Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Tenor Salvatore Licitra in Critical Condition After Crash [Updated]

Posted on August 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Tenor Salvatore Licitra is hospitalized in critical condition with head and chest injuries at an Italian hospital after a Vespa accident on Saturday night near Modica, in the province of Ragusa, while he was en route to receive the Premio … Continue reading →

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New Light on the Death of Joe Hill

Posted on August 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Nov. 20, 1915: The Times publishes the account of the execution of Joe Hill (Joe Hillstrom)  by firing squad.   The New York Times has two terrific stories that are well worth your time. The first is Rachel Donadio’s feature … Continue reading →

Posted in 1915, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Labor, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Tenor Salvatore Licitra Injured in Vespa Accident [Updated]

Posted on August 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Websites are reporting that tenor Salvatore Licitra, who first gained fame as a last-minute cover for Luciano Pavarotti at the Met, was badly injured in a Vespa accident. [Update: According to Google translations of Italian websites, Licitra was on his … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Mystery of the Crimean Cannonballs

Posted on August 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

I was so intrigued by Roger Fenton’s 1855 photo from the Crimean War that I thought I’d do a little experimentation. Image: With cannonballs. Credit: Gernsheim Collection, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. Image: Without cannonballs. Credit: … Continue reading →

Posted in 1855, Another Good Story Ruined, Photography | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated++]

Posted on August 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s another mystery photo, courtesy of Steven Bibb! [Update: Nobody has even attempted to identify our mystery lady. I guess I’ll leave her as an unknown for now. ] [Update 2: I stand corrected, thanks Dewey! There were two guesses. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

An Inquiry Into Photographic Truth

Posted on August 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

Image: The Las Vegas Mob Experience. Nancy Trejos of the Washington Post visits the Las Vegas Mob Experience, an interactive museum/theme park,  (tickets $30) at the Tropicana. As I bought my ticket, the young lady behind the counter said, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, History, Museums, Photography | Tagged , | Comments Off on An Inquiry Into Photographic Truth

Found on EBay – Great White Fleet Visits L.A., 1908

Posted on August 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

A photographic postcard of the Great White Fleet’s visit to Los Angeles in 1908 has been listed on EBay. Notice that it has been pulled from a scrapbook.  Bidding starts at $3.69.

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Marion Eisenmann: Artist’s Notebook – L.A. Marathon

Posted on August 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

“L.A. Marathon,” by Marion Eisenmann Note: I’m reposting the artwork that Marion Eisenmann did for the Daily Mirror when it was with latimes.com. This entry is from last year’s L.A. Marathon. Marion will be giving monthly classes in plein air … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, Art & Artists, Artist's Notebook, Marion Eisenmann | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Marion Eisenmann: Artist’s Notebook – L.A. Marathon

Texas Cattle Rustler Gets 99 Years

Posted on August 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn. Special Rangers Scott Williamson and Marvin Wills along with Carl Wade Curry. Credit: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn. Carl Wade Curry of Athens, Texas, was sentenced to 99 years for cattle rustling. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Crime and Courts | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Kinder Simpler Time Dept.: Bank Holiday and Long Beach Quake, 1933

Posted on August 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

In researching the premiere of “Nagana” and brief career of Tala Birell, I stumbled across a series of stories from 1933 that was worth a closer look. Are things tough today? To be sure. But here’s what our grandparents (or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1933, A Kinder, Simpler Time, Comics, History | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Mary Louise Tea Room

Posted on August 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

A postcard of the Mary Louise Tea Room, formerly the Mary Elizabeth,  has been listed on EBay. The Mary Louise was originally in the Brack Shops Building, 7th near Grand, and in 1922 moved to the southwest corner of 7th … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Food and Drink, Found on EBay, History, Interior Design | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on August 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s another mystery photo, courtesy of Steven Bibb! [Update: This is Sonja Ziemann from the 1961 film “The Secret Ways.” ]

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

‘Jewish Indiana Jones’ Is a Fake, Prosecutors Say

Posted on August 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Image: Save a Torah website. Credit: Saveatorah.org Perhaps you remember James Barron’s April 30, 2008, feature in the New York Times about Rabbi Menachem Youlus of Save a Torah, who traveled the world, often at great expense and tremendous … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Crime and Courts, Religion | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Google Strikes Again

Posted on August 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

Google has a bad habit of introducing a wonderful feature and then breaking it a few years later, as quietly as possible. The latest victim is Google’s online newspaper archives. Researchers may have noticed that the interface changed recently. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy, Libraries | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Bullock’s Wilshire

Posted on August 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

This rather amazing cape with hood and feather boa from Bullock’s Wilshire has been listed on EBay. The vendor says she bought this about 1979. Bidding starts at $75.

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Old Computers: Less Power Than a Cellphone, but Cool

Posted on August 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Deep Thought (OK, not really) in the Living Computer Museum. Credit: Dionne Searcey/Wall Street Journal. Dionne Searcey of the Wall Street Journal writes about the Living Computer Museum established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. And of course, the computers  … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Museums, Retro | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

James Curtis: L.A. Voices – Dick Lane, Part 6

Posted on August 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

Image: Listening to the radio, Oct. 28, 1945. This is Part 6 of James Curtis’ 1975 interview with Dick Lane. In this segment, Lane discusses Jack Benny, roller derby, professional wrestling and Gorgeous George. James Curtis’ interview with Dick Lane … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, James Curtis, L.A. Voices, Radio, Television | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Stimson House

Posted on August 23, 2011 by lmharnisch
Posted in 1892, Architecture, Found on EBay, Obituaries | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

N.Y. TV Shows ♥ L.A.

Posted on August 23, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: “CSI:NY” Sign on Spring Street. Credit: Photograph by Larry Harnisch/L.A. Daily Mirror. “industry veterans have said that the days of shooting quintessential New York shows (like “Seinfeld” and “Friends”) in California are numbered.” —New York Times, July 21, 2011 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, Downtown, Hollywood, Photography, Television | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011, Part 3

Posted on August 23, 2011 by lmharnisch

Image: Ed Jokisch retires, Feb. 18, 1972. Retirement cartoons are an LAPD tradition. This is what they looked like in the 1970s. Credit: Ed Jokisch family. This is Part 3 of my interview with the late Ed Jokisch. Note: Toward … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011, Part 3