LFIA Book Offer:
Los Feliz - An Illustrated Early History
Get your copy here!
Read more about
the book here
Historical Information
Historic Survey
Historic Survey Volume 1: A-B streets
Historic Survey Volume 2: C streets
Historic Survey Volume 3: D-G streets
Historic Survey Volume 4: H-L streets
Historic Survey Volume 5: M-P streets
Historic Survey Volume 6: R-T streets
Historic Survey Volume 7: V-W streets
Historic Photos of Los Feliz
Here is a sample of photographs in the Los Feliz Improvement Association History Committee's collection. Most were donated by local residents at our Photo Days. If you have any old photographs of our neighborhood, won't you please share them with us. Contact history@lfia.org. We will periodically update and add to the photos. Enjoy!
1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s
 |
1. Los Feliz 1903 This is an abstract of a geological survey map of Los Feliz published in 1903. You will note that some of the neighborhood names have changed. Edgemont is now Los Feliz. Ivanhoe is now Silverlake; Tropico is Atwater Village. Each dot represents a building. There were only 32 residences north of Franklin Avenue in 1903. (Courtesy Dr. Donald Seligman) |
 |
2. Los Feliz was quite an idyllic pastoral place at the turn of the 20th century. This woman relaxes on the hill of Laughlin Park where she enjoys a view of the ocean and nearby groves. 1905 (Courtesy University of Southern California, USC Special Collections) |
 |
3. You think solar panels are a new technology? Think again! Wilbur Cummings' home at 2020 Cummings Lane in Laughlin Park featured an early version of a solar panel to heat water for the house in 1905. The panel leaked a great deal and has been removed. The paned windows on the lower right are the conservatory. It has been opened to create a porch. (Courtesy Dr. Kuzma) |
 |
4. The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary bought 15 acres of mustard field for $10,000 in 1906. They built Immaculate Heart College at Franklin Avenue and Western Avenue in 1908. The high school for girls with boarding facilities attracted pupils from all over the world. This building was replaced by a newer building due to damage from the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. (Courtesy Bruce Torrence Hollywood Historical Collection) |
 |
1. North of Los Feliz Boulevard west of Vermont Avenue was a large home owned by William Mead. In 1912 the Los Angeles Times featured an artist’s rendering of the home and a description. "New foothill showplace will occupy 8-acre knoll. Dwelling of palatial proportions." A few years later in 1916 Mead’s interest in the growing neighborhood prompted him to found the Los Feliz Improvement Association, with the enormous total of 36 members. (Courtesy Security Pacific Bank National Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library) |
 |
2. Just east of the Mead home on the other side of Vermont Avenue, another entrepreneur was building his mansion. Los Angeles Times owner Harry Chandler’s new home is shown here under construction in 1913. Harry and Marion Otis Chandler named their home “Hillhurst.” (Courtesy LA Times, UCLA Special Collections) |
 |
3. Little did Maxine Fish or her mother Maude or grandmother Annie Foster know in 1918 that she would grow up to be the mother of Los Feliz Improvement Association Director Juliet Kiperman. Six generations of the family have lived in Los Feliz. Like Maxine, Los Feliz had a lot of growing to do. 4401 Melbourne Avenue. (Courtesy Juliet Kiperman) |
 |
1. Margaret Eseman celebrated her 7th birthday on September 1, 1923, with all of her friends on Ambrose Avenue. The children were growing as fast as their new neighborhood. (Courtesy Margaret Eseman Sanborn and Frances Conrad Young) |
 |
2. Here Los Feliz Boulevard extends toward the west while Vermont Avenue curves gracefully north. John Luckenbach had architect Elmer Grey design his home in a prime site in the fashionable Hillhurst Park tract at the corner of Vermont and Cromwell Avenue. Luckenbach owned extensive property downtown and was President of the Luckenbach Jewelry Company. The Mead home is visible north of Luckenbach's. The little structures on the corner of Los Feliz Boulevard and Vermont Avenue are real estate shacks. Those little specks on the south side of Los Feliz Boulevard have grown into our beautiful deodar cedar trees. c. 1926 (Courtesy Donna Zenor and Bill Bisset) |
 |
3. The organ grinder would let children play with his monkey. It was always good for a squeal and a laugh. Little Marjorie Monteleone clutched the monkey in the front yard of her home at 1909 N. Berendo Street in 1926. Even the Ralph’s Grocery delivery man stopped his truck long enough to be amused by the monkey. He may even have slipped him a banana. (Courtesy Marjorie Monteleone Romer) |
 |
4. In 1926 little Maxine Fish was perched on the fender of her parents’ new Chevrolet in front of their home on Melbourne Street. They could now go joy riding through the neighborhood which was growing by leaps and bounds. (Courtesy Juliet Kiperman) |
 |
5. In the 1920s the north side of Los Feliz Boulevard was lined with Japanese-owned nurseries. These children are waiting for movie stars such as Greta Garbo and Ginger Rogers to pick up their weekly bouquets. (Courtesy Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library) |
 |
6. The Kuromi family posed in front of their nursery north of Los Feliz Boulevard west of Nottingham Avenue in 1926. Do you recognize the little girl in the white dress who is standing in front of her parents? That’s Alice Kuromi. You probably know her as Alice Ito, the gracious woman who sold you flowers at Flower View Gardens, first on Los Feliz Boulevard, and later on Western Avenue. You know her brother, too. That’s Ise Kuromi who opened Ise Automotive on Hillhurst in 1947. His sons Gary and Craig are still servicing your cars at the same location. Nottingham Avenue is in the distance. (Courtesy Los Angeles Public Library) |
 |
7. Win Goddard grew up at 4959 Ambrose Avenue. He was still wearing knickers in 1927. His astute grandfather noticed that all the other boys were wearing long pants so he bought Win a pair. Los Feliz came of age in the 1920s too. (Courtesy Win Goddard) |
 |
1. Suzanne Roberts, Marjorie Monteleone, Vincent Monteleone, Eileen Roberts, and Leona Monteleone from Berendo Street visited the old Los Angeles Zoo in 1930. The snooty camel ignored the fact that he was merely a backdrop for the boisterous kids. (Courtesy Marjorie Monteleone Romer) |
 |
2. Marjorie Monteleone played on this contraption called a hootenanny made from dismantled roller skates attached to long planks. It was perfect for careening dangerously down Berendo Street even though traffic was practically non existent in 1933. It looks like every kid in the 1900 block of Berendo managed to climb aboard. (Courtesy Marjorie Monteleone Romer) |
 |
3. The Los Feliz Improvement Association and the Parent-Teacher Association petitioned the school board for a high school to serve students in our neighborhood. John Marshall High School opened on January 26, 1931. Its classic Gothic architecture by George M. Lindsey made it a famous local landmark. The east wing along St. George Street had not yet been built. In 1937 there were very few homes in the hills. c. 1937. (Courtesy John Marshall High School Alumni Association) |
 |
4. Harry Ball, Irene Libby, Lorin Benke, (back) John Stevenson, and Jack Fuller were the officers of the Class of ‘33. They represented the first class to graduate from John Marshall High School. They are seen here wearing their yellow class sweaters as they gathered on the steps of Marshall. (Courtesy John H. Stevenson) |
 |
5. The John Marshall High School Class of 1933 held its graduation ceremony at the brand new Greek Theatre in Griffith Park, a tradition that continues today. (Courtesy Florence Steere Field) |
 |
6. The Breakfast Club on Los Feliz Boulevard was the place to see and be seen in Los Angeles in the 1930s. It was so popular that their meetings were broadcast on the radio. The Rose Queen and her court were upstaged by popular child star Jackie Coogan. See if you can spot fellow actors Leo Carillo, Johnny Weismuller, and Tom Mix. (Hint: Tom Mix is wearing a white hat.) Today the Breakfast Club still meets at Friendship Auditorium on Riverside Drive. (Courtesy the Breakfast Club) |
 |
7. Here the Breakfast Club honors Walt Disney. Although Mickey Mouse was a ham, they didn’t serve him for breakfast! c. 1935 (Courtesy the Breakfast Club) |
 |
8. The young ladies and young men of first graduating class of Our Mother of Good Counsel dressed in their Sunday best for their graduation in 1938. (Courtesy Cheryl Ortega) |
 |
1. The Griffith Observatory and Astronomers Monument encouraged many students to become interested in astronomy and expand our knowledge of the universe. 1940 (Courtesy Neal Dyste, John Marshall High School photography student) |
 |
2. Irving Bush posed with his 6th grade class on the front steps of Glenfeliz Boulevard Elementary School in 1942. He’s the cool guy with his hand in his pocket on the right. Front: Ted Spencer, Robert Smith, Margaret Albright, Richard Hamlin, Irving Bush. Second row: Bob Ford, Arthur Putnam, Dorothea Bidel, Stanley, Mary Beechley, Bill Wagner, Ruth Navarro, Roger Skinner. (Courtesy Marilyn Bush) |
 |
3. Little Bob Quinn was more interested in playing with the Christmas ornaments than posing for the family Christmas card photo in 1943. Twelve ornaments succumbed to his Christmas spirit. Older sister Meg knew all about Santa "making a list and checking it twice" so she sat demurely on the beautifully tiled stairs of their Glencairn Road home. (Courtesy Meg Quinn Coulter) |
 |
4. Bud Overn (front row, fourth from left) posed proudly with the John Marshall High School band in 1944. (Courtesy Bud Overn) |
 |
5. Many John Marshall High School graduates responded to the call to serve their country in World War II. Here brothers Art (Navy) and Tom Overn (8th Air Force) relaxed on leave in their yard at 1655 McCollum St. on “Hathaway Hill” in Edendale. 1944 (Courtesy Bud Overn) |
 |
6. Sailors Don Pimental from Marshall High School and Fred Minchell relax at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. When Don and Fred were on a Coast Guard cutter off the Aleutian Islands in World War II, Don slipped on the icy steps in the freezing weather and fell over the railing. Fred grabbed him by his life jacket and pulled Don back on board saving his life. c. 1943 (Courtesy Don Pimental) |
 |
7. Japanese-owned flower nurseries lined the north side of Los Feliz Boulevard until the 1960s. This field is just west of Nottingham Avenue. There were no trees around the Griffith Observatory in 1947. (Courtesy Bruce Torrence Historical Collection) |
 |
8. A surprise snow storm hit Los Angeles in 1945. The residents of Berendo Street enjoyed the contrast of the snow on the palm-lined street with the snow-covered Griffith Observatory in the background. (Courtesy Marjorie Monteleone Romer) |
 |
9. A rare Los Angeles snowfall on Christmas Eve, 1949, turned Mr. Cottle's home at 4885 Glencairn Road into a winter wonderland. (Courtesy Meg Quinn Coulter) |
 |
1. Thousands of soldiers returned to Los Angeles after World War II. But the city was not prepared with housing for such an enormous influx of former servicemen and their families. What to do? There’s always Griffith Park! A temporary village of 1,500 Quonset huts for 5,000 residents was quickly created on the north side of Griffith Park where the zoo parking lot is now. The instant subdivision was named Rodger Young Village in honor of a World War II hero. It even had its own grocery store. Four-year-old Peter Aguilar lived at 1098 Rodger Young Village from 1947 to 1954. 1950. (Courtesy Peter Aguilar) |
 |
2. Los Feliz got its own branch of the Los Angeles Public Library in 1950. It was located in a store front at 1939 1/2 Hillhurst Avenue. Librarian Dorothy C. Smith reported a stock of 3,112 books and an annual circulation of 34,783 books in 1950. (Courtesy Pearl Yonezawa, Senior Librarian) |
 |
3. Marie Capparelli sold delicious calories at Mrs. Colette's Bakery inside the popular Hollymont Market on Vermont Avenue in 1950. The Los Feliz Post Office now occupies the site. (Courtesy Rosalie Capparelli) |
 |
4. Everyone loves a beach party! Peg and her girl friends from Our Mother of Good Counsel enjoyed a sunny day at Santa Monica Beach in 1954. It wasn't all book learning! (Courtesy Our Mother of Good Counsel) |
 |
5. One of the popular social activities of the 1950s was the Mrs. America contest. Five housewives entered the Los Feliz competition. The nominees had to demonstrate their prowess by ironing a man’s white shirt, sewing an apron, baking a cake, and surviving an interview. Judges Ida Symms of Burbank and Ralph Rivet of the Los Angeles Examiner didn’t even allow Irene Stiny time to take off the apron she had made before they presented her with a bouquet for winning the Mrs. Los Feliz competition. The judges were so right because Irene Stiny went on to win the Mrs. Los Angeles contest and represented Los Angeles in the Mrs. California competition. There’s nothing like a coconut cake to win over the judges. (Courtesy Irene Stiny) |
 |
6. "The Franklin Avenue Elementary School Gang" looked pretty innocent when they gathered on the Ambrose Terrace cul-de-sac in 1955, but they became a powerhouse when they got to John Marshall High School. Andrew Quarress (left) became the Winter '65 Treasurer and Larry Sacks (cowboy hat) was Student Body President at Marshall in 1965. Larry's little brother Bobby Sacks is next to him with Ellen Friedman. (Courtesy Andy Quarress) |
 |
7. By the 1950s television had come of age. Nearly every home in Los Feliz had one. The action heroes of the day were the cowboys, and none were more popular than Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Even Nonnie and Rulon Openshaw wanted to be Annie Oakley and Gene Autry for Halloween. 1955 (Courtesy Rulon Openshaw) |
 |
8. Baller Hardware opened its modern store on Hyperion Avenue in 1959. Check out the fins on those cars! (Courtesy Craig Baller) |
 |
9. We who lived in the 1950s tend to forget how in many ways life was simpler and in some ways more charming. Remember the newsboy who tossed the paper on the lawn from his bicycle and collected money to pay for the paper at the end of the month? It was the first job for many kids. Our paper boy is Denis LaBonge, Councilmember Tom LaBonge’s brother, who delivered the Los Angeles Herald Examiner on Griffith Park Boulevard and the area around Marshall High School in 1959. (Courtesy Councilmember Tom LaBonge) |
1960s - No photos yet.
 |
1. Believe it or not, Yuca's taco hut at 2056 N. Hillhurst Avenue expanded in 1978. Yes, really! The Herrera family bought the property and opened Yuca’s on April 1, 1976. In 1978 they expanded by adding the wooden patio awning where Soccoro Herrera sits to take your order. Fourteen-year-old Los Feliz resident Matthew Mohi helps with the carpentry. Across Hillhurst Avenue you can see Smith's Food King where Albertson's is now. (Courtesy Dora Herrera) |
 |
2. In the 1950s Jim Capparelli began the family tradition of decorating their home at 2234 N. Commonwealth Avenue. Each year their decorations became more elaborate until they looked like this in 1978. His wife Marie and daughters Rosalie and Joan continue the family tradition today to the delight of their neighbors. (Courtesy Rosalie Capparelli) |
Calendar
"Night of Mystery in LA and OC"
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 6:00pm (special time), Los Feliz Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library at 1874 Hillhurst Ave. on the corner of Franklin Ave.
A panel of mystery writers from L.A. Noir, L.A. Noir 2 and O.C. Noir will speak at the Los Feliz Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The event will be moderated by editors/authors Denise Hamilton and Gary Phillips.
The library is located at 1874 Hillhurst Ave. on the corner of Franklin Ave. For more information, please call the library at 323-913-4710 during regular business hours. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.
Skylight Books will have copies for purchase and signing. Event is sponsored by Merchants of the Los Feliz Village BID and the Friends of the Los Feliz Library.
Friends of the Los Feliz Library -
Used Book Sale
Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council
(GGPNC)
Third Tuesday of every month at 7pm
at the Los Feliz Community Police Center
1965 Hillhurst, Los Angeles CA 90027
1965 Hillhurst, Los Angeles CA 90027