Los Angeles Theatres: Mayan Theatre: ticket lobby

Looking south toward the boxoffice windows. Later, the Mayan got an island boxoffice but it's been removed. This area, now enclosed with doors at the sidewalk line, was originally open to the street. Photo: Mott Studios - California State Library - 1927

The California State Library has 63 Mott Studios pictures of the Mayan in their Mott-Merge collection, including many alternate takes. Their set #001442998 has 17 photos, set #001412054 has 16 photos, set #001412080 has 14 photos and set #001386186 has 16 photos.

An elevation of an early design scheme for the ends of the ticket lobby. The upper part was drastically simplified. The drawing is split down the middle with the north end (with display cases) on the left and the south end (with one display and two boxoffice windows) on the right. It's dated November 1926 with revisions up to January 1, 1927. This is one of five ticket lobby views on drawing #9305 in the Morgan, Walls & Clements Archive at the Huntington Library.

Thanks to Mike Hume for locating plans for the project in the Huntington's collection. What they have for the Mayan starts with drawing #9275 and runs through drawing #9329. Also see poster case details, drawing #9938 and marquee reinforcements, drawing #9968. Visit the Index to the MW&C Drawings that Mike has compiled for his Historic Theatre Photography site. There's also a 22 page index by Mike Callahan on Internet Archive.

This railing was supposed to be in front of each boxoffice window, but evidently was deleted. It's a detail from drawing #9323 on the Huntington Library site.

Elevations from a later drawing showing the simplified design for the upper part of the ticket lobby. This is on drawing #9306, dated March 3, 1927.

The simplified ceiling plan, also from drawing #9306 on the Huntington site.

The ceiling treatment that was the initial scheme, shown on drawing #9305.

The original scheme for the east wall, looking toward the entrance doors, from drawing #9305.

The early plan for the west wall, looking out under the marquee toward Hill St. It's on drawing #9305.

A closer look at the two boxoffice windows and a center display case. This Mott Studios photo appeared in volume two of "American Theatres of Today" by R.W. Sexton and B. F. Betts, Architectural Book Publishing Co, New York, 1927 and 1930. Thanks to Mike Hume for preparing a PDF of the book's four pages about the Mayan.

The layout of the boxoffice, counting room and exit passage on the south side of the building, from drawing #9311. In the lower right that's the south end of the lobby, and the stairs up to the balcony. The full drawing also has additional details of boxoffice windows and poster cases. For drawings of the inside of the boxoffice, including drawers and ticket racks, see drawing #9324. Some ticket window revisions are on drawing #9325.

A 1927 view looking north from the USC Digital Library collection.

An early plan for the south half of the tile floor, from drawing #9305 on the Huntington Library site. "Opposite half similar but not symmetrical." Note "Theatre" in the second row of tiles up from the bottom.

A later design for the tile floor, drawing #9326. This one is dated April 28, 1927. Click on it for a larger view or head to the Huntington site for the jumbo version.

The figure on the left.

The figure on the right.

The center motif. It's from drawing #9326 on the Huntington site.

During the 38th week of the run of "Run, Little Chillun" in 1938. The Federal Theatre Project production had an all Black cast. It's a Herman Schultheis photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

A c.1976 photo by Ave Pildas appearing in the 1980 book "Movie Palaces: Survivors of an Elegant Era" with photos by Mr. Pildas and text by Lucinda Smith. It's available on Amazon.

A view north 89 years after the opening. Thanks to Gary Simon for his photo. You can see his full set of 32 wonderful photos on the LAHTF Facebook page. They were taken at the July 2016 Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "all-about" tour of the theatre.

The LAHTF is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of the buildings. www.lahtf.org | group Facebook page | official FB page

The ticket lobby in 2009. The ceiling was only uncovered sometime after 1989. For decades there had been a dropped ceiling hiding its wondrous shape. The event was a LAHTF "all-about" tour. Thanks to Don Solosan for the photo.

A detail of the ceiling at one end of the space. Thanks to Gary Simon for the 2016 photo. And thanks also to Steve Simon, the man with the big floodlight.

Another look at the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Cast stone work above the entrance doors. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Carvings at the doors. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Original boxoffice windows on the south end of the ticket lobby. From about 1940 until 1989 the theatre had a rather deco-ish island boxoffice in the center of this lobby. At the time display cases covered these ticket windows. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016