In the mid-1950's some hot rod hoodlum got an idea while driving down Sepulveda Blvd. between the San Fernando Valley and the coast line. He saw an open cliff, but to him it looked like a blank canvas. Repercussions be damned, our hoodlum waited for ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Maybe they had been to Wendover and saw the cliff behind the motels where the different Army units painted their ID's on rock face back in WWII.
I always wondered where that was. When you say Sepulveda, it has to be between Sunset blvd and the 101, I'm thinking around Mulholland drive. I'll try to find the location.
Would be cool if it was all still in tact. Nice story Ryan! I'm sure someone will know more history on here.
We are The Knowbodys. We are from Knowhere. The cliff is here with us now. We liberated it sometime in the late 1960's - stone by stone, rock by rock, piece by piece...
Are you pranking us Ryan, I knew the Knowbodys plaque wasnt on any of the other pics I ever saw. Note the Ignitors plaque.
Nope. Those shots are posted as found. Maybe they painted over the Igniters? I know knothing... Regardless, your photos are way better than mine.
Here is a color shot...Don't think any of this survives today...The Sepulveda Pass has been widened and modified many times over the years... Note the caption...
I've seen pictures of this before. I've driven the sepulveda pass many times to avoid the 405 and this cliff is gone. My guess is it was destroyed in the late 50's early 60's when the 405 was constructed.
That would've been great to have seen in person. There is a good color picture of it in the 17th issue of the Rodder's Journal page 49.
Geeze....today one would be sent to jail/prison for this!! I think it is cool. That would have been quite the sight to see when cruizin by... Ahh, the good ol days.
I'd concur with that probability. I used to use Sepulveda Blvd as a place to road test cars in the late 1960s and never saw that cliff face. Still it's an interesting reminder of when hot rodders were considered outlaws like the 1%er bikers of today.
Ryan I think someone is pulling your leg with those pics. The Knowbodys tag is to clear and the lines to crisp and perfect. I think your pics have been Photoshopped.
This tread just gos to show how much freedom we have lost in the last 50 years! Try painting on that rock face today and see what happens.
What? In the 50's there wasn't a huge graffiti problem like there is today. Today, thanks to all the creeps with nothing better to do but damage private property, there are laws against this stuff, and rightfully so. It has nothing to do with "freedom". It's a different world today and graffiti causes millions of dollars worth of clean-up. Big difference. From the looks of this hillside, the club's were doing a little bragging and showing some unity and pride. I doubt back then it was looked at as any big deal. Do not associate "freedom" with ruining someones property. You don't have that "freedom". It's not your right to spray paint anyone's property, whether its a garage door or a rock. That was the 50's, and it's a cool example of the emerging car culture. It's a much different world today. "Freedom" has nothing to do with it. The good natured fun that these car clubs used to enjoy has been ruined by criminals and vandals.
Mazooma is right about it having nothing to do with Freedom. It was vandalism then as it is now, only it is much worse now. Not sure why Mazooma figures this was good natured fun but other graffiti is different? Especially in light of his statement It's not your right to spray paint anyone's property, whether its a garage door or a rock. Seems a little hypocritical. IF that were really done back when, I can guarantee you that it was frowned upon by John Q Public and probably would have caused an uproar to some extent. During the late 50's, early 60's I lived in the San Bernardino mountains between Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead and it was quite common for kids to paint on the big rocks things like Johnny loves Suzie, that type of things. The older folks and the sheriff did start to crack down when it started to get out of control and too prevalent and made them clean it up or paint it our when they caught them.
Anyone remember the Pink Lady painting over a tunnel entrance in Malibu Canyon in the early '70s? It got painted over in Bureaucrat Grey in a matter of hours by the Authorities, only because they couldn't find the artist and make HER do so! (The painting was in fact drawn by a woman artist...)
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