Are you going to sit idly by and let the March of Progress pass unheeded? The housing development was meant to capitalise on the growing movie industry in the . Print. Web. "ACTIVE BUILDING SEEN." Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Nov. 09, 1924, p. 1. As Hollywoodlands sales manager George R. Hannan stated in 1926: As a result of the tremendous progress and the growth of Los Angeles, its residential districts have shifted more rapidly than in any other city in America. Hollywood Sign 1923 A Sign Is Born < Back Hollywood, which by now represented not just a city, but also an industry, a lifestyle and, increasingly, an aspiration, was officially crowned when the "Hollywoodland" sign was erected in 1923. Originally erected as "Hollywoodland", as an advertisement to lure real estate investors in 1923 has now become a major symbol of Los Angeles that has seen tragedy, many facelifts, and even. By signing up you are agreeing to our, How Black Filmmakers Are Reclaiming Their History Onscreen. By 1948, box office receipts plummeted 45% from wartime highs due to television. Crime soared, and the towns storied boulevards were ravaged by urban decay. However, Hollywoodland cannot simply be reduced to the pastoral and idyllic community that it touted itself to be. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Feb. 10, 1924, p. D2. Built in 1923, The famous Hollywood sign was the vision for a real estate development in Beachwood Canyon. A history of the Hollywood sign | Logo Design Love A history of the Hollywood sign The sign was built in 1923 as HOLLYWOODLAND as a promotion to sell real estate. The Hollywood Sign 's been through some stuff. In the early 1970s, it was declared a city monument. If they were a starlets teeth, they would long since have been straightened out by studio dentists. In Wisconsin, friends are called "Sconnies". By 1912, word had traveled that Hollywood was the ideal place to shoot movies. Digital Thankfully, some of showbizs biggest names came to the rescue. Web. And for years after it opened, the Biltmores bar was a convivial spot for LGBTQ locals. ProQuest. In 1920-21, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created maps designating business conditions around the country--areas shaded black were bad, grey was fair, and white was good. On this map, LA was literally a white spot among areas shaded in black and grey, leading Harry Chandler to dub Los Angeles as The White Spot of America. The term caught on and by 1924 the phrase Keep the White Spot White was used throughout the city. The latest Hollywood sign was the same size as its predecessor. The Hollywood area was relatively quiet until 1907. The earliest found mention of the Sign appeared on December 14, 1923 in a Holly Leaves article about the Mulholland Highway soon to be built, which would extend from from the western end of the (Griffith Park) road, under the electric sign of Hollywoodland, around Lake Hollywood and across the dam., Just two weeks later another Los Angeles Timesarticle (December 30, 1923) with the headline Hollywood Electric Sign Reached by Car, reported on actor Harry Nevilles epic, experimental trip to test whether a motorcar could reach the Sign on the unpaved grade, and whether the cars brakes would work on the precipitous path down. Please try again later. Jeffrey Powers @geekazine There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. It was originally a clever electric billboard advertising an upscale suburban neighborhood in what is now the Hollywood Hills. "Rustic Enclave Trades Hustle for Serenity." Dozens of Parisian artists deplored the unsightly new Eiffel Tower, which was meant to be torn down after 20 years, anyway. Web. The sign was created as a marketing tactic for a new housing development that would be called "Hollywoodland", likely named after the California holly growing in the area. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99. Web. . ProQuest. The 50-foot letters were initially intended to spell Hollywoodland, but the ' land ' portion was deleted in 1949. All of these sections, however, have been affected by business, commercial and traffic conditions so that the rapidly increasing population of Los Angeles now demands a residential area developed on a high plane which will be safe from the inroads of commercialism, business and industrial expansion.. Mt. Photo via Los Angeles Public Library (1923). Photo via Los Angeles Public Library (date unknown), Photo via Los Angeles Public Library (1935), Photo by Julius Shulman via Getty Research Institute (1967), Hollywoodland advertisement and map. He announced that they were splitting Netflix streaming from DVD rentals. Very slowly. Built by Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler as a $21,000 billboard for his upscale Hollywoodland real estate development, the Sign soon took on the role of giant marquee for a city that was constantly announcing its own gala premiere. While builders in the other 47 contiguous states promoted real estate development with more mainstream marketing tactics, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler propped giant white letters atop Mt. Griffith Observatory features close-up views of the Hollywood Sign as well as the City of Los Angeles. . But the erection of the famed Hollywood sign in 1923 marked the start of another. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Jun. There's no precise record of when developers first put the letters, which originally read HOLLYWOODLAND, on the hill. Emboldened by her Broadway success, the ambitious young actress sether sights on the silver screen. Scientists are making the most of a rare opportunity, Send me a love song: How L.A. became hopelessly devoted to radio dedication shows, As a reporter, Id braced myself to cover mass shootings. But preservation and ornamentation were goals the developers placed . "Display Ad 100 -- no Title." According to History, he got an A.. The 50-foot high and 400-foot long sign was replaced by donations from nine public donors totaling $250,000. Hollywoodland was a huge, lit sign placed as an announcement for a real-estate development that was planned for that area in 1923. The Hollywood sign overlooking Los Angeles has been an international landmark since its debut in 1923. Full Day in Tech History podcast show notes forJuly 13. 1923, Thomas Fisk Goff; 1978 refurbished. Hollywood Sign Timeline 1923: The sign is built as a huge advertisement for the Hollywoodland real estate development. Emboldened by early 20th century court decisions in California and the U.S. Supreme Court, communities across LA restricted home ownership to prevent inclusion of non-whites, such as a 1920s Eagle Rock ad overtly proclaiming that [r]esidents of Eagle Rock are all of the White or Caucasian Race. Even legendary singer Nat King Cole could not prevent pervasive racism after purchasing his family home in LAs upscale Hancock Park in the 1940s. Dino Williams and Alexa Williams. Within a few months, 120 lots had already been sold at a total price of about $850,000. Photo Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust and HollywoodPhotographs.com. The year 1923 saw some notable births, creative inventions and much more. By 1923, nearly 75 years after California became a state, the civic profile of Latinos had been marginalized, melded inaccurately into a single population of Mexicans, as they were officially referred to in the 1930 census. Jeffrey Powers would love to come on your show and discuss the events of technology history. Photo via Los Angeles Public Library (1924), Publicity photo of women in a steam shovel above Hollywoodland. Original cost of the Hollywood Sign and the Riding Academy Building. Beachwood Market c. 1960s. Donated to the city of Los Angeles in 1944, it was in such a state that the city's Recreation and Parks Commission wanted it torn down. In Los Angeles, they screamed. Hollywoodland worked to restrict minorities from buying within the development and not-so-subtly advertised itself as a safe haven of sorts above the turmoil of the city. Another ad sought out the Old Timer of Los Angeles, stating: You .. Who have seen the fine residential districts of Los Angeles despoiled by metropolitan development--must realize now that Los Angeles is destined soon to be a city of millions. Since then, the sign has received fresh coats of white paint. In 1923, few rich landowners came together and got a land which was far enough from Los Angeles but still close enough for easy commuting and birthed the idea of Hollywoodland. ProQuest. The whole shebang land and sign was given or sold to the city, which didnt have as much regard for the monument as the tourists did. However, with Easterners drawn sunny skies and mild, dry weather, the areas bedrock industry real estate soon kicked into high gear. And its Peak L.A. that the signature monument for its movie industry was originally created for its other gazillion-dollar industry real estate. And while some sources still cite that the Sign was born in 1924, the correct date is indisputably 1923. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Apr. "Hollywoodland Electric Sign Reached by Car." This news caused their stock to fall, which continued when Hastings announced the DVD division was to be rebranded as Qwikster, and sold (which, of course, didnt happen). Built by Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler as a $21,000 billboard for his upscale Hollywoodland real estate development, the Sign soon took on the role of giant marquee for a city that was constantly announcing its own gala premiere. But what really caught my eye was that big white dot. The old Sign was scrapped in August 78, and 194 tons of concrete, enamel and steel later, the Sign was re-born, poised and polished for a new millennium.+ Read More, The Signs rebirth was one important step in a successful Hollywood revitalization effort that continues to this day.In 1980, a $90 million federal grant enabled Hollywood to launch a slew of redevelopment projects. Use of the radio by the Hollywoodland Orchestra, he reported, brought 20,000 letters from all parts of the country. The Hollywoodland Sign Appeared. On July 13, 1923, a sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out "HOLLYWOODLAND" was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision. Photo via New York Public Library Digital Collection (c. 1923). Old barns were turned into sound stages and Hollywoods quiet time was over.+ Read More, By 1915, America was officially film crazed, and Hollywood was shaping into the glamorous landscape weve come to know and love. 1920s)*^ - The HOLLYWOODLAND sign was erected in 1923 to advertise a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Hopeful actors and actresses filled the streets, dazzled by a new American dream: film stardom. The most recent paint job was in 2012. Designed by English artist and company owner Thomas Fisk Goff, the original sign was constructed in the year 1923. In 1923, Harry Chandler, a Los Angeles Times publisher, also ran a real estate development company, and this time, they are setting their sights on luxury clients. The billboard was massive. The dedication of the Hollywoodland Sign in 1923 Photograph Courtesy Bruce Torrence The Hollywodland Sign illuminated by thousands of tiny light bulbs in the 1930s Photograph Courtesy Bruce. It was one of the first and largest shows broadcast on satellite in 1985. Some notable fake sign destructions occurred in Superman (1978), The Rocketeer (1991), and Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010). Today, the Sign is poised to celebrate it 100th Anniversary in 2023 when Hollywoods biggest star receives accolades from fans around the world.+ Read More. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Today the former Hollywoodland development is a more diverse community of residents and visitors, bustling with tourists, hikers, and neighbors alike. The effect was truly spectacular, particularly for pre-Vegas sensibilities. Ed. "Residence in Hollywoodland for Attorney." Ironically, according to the History website, a letter was mailed to Entwistle a day before her death, offering her the lead role in a film about a woman who kills herself. Newly discovered HGP Easement! Tracy E. Shoults and S. H. Woodruff, the developers, envisioned Hollywoodland as an elegant throwback to old California. Web. ProQuest. Hotel Dunbar, Club Alabam, South Central, Central Avenue, Central Avenue Jazz Corridor, jazz, Hotel Somerville, jazz club, Green Book, black history, Hollywood, motel, Hollywood Center Motel, LA Confidential, noir, murder, Billionaire Boys Club, Hugh Hefner-led fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion. Few know that a giant white dot (35 feet in diameter, with 20-watt lights on the perimeter) was constructed below the Sign to catch the eye. It was happenstance, not foresight. The real estate syndicate comprised of General M. H. Sherman (founder of West Hollywood), Harry Chandler (Publisher of the LA Times) and developer Sidney H . All things Spanish became ranked as superior to all things Mexican, which probably explains why El Cholo served classic Mexican food but called itself a Spanish cafe., Endeavour and the Hollywood sign: How we got the photo. Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler built this $21,000 (over $250,000 in today's money) billboard for his upscale Hollywoodland real estate . "REALTY MEN IN PRAISE TO ADVERTISING." Harry Chandler, a former Los Angeles Times publisher, built the "Hollywoodland" sign in 1923 to advertise an upscale real estate development company with the same name. The gilded and marbled Beaux-Arts Biltmore Hotel rose that year to lord over Pershing Square like a glamorous Vanderbilt debutante; its own legend holds that the Black Dahlia drank perhaps her last drink here, and that the fan-besieged Beatles arrived perforce by helicopter, landing on the roof. Yet Los Angeles was some steps ahead of other cities. The history of the famous sign almost seems to confirm all the crazy reveries that suggests Hollywood is the promised land. For the better part of a century, the block lettering has reigned over Los Angeles as an iconic mark of industry. The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.Originally the Hollywoodland Sign, it is situated on Mount Lee, in the Beachwood Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains.Spelling out the word Hollywood in 45-foot-tall (13.7 m) white uppercase letters and 350 feet (106.7 m) long, it was originally created in 1923 as a temporary . The Biltmore showed up in the 1960s in the Green Book of places welcoming Black travelers. Photo via Hollywoodland: Established 1923. 2011 CEO Reed Hastings announced a bombshell that, in turn, brought on Netflixs single worst year ever. The original Hollywoodland Sign was completed prior to December 8, 1923. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Her public broadcast programs have earned her six Emmys, her two non-fiction books were bestsellers and Pinks, the Hollywood hot dog stand, named its veggie dog after her. Your IP: In 1938, the Don Lee Network purchased a 20-acre site behind the Hollywood Sign and built a state-of-the-art broadcast studio and transmission tower that could reach the San Fernando Valley and more. The Hollywood signAmerica's favorite collection of 45-foot-tall letters that spell out "Hollywood"has gone through its fair share of changes since it was first erected on Mount Lee in Los. Ladies in a steam shovel bucket, behind the Hollywoodland sign, 1923. The Hollywood sign was still in bad shape even after a refurbishment during the 1940s. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Aug. 24, 1925, p. 4. MONA GABLE SPECIAL TO,THE TIMES. By 1912, word of Hollywoods ideal film-shooting climate and landscapes spread, and at least 15 independent studios could be found shooting around town. ProQuest. Over 175,000 people attended what was called the global jukebox. The Automobile Club of Southern California opened its magnificent headquarters in 1923, an exceptionally handsome building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with a fine courtyard for cars, of course and church-worthy ceilings. Hardly alone in this pursuit, Hollywoodland was one of countless housing developments in LA and across the United States that, along with the banks, shamefully restricted minorities from entering its communities and deterred non-whites from home ownership and accumulating wealth. All Rights Reserved. A historical postcard of Warner Bros. West Coast Studios on Sunset Boulevard. Williams, Gregory Paul. Still, it included structural upgrades, like steel footing instead of telephone poles that held up the old sign, according to the History website. Built in 1923, the giant letters of the sign originally spelt "Hollywoodland". A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. Entwistle had been a teenaged orphan living in New York in 1923, the year that, down on the flats of Hollywood, the Warner brothers were incorporating their business. Originally intended to last just a year and a half, the Sign has endured more than eight decades and is still going strong. It is still open for business at the corner of Figueroa and Adams, near USC. Original Sherman Hollywoodland Tract era 1923 overlaid on the 2014 City of Los Angeles's Map and Guide to Griffith Park Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Nov. 4, 1923, p. V4. In 1978, Hugh Hefner hosted a gala fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion, where individual Sign letters were ceremonially auctioned off at $27,700 per letter to celebrity sponsors including glam-rocker Alice Cooper and cowboy star Gene Autry. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. In late 1924, the Sign was underscored with a 35-foot-diameter white circle - or more precisely, a dot. So many singular L.A. landmarks and institutions made their debuts in the year 1923 that celebrating those centennials really means something larger and more profound in the L.A. origins story than simply lighting up a few hundred candles. ProQuest. And yet no matter how the area continues to change, the community seems to always remain a unique little village all to itself. Although the $21,000 . The First 40 years of 20th cent | The "HOLLYWOODLAND"-sign was erected in 1923 and lost the "-LAND"-bit in 1949 during a restoration Intended to last just 18 months, the Sign has endured nearly 100 years.+ Read More, Mount Lee, the home of the Hollywood Sign, is named for an entrepreneur who transformed a ridge in Griffith Park into one of the most important sites in television history. The last four . A postcard of the Angelus Temple, one of many L.A. landmarks to open in 1923. Hollywood, which by now represented not just a city, but also an industry, a lifestyle and, increasingly, an aspiration, was officially coronated when the "Hollywoodland" sign was erected in 1923. But in 1932, she jumped off the H, despondent over a going-nowhere film career. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Jan. 6, 1924, p. D2. The syndicate, led by Woodruff, knew that all of their grand plans and construction would be for nothing if no one actually bought into their idea. 26 Nov. 2018. 1985: Live Aidwas firstheld. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images) Advertisement The Hollywoodland housing development was under construction with its eponymous sign in the background at the time of this photo, circa 1925. Hollywoodland today is just one of hundreds of neighborhoods scattered across Los Angeles, each with their own character and people. In 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce contracted to repair and rebuild the sign. Finegood changed the sign three more times to read: Holywood to celebrate Easter, Ollywood to protest Oliver Norths Iran-Contra testimony and Oil War to protest the Persian Gulf War. By the end of 1923, the Sign was fully erected, a high-profile beacon for the fast-growing metropolis. Butler was a child of the influential City Beautiful movement of the early 20th century, a civic philosophy that believed that beautiful public buildings and spaces helped to elevate people and institutions to be beautiful themselves aesthetically, socially and morally. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Jun. It was a year before MGM formed and Columbia Pictures took its name. Photo via Los Angeles Public Library (1924). The event was organized byBob GeldofandMidge Ureto raise funds for Ethiopian famine releif. According to Adweek, Hollywoodland was actually a subdivision of tract houses and the sign was a billboard for the development. Although some of the lots will be at high elevation, the engineering problem has been so handled that the boulevards throughout the tract will be carried on easy grades For many years the ranch has lain undeveloped, but the rapid growth of Hollywood and the growing popularity of the foothill area for residential purposes has reached a point where the subdivision of the tract is now deemed advisable by its owners. El Cholo, the Spanish Cafe, began dishing up Mexican food and drink for the carriage trade, with margaritas so enticing that an ex-con on the lam supposedly dared to come back to his L.A. haunts to drink just one more. 16 Dec. 2018. Thanks to his company's domination of the electrical sign market and his prowess with promotion, Howse would help electrify the Hollywoodland Sign in 1923, helping turn it into a potent advertising weapon on its way to being a world-famous icon. The 'Hollywoodland' sign is dedicated. In one advertisement from January 1924, Hollywoodland is shown as an open expanse gleaming above the congested streets of downtown with the slogan above the turmoil of the city. This combination of the natural beauty of the Hollywood hills, while still being close to the conveniences of the city made Hollywoodland an easy sell. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. So why the big civic surge? In order to build miles of road, as well as the new tracts where houses would be constructed, developers carved the landscape with a combination of mule drawn graders and steam shovels. Hollywoodland salesmen in front of the realty office. Ground was broken on the Mulholland Highway, the spectacular scenic road skimming along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, ultimately from Hollywood to the sea, meant to be L.A. Countys version of the Pacific Coast Highway. W hen the Hollywood Sign was built in 1923, there was little hint that it would become an iconic emblem. No doubt aided by having LA Times magnate, Harry Chandler, as part of the syndicate, ads in the LA Times constantly touted the community as the supreme achievement in community building!, the perfect choice when seeking a home place, superb environment without excessive cost, and combining the luxury of metropolitan living with the glorious freedom of the hills., Advertisement via Los Angeles Times (1924). Peg Entwistle was a stage actress from New York who dreamed about making it big in Hollywood. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Historical Context Originally erected in 1923 as a billboard for a new residential development, by the 1940s the then Hollywoodland sign was in disrepair. Nearly 70,000 cars passed that building every day, albeit slowly. The Hollywoodland sign was first illuminated on Saturday, December 8th, 1923 so going by the fact that there appears to be only one house in sight, I think we're safe in saying that this photo is from 1924. Sources: Its hard to imagine Hannans sentiment--some of which could easily be said about Los Angeles today--with so much land in and around LA still undeveloped by the early 1920s. And 1923 was the year that the city of L.A. did us all a favor by hiring Merrill Butler. Unsurprising in a town in the business of selling dreams, the original Hollywood sign was erected in 1923 to advertise a new housing development in the hills above Los Angeles. Costing around $21,000, the sign . Photo via Hollywoodland: Established 1923. Intended to only be temporary, the sign was built at a cost of a little over $23,000 and was made of sheet metal, pipe, wire, and telephone poles. Angelus Temples congregations were integrated. 16 Dec. 2018. Restrictive covenants and loan practices were already confining the small Black population, and would squeeze even tighter as more moved here. Then, her relentlessly publicized moral tumble an alleged affair and a mysterious five-week disappearance was probably a first for a woman minister of the Gospel, but old-ish news for men of the cloth. But a review of local newspapers from the era (i.e., The Los Angeles Times, Holly Leaves, Los Angeles Record, Los Angeles Examiner and the Hollywood Daily Citizen) clears up any confusion. Web. 26 Nov. 2018. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. The History of the Hollywood Sign and the two Hollywood signs. The sign was shortened to Hollywood where it stands overlooking LA. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995), Feb. 27, 1925, p. 1. Filmmakers and distributors responded with a series of gimmicks: wider screens, 3-D, Technicolor, stereo sound, even free dishes. In 1920, the L.A. County population was about 90% white, about 2% Black, with a Japanese population slightly more than that, and about 2,500 Chinese. And remember that white spot that shone below the Hollywood sign? The entrance to Hollywoodland is located at 2700 N. Beachwood Drive in Los Angeles. Considering that the original Hollywoodland sign was only intended to be an advertisement for a real estate development, it was quite expensive. Free shipping for many products! 8 Oct. 2018. The landmark sales office was also the site when tragedy struck in July 1923. The Village Plaza, situated at the end of Beachwood Drive, may no longer have the gas station or drug store, but Beachwood Market, the neighborhood grocery store since 1933, is still serving the community and even expanded to the building next door with its distinctive John Lautner-designed glass front. So much for that. In 2012, the Trust worked with Sherwin Williams to give the Hollywood Sign a complete makeover. 26 Nov. 2018. ProQuest. According to the article, A motley crowd of hillclimbers, workmen, salesmen and curiousity thrill-seekers stood by with fear and trembling as the loose dirt began to give way but Neville stuck by the ship to make it safely back to the wide smooth roads of Hollywoodland., There has also been debate about whether the Sign was originally erected without lights (with the thousands of bulbs added later). MGM became the Champagne studio, its productions lavish and dignified. The Hollywood sign, like the city at its feet, rambles horizontally, across 400 feet of hillside, its letters at slightly irregular levels. In one LA Times article from November 1925, an LA attorney who recently purchased a home in Hollywoodland explained this feeling in greater detail: I realize that the place in which to make strong, healthy men and women of my kiddies was not in an apartment, but in the great out-of-doors, yet my business was such that I could not leave the city for the advantages of a country estate. In fact, the sign didn't even say "Hollywood." The 50-ft.-tall lettering, which was. The hero hasnt even set foot here when hes buttonholed on his westward-bound train by an L.A. man delivering a relentless monologue: Want me to tell you why theyre boosters? The old landmark sign it replaces was built in 1923, but deteriorated and began to fall apart recently. 06, 1926, p. 1. Please attempt to sign up again. According to the Hollywood Sign website, other companies followed, including the Nestor Film Company, which is regarded as the first real studio in the area, according to a Hollywood sign history timeline. The 50-ft.-tall lettering, which was lit by thousands of flashing light bulbs, was erected as an advertisement not for the movie-making mecca, but for a housing development called Hollywoodland. Photo via Hollywoodland: Established 1923, Breaking ground on the Hollywood sign. To attract attention, though, they decided to put up a gimmickliterallyand the Hollywoodland sign was born. The state's gold has since been drained, and the quest for perfect health has spread to rest of the country. In fact, 1923 L.A. was quite a different place for some of the people who lived in it. 8 Oct. 2018. In 1977, someone hanged a man-sized dummy from the W, with a protest suicide note: What was there left to live for? At Cal Tech, physicist Robert Millikan brought home the first of Southern Californias dozens of Nobel Prizes for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and on the photoelectric effect. The prize, and his quarter-century leadership of Caltech, laid down a marker for the muscular science and tech place that this region would become.