Category Archives: Photography

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — A. L. “Whitey” Schafer Simplifies Portraits

Posted on October 15, 2018 by

“Thou Shalt Not,” “Whitey” Schafer’s most famous image. Note: This is an encore post from 2013. In the very early days of the motion picture industry, stills photographers meant nothing to the moving picture companies. They asked their feature cameramen … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Bert Longworth and ‘Hold Still, Hollywood’

Posted on August 20, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2012. In the last forty years, movie collectors and photography connoisseurs have recognized the art and value of Hollywood still photography, most particularly in the gloriously lit and composed portraits of glamorous stars. … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Virgil Apger, MGM’S Classic Portrait Photographer

Posted on June 25, 2018 by

  Virgil Apger, photo courtesy of Mary Mallory Note: This is an encore post from 2013. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios excelled in most areas of film production, including that of still portrait photography. Several of its head portrait photographers, like Ruth Harriet … Continue reading →

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Sept. 30, 1886: ‘An Orgie Such as Even the Most Salacious Pen of Ancient Rome Never Dared Describe’

Posted on June 17, 2018 by

Sept. 30, 1886: We decided to dig out the original quote from Joe Mozingo’s history of the Los Angeles Times in Sunday’s paper. And let it be said that the editorial pages of frontier newspapers were not known for their … Continue reading →

Posted in 1886, Photography, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

May 18, 1907: Black Worker on Search for Lost Lumber Gets in Fatal Fight

Posted on May 18, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. May 18, 1907 Los Angeles William Mullen, a black strikebreaker for the Pioneer Truck Company, was delivering a shipment of lumber when he realized that he had lost some of his load … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1908, African Americans, Animals, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Photography, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

March 5, 1907: Monrovia Woman Defies Family, Marries Chinese Man and Moves to Hong Kong

Posted on March 5, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2007. March 5, 1907 Los Angeles What shall we do with Emma? She’s gone off to New Mexico and married a Chinaman. Her horrified mother hopes to get the marriage annulled, but Emma … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Education, Immigration, LAPD, Photography, Streetcars | Tagged | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia: Some Rando Stripper, Not Elizabeth Short, in EBay Photos Listed at $3,000

Posted on February 20, 2018 by

A vendor on EBay has listed old pictures of some rando stripper as Elizabeth Short for $3,000. No really. I mean seriously? The description doesn’t hedge a bit – like saying photos that *might* be Elizabeth Short or photos that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, LAPD, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Feb. 10, 1907: Architectural Ramblings

Posted on February 10, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2007. Feb. 10, 1907 Los Angeles The Times features a hillside home “near the ostrich farm” in Pasadena. Presumably that was the Cawston farm in South Pasadena. (What, South Pasadena, again?) Unfortunately, many … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Pasadena, Photography, Streetcars | Tagged | Leave a comment

Centennial Ramblings

Posted on February 5, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2007. Feb. 5, 2007 Sierra Madre Because it’s celebrating its centennial this month, I paid a visit to Sierra Madre and while savoring a cinnamon dolce latte at the local Starbucks, watched the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Donald Wolfe, LAPD, Photography, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged | 2 Comments

A Cold Dose of Reality

Posted on January 8, 2018 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2007. Jan. 8, 1907 Los Angeles Perhaps Mayor Arthur C. Harper and the incoming slate of officials are focused on how they will divide the spoils of the city and assign patronage jobs, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Food and Drink, LAPD, Pasadena, Photography, Streetcars | Leave a comment

Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Mack Sennett’s Rose Parade Gag

Posted on January 1, 2018 by

Photo: “The Sleuths at the Floral Parade.” Credit: Mary Mallory, the Collections of the Margaret Herrick Library. Note: This is an encore post from 2011. The Tournament of Roses Parade is going on its 122th year, and grows more elaborate … Continue reading →

Posted in 1913, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Leave a comment

Another Good Story Ruined: Vintage Los Angeles and a Woolworth’s Lunch Counter

Posted on December 28, 2017 by

No. This is not a picture of the longest lunch counter in the world at the Woolworth’s in downtown Los Angeles. This is a file photo published by the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot in 2010 on the 50th anniversary of lunch counter … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960, Another Good Story Ruined, Philadelphia, Photography | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Christmas Past: A Cincinnati Family Celebrates the Holidays 100 Years Ago

Posted on December 24, 2017 by

I picked up these photos in a Pasadena thrift store years ago. There is no information on them except the stamp on the back: Moser & Son, Cin’ti, O. Aside from the tree (seen below) and what seem to be … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, Photography | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

In Memoriam — Johnny Fox | Sword Swallower (1953 — 2017)

Posted on December 23, 2017 by

We were saddened to read an obituary in the New York Times this week about sword swallower Johnny Fox, who died of cancer in Maryland at the age of 64. We snapped this picture of Fox, about to swallow a … Continue reading →

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L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 20, 2017 by

Note: This is an encore post from 2011. I picked up “The Big Picture,” Melba Levick and Stanley Young’s 1988 book about Los Angeles murals, not realizing what a terribly sad book it would be. As Young notes: “Most artists … 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 , , , | Leave a comment

A Reminder From the Daily Mirror

Posted on November 5, 2017 by

Pier Angeli and friend remind the Daily Mirror readers to turn the clock back one hour.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Photography | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Junius Estep and Alfred Lindstedt, Early but Forgotten Stills Photographers

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

Bessie Eyton by Junius Estep, courtesy of Mary Mallory. Note: This is an encore post from 2015 In the early days of silent film production, moving picture companies promoted their brand names to consumers, selling films around the quality and … Continue reading →

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

Black Dahlia: Random Old Crap Listed as ‘Black Dahlia Clone’

Posted on April 29, 2017 by

I’m continually surprised by the ingenuity of some EBay vendors in stretching to impossible lengths to find a link to the Black Dahlia case The vendor in question has listed some random old flea market find as “Beautiful raven haired … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: K.O. Rahmn, Mary Pickford’s Photographer

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

  Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in “The Taming of the Shrew,” photo by K.O. Rahmn, from Close Up. Probably the only actor/stills photographer in early Hollywood, K. O. (Knute Olaf) Rahmn worked for Kalem Co. at its Glendale studio … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Nelson Evans, Hollywood’s Early Forgotten Portrait Photographer

Posted on April 10, 2017 by

Photo: Nelson Evans Note: This is an encore post from 2012. Unlike the theatrical world, the early motion picture industry was slow in recognizing the importance of photographs to help publicize and sell its films. While Broadway producers hired great … Continue reading →

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