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Image / Aerial view of Ambassador Hotel

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Title
Aerial view of Ambassador Hotel
Alternative Title
Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection
Date Created and/or Issued
1924
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
The Ambassador Hotel was designed by Myron Hunt and opened for business in 1921. It occupied 23.7 acres at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, bordered by 8th Street, Catalina Street, and nearly to Mariposa Avenue. The hotel served as the stomping grounds for a staggering list of Hollywood legends, heads of state, and an endless list of famous personalities from the 20th Century. It was also home of The Cocoanut Grove nightclub, which was 'the' West Coast hot spot for live entertainment where people like Bing Crosby and Barbra Streisand got their start, and Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and many others came to perform. It is said that as many as seven U.S. Presidents stayed at the Ambassador, from Hoover to Nixon, along with heads of state from around the world. A pivotal moment in world history happened in 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy was shot in a pantry off of the Embassy Room (and died 25 hours later), following his California Primary victory speech. The death of RFK coincided with the beginning of the hotel's demise. The Schine family had owned the Ambassador for about 50 years, until its doors were closed on January 3, 1989 after 68 years of service, selling for $64 million. The landmark hotel, but not the pylon, was eventually demolished between late 2005 and early 2006.
An aerial view showing several miles of city, with the Ambassador and the golf course surrounding it clearly visible in the center.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph :b&w
Photographic prints
Identifier
00007031
Security Pacific National Bank Collection
L.A.-Hotels-Ambassador Hotel.; A-008-035 4x5
CARL0000004640
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/87073
Subject
Ambassador Hotel
Hotels--California--Los Angeles
Lost architecture--California--Los Angeles
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
Panoramic views
Aerial photographs
Wilshire Boulevard (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Time Period
1921-1930

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