Here's a bit of early Los Angeles opulence: The restroom at J.W. Robinson's, complete with a well. Purely decorative, I'm sure. Bidding starts at $7.99.
June 25, 1889: Siegel the Hatter has handmade hats!
June 25, 1889: A young lady named Carrie Arnold (or Carrier Turner -- The Times used both names) receives an indecent proposal -- in verse -- and her father persuades her to help set a trap for the man who sent it. Police arrest W.W. Wyman who says he merely addressed an envelope for a friend and had no idea what was inside. During his trial, it was revealed that Wyman was actually missing author A.S. Burroughs and he was sentenced to two years in prison.
The state Senate approves a bill that would license bookies and take 5% of their gross. I wonder what the lobbying was like on this bill.
A Ford executive says industry voluntarily reduced the workweek to 40 hours. "The charges that these improvements were made at the insistence of a morally outraged society is not tenable."
Talk about fuel economy: 23 mpg.
Maybe I'm an overprotective parent, but I really wouldn't want my kid doing this.
Maybe more than any other era, I find the artwork -- and lettering -- in the 1930s ads just remarkable.
I recently listened to a program on Winston Churchill. He certainly had a knack with words that put everybody in their place. Especially "Corporal Hitler."
The Times begins a contest on movie titles. I'll try to run some of the entries.
Above, a stylish ad for "The Old Dark House" and "My Man Godfrey."
At left, a feature on the arrival of Michael Farrow, born to John Farrow and Maureen O'Sullivan.
Another elegant, stylish ad, this one for Harris & Frank.
Re-creating the early days of California.
Moral Rearmament!
The cat ate a watch?
Lou Gehrig's career was over. The Yankees slugger, whose skills
had seemed mysteriously in decline, was diagnosed with what was then
called infantile paralysis.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is an incurable ailment that
attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Gehrig, who had
played in 2,130 consecutive games with the Yankees and took himself out
of the lineup in May, died in 1941.
The Times ran an Associated Press story with a horrible lead: "The
'Iron Horse' was consigned to the baseball roundhouse today -- to
stay." The Yankees tried to be optimistic about Gehrig's recovery,
discussing a post-baseball job with the Yankees "in some executive
capacity."
Update: Keith is on vacation so I'll pinch hit for him. The Times' original story indeed says Lou Gehrig had "infantile paralysis." Later stories also say he had "infantile paralysis" or "a form of infantile paralysis." His June 3, 1941, obituary says he died of "a rare disease" called "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." --lrh
Larry Harnisch. The leading Black Dahlia expert and a collaborator in the 1947project, Harnisch has been a copy editor at The Times since 1988. He has appeared on many TV shows discussing the Dahlia case, notably "James Ellroy's Feast of Death."
Join him for a spin through old Los Angeles in the Mirror's radio car. Keep your eyes open for Mickey Cohen and Tempest Storm. It's quite a ride.
The reporter's badge belonged to Sid Hughes (1908-1958), legendary reporter who worked at nearly every newspaper in Los Angeles.
Keith Thursby. Keith has been an editor at The Times in news, sports and design since 1986. The Rams moved to St. Louis on his first day as assistant sports editor of the paper's Orange County edition. He grew up in Norwalk and lives in Irvine.
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Larry Harnisch. The leading Black Dahlia expert and a collaborator in the 1947project, Harnisch has been a copy editor at The Times since 1988. He has appeared on many TV shows discussing the Dahlia case, notably "James Ellroy's Feast of Death."
Join him for a spin through old Los Angeles in the Mirror's radio car. Keep your eyes open for Mickey Cohen and Tempest Storm. It's quite a ride.
The reporter's badge belonged to Sid Hughes (1908-1958), legendary reporter who worked at nearly every newspaper in Los Angeles.
Keith Thursby. Keith has been an editor at The Times in news, sports and design since 1986. The Rams moved to St. Louis on his first day as assistant sports editor of the paper's Orange County edition. He grew up in Norwalk and lives in Irvine.