Category Archives: Food and Drink

December 18, 1947: Jacobowicz Brothers, Orphaned in Holocaust, Arrive in L.A. (Also Turkey Stuffing With Fritos)

Posted on December 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 18, 1947: Orphaned in the Holocaust, the Jacobowicz brothers—Karl, 16, Joseph, 13, and Rudolph, 10—arrive in Los Angeles on the final leg of their journey from Vienna. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Food and Drink, Frightening Food From the 1940s, Immigration, Religion, World War II | Tagged #Holocaust, 1947, Frightening Food From the 1940s, immigration, religion, World War II | Leave a comment

Deccember 17, 1947: Frightening Food From the 1940s — ‘Unusual’ Fruitcake

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 17, 1947: A recipe for an “unusual” fruitcake. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a $2,500 fine against Hollywood book dealer Marcell Rodd for selling the obscene book “Call House Madam.” The book, by Serge G. Wolsey, is now available at the Los Angeles Public Library. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Books and Authors, Comics, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, Frightening Food From the 1940s | Tagged 10 eggs, 1947, 4 cups flour, crime and courts, food and drink, Frightening Food From the 1940s, fruitcake, obscenity | Leave a comment

December 15, 1942: Stripper Discharged From Waacs Was Out of Uniform – and Everything Else

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 15, 1942: Kathryn Doris Gregory, a stripteuse who performs as Amber d’Georg, is out of the Waacs for going AWOL. The former chorus girl reported for training, then disappeared and was arrested after performing in a Thanksgiving matinee in Des Moines. Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Columnists, Comics, Food and Drink, Stage, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged #wwii, 1942, burlesque, Japanese internment | Leave a comment

December 11, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1959: Ida Gutierrez has a nightmare encounter with the legal system after a woman accuses her of “stealing” two sweaters that Gutierrez just bought. Why? “The police officer said derogatory things about Mexicans,” though she is from South America. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Food and Drink, LAPD, Matt Weinstock | 1 Comment

December 11, 1938: Breakfast of death; voodoo cult killings

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1938: A family’s ‘Breakfast of Death’; Voodoo Killer Suspect Seized; Man Dressed as Woman Found Hanging From Tree Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1938, Food and Drink, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Leave a comment

L.A. Celebrates a Wartime Thanksgiving, 1943

Posted on November 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Thanksgiving 1943: A wartime Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, with many service personnel welcomed into people’s homes for a holiday meal. Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Food and Drink, World War II | Tagged #Thanksgiving, 1943, World War II | Comments Off

An 1890s Thanksgiving in the Kitchen

Posted on November 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Here’s a traditional roast turkey recipe from the “Every-Day Cook-Book and Family Compendium,” written about 1890 by Miss E. Neill. Be sure your fire is bright and clear and watch out for the gall-bag. Continue reading →

Posted in 1890, Food and Drink, From the Stacks | Tagged #1890s, #cookbooks, #recipes, #Thanksgiving, #turkey | Comments Off

November 23, 1947: ‘Lonesome’ Woman Sought Threesomes and Husband, Ex-Wife Says

Posted on November 23, 2025 by lmharnisch

Kitty Higgins in all its uproarious humor. Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. This was rather a racy edition of The Times, especially for a Sunday paper. Next to the Kertz’s saga, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Chicago, Comics, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink | Tagged 1947, Chicago, comics, crime and courts, higher education, UCLA | Comments Off

November 23, 1938: Nuestro Pueblo — Lincoln Heights

Posted on November 23, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 23, 1938: Artist Charles Owens and reporter Joe Seewerker visit Sam’s Lunch Room, across from the Lincoln Heights Jail. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Food and Drink, Homicide, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo | Comments Off

November 3, 1958: 44 shopping days until Christmas

Posted on November 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 3, 1958: Only 44 shopping days until Christmas. And check out those aluminum trees! Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Food and Drink, Religion | Comments Off

October 13, 1907: 2 Die in Tong War

Posted on October 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 13, 1907: Gunmen imported from out of town by the Hop Sing Tong entered the tailor shop of Lem Sing at 806 Juan St. in Chinatown and under the pretense of having some clothing made, wounded him and killed Wong Goon Kor. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Education, Food and Drink, Homicide, LAPD, Streetcars | Comments Off

October 12, 1957: Matt Weinstock

Posted on October 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 12, 1957: Matt Weinstock profiles Burl Ives as he makes the transition from folk singing to acting. Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Columnists, Film, Food and Drink, Matt Weinstock, Music, Nightclubs, Television | Tagged 1957, Burl Ives, Matt Weinstock, No Down Payment, Sputnik, the Vikings | Comments Off

October 8, 1907: Sewage-Eating Fish Spread Disease at Local Markets, Health Officials Say

Posted on October 8, 2025 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. October 8, 1907Los AngelesHealth officials and a deputy district attorney have joined to urge the Board of Supervisors to ban fishing within a half-mile of the city’s Hyperion line that pours sewage … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Environment, Food and Drink | Tagged 1907, Environment, food and drink, sewage | Comments Off

September 6, 1947: Mexican Workers Essential as Americans Refuse Stoop Labor, Ranchers Testify

Posted on September 6, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 6, 1947: Ranchers tell Congress that they cannot survive without importing Mexican workers. Americans won’t do “stoop labor,” the ranchers say. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Food and Drink, Immigration, Labor | Tagged 1947, food and drink, immigration, labor | Comments Off

September 5, 1944: Left in Car While Mother Goes Dancing, Boy, 6, Drinks Fatal Shot of Whiskey

Posted on September 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 5, 1944: Maria Fierro goes dancing with Robert Fierro and Robert Gomez. Her children weren’t allowed in the cafe, so she left them in the car. Her daughter, Stella, went to get a bottle of soda, but her son, Rudolfo, found a bottle of whiskey and drank enough to kill him.
Continue reading →

Posted in 1944, Comics, Film, Food and Drink, Hollywood, Politics | Tagged 1944, comics, film, food and drink, hollywood, politics | Comments Off

Schaber’s Cafeteria and Einar Petersen

Posted on September 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory profiles Schaber’s Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles, which featured murals by Einar Petersen. An encore post from 2012. Continue reading →

Posted in 1928, Architecture, Art & Artists, Downtown, Food and Drink, Found on EBay | Tagged #DTLA, #EBay, 213, Architecture, art, Broadway, Murals | Comments Off

August 31, 1907: The Year in Liquor — 20 Gallons of Beer for Every Man, Woman and Child in U.S.

Posted on August 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 31, 1907: Distillers produced 20 gallons of beer and 1.4 gallons of whiskey for every man, woman and child in America, the U.S. says. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink | Tagged #prohibition, 1907, alcohol, temperance, tobacco, WCTU | Comments Off

Aug. 12-13, 1907: Bucket of Blood Is a Den of Drunken Debauchery

Posted on August 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 12, 1907: The L.A. Times describes the Bismark Cafe, known to police as the Bucket of Blood, as “drunken debauchery among girls of tender ages, painted women and men.” It is an “immoral pesthole” where “young girls are enticed nightly do drink and listen to a band concert.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, LAPD, Main Street, Music, Streetcars | Tagged #Main Street, 1907, crime and courts, drunken debauchery, food and drink, labor, lapd | Comments Off

Aug. 3, 1907: Gasoline Stove Explodes, Destroys House

Posted on August 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 3, 1907: Gasoline from a stove explodes, destroying a house. Mrs. William Morley was found dazed and stumbling around the smoking ruin of what had been her home. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Fires, Food and Drink | Tagged 1907, explosions, Fires, gasoline stoves | Comments Off

Found on EBay: Vintage Cocktail Napkins

Posted on January 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

A napkin from Sunset Bowling Center, 5842 Sunset Blvd. A collection of vintage Los Angeles (mostly) cocktail napkins has been listed on EBay, priced at $274.99 or best offer. Nightspots include many favorite watering holes of the past: Sardi’s, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Found on EBay | Tagged food and drink, Found on EBay, Mike Lyman's, Nickodell, Sardi's | Comments Off