Tuesday, June 16, 2009

More Vintage Photos

On Saturday night Larry and I drove Downtown to Gary Leonard's Photo Studio, Take My Picture. It's right on Broadway, nextdoor to the historic Orpheum Theater.
Someone at Pacific Outdoor Advertising, the billboard people, asked Gary if he wanted their archive of Kodachrome slides of Southern California from the 50's and 60's.
Heck, yeah!
The images are amazing. Apparently, a photographer was hired by the billboard company to shoot the location of the billboards for their advertising clients all over Southern California. The cars and backgrounds are so interesting, most of them in Los Angeles and San Diego. Gary cleaned up many of the slides and printed them in a large format, matted and framed. They are for sale! It's so worth going downtown to see this show! It's very nostalgic. The images jump right off the wall. There's also a slide show in the back of the gallery showing the slides that Gary did not blow up. Highly entertaining.
Gary Leonard w/ Ellen
I snapped the photo for the book cover!

Ralph's Market on Lankershim, No. Hollywood, 1950's

After the show, we zoomed up to Philippe's The French Dip for a sandwich. I've written about Philippe's before. It's one of my favorite old-time restaurants in Los Angeles. Naturally, the sandwich and lemonade were great. I caught a photo of Larry in the "circus room." Legend has it that circus workers would meet in the back room of Phillipe's during their run in L.A. This was also a meeting place for retired circus workers....lots of ephemera here. On the other side of the back room there's tons of train models and memorabilia (the place is right near the tracks). Philippe's is a meeting place for EVERYONE!

I do love Los Angeles.

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8 Comments:

At 2:26 PM PDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe they use the clown room at Philippe's for children's parties?

Judy
Bakersfield

 
At 2:27 PM PDT, Blogger Ellen Bloom said...

Hmmm? I've never seen a children's party at Philippe's, but anything is possible!

They also have a dining area upstairs. that would be a perfect place for a kid's party...out of the way.

 
At 3:08 PM PDT, Blogger Kath said...

I passed on a meal there the last time I was in the area and have been kicking myself ever since!

 
At 7:04 PM PDT, Blogger Natalie said...

cool exhibit.

I have never ventured to the circus room. Too busy chowing down my dip, I guess.

 
At 7:04 AM PDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw Phillip's on "Diners Driveins and Dives" on Food network recently. It looked like really good food!

 
At 10:16 AM PDT, Blogger Brenda said...

Phillippe's has been featured on one of Rachael Ray's shows, and possibly Anthony Bourdain's, if I remember correctly.

Would you believe, I've never been. I'll have to correct that!

 
At 3:12 PM PDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't wait to go see this exhibit. My dad painted billboards for POA in the '60s...I have fond memories of accompanying him to the paint shop when I was a kid.

 
At 3:39 PM PDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

And I didn't even notice there's a show!

(I pass Take My Picture on my way to and from work every day, and Phillipe's is right on my alternate route home. I've been there, I think twice?)

Mistie

 

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