Category Archives: Architecture

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Florence Casler, Pioneering Developer Shaped Los Angeles in the 1920s

Posted on March 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory profiles developer Florence Casler, who helped shape Los Angeles in the 1920s. Continue reading →

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March 22, 1908: Plans for a New Hall of Records

Posted on March 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 22, 1908: Los Angeles plans a new Hall of Records. Continue reading →

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March 20, 1907: St. James Raises a Church — Burned in 1973 as Hate Crime Against Gays

Posted on March 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

March 20, 1907: St. James Methodist Episcopal Church plans a new building on the site of its current facility. The church was destroyed in 1973 in an apparent hate crime against gays. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1917, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Religion, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

February 28, 1959: Dodger Dome?

Posted on February 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 29, 1959: Could Dodger Stadium be renamed the Dodger Dome? Keith Thursby takes a look. Continue reading →

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February 28, 1959: Ex-Teamsters Boss Sentenced to Prison

Posted on February 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 28, 1959: Former Teamsters boss Dave Beck is sentenced to five years in prison. Beck died in 1993 at the age of 99. Continue reading →

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February 18, 2007: Architectural Ramblings

Posted on February 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 18, 2007: In exploring neighborhoods from 1907, I visited La Salle Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged | 2 Comments

February 5, 2009: Burbank Time Capsule Revisited

Posted on February 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 5, 2009: Burbank opens its 1959 time capsule to discover black and white photos of the city as it was then, plus local newspapers. Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Architecture, City Hall, Education, Environment, Film, Freeways, Real Estate, San Fernando Valley, Science, Transportation | Comments Off on February 5, 2009: Burbank Time Capsule Revisited

February 4, 1907: Architectural Ramblings — South Pasadena

Posted on February 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

February 4, 1907: Architectural rambling with “artistic bungalows.” Continue reading →

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January 29, 1934: Did Ancient Lizard Cult Hide Gold Tablets in Tunnels Under L.A.?

Posted on January 29, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 29, 1934: In one of my favorite goofball stories about L.A., an engineer says his radio X-rays reveal massive gold tablets buried under the city in an elaborate network of tunnels dug by the Lizard People, The Times says. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Downtown | 1 Comment

January 20, 1907: Architectural Ramblings

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1907: H.J. Brainerd offers “portable homes,” some of which can still be found in Los Angeles today. Continue reading →

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December 15, 1907: Architectural Rambling to South Pasadena

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 15, 1907: The Times real estate section visits South Pasadena and remarks on a new brick building (still standing in 2025), a bank and the Carnegie library. Continue reading →

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December 12, 1907: Recreation Center to Be Built in Heart of Industrial District

Posted on December 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 12, 1907: In the gritty, industrial heart of the 8th Ward at Holly Street and St. John, officials are planning a large recreation facility “as an oasis in the wilderness,” The Times says. The building, designed by the firm of Hunt, Eager and Burns, will offer an alternative to “those who have no pleasure grounds but the streets and the saloons,” The Times says, noting: “Happy people are nearly always good people.” Continue reading →

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November 30, 2006: Architectural Rambling

Posted on November 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

Some “architectural rambling” photos I took in 2006 for a blog post on historic structures. Continue reading →

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Black L.A. November 13, 1947: Little Miss Cornshucks; St. Paul Baptist Church Plans a New Building

Posted on November 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 13, 1947: Little Miss Cornshucks is at the Last Word, 4206 Central Ave. Continue reading →

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November 10, 1907: Story of L.A. Real Estate Is Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation

Posted on November 10, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 10, 1907: What sort of monument do we leave for real estate developers? For John B. Althouse, who built hundreds of homes in the Wilshire district, as well as the West Adams district and the San Gabriel Valley, the answer might be nondescript offices and vacant lots. Continue reading →

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November 9, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on November 9, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 9, 1959: Comedian Doodles Weaver, who once headlined in played Las Vegas, can’t get a job, Paul Coates says. (Also a proposed union bus terminal for L.A.). Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Columnists, Paul Coates, Transportation | 1 Comment

November 3, 1907: A House With Curb Appeal

Posted on November 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 3, 1907: Mrs. E.N. Eskey is building this 10-room house in Pico Heights, on Van Ness just south of Pico. Continue reading →

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October 19, 1938: Stolen statue — Nuestro Pueblo

Posted on October 19, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 19, 1938: Writer Joe Seewerker and artist Charles Owens visit the statue of a miner at Carthay Center, later stolen and cut up by thieves. And yes, they were caught. By Stephanie Lazarus. Continue reading →

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October 12, 1938: An early RV, Nuestro Pueblo

Posted on October 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 12, 1938: Reporter Joe Seewerker and artist Charles Owens visit a house on wheels in this installment of Nuestro Pueblo. Drawing of a broken-down truck with a house for a body. Continue reading →

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October 9, 1994: Julius Shulman Q & A

Posted on October 9, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 9, 1994: A Q&A with photographer Julius Shulman, about to turn 84. Continue reading →

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