Category Archives: Found on EBay

November 6, 1907: An EBay Mystery

Posted on November 6, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 6, 1907: The case of the mysterious postcard, offered on EBay, an encore post from 2006. Continue reading →

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October 27, 1927: Follies Theater’s ‘Hot Mamma’ Show Led Court to Overturn Law on ‘Indecent Shows’

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

On Oct. 27, 1927, a campaign to “sweep Main Street clear of questionable shows” resulted in the arrest of 27 women of the “Hot Mamma” show. Police also arrested “12 chorus men, four tattooed women wearing their working clothes and last, but not least, Ill Ill, an untamed tree-climbing South African pygmy” Continue reading →

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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 →

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Black Dahlia: Elaborate Fake Pinup Found on EBay

Posted on August 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

A rather elaborate fraud, purportedly a pinup of Elizabeth Short (no, it’s not), was listed on EBay. The item has been withdrawn, but in case it ever surfaces again — it’s a fake. Continue reading →

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Architectural Rambling: Julian Eltinge Home – 1921

Posted on June 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

A visit to the home of Julian Eltinge, in an encore post from 2011. Continue reading →

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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 →

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Found on EBay: ‘London After Midnight’

Posted on February 3, 2024 by lmharnisch

A lobby card for the lost silent film London After Midnight (1927) has been listed on EBay for $2,000. The reverse is stamped “Alex Khoury’s Collection” and “R.E. Teichert Theatre Collection.” As with anything on EBay, an item and vendor … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay: 1930 Los Angeles Junior League Cookbook

Posted on December 2, 2022 by lmharnisch

A vendor has listed a rare copy of the 1930 Los Angeles Junior League Cookbook. For $1,760. No really.

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Ruth Harriet Louise

Posted on August 8, 2022 by lmharnisch

Photo: Aileen Pringle, photographed by Ruth Harriet Louise, listed on EBay at $49.99. Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Motion picture production jobs both on and off the set have mostly been held by men throughout history, and … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay: ‘What Actors Eat (When They Eat!)’

Posted on December 30, 2021 by lmharnisch

A copy of What Actors Eat (When They Eat!), a collection of celebrities’ recipes by Kenneth Harlan and Rex Lease, has been listed on EBay for $14.99. Copies are fairly rare an in good condition can sell for hundreds of … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay: A. Victor Segno, L.A.’s Greatest Charlatan

Posted on September 27, 2021 by lmharnisch

A. Victor Segno is my favorite Los Angeles charlatan and I’ve written about him several times. His scam was to have people send money to him at his HQ in Echo Park and in return he would send out a … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay: ‘What Actors Eat (When They Eat!)’

Posted on September 10, 2021 by lmharnisch

A copy of the Lymanhouse cookbook “What Actors Eat (When They Eat!)” by Kenneth Harlan and Rex Lease has been listed on EBay as Buy It Now for $79.88. This book, by the L.A.-based publishing house, features recipes by movie … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, Found on EBay, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Fred Hartsook

Posted on June 7, 2021 by lmharnisch

Photo: Child in sailor suit by Hartsook studios, for sale on EBay. Bidding starts at $74.95. Note: This is an encore post from 2011. Patience is a prerequisite for being a stills photographer, and it is also important for those … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Greg Bautzer

Posted on May 3, 2021 by lmharnisch

A photo of Greg Bautzer and Joan Crawford, listed on EBay for $9.99. Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Handsome, charming, well spoken, Gregson “Greg” Bautzer was as dashing and popular as any successful Hollywood movie star.  Bautzer … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – A Perfect Villain

Posted on April 12, 2021 by lmharnisch

Photo: “Rasputin and the Empress,” with Gustav von Seyffertitz, center, with Ethel Barrymore, Edward Arnold, John Barrymore, Tad Alexander and Lionel Barrymore. Photo listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $9.99. Note: This is an encore post from 2011. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Obituaries, Stage | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Ruth Harriet Louise

Posted on March 8, 2021 by lmharnisch

Photo: Aileen Pringle, photographed by Ruth Harriet Louise, listed on EBay at $49.99. Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Motion picture production jobs both on and off the set have mostly been held by men throughout history, and … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Norton Avenue and a Lesson in L.A. Geography Via EBay

Posted on January 22, 2021 by lmharnisch

An EBay vendor has listed a sign from South Norton Avenue with an asking price of $500, stating that: Elizabeth Short, the infamous Black Dahlia was found brutally murdered, severed in two, just down the street from where this sign … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights, Ernest Torrence

Posted on September 21, 2020 by lmharnisch

Photo: Ernest Torrence and Greta Nissen in “The Wanderer,” listed on EBay at $34.95. Note: This is an encore post from 2011. Long remembered for playing both villainous and comic supporting roles in silent films, Ernest Torrence achieved big success … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Oviatt’s

Posted on May 11, 2020 by lmharnisch

Photo: An Oviatt clock, listed on EBay in 2010. Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Thanks to the motion picture industry here in Los Angeles, fine haberdashers and designers have sold elegant, tailored clothing to the rich and … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – George Hurrell

Posted on April 20, 2020 by lmharnisch

Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes in a George Hurrell portrait for “The Desperadoes” listed on EBay at $149.95. Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Recognized for his gorgeously lit, glamorous images of movie icons, photographer George Hurrell is … Continue reading →

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