Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Russia to Invade Austria: July 29, 1914

July 29, 1914: VIENNA– War was officially declared today by Austria-Hungary and offensive operations against Servia were begun. Austrian troops crossed the frontier, marching to Mitrovitza, the Servians being driven back.

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Russia to Invade Austria – July 29, 1914

July 29 1914: VIENNA– War was officially declared today by Austria-Hungary and offensive operations against Servia were begun. Austrian troops crossed the frontier, marching to Mitrovitza, the Servians being driven back.

Posted in 1914, Front Pages | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Leesa Jo Shaner Killing: Wisconsin Inmate Convicted [Updated]

William Floyd Zamastilwas convicted in federal court in Tucson on Thursday of kidnapping and killing Leesa Jo Shaner on May 29, 1973. Her remains were found Sept. 16, 1973, buried on the grounds of Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., a remote military … Continue reading

Posted in 1973, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

#books, #museums, #history 7|29|2011 [Updated]

NEWS [Updated at 7:25 a.m. The archives of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks reveal an account of an attempted rape by a white neighbor who employed her as a housekeeper. Associated Press via Washington Post.] Historian Barry Landau and assistant … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Authors, Chicago, Crime and Courts, History, Museums, New York | Tagged , , | Comments Off on #books, #museums, #history 7|29|2011 [Updated]

Marion Eisenmann: Artist’s Notebook – Third Street Promenade

Third Street Promenade by Marion Eisenmann, Sept. 4, 2009   Note: This is one of the sketches that Marion Eisenmann did for the Daily Mirror when it was at latimes.com. I’m reposting it just as it was in 2009. Santa … Continue reading

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#history, #libraries, #museums 7|28|2011

Image: Battle of Manila Bay. Credit: Wikipedia NEWS Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post’s Buzz, writes that the Patsy Cline Historic House is opening in Winchester, Va., on Aug. 2. The Independence Seaport Museum has made an emergency patch on … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Artists, History, Libraries, Museums, Music, Preservation, Retro, Transportation | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Second Takes – ‘Naked City’

March 10, 1948: “Naked City” opens in Los Angeles. Credit: Los Angeles Times Several years ago, when Kim Cooper of the 1947project and I were briefly discussing a book, I did some research on film noir, particularly “Naked City,” the … Continue reading

Posted in 1948, Film, Hollywood, New York, Obituaries, Photography, Second Takes | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Found on EBay – Hotel Huntington

Main and 8th via Google maps’ street view. A postcard of the Hotel Huntington at Main and 8th streets has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $3.

Posted in Architecture, Downtown, Found on EBay | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

#art, #authors, #genealogy, #history, #museums 7|27|2011

Photo: 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster. Credit: RM Auctions via the New York Times. SPOTLIGHT The University of Virginia has posted audio clips of William Faulkner recorded in 1957-58. The home page is here. If you have never heard … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Genealogy, Libraries, Museums, Nightclubs, Pasadena, Preservation, Television | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #art, #authors, #genealogy, #history, #museums 7|27|2011

James Curtis: L.A. Voices – Dick Lane, Part 2

This is Part 2 of James Curtis’ 1975 interview with Dick Lane. In this segment, Lane discusses his start in films in Los Angeles, making “Union Pacific” with Cecil B. De Mille, Howard Hughes’ takeover of RKO  and making “Boom … Continue reading

Posted in 1975, Brain Trust, Film, Hollywood, James Curtis, L.A. Voices | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – C.C. Pierce

A hand-colored postcard published by M. Rieder of Los Angeles, based on a photograph by the studio of C.C. Pierce, has been listed on EBay. Pierce was an early photographer in Los Angeles who mostly specialized in buildings and atmospheric … Continue reading

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#film, #history, #museums, 7|26|2011

Photo: “Dear Friend Hitler.” Tripti Lahiri writes in the Wall Street Journal about “Dear Friend Hitler.” Based on the previews, the movie is “Gandhi” meets “Downfall“  meets “The Sound of Music,” in Hindi with an all-Indian cast. A less charitable … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Artists, Crime and Courts, Film, History, Hollywood, Museums, Obituaries | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

‘Zoot Suit’ and History — Part 5

Cartoon: A troubling moment in “Mary Worth’s Family,” June 1, 1943. Credit: Los Angeles Times June 1, 1943: It is impossible to accurately determine, so long after the fact, why a May 31, 1943, brawl between zoot-suiters and sailors wasn’t … Continue reading

Posted in 1943, Books and Authors, Fashion, LAPD, Latinos, Libraries, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on ‘Zoot Suit’ and History — Part 5

Found on EBay – Mullen & Bluett

This postcard showing the new building of Mullen & Bluett (d. 1969) which became Grodins (d. 1972) has been listed on EBay. And here’s the building as shown on Google map’s street view. Bidding on the postcard starts at 99 … Continue reading

Posted in 1910, Architecture, Downtown, Fashion, Found on EBay | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Mullen & Bluett

Robbers Kill LAPD Officer in Shootout, July 24, 1934

Stanford Avenue and 33rd Street via Google maps’ street view. Stanford Avenue and 33rd Street is one of those little pockets of old houses in Los Angeles that looks like it hasn’t changed much since 1934, when two men in … Continue reading

Posted in 1934, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

#genealogy, #history, 7|25|2011

Image: Manhattan c. 1626. Credit: New England Historic Genealogical Society via the New York Times. SPOTLIGHT Alison Leigh Cowan takes a look at the history of the Van Dusen family in Sunday’s New York Times. Andrew Van Dusen learned that … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Courts, Genealogy, History | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Photo: 1940 Ford Siebert hearse converted to a delivery sedan, $49,000 on Hemmings.com   Queen of the Dead—dateline July 25, 2011   • July 22 saw the death of the first Bond Girl, Linda Christian, 87. Her career was pretty … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Authors, Brain Trust, Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Music, Nightclubs, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | 1 Comment

Photos That Make Us Wonder

OK, does anyone else wonder about the main picture in the Shalikashvili obituary in The Times?

Posted in Obituaries, Photography | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

#architecture, #books, #history, #museums, 7|23|2011 [Updated]

Photos: Josef Mengele’s notebooks. Credit: Alexander Autographs. RECOMMENDED Randy Kennedy of the New York Times catches up with famous/notorious graffiti artist/tagger TAKI 183 at a book signing for “The History of American Graffiti.” Rex Huppke’s ‘I Just Work Here’ Column … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Books and Authors, History, Immigration, Museums, Religion, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #architecture, #books, #history, #museums, 7|23|2011 [Updated]

El Segundo Revisited

orman Frederick Gagnon looks like an excellent suspect in the unsolved killing of two El Segundo police officers last year. In an incident quite similar to the El Segundo case, Charles H. May and a female companion (The Times, fortunately, … Continue reading

Posted in 1958, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Revisited