Category Archives: Transportation

Another Good Story Ruined: Gen. Otis’ Armored Car [2nd Update]

Posted on August 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

Behold the war machine of Gen. Harrison Gray Otis! A 1910 Franklin Model H landaulet!  Virtually no one who writes about The Times and Gen. Harrison Gray Otis can resist referring to a cannon mounted on his car. Otis is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Another Good Story Ruined, Transportation | 7 Comments

Matt Weinstock, Aug. 17, 1960

Posted on August 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 17, 1960: A motorist wins a battle over a parking ticket (it wasn’t filled out properly) … and one Whittier market has such a problem with kids stealing cigarettes it doesn’t even bother to report them. CONFIDENTIAL TO … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Freeways, Matt Weinstock, Transportation | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, Aug. 17, 1960

Blanche Stuart Scott: Aviation Pioneer

Posted on August 6, 2010 by lmharnisch

  July 24, 1910: Blanche Stuart Scott in the San Francisco Call.   Aug. 6, 1910: Vassar College student Blanche Stuart Scott caps off a cross-country auto trip with a spin in a Farman biplane. She later became one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 1 Comment

Brave Officer Halts Runaway Horse

Posted on August 2, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 2, 1910: Patrolman R.M. Green was directing traffic at 3rd and Main streets when a runaway horse pulling a light wagon plunged toward the intersection. Green jumped into the back of the wagon and made his way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Downtown, LAPD, Transportation | Comments Off on Brave Officer Halts Runaway Horse

Pages of History

Posted on July 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Notice how steep Bunker Hill used to be! I stumbled across a copy of “Los Angeles: A Guide Book,” produced for the 1907 National Education Assn. convention, listed on EBay for $9.99 and remembered that I had seen a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910 L.A. Times bombing, books, Downtown, Pages of History, Transportation, travel | Comments Off on Pages of History

13 Die When B-25 Hits Empire State Building, July 29, 1945

Posted on July 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

July 29, 1945: “For two minutes the pinnacle of the chromium-girt Empire State stood out sharp and clear in the drizzle while orange-red flames licked around. Then the soft fog closed in again to hide the scene from the horrified … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 1 Comment

Car Hits Newsboy, 9

Posted on July 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

July 19, 1910: A news story straight in the Herald and in dialect in The Times. Evidently neither paper reported on whether he recovered.

Posted in Downtown, health, Transportation | 1 Comment

The Arroyo Seco Parkway Revisited

Posted on July 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo Photograph by Larry Harnisch / Los Angeles Times  I did a series of posts two years ago for the 70th anniversary of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. You can find them here.

Posted in Freeways, Photography, Transportation | 1 Comment

A Movie Comic’s Answer to Smog

Posted on July 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

July 18, 1920: Buster Keaton finds another source of power after running out of gasoline at 1st Street and Broadway.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Transportation | 1 Comment

Found on EBay: Aviation Meet in L.A.

Posted on July 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

A group of color lantern slides showing early aviation has been listed on EBay. The vendor says these slides were issued by the Southern Pacific. One of them shows a Los Angeles meet and another shows flier Eugene Ely in … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, Transportation | Comments Off on Found on EBay: Aviation Meet in L.A.

An American Fourth of July

Posted on July 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

    July 5, 1910: The Scottish American community of Los Angeles celebrates the Fourth of July with the Highland Fling and the caber toss. And there’s nobody on talk radio to tell them to go back “home” if they … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Fire Department, Parks and Recreation, Transportation | Comments Off on An American Fourth of July

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, June 27, 1960

Posted on June 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 27, 1960: Paul Coates has the day off. Notice that engineer Irvan F. Mendenhall has proposed a 75-mile system of electric cars with rubber tires running on elevated concrete tracks. On the jump, The Times’ coverage of the … Continue reading →

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Navy Subs Pay Port Call in Los Angeles

Posted on June 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

June 27, 1910: The Navy submarines Pike and Grampus pay a port call in Los Angeles. The Times says about 1,000 men, women and children visited the Pike and explains the challenges women had in navigating the small space in … Continue reading →

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Woman Learns to Drive in 30 Minutes!

Posted on June 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Typeface fans, this is for you.   Vilma Stech, who learned to drive a Peerless in 30 minutes, is one of the "fair chauffeuses" in Los Angeles, The Times says. There are at least 150 women in Los Angeles who … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Transportation | 1 Comment

Nixon Rejects ‘Liberal’ and ‘Conservative’ Labels

Posted on June 21, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 21, 1960: E.W. Darby of the Chicago Sun-Times says  Vice President Richard Nixon is "impatient with such labels" as "conservative," "liberal" or "progressive conservative." "I think it is difficult to categorize people in public life with terms like … Continue reading →

Posted in Freeways, Politics, Richard Nixon, Transportation | 2 Comments

Landslide Closes Hill Street Tunnel

Posted on June 13, 2010 by lmharnisch

  A landslide closes the Hill Street tunnel, which was demolished when the “nose” of Bunker Hill was removed in June 1955.  June 13, 1910: Police find that the athletic burglar who was caught the other day has refined tastes … Continue reading →

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Panama Canal Nearing Completion

Posted on June 12, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 12, 1910: Work continues on the Panama Canal, an example of American ingenuity, where the slogan is “1915 or Bust.” Also on the jump, a Times editorial against picketing by strikers.  The Times’ staunch opposition to picketing will … Continue reading →

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Introducing the Sabra!

Posted on June 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 7, 1960: A car made in Israel? Are you serious? The dealer says the fiberglass-bodied car with a 36-horsepower Ford engine will do 65 mph. Over a cliff, maybe. ps. According to the Wikipedia entry (I know, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Introducing the Sabra!

LAPD Sets Up Speed Trap on Grand Avenue

Posted on June 7, 2010 by lmharnisch

  June 7, 1910: The 20% grade of Grand Avenue is a popular place for car salesmen to show customers the speed of their vehicles. In fact, Grand is such a perfect test track that the Police Department has set … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, LAPD, Transportation | 2 Comments

Matt Weinstock, June 6, 1960

Posted on June 6, 2010 by lmharnisch

   The miracle auto of tomorrow! No driver! No traffic! No accidents! June 6, 1960: A fellow named Don gets a phone call from a woman selling cemetery plots and asks some tough questions.  DEAR WAITRESS: There are no 'disgraceful' … Continue reading →

Posted in Cemeteries, Columnists, Matt Weinstock, Transportation | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, June 6, 1960