The Los Angeles Theatre pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | entrance | grand lobby | main floor inner lobby | lobby - 1st balcony level | basement - intermediate lounge | basement - main lounge | ladies room and nursery | men's room | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | stage | booth | retail and support spaces |
The south retail space:
The south space in 1931. It's a detail from a Mott Studios photo in the California State Library collection.
The south space in 2018. It's now three stores numbered as 617, 617 1/2 and 619 S. Broadway. Photo: Bill Counter
An elevator motor in a penthouse on the roof. The south retail space had a single elevator, the north space had two. Thanks to Bill Campbell for his 2007 photo, one of 68 in his Los Angeles Theatre set on Flickr.
Up on the 2nd floor looking toward Broadway. The elevator at left, later abandoned, originally went down to the first floor and the 1st basement level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The view south toward the Palace. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Another look out the window. Thanks to Broadway Theatre group for the Gary Leonard photo.
Looking away from Broadway. The stairs down are back there at the end of the space. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The stairs down to the 1st floor. The stairs continue down to the 1st basement level, at the same level as the intermediate lounge in the theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The view back up to the 2nd floor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
On the 1st floor at the back of the space. They've built a wall dividing this area from the portion rented out as retail fronting on Broadway. The doorway now connects this space with the theatre lobby. Just beyond the drinking fountain is a handicap restroom. Broadway is off to the right. Behind us are the stairs either to the 2nd floor or basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
On the basement level looking east toward Broadway. The door at left in the far wall leads to a room used for marquee letter storage. Out of the frame to the left are two doorways cut into the north wall of this space to allow access from this space to the theatre's intermediate lounge -- the floors are at the same level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Marquee letter storage in a room at the east end of the south retail basement space. Thanks to Floyd B. Bariscale for his 2009 photo. Check out his Big Orange Landmarks blog, his Los Angeles Theatre article, and the 93 item photo set on Flickr.
A few letters. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for her 2009 photo. Don't miss the 72 great views of the theatre in her Los Angeles Theatre set on Flickr.
Another basement level view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The abandoned elevator at rest at basement level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A view of the south basement space by Gary Leonard. Thanks to Broadway Theatre group for the photo. It's on the retail areas page in the Los Angeles Theatre website's photo gallery.
The north retail space:
The north space in 1931. It's a detail from a Mott Studios photo in the California State Library collection. The Library's photo set # 001417113 has six 1931 Mott Studios interior views.
The north space is now three stores using the addresses of 609, 611 and 613 S. Broadway. The facade lost its terracotta in a 40s remodel. Note the Zukor's facade on the right from their time there after moving two doors north. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018
On the 2nd floor looking east toward Broadway. The windows were stuccoed over in a facade "modernization." The projections on either side closer to the front are elevator shafts. This side got two elevators, both later abandoned and the shafts used for HVAC ductwork. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The elevator on the north side of the space. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
On the basement level of the north retail space. We're looking east toward Broadway. The open door at left heads forward into a storage room. Both elevators for the north retail space are in the storage room on the other side of the wall. At the right are new doorways cut into the south wall of this space to allow access to the theatre's intermediate lounge level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Behind us is the north retail space's service stairway to get up to the 1st and 2nd floors. Or head down to the mechanical and electrical rooms an additional floor below us. While the south space had only one basement level, on this side we get two.
An earlier look at the basement under the north space. Thanks to Broadway Theatre group for the Gary Leonard photo.
The elevator on the north side of the north retail space at basement level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A look inside the elevator cab. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for his 2007 photo on Flickr. Also see another elevator view. Don't miss his terrific Los Angeles Theatres set for over 500 great photos of many different theatres.
Eric comments: "There are a few, formerly-commercial spaces tucked into the Los Angeles Theater's basement. No one wants to rent a basement space for sales or operate an elevator as part of their tiny store, so this elevator was sent to the basement and the shaft sealed off for added first-floor sales space. It's a beauty and it's just waiting for somebody to do something with it. But what?"
Looking toward Broadway in the storage area in the north retail space's basement level. Here there's a trove of various supplies, speakers from backstage, old theatre furniture and lots more. The south elevator once serving this space is out of the frame to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The elevator on the south side of the north retail space at basement level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
2nd basement level, north side of the building:
The main single phase service switchboard. In front of the switchboard are sewage ejector pumps. Many buildings from the 20s and 30s had two separate electrical services, a single phase service for lighting and receptacles and a three phase service for power loads. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
All the mechanical and electrical rooms are strung along the north side of the building, at 2nd basement level -- approximately the same level as the main basement lounge. Here we're at the east end of the basement, close to Broadway. There's a three phase switchboard a little farther west of this room. Generally, this photo sequence in this section is from east (lobby end) to west (stage end) of the building.
Looking east along the single phase switchboard. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013.
A closer look at the east end of the board. Thanks to Broadway Theatre group for the Gary Leonard photo.
A 1931 photo of this board by Dick Whittington Studio that was commissioned by Diamond Electric, its manufacturer. It's in the USC Digital Library collection. Also see a second view.
A look toward the stairs up to the 1st basement level. Thanks to Broadway Theatre group for the Gary Leonard photo.
The view west along the switchboard into the fan room beyond. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013.
Deeper into the fan room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The main supply fan. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Sump pumps and part of the three-phase switchboard serving mechanical loads. The main service feeding this board is farther west in the basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A view along the mechanical room switchboard. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A 1931 photo of this three-phase board by Dick Whittington Studio that was commissioned by Diamond Electric, its manufacturer. It's in the USC Digital Library collection.
A sink and pump in one of the mechanical rooms. It's a Gary Leonard photo taken for the Broadway Theatre Group.
Air washers and steam coils. The view is east back toward the main electric room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Chilled water piping associated with the air washer. Most installations of this vintage originally used nozzles dispersing chilled water into the air path to both cool the air and wash out any dust or soot. Usually these were retrofitted later with more efficient cooling coils instead of the air washer. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The original chiller for the air conditioning system. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Another chiller view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A curious corner in one of the mechanical rooms. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Looking up a few steps to the room with the service switchboard. The sign on the door says welcome. In behind the board in this room is the DWP transformer vault. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013.
The main service switchboard. This board also feeds a newer three-phase switchboard in the hall back near the kitchen. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A closer look at part of the board. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Another chiller view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Looking back east along the newer three phase switchboard. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
A long mysterious corridor as we continue toward the stage end of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The newer chiller unit for the air conditioning system. This room is back pretty far toward the stage end of the building, just north of the main basement lounge. What's through the sealed doorway at the left of the picture? Access to the periscope equipment in the lounge? Mysteries. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Another chiller view. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
From the level of the three phase switchboard and newer chiller room, it's back down a few steps. We're continuing to head west head to the kitchen area and former restaurant space at the west end of the main basement lounge. The main three phase switchboard is back behind us and off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The newer board we see ahead is in a room just north of the main kitchen area. The cables on the floor are temporary power for the stage -- they were snaking all the way through the kitchen to the south side of the building and up two levels of stairs to the stage right side of the stage. Since the photo was taken there's been a permanent feeder run up to the stage to provide three phase power there.
Looking back east along the newer three phase switchboard. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
The room north of the main kitchen. Going down the hall to the right beyond the switchboard leads you back to the string of mechanical and electrical equipment rooms along the north side of the basement. Photo: Bill Counter - 2013
Here we're at the same level as the main basement lounge. Up one floor and you're at the dressing room level. Up another floor at this end of the building and you're on the stage.
The Los Angeles Theatre pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | entrance | grand lobby | main floor inner lobby | lobby - 1st balcony level | basement - intermediate lounge | basement - main lounge | ladies room and nursery | men's room | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | stage | booth | back to top - retail and support areas |
The Los Angeles Theatre pages: history | vintage exterior views | recent exterior views | entrance | grand lobby | main floor inner lobby | lobby - 1st balcony level | basement - intermediate lounge | basement - main lounge | ladies room and nursery | men's room | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | stage | booth | back to top - retail and support areas |
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