Vintage shots from days gone by!

93 Jerry Weld 38 Bob Wente 52 Sammy Sessions Eldora 1966

 

2 Jud Larson 73 Andy Linden Williams Grove 1957

 

This is a very bad situation.

 

As a sign painter of 40+ years, that one really jumped out at me. Funny as the lettering looks nicely done. The big problem is poor contrast. The drop shadow is too strong, it needs to be close to the background in value. Some people never get this simple concept. The phone number on the door is really crooked too. THis might be the work of an amateur working off a pattern, that lettering indicates a really good sign painter, the execution indicates otherwise.

 

About 25 years ago, I bought this photo to put in my garage. I recently met someone who has the same picture, and we're trying to see if we can come up with the town/city from which it originates.

Does anyone know where this was taken?

 

Hollywood & Vine on a smoggy day in the '60's. I can remember in the 1950's when I went to school, we were told to stay home due to the smog. Say what you will about the mandatory emmissions equipment, but it worked. In just a few years, the smog in the L.A. basin disapeared...

 

True but a huge factor was relocation and/or closing of the US Steel plant and refineries on the West side of L.A.

The smog moved East with them toward the Inland Empire for a while.

It is certainly a huge improvement these days. Most people would not believe how bad the burning eyes and aching lungs would be on some days in the '50's and 60's.

 

In the late sixties/early seventies, I worked my way through college as a free-lance flight instructor at Orange County (now John Wayne) Airport. The typical visibility back then was less than three-miles in smog, putting a crimp on aviation at the airport. On a 2017 visit back to Orange County, I was astounded at the huge improvement in air-quality and visibility since my time living there. And this in spite of an exploding population increase.

 

Please, Do Not Litter! Nevertheless, I'll go ahead and pick it up for you this time!

 

'55 plymouth. the '56 had HUGE fins.