Title supplied by cataloger.; Herman J. Schultheis was born in Aachen, Germany in 1900, and immigrated to the United States in the mid-1920s after obtaining a Ph.D. in mechanical and electrical engineering. He married Ethel Wisloh in 1936, and the pair moved to Los Angeles the following year. He worked in the film industry from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s, most notably on the animated features Fantasia and Pinocchio. His detailed notebook, documenting the special effects for Fantasia, is the subject of a 14-minute short-subject included on the film's DVD. In 1949, he started employment with Librascope as a patent engineer. Schultheis was an avid amateur photographer who traveled the world with his cameras. It was on one of these photographic exhibitions in 1955 that he disappeared in the jungles of Guatemala. His remains were discovered 18 months later. The digitized portion of this collection represents the images Schultheis took of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities after he relocated to the area in 1937. The massive 500-room Ambassador Hotel, designed by renowned architect Myron Hunt, opened for business in 1921 on the site of a former dairy farm. 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 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 was eventually demolished between late 2005 and early 2006.; Architects Walker & Eisen designed the Renaissance revival style 1924 Gaylord Apartments, located at 3355 Wilshire Boulevard. The building was named for Gaylord Wilshire, who founded the boulevard.; The six-story Evanston Apartments were built in the late 1920s and located at 630 South Kenmore. This building has been demolished and the site is now occupied by the 1967 Wilshire Square building designed by the architectural firm of Langdon & Wilson.; The Mona Lisa Cafe opened a new location at 3343 Wilshire Boulevard in 1930. The first location was located on 7th street. This restaurant, supervised by "Madame Musso," was under the same management as Musso and Frank Grill in Hollywood. This building has been demolished and the site is now occupied by a 1981 highrise. Ethel Schultheis stands near the walkway on the Ambassador Hotel lawn. The Gaylord (left) and Evanston Apartments (center) can be seen past the lawns. The neon sign for the Mona Lisa Cafe and some of the Spanish style bungalows are visible on the far right.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;11 x 15 cm. Photographic prints
Schultheis, Ethel Ambassador Hotel Gaylord (Apartment House : Los Angeles, Calif.) Evanston (Apartment House : Los Angeles, Calif.) Mona Lisa Cafe (Los Angeles, Calif.) Women--California--Los Angeles Hotels--California--Los Angeles Covered walks--California--Los Angeles Lawns--California--Los Angeles Architecture, Domestic--California--Los Angeles--Spanish influences Apartment houses--California--Los Angeles Dwellings--California--Los Angeles Restaurants--California--Los Angeles Neon signs--California--Los Angeles Lost architecture--California--Los Angeles Portrait photographs Schultheis Collection photographs Hunt, Myron,1868-1952 Walker & Eisen
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