Title supplied by cataloger.; Photographs in this series were taken between January and March 2005. 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 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 was eventually demolished between late 2005 and early 2006. Interior view of the Embassy Ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel. Photograph shows an extremely large ballroom with high arched ceilings, three beautiful chandeliers over a possible dance floor. A carved wooden image depicting a chariot race is high up on the far wall (barely visible due to lack of lighting). The entire floor is covered by a thin fabric and it appears work is being done inside the darkened ballroom, possibly due to rain damage.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Ambassador Hotel Lost architecture--California--Los Angeles Abandoned buildings--California--Los Angeles Ballrooms--California--Los Angeles Chandeliers--California--Los Angeles Hotels--California--Los Angeles Architecture--Roman influences Historic American Buildings Survey Collection photographs Heritage Documentation Programs Collection photographs Williams, Paul R.,1894-1980 Hunt, Myron,1868-1952
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