Category Archives: Photography

December 18, 1907: County Coroner Dead Drunk at Bordello

Posted on December 18, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 18, 1907: Los Angeles County Coroner Roy S. Lanterman was arrested on charges of being drunk and disorderly at the Navajo, a bordello run by Ida Hastings, 309 Ord St. Hastings called police, who arrested Lanterman. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, 1909, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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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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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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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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, September 25, 1944

Posted on September 25, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 25, 1944: Claire Poe of Miami Beach, Fla., appears on the cover of Life’s special issue “A Letter to GIs,” because she is the kind of good-looking American girl that a lot of GIs know and would like to hear from. Continue reading →

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Los Angeles City Hall, September 11, 2011

Posted on September 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 11, 2011: On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 a huge flag hangs on the side of Los Angeles City Hall. Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, September 4, 1944

Posted on September 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 4, 1944: Life magazine’s cover story is on Secretary of State Cordell Hull in a portrait by Karsh. Alfred Eisenstaedt celebrates 15 years as a photojournalist, and a photographer snaps photos at Hollywood and Vine. Continue reading →

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September 3, 1943: Los Angeles Tattoo Shops

Posted on September 3, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 2, 1943: One of my favorite finds from the city archives — a visit to Los Angeles’ tattoo shops. Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Art & Artists, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Libraries, Photography, World War II | Comments Off on September 3, 1943: Los Angeles Tattoo Shops

1944 in Print — Life Magazine, August 28, 1944

Posted on August 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 28, 1944: Life magazine’s cover story is on the new fashion craze of pedal pushers. Preston Sturges is probably the most exciting movie director to emerge in the past decade, Life says. Continue reading →

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City of Chester Sinks After Collision With Oceanic, Aug. 22, 1888

Posted on August 22, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 22, 1888: The City of Chester sinks after a collision with the Oceanic. Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, August 21, 1944

Posted on August 21, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 21, 1944: Life magazine has Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photo essay on European immigrants arriving in America. 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 →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, Photography | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

1944 in Print — Life Magazine, Aug. 7, 1944

Posted on August 7, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 7, 1944: Geraldine Fitzgerald is the cover photo as Life features the rarely seen movie “Wilson.” Life also reports on the unsuccessful bomb plot to kill Hitler. Continue reading →

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Republicans Expand Policy on Civil Rights

Posted on July 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

July 27, 1960: At the Republican National Convention, Vice President Richard Nixon wins some – but not all – of what he wants on a civil rights plank for his 1960 presidential campaign.

Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater says: “If a liberal civil rights plank is adopted, the South will leave the party this year. I don’t know what Nixon is thinking of. I don’t think he can get elected if he keeps on doing what he is doing.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1960 Republican Convention, Photography, Politics, Richard Nixon | Comments Off on Republicans Expand Policy on Civil Rights

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Stills Photographers Get the Perfect Shot

Posted on May 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory looks at the history of stills photographers in Hollywood. Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Women Behind the Scenes in Early Film Photography

Posted on March 10, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory takes a look at women in the early days of Hollywood still photography. And she has a book coming out March 25 “First Women of Hollywood.” Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Peter P. Jones, Pioneering Black Photographer

Posted on February 10, 2025 by lmharnisch

In an encore post, Mary Mallory looks at the career of Black photographer Peter P. Jones, who shot production stills for Selznick Pictures. Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 8, 2024 by lmharnisch

The Retro Holiday Shopping Guide: Melba Levick’s “The Big Picture: Murals of Los Angeles.” Wonderful paintings, most of them lost. One of my favorite’s is Kent Twitchell’s “Old Woman of the Freeway” featuring actress Lillian Bronson. Continue reading →

Posted in 1988, Architecture, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Downtown, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Latinos, Photography, Preservation, San Fernando Valley, Sports, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Frank S. Hoover, Portrait Photographer and Apartment Developer

Posted on June 3, 2024 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Early Hollywood portrait photography developed from the need of stars for portraits to send out looking for roles, and from studios realizing the value of selling their product through stars. Los Angeles … Continue reading →

Posted in 1935, African Americans, Architecture, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Donald Biddle Keyes, Cameraman

Posted on May 27, 2024 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2013. Most motion picture still photographers picked up cameras at young ages, intrigued at how they could paint with light. Many yearned to do more than just snap shots in a portrait studio … Continue reading →

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