Not sure if these have been posted yet... Home movie featuring the NBC and ABC studios, the Griffith Observatory, the Rose Bowl and Loyola University. Part of the Elmer Gerlock Film Project. He has a BUNCH of others as well...http://www.youtube.com/user/gerlock11 <iframe width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SzPMaZJG9i0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Just discovered this thread when searching out information on the Mobilgas Economy Runs (an avid interest of mine for nearly 50-years now) and these pictures are exceptional. Am only up to Page 35 now! I am a native of the Los Angeles area (born in 1946 and raised in Inglewood) and a lot of the street scenes, etc. are nice to revisit. Also it is good to see that the Auto Club (I worked for them for 21 years) Archives are being preserved as well. Harry Mann Chevrolet was a regular stop at New Car Introduction Time each fall through the early 1960's ... we lived around 3 miles from the Dealership. A very small Showroom and on Introduction Night the Service Area was spotless ... driving into the Service Lane they displayed the "cream of the crop" ... Bel Air Hardtops and Convertibles and as you walked into the Service Area they had each Chevrolet Model in a U-Shaped Display starting with the Lowest Priced Business Coupe and then working up the line. Still have some Sales Brochures from those days in my collection. Nice memories ... THANKS to everyone who posted pictures.
Cool thread, I just found it today. Way back on page 16 mazooma1 posted this shot, This is Lakewood Center in Lakewood Ca, built in '51. Still there today but it was enclosed a few decades ago. and on page 60 brerHair posted this one. Lakewood City was the first planned suburb built in America. My grandparents bought a home there in 1947, the year my grand pa retired from the Navy with 30 years of service at the age of 45. You had to be a vet to buy a home in the 40's in Lakewood infact you had to be a vet to buy there until the mid '50s. My mom went to work at May Co in the first picture at 15, already married to my dad who joined the Marines at 16 in '52. My parents bought the house in '60 and that's where I grew up. In the foreground in the parking lot above is a '41 Buick Sedanette, kinda beat but still cool. Here's my old one I had until a few years ago in the driveway of our 1952 track house in Long Beach.
I remember all that stuff ,born & raised in lakewood.Dad watched our house being built before I was born (1951)
Flyin-T, Thanks for posting the pictures and info. I grew up in Long Beach not far from Lakewood Center. My mom would take us kids there to shop at May Co. for our school clothes at the end of summer. My sisters and I would pile up in the back seat of our 56 Chevy 210. One other area she would take us shopping was on Atlantic Blvd. in Bixby Knolls at C.R. Anthony's and Robert's department stores. Great picture of the Buick in the driveway. Reminds me of the house my parents built back in 1955. In our neighborhood all of the established homes were Spanish style. My folks found a vacant lot, purchased it and built their home. There was vacant lots all around different areas of Long Beach, even up to the late 70's. We had one next to us even when I started High School. Thanks - great memories, Offy 220
There was also a bowling alley (Lakewood Bowl?) in that center and I bowled there with my dad against an older kid and his dad when they had their grand opening. It was even on TV and I remember those huge TV cameras they used back then. I think that was around 1953 so the bowling alley may have been built later. Is it still there too?
offy, I'm surprised just how many vacant lots there still are in LB even today. Did you guys go over to the Crest to see movies before there were multi-plex's? We'd go there or into Bellflower to see films. No more bowling to be found anywhere in LKWD bullet nose.
Wow--all this Long Beach-Lakewood stuff: very cool. I have to say, though: I know that Long Beach DOES have a lot of vacant lots, but somehow I never saw it that way growing up. The one patch of vacant land that I always remember is the one on Redondo Avenue at Stearns, where they're building houses now. (Right next to Shell Hill, where the Model T Hill Climb and the downhill skateboard races were held.) Supposedly, according to the Press-Telegram, that was the last never-developed patch of land in the city, making Long Beach as of four years ago or whatever, a "built-out city." Sorry for hijacking the thread, but this is great stuff, esp. the Wallach's stuff. Heard about that record store a lot in the last 20 years.
George went on to capture First Place in Class C (Upper Medium Price Cars) ... standing alongside (by the Driver's Door) is his brother, Mel Alsbury, Jr. who captures not only the Sweepsrakes Award and First Place in Class D (High Price Cars) driving an Imperial Crown. Both cars were entered by their father, Hollywood Chrysler-Plymouth Dealer Mel Alsbury, Sr. The Alsburys continued their participating in the Economy Runs through the final one in 1968.
I was acquainted with this mob at the time. We, Caltechies, were used as observers (pigs!) inside each car to keep them honest. We would do anything to be involved with the cars, their people, and the few extra dollars bought a lot of gasoline then. Like the rest of you, we were honest and ethical. karlosindo
Flyin-T, Yes, we would go to the Crest on Atlantic. We would also go to the Circle Drive-In, the Lakewood on Carson and Cherry and Los Altos which had 4 screens. After one movie was over we would drive out, throw out the plywood board over the "Exit" spikes and go see the next movie. Yes, Signal Hill is built up with new homes. I remember going to the Model T Hill climb every year in May with dirt fields with oil derricks all over the place. I even rode a "Creeper" down Hill St. and Stroppes shop was on the top of hill. We used to go bowling at Cal Bowl on Carson, Java Lanes on PCH and Crown Bowl on Artesia Blvd. I don't remember the lanes at Lakewood Center [now known as Lakewood Mall]. Thanks for the reminders, Offy 220
I remember all that you mentioned. We live in the neighborhood just across Spring from the old Los Altos drive in. I spent most of the 1960's in the old Military School on Signal Hill. Went to all the hill climbs with my dad back then and am still a member of the LB T club. My old friend Gabby Garrison worked for Stropp for many years and my buddy had a Vdub shop around the corner from Bills shop in the 70's. Who'd of ever thunk that there'd be condos and houses all over Signal Hill?
Gary and FlyinT, Yes, I used to laugh at my dad when he would get together and talk about the "old" days with his friends when I was a kid. Funny how time flies and I end up doing the same! FlyinT, I live just south of the old Los Altos Drive In - Grew up in North Long Beach and never left the LB area. I sure miss the Model T hill climb, vacant lots, and every thing else we took for granted. Thanks again, Offy 220
I will try to find the photos of my parents moving in to the our home in Lakewood, it was all alfalfa fields back then and there is some where a picture from the local newspaper of opening day at the Lakewood mall , Do any of you remember Clifton's cafeteria ? my brother met his wife there keep the photos going
My father was stationed at Long Beach Army Airfield in WWII, we lived in a part of Long Beach called "Artcraft Manor," still there...
296 Ardun, You are getting too close to home! Yes, I live in old "Artcraft Manor". Just south of the airport, southwest of Los Altos Drive-In. Most of the homes were built here 1948-50, possibly earlier. From what I understand they built just a few models and "flipped" the blueprints over and built opposite models - also offered several paint combonations. Getting back to topic - quite a few tradional hot rodders live/lived in the area. One was an early CRA Sprint car owner who passed away a few years and a still active owner/driver of a fuel dragster back from the Lions Drag Strip days. Please keep posting the early pictures on this thread - I just found it a few days ago. Offy 220
Pops 29, I do remember Clifton's Cafeteria in Lakewood Center. If I remember correctly it was close or next to Woolworth's. Last time I was there it was in the late '80's. Not sure what is there now. Yes, keep the photos going. I understand most of Lakewood was alfalfa fields and down where I live [south] was bean fields. My dad used to say anything east of Long Beach and 7th St. would never be developed! How wrong he was. Offy 220
My 64 came out of Crenshaw Motors. Somehow found it's way to Indy. Thanks for the photo! Would love to see what it looked like in the 60's.
I remember It was a long drive through the country fields to get to knotts berry farm, They only had the chicken dinner house and the ghost town. And it was surrounded by farms
That would be about the time my brother worked there Bob , after there He went into the sheriffs depo.
Pops29, I remember cruising Bellflower Blvd. Actually once a year they have a car show honoring Cruise night to this day. Later on, Whittier Blvd. east of the 605 freeway began to be popular and Bellflower Blvd. died out. Another popular place to hang out was "The Clock". I think it was a chain drive-in. One was down by the Traffic Circle and the other was in Bellflower, also one was in the Compton / Lynwood area. Over in Bixby Knolls on the corner of San Antonio and Atlantic is "George's Drive-In." Not sure of the original name but it is in the original building built years ago. Once a year there is a car show on Atlantic Blvd. - last year they had a "Clackle Fest" with some early fuel dragsters running. Keep up the great photos and the good memories, Offy 220
Yep, there was empty fields and farms all around Knott's Berry Farm up into the mid '80's. I worked on a Caterpillar excavator just west of the Farm which broke down while the housing developer was blading the roads for the tract. It was a long drive just to get to Riverside before the 91 was put in. I can remember as a kid stop lights and a two-lane road winding through Santa Ana canyon from Anahiem Hills to Corona. Now it is at least 6 lanes each way with bumper to bumper traffic.
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