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Hollywood’s first 50 years, until the freeway paved paradise in 1954


Fred C. Thomson Building: The Court of the Olive Tree
Through an archway on Sunset Boulevard is the Court of the Olive Tree, named for the sapling planted here in 1927.
Oct 9, 2024


Baine Building: Hollywood’s First Penthouse
Go inside the historic Baine Building and Hollywood's first penthouse at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Whitley Avenue.
Dec 14, 2023


Tragic Tale of Hollywood’s First Art Director
Hollywood’s first art director is the architect behind a local masterpiece: Las Orquideas villas on Orchid Avenue, just east of the Magic Castle. Las Orquideas nestled in the Hollywood Hills, 1929 (USC) Wilfred Buckland — who worked extensively with Cecil B. DeMille and Jesse Lasky — built the Spanish Colonial Revival complex, a recreation of his favorite hillside village in Andalusia, in 1928. The nine units feature double-volume living rooms, balcony dining rooms, arched en
Jan 2, 2023
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