Back To Glamour

Well my back is still attempting to mend, and it is, albeit rather slowly...so since I am not going to be taking any new images in the very near future, I thought we would step back in time once again, and continue glimpsing bits of old Hollywood glamour...exterior glamour that is!

After visiting the Max Factor building (above & below) a few weeks ago, my mother Gitzi and I realized that we could have spent an entire day just toodling around Hollywood with our cameras, snapping away at the beautiful Art Deco architecture that was so prevalent in the 30's & 40's. Within just one block of the museum, there were several prime examples that caught our eye and whet our appetites for a more thorough looksee the next time we visited this choppy mecca of architectural grandeur.

The first one we noticed was just around the corner from Max Factor on a little side street...it was a Department of Water and Power building - Station 10 to be exact...built in the thirties.
I have no idea what it's function is now, but who cares...at least it's still there in all it's art Deco glory, ready to be glimpsed by unaware tourists on their way from the parking lot to the museum. The perfect introduction to the glamorous time travel we were about to enjoy.

Happening upon it was really quite a wonderful surprise and we were powerless to continue on to our destination until we took a few pictures...just look at the beautiful detailing.



Pretty fancy for a public works building, wouldn't you say?! So glad it's still around for all of us to enjoy.

Now when we turned around after taking pictures of the Dept. of P&W...we caught of glimpse of the tippy-top of this glorious Hollywood monument...

The First National Bank building, which sits on the corner of Hollywood and Highland, just a few buildings down from the Max Factor museum.

It was built in 1927 and was the tallest building in Hollywood until 1932. It also has amazing details, I definitely want to get a close look at this one next time, and even take a peak inside...I can only imagine how beautiful the interior is.

When you walk out of the museum, this is what you see (above)...a very thirties looking city scape, but we had no idea what that tall building with the towering sign was.

Well it turned out to be the El Capitan theater, which was built in 1926 by the same people who built Grauman's Chinese, and The Egyptian...and interestingly enough, the same architect firm of Meyer & Holler who designed all three theaters, also designed the First National Bank building....what a small Hollywood world.

It's for sale at the moment actually...and can be all yours for just a cool 31 million...any takers?

Just look at the ornate detailing...so very theatrical, and worthy of a buyer who will (hopefully) care for it and respect it's unique heritage, preserving it's special place in Hollywood's silver screen lineage.

If you look closely at the old postcards above & below, you can see both the Bank building (on the left) and El Capitan (right), as well as Grauman's Chinese in the lower one. How I wish Hollywood still looked like this. At least a few of these architectural jewels are still there, tucked away amidst all the new construction and oceans of advertising (way, way, way too much in my humble opinion), waiting to be discovered, enjoyed, and remembered.

Growing up near Hollywood, the old glitz and glamour was somehow taken for granted, I must have just been used to it, but now...it's as if I'm seeing it all for the very first time, with new, more appreciative eyes...a whole new world of exploration is now in front of me...and hopefully, for you as well.

(images personal unless otherwise noted. image 8: here, image 9: here, image11: here, image 12: here, image 13: here, images 14: here, image 15: here)