:

View of the S.S. Catalina in Avalon Bay as on June 30, 1924, the S.S. Catalina had its maiden voyage from Wilmington to Avalon. See detailed essay on S.S. Catalina by the SoCal Chapter of the Steamship Historical Society.

The S.S. Catalina, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 213

maudelynn: Disney Ink and Paint Girl at the Comic Strip...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:52:39 -0400

maudelynn:

Disney Ink and Paint Girl at the Comic Strip Bungalow of the Disney Hyperion Studios

photo c.1934

(the Gelson’s grocery store I go to now stands on this spot)

Site of First Official Walt Disney Studio and Animation School, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 163

Korean Bell and Belfry of Friendship Los Angeles...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:41:51 -0400

Korean Bell and Belfry of Friendship

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 187, a gift from the Republic of Korea and dedicated on October 3, 1976. The bell was designed by Kim Se-jung.

Big Orange Landmarks

LACMA to start weekend shuttles to Watts Towers

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:09:00 -0400

LACMA to start weekend shuttles to Watts Towers:

latimes:

reblogged via hydeordie:

LACMA to Start Weekeend Shuttles to Watts Towers

Starting in late July, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will begin running weekend visitor shuttles to the Watts Towers in South Los Angeles. The shuttles will include a guided tour of the towers site and the adjacent Watts Towers Art Center, as well as transportation to and from the museum.

LACMA said that the shuttles will depart at 11 a.m. from the Urban Light sculpture in front of the museum on Wilshire Boulevard. So far shuttles are scheduled for July 23 and 24, Aug. 20 and 21, and Sept. 10 and 11.

Tickets for the tours can be purchased by calling (323) 857-6010. The cost for a Saturday tour is $20 per person ($15 for museum members). The Sunday tours include lunch at the Watts Coffee House and cost $43 per person ($38 for members).

I am so excited that LACMA is doing so much to raise awareness (and money) for one of Los Angeles’ most important cultural and artistic sites. I can’t wait to go on the tour!

The Towers of Simon Rodia, Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 15