This project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian Made accessible through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation and Photo Friends
Photograph caption dated February 28, 1961 reads, "Firemen with dynamite - no hoses - The alarm rings. Company Commander Jack Ellison of the Los Angeles Fire Department's Demolition Squad located in Hollywood at Engine Co. 82 sights the address on chart. A fireman runs to his position on the fire truck. The call might be to collapse a structure left by fire, flood or earthquake or to raze a building in the path of a fire to make a fire break. Battalion Commander John Dick, second photo, supervises the monthly explosions of the demolition squad held in the Hollywood Hills. In the background a fireman drills a hole for the charge. Firemen Ray Johnson, 6218 Lederer Ave., Woodland Hills; Edward Smith, 15061 Hiawatha St., San Fernando, and Company Commander Ellison, center photo, place raw dynamite in the hole. The squad is manned entirely by Valley residents. Battalion Commander Dick, fourth photo, watches Ellison push the plunger of the voltage generator, setting off the explosion in the last photo. Most of the squad's work involves assisting in the construction of the fire breaks located in the brush areas surrounding the Valley. But once a month, as in these photos, the squad holds drills, working calmly and routinely with the dangerous explosive."; See images #00145298 through #00145302 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;24 x 17 cm. Photographic prints
Los Angeles (Calif.).--Fire Department Drilling and boring machinery--California--Los Angeles Fire departments--California--Los Angeles Fire fighters--California--Los Angeles Fire chiefs--California--Los Angeles Explosions--California--Los Angeles Explosives--California--Los Angeles Dynamite--California--Los Angeles Mountains--California, Southern Men--California--Los Angeles Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles, Calif.) Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) Valley Times Collection photographs Portrait photographs Group portraits
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
