Skip to main content

Image / Cocoanut Grove conga line

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Cocoanut Grove conga line
Alternative Title
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection
Date Created and/or Issued
1940
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 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 4 million. The landmark hotel was eventually demolished between late 2005 and early 2006.
Guests at the Cocoanut Grove on June 22, 1940, are shown doing a hot La Conga after the show.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph :b&w
Photographic prints
Identifier
00055459
Herald Examiner Collection
HE box 5051.
CARL0000057379
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/20359
Subject
Cocoanut Grove (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Ambassador Hotel
Hotels--California--Los Angeles
Nightclubs--California--Los Angeles
Dance--California--Los Angeles
Herald-Examiner Collection photographs

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

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.

Explore related content on Calisphere: