Friday, March 7, 2008

A Little Help?

Michael Kelley of Kelley Gallery in Pasadena is asking if any Big Orange Landmarks reader can help identify the scene in the pictured painting. The artwork, dating from the 1930s, is of somewhere in Los Angeles, he knows. Kind of like City Hall, kind of like the Plaza Church, but not really, maybe. Any guesses?

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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 9, 2008 at 7:14 PM

    For what it's worth, to me, the scene looks like a composite: a stylized City Hall in the background and an impressionistic Plaza Church to the right. The structure and muddy alley in the foreground look very much like old photos I've seen of the Coronel Adobe at the end of Calle de los Negros, once located near what is now Los Angeles Street.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 9, 2008 at 7:17 PM

    Oops. Forgot to attach my URL to my previous comment. Sorry.

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  3. Linda LyMarch 12, 2008 at 1:02 PM

    The right building looks like St. Vibiana's to me and the one on the left like the Elks Lodge/Park Plaza Hotel.

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  4. Floyd B. BariscaleMarch 12, 2008 at 2:05 PM

    Thanks for coming to save the day, MM.

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  5. Linda LyMarch 14, 2008 at 1:23 AM

    Upon closer inspection, I believe it is indeed City Hall and St. Vibiana's Cathedral (now called Vibiana place). Check out this map, showing their vicinity to each other http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=vibiana&sll=34.052624,-118.243124&sspn=0.004933,0.011759&ie=UTF8&ll=34.051904,-118.245614&spn=0.004933,0.011759&z=17&iwloc=A

    Now check out this photo of St. Vibiana's
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityprojectca/899829688/

    And this photo of Los Angeles City Hall
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mister_goleta/11342611/

    And this photo taken from a window inside Vibiana's. It appears to be City Hall.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriabernal/1883923090/

    Hope this helps.

    And yes floyd b bariscale.

    Here I am to save the day! Mighty Mouse, away!

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  6. Brady WestwaterMarch 31, 2008 at 12:07 PM

    This vantage point is up on a hill - so it can not be either the Plaza Church or St. Vibiana. The church is also too small and facing in the wrong direction to be either of them. The site appears to be where the Hollywood Freeway Slot currently is on the lower part of Fort Moore Hill before that portion was removed starting in the later 1930's. When I have time, I'll look at some old photos of that area to see if I can find that church. Possibly this was painted just before that entire area was bulldozed.

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2008 at 2:05 PM

    Sorry I'm so late to the game, just came across this. The building depicted is the old county courthouse, demolished in 1932. The clock survives at the Natural History Museum.

    http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics17/00018269.jpg
    http://catalog1.lapl.org:80/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+22356+968+21060+248+0

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  8. Floyd B. BariscaleSeptember 4, 2008 at 3:04 PM

    Thanks, Nixols. I'll make sure to let Michael know.

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  9. LAkompanySeptember 2, 2009 at 2:22 AM

    The buildings in the foreground look Chinese in style. I agree that is City Hall in the background and Plaza Church to the right.

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