Author Archives: Martin Turnbull
Oil wells tower over Sunnyside Cemetery in the Signal Hill section of Long Beach, California, circa 1937
After posting yesterday’s photo of the Signal Hill oil field near Long Beach, California, someone sent me this photo, also taken circa 1937. It’s the same oil wells, but this time we’re seeing them from across the Sunnyside Cemetery at … Continue reading
A forest of oil derricks sprouts up on the Signal Hill oil field, Long Beach, California, 1937
In yesterday’s photo of Vine St in 1960, I commented that I could almost hear the sounds and inhale the smells. This photo similar, but not in quite the same way. In this aerial photo, we’re seeing the forest of … Continue reading
Night view looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, circa 1960
There are some photos you can look at and almost hear the sounds, smell the traffic, and taste the air. For me, this is one of those photos. We’re looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, circa 1960, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Hotels, NBC Radio / Television, Night photo, Stores and Shopping, Sunset Blvd
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Color photo of the Directors Guild of America building, 7920 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, 1964
Here’s a building I had never encountered before I was sent this 1964 photo. These days, it’s hard to miss the Director’s Guild of America building on Sunset Blvd on the southwest corner of Hayworth Ave. It’s around 5 or … Continue reading
Aerial photo of the mammoth outdoor set for “The Thief of Bagdad” at the Pickford-Fairbanks studios, south of Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, 1923
In order to film “The Thief of Bagdad” Douglas Fairbanks bought several acres of land behind the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios south of Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, which he co-owned with his wife, Mary Pickford. They needed that land for … Continue reading
Diners fill all the parking spaces at Stan’s Drive-in restaurant on the southeast corner of Sunset Blvd and Highland Ave, Hollywood, circa 1966
During the heyday of LA’s drive-in restaurants (roughly 1930s to 1960s—would you agree?) one of the biggest chains was Stan’s, who at one point had over a dozen locations. Four of them were on Sunset Blvd (which is a very … Continue reading
Looking across Bunker Hill near where Olive St meets 2nd St, downtown Los Angeles, 1955
This shot gives us a soon-to-be-demolished glimpse of what Bunker Hill at the northernmost end of downtown Los Angeles looked like in 1955. The two streets we can see here are Olive St and 2nd Street, where downtown was still … Continue reading
Chotiner’s La Brea Theatre, 857 S. La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, 1926
Here’s a gem of Los Angeles architecture I didn’t know about until yesterday. Imagine this being your local movie house – it almost looks like a medieval church. It opened at 857 S. La Brea Ave (on the corner of … Continue reading
Color photo of an electric LA Transit Lines trolley coach approaches the intersection of 5th and Hill Streets, downtown Los Angeles, circa mid-1950s
In this colorful photo, we’re watching an electric LA Transit Lines trolley coach (a successor to the LARY streetcars) approach the intersection of 5th and Hill Sts in downtown Los Angeles. However, I’m more interested in the background – specifically … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Color photo, Downtown Los Angeles, Stores and Shopping, Streetcars
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Color photo of the Brown Derby restaurant, 1628 Vine St, Hollywood, with a 1955 Buick parked out front
I’ll gladly take any photo of a Brown Derby restaurant, but especially one in color. My friend who works at the Petersen Automotive Museum tells me that gorgeous blue-and-white car parked out front is a 1955 Buick, so let’s call … Continue reading