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October 2, 1960 "Lower station, 'Angels Flight,' Third & Hill streets, Los Angeles. Last remaining cable railway in the City of Los Angeles." 5x7 acetate negative by Jack Boucher for the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size.
I believe just to the right of this photo is 215 N Hill St., which was a large house that was Burt Lancaster's mother's house in this movie. Burt is seen walking up the hill with the tunnel visible in the background. The tunnel and hill were removed in 1955. The corner figures into the storylines of several movies:
I was catching up with my DVR last night, watching the second hour of "Aquarius." Det. Hodiak (David Duchovny) has a large print of this very photo hanging in his office at the Hollywood Precinct in 1967. The ep aired May 28 and this was posted on Shorpy June 2. Coincidence?
The 2010 photo shows Angels Flight rebuilt and relocated; that happened in 1996. Note the difference in the trackway. The cars used were original.
Since 1996, major accidents have been attributed to poor/neglected maintenance and pure stupidity on the part of management. Kids could fall off the car ends, too. Take the stairs and get some exercise, or check out the nearby Grand Central Market.
The fellow on the right, waiting to cross the street looks like a walking ad for Brylcreme or Wildroot. Perhaps Fop or Dapper Dan.
I notice the gate carries the abbreviation B.P.O.E., which stands for Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (or "Best People On Earth", as my Elk-member grandfather was always fond of saying). So, what was the relationship between this tiny little railroad and a major fraternal organization?
[The local Elks Lodge building was at the top of Angel's Flight. In 1909, seven years after the funicular was built, the lodge paid for the fancy arch at the bottom. -tterrace]
"Angels Flight" is the setting for the start of a good detective novel by Michael Connelly.
It has been restored and placed in a different location.
I took this picture in late 2010, the cars weren't running at that time due to an accident some years earlier, and they still aren't as far as I know.
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