Category Archives: Transportation

Retro holiday gift — Duesenberg transmission

Posted on December 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

Here’s something you don’t see every day — unless you’re EBay vendor med3021. Imagine your loved one’s reaction to find this under the tree (assuming you have a fairly large tree): "Why … it’s a Duesenberg transmission housing. Just what … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — James Cagney’s Auburn

Posted on December 14, 2008 by lmharnisch

A bit of movie history has been listed on EBay: The Auburn 12 cabriolet driven by James Cagney in "Mayor of Hell." The seller says Cagney used this as his personal car. It’s listed under Buy It Now for $375,000. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Film, Hollywood, Transportation | 1 Comment

L.A.’s confusing freeways, December 8, 1958

Posted on December 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

Beverly and La Cienega, home of pony rides for two generations of children. I believe Gales was on a different corner. Note the Bible verse and the puzzling editorial cartoon. What was on the minds of Times’ readers in 1958? … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Front Pages, health, Transportation | 2 Comments

‘Animal House’ car for sale

Posted on December 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

Courtesy Hemmings Motor News This is the Delta Tau Chi "Deathmobile" from "Animal House." Listed for $19,998.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Transportation | Comments Off

Meltdown delays U.S. atomic airplane; Rams win over Colts, December 7, 1958

Posted on December 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

Longtime viewers of the History Channel (or "The Adolf Channel" as we call it at the Daily Mirror HQ) may have seen a program on the U.S. project to develop an atomic airplane. As you can imagine, a key component … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Front Pages, Science, Sports, Transportation | 1 Comment

Stunt man dies in John Wayne film, December 6, 1958

Posted on December 6, 2008 by lmharnisch

File this under quaint notions of the 1950s: Highway officials taking control of speeding cars and forcing them to slow down. U.S. moon launch fails. http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/k6UQe8Upiz1lVusxuj&related=1&canvas=mediumTHE HORSE SOLDIERS TRAILER At left, stuntman Fred Kennedy is killed when he takes … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, Film, Freeways, Front Pages, Hollywood, Music, Obituaries, Sports, Stage, Transportation | 1 Comment

Duesenberg for sale

Posted on December 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

Photograph courtesy Hemmings Motor News Now listed for sale on Hemmings Motor News, this 1929 Duesenberg J belonged to one of the Barbee brothers (probably A.K. Barbee) who headed the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Los Angeles. It was later owned … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Food and Drink, Transportation | 2 Comments

Coming attractions — Black Chrome

Posted on December 2, 2008 by lmharnisch

At long last I’m digging through the handouts I gathered at the Archives Bazaar (my companion, newly published author Brady Potts is way ahead of me on that score) and came across a flier for an exhibit at the California … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Transportation | Comments Off

Speeding train crushes school bus; UCLA gets new football coach, December 2, 1938

Posted on December 2, 2008 by lmharnisch

A truck carrying Christmas trees crashes into a streetcar … and a man is charged with buying a cougar cub at a pet store and killing it for the $75 bounty. Robert L. Cannon and Albert Kessel, sentenced to die … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Sports, Transportation | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — streetcar photo

Posted on November 21, 2008 by lmharnisch

Here’s a nice sharp image of a streetcar passing City Hall. It’s been listed on EBay with a starting bid of $5.

Posted in City Hall, Transportation | 1 Comment

Air Force Academy gets youngest cadet, November 19, 1958

Posted on November 19, 2008 by lmharnisch

Iven Kincheloe III, the 1-year-old son of a distinguished X-15 pilot who died in July 1958 in the crash of a jet fighter at Edwards Air Force Base, is recommended for an appointment to the Air Force Academy in 1972. … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Science, Transportation | Comments Off

Officials turn away football crowds at Coliseum, November 3, 1958

Posted on November 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

Look beyond the nostalgia factor in this film produced for Studebaker dealers. Listen to the comments. The Studebaker Lark was, according to this film, intended to give consumers what they wanted: a low-priced, fuel economy car. We know today, of … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Film, Freeways, Front Pages, Sports, Transportation | Comments Off

First commercial jet put in service; movie stars Jack Nicholson, October 17, 1958

Posted on October 17, 2008 by lmharnisch

This, friends, is a slice of the late 1950s: Mamie Eisenhower and double bills like "Tank Battalion" and "Hell Squad" and Richard Boone in "I Bury the Living." But wait! What’s this? Jack Nicholson in "Cry Baby Killer," based on … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Transportation | 1 Comment

October 12, 1938: An early RV, Nuestro Pueblo

Posted on October 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

Posted in Architecture, Nuestro Pueblo, Transportation | Comments Off

Fire closes Ventura Freeway; milestone for Rams star, September 23, 1968

Posted on September 23, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, a fire closes the Ventura Freeway from Camarillo to Woodland Hills. By Keith Thursby Times staff writer Dick Bass, a three-time Pro Bowl running back who played for the Rams from 1960-69, scored three touchdowns and became the 12th … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Freeways, Front Pages, Sports, Television, Transportation | 1 Comment

Movie star hits USC football player over car crash, September 21, 1938

Posted on September 21, 2008 by lmharnisch

Nazis poised to take Sudetenland Britain and France warn Czechoslovakia she must surrender or fight alone. Germans set tomorrow as war deadline. John Barrymore in "Hold That Coed." Bonus: Learn to dance the Limpy Dimp. Train crash kills 11 … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, Countdown to Watts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, LAPD, Transportation | Comments Off

Los Angeles history — smog

Posted on September 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

I stumbled across a blog devoted to air pollution called Smogtown, written by Chip Jacobs and William J. Kelly, authors of a forthcoming book by the same name. Overlook, their publisher, says: "Smogtown is the story of pollution, progress, and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Environment, Science, Transportation | Comments Off

August 25, 1958: Jealous husband rams movie star’s car, Reds win over Dodgers

Posted on August 25, 2008 by lmharnisch

Some folks may find this hard to believe, but drivers were complaining about bad traffic in Los Angeles 50 years ago. I can’t say it often enough: History shows that congested streets have been a problem in Los Angeles for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dodgers, Film, Freeways, Front Pages, Hollywood, Transportation | 3 Comments

History mystery–photo detective

Posted on August 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

I was going through The Times’ photos of Spring Street and became rather irked that someone labeled this image in grease pencil. This is the intersection of Main, Temple and Spring before Spring was realigned. Then I noticed … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, art and artists, Downtown, Transportation | 7 Comments

Judge challenges mayor in election, Pirates win, August 10, 1938

Posted on August 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

This Oldsmobile got 30 mpg and hit 30 mph in a 4,600-mile cross-country jaunt. But in 1938, this was a 34-year-old car, the same age as a 1974 Oldsmobile today. uperior Court Judge Fletcher Bowron accepts the nomination … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, City Hall, Current Affairs, Freeways, Front Pages, Politics, Sports, Transportation | 1 Comment