Category Archives: World War II

Found on EBay – Zoot Suit!

What appears to be an original zoot suit, with reet pleat, drape shape and stuff cuff,  has been listed on EBay. According to the vendor, this suit was in the wardrobe department of a movie studio. There is no label, … Continue reading

Posted in 1943, Fashion, Found on EBay, LAPD, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , | 3 Comments

#art, #history, #museums 8|16|2011

Photo: “The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah” by Jan Steen. Credit: Museum Bredius in The Hague Photo: “The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah” by Jan Steen. Credit: Museum Bredius in The Hague The Hague municipality has settled with an heir … Continue reading

Posted in 1893, Art & Artists, Crime and Courts, History, Museums, Washington, World War II | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011, Part 2

Photo: Capt. Ed Jokisch. Credit: Jokisch family   This is Part 2 of my interview with the late Ed Jokisch.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

#Broadway, #Civil War, #history, #museums, 8|12|2011

Photo: Diary of Alexander Sterrett Paxton. Credit: Washington and Lee University. Daniel de Vise of the Washington Post writes about a collection of six Civil War diaries obtained by Washington and Lee University. The diaries were kept by Alexander Sterrett … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Artists, History, Museums, Music, Preservation, Stage, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #Broadway, #Civil War, #history, #museums, 8|12|2011

Van Nuys Plane Crash Kills 2 – Aug. 11, 1941

Aug. 11, 1941: Walter P. Palmer and William S. Raney are killed when their plane goes into a spin during a flying lesson and crashes into a bean field at Woodley Avenue and Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, which is … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Politics, San Fernando Valley, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

This 1939 Packard Hearse has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $16,000, but there is a reserve. Queen of the Dead—dateline August 8, 2011    •  Milly del Rubio, the last of the amusingly camp del Rubio Triplets, died … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011

Photo: LAPD homicide detectives in a gag photo, Christmas 1946. Ed is on the left in the back row. Credit: Ed Jokisch   I received word Saturday that my friend, retired Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, has died at the age … Continue reading

Posted in 1914, Crime and Courts, Downtown, LAPD, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Found on EBay – Florentine Gardens

This souvenir photograph from the Florentine Gardens has been listed on EBay. Most of these pictures come in a cardboard holder that’s stamped with a date. This one isn’t marked, oddly enough, but a comparison with my reference file indicates … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Nightclubs, Photography, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

#art, #history, #museums, #World War II 8|4|2011

Photo: Retired Lt. Col. Leo R. Gray with “The Spirit of Tuskegee.” Credit: Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post Jacqueline Trescott of the Washington Post writes about “The Spirit of Tuskegee,” a Stearman trainer that has been acquired by the … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Art & Artists, History, Museums, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #art, #history, #museums, #World War II 8|4|2011

‘Zoot Suit’ and History — Part 5

Cartoon: A troubling moment in “Mary Worth’s Family,” June 1, 1943. Credit: Los Angeles Times June 1, 1943: It is impossible to accurately determine, so long after the fact, why a May 31, 1943, brawl between zoot-suiters and sailors wasn’t … Continue reading

Posted in 1943, Books and Authors, Fashion, LAPD, Latinos, Libraries, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on ‘Zoot Suit’ and History — Part 5

#architecture, #books, #history, #museums, 7|23|2011 [Updated]

Photos: Josef Mengele’s notebooks. Credit: Alexander Autographs. RECOMMENDED Randy Kennedy of the New York Times catches up with famous/notorious graffiti artist/tagger TAKI 183 at a book signing for “The History of American Graffiti.” Rex Huppke’s ‘I Just Work Here’ Column … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Books and Authors, History, Immigration, Museums, Religion, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #architecture, #books, #history, #museums, 7|23|2011 [Updated]

James Curtis: L.A. Voices

Photo: Dick Lane and Helen Wallace in “Sioux City Sue,” 1946. In 1975, while still in college, I did a short series of interviews. There was no real purpose to these, other than they were with people who interested me … Continue reading

Posted in 1975, Books and Authors, Film, Found on EBay, History, Hollywood, James Curtis, L.A. Voices, New York, Stage, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Attorney Storms Office, Seizes D.A.’s Bugging Equipment

July 15, 1941: Defense attorney Samuel Rummel (shot to death Dec. 11, 1950) breaks a door and seizes a dictograph wired to a microphone in his office in the William Fox Building, 608 S. Hill. Rummel was defending Deputy Charles … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Cold Cases, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Mickey Cohen, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Attorney Storms Office, Seizes D.A.’s Bugging Equipment

7|13|2011 #history, #museum

Photo: Pierre Loti’s house. Credit: Discover Poitou Charentes RECOMMENDEDElaine Sciolino’s new travel column Lumiere in the New York Times takes a look at the house museum of Pierre Loti. Sciolino says: “On an unremarkable street in the unremarkable town, the … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, History, Hollywood, Museums, Religion, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 7|13|2011 #history, #museum

Day in Hollywood: July 8, 1941

July 8, 1941: I thought it would be fun to check in with our old pals, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor and Jimmie Fidler. Lee writes about visiting researchers spending their summers at the Huntington. That’s my idea of a vacation! … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

B-26 Heads for Museum [Updated]

Rick Rouan of the Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle Gazette reports on a B-26 Marauder that is returning to the 1941 Historical Aircraft Group Museum in Geneseo, N.Y., after being restored by the Historical Aircraft Squadron. The plane should arrive in time … Continue reading

Posted in 1944, Museums, World War II | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Month at the Museum

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is holding a competition to select someone who will live at the museum for a month. The museum’s website says: From Oct. 19 to Nov. 17, 2011, this person’s mission will be to experience … Continue reading

Posted in Museums, World War II | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Lost and Found: Patek Philippe

Last Thursday’s New York Times had a terrific story by Austin Considine about Charles B. Woehrle, who received a Patek Philippe watch while imprisoned at Stalag Luft III (he ordered the watch and promised to pay for it after the … Continue reading

Posted in 1944, Fashion, World War II | Tagged , | 2 Comments

‘Zoot Suit’ and History – Part 2

May 9, 1943: Al Capp satirizes zoot suits in a series about “Zoot-Suit Yokum.” In Part 1, we saw that in 1942, The Times originally portrayed zoot suits as a youthful fad, but that attitudes hardened toward them once the … Continue reading

Posted in 1943, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Fashion, Film, LAPD, Latinos, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Here’s another mystery photo, courtesy of Steven Bibb. There’s a closer look on the jump. [Update: This is Dorothea Wieck (d. 1986), known for “Maedchen in Uniform,” arriving in Los Angeles, April 13, 1933. She returned to Germany because she … Continue reading

Posted in 1933, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments