Tag Archives: City Hall

October 28, 1907: Former LAPD Chief Calls It ‘Most Detestable Job Ever Created’

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 28, 1907: A former LAPD chief says the job is the worst in the city. Continue reading →

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October 12, 1907: Contractor Leaves Dead Dogs in Street to Break Contract; A Foul Wind From Fertilizer Plant Blows Over Boyle Heights

Posted on October 12, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 12, 1907: After repeated complaints to police because half a dozen dead dogs had laid in the streets for two weeks, the health department tried to charge C.T. Hanson, who held the contract for removing carcasses. But according to the city attorney, Hanson was only guilty of not abiding by his contract and nothing more. 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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September 5, 1947: L.A. Turns 166, Becomes Third-Largest City in America

Posted on September 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 5, 1947: As Los Angeles celebrates its birthday, Mayor Fletcher Bowron says it’s now the third-largest city in the U.S., passing Detroit. Continue reading →

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July 28, 1907: L.A. Seeks to Clear Books of Old Laws on Bear Baiting, Quail Hunting by Streetcar Conductors

Posted on July 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

July 28, 1907: Los Angeles seeks to rid itself of outdated laws like hunting rabbits on Spring Street or conductors abandoning their streetcars to go quail hunting at the end of the line. Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on July 6, 2020 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1931 Warner Bros. picture “Other Men’s Women,” with Grant Withers, Mary Astor, Regis Toomey, James Cagney, Fred Kohler, J. Farrell MacDonald, Joan Blondell, Lillian Worth and Walter Long. By Maude Fulton, dialogue by William … Continue reading →

Posted in 1931, City Hall, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 46 Comments

‘The Lid Off Los Angeles’ – Liberty Magazine Examines Corruption in the LAPD and at City Hall

Posted on June 18, 2020 by lmharnisch

On Nov. 11, 1939, Liberty magazine began a six-part series by Dwight F. McKinney and Fred Allhoff on the Harry Raymond bombing and the reform movement of Clifford E. Clinton. Liberty also published a response by Dist. Atty. Buron Fitts. … Continue reading →

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Downtown Los Angeles, 1950: ‘The Underworld Story’ Part 3

Posted on June 24, 2019 by lmharnisch

Here’s another sequence from “The Underworld Story” filmed in downtown Los Angeles. The camera is across Spring Street, opposite City Hall. Downtown L.A. in ‘Underworld Story’ Part 1 | Part 2

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Dec. 19, 1947: Going Down – City Hall Bans Clever Nicknames for Its Floors

Posted on December 19, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. City Hall’s elevator operators have been having a little too much fun on the job. Instead of calling out the numbers of the floors, they have … Continue reading →

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1920: Police Raid Party at Ex-Mayor’s Home, Arrest 7 Men in Drag

Posted on December 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Dec. 10,1907 Los Angeles Mayor Arthur C. Harper happens to be in all sorts of trouble. He’s telling the newspapers that he has had enough of politics and won’t seek another term. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1909, 1912, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Downtown, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Oct. 28, 1907: Former LAPD Chief Calls It ‘Most Detestable Job Ever Created’

Posted on October 28, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Oct. 28, 1907 Los Angeles You know the song even if you’ve never seen “Pirates of Penzance”: A policeman’s lot is not a happy one” and that is doubly true for one … Continue reading →

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Oct. 12, 1907: Contractor Leaves Dead Dogs in Street to Break Contract; A Foul Wind From Fertilizer Plant Blows Over Boyle Heights

Posted on October 12, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Oct. 12, 1907 Los Angeles After repeated complaints to police because half a dozen dead dogs had laid in the streets for two weeks, the health department tried to charge C.T. Hanson, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, City Hall, Environment | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sept. 5, 1947: L.A. Turns 166, Becomes Third-Largest City in America

Posted on September 5, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Los Angeles mounted a festive reenactment of its founding, with people taking the roles of padres, soldiers and settlers. On the gaily decorated steps of City … Continue reading →

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July 28, 1907: L.A. Seeks to Clear Books of Old Laws on Bear Baiting, Quail Hunting by Streetcar Conductors

Posted on July 28, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. July 28, 1907 Los Angeles City officials, hampered by a bramble bush of old and unenforced laws, have appointed deputy prosecutor Eddie to prune back outdated and unnecessary regulations from the early … Continue reading →

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July 16, 1907: New Restrictions on Boxing

Posted on July 16, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. July 16, 1907 Los Angeles Under continued lobbying from the Church Federation, the city attorney is preparing new restrictions on prizefighting that local promoters say will kill the sport. “The new ordinance … Continue reading →

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June 7, 1947: Kenneth Hahn Sworn in as L.A. Councilman

Posted on June 7, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Hahn retired from public service in 1992, after being elected 10 times to the county Board of Supervisors, beginning in 1952. Source: Los Angeles Times, June … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, City Hall, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

June 1, 1907: Former L.A. Councilman Charged With Running Bordello

Posted on June 1, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. June 1, 1907 Los Angeles Voir dire, in which lawyers question prospective jurors, is a rough and tumble affair, especially when the case involves prostitution. The matter at hand involves Tom Savage, … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: Bert McDonald Dies; First Black Deputy City Atty.

Posted on March 13, 2018 by lmharnisch

The latest records by Jimmy Rushing, Duke Henderson and King Perry are at 1065 N. Fairfax Ave. 1065 N. Fairfax Ave., where you got the latest hip 78s in 1947, via Google Street View. March 13, 1947: The Sentinel publishes … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: LAPD Detectives Cleared of Brutality Against Drunk Woman

Posted on January 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

Jan. 9, 1947: The Sentinel reports on the ruling by the Los Angeles Police Commission in the case of Edythe L. Galloway, 434 E. 48th St. On Nov. 6, 1946, the Police Commission voted to investigate the allegations of brutality … Continue reading →

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Olympics: Scenes From the 1932 Los Angeles Games

Posted on August 3, 2016 by lmharnisch

Several years ago, I bought a group of German images showing the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2016 Rio Games seemed like a good time to share them.

Posted in 1932, City Hall, Photography, Sports | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment