The Hollywood Sign (Los Angeles, California)

USA / California / Burbank / Los Angeles, California
 landmark, signboard, interesting place, historic landmark, 1923_construction, do not draw title
The Hollywood Sign is a famous landmark in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, spelling out the name of the area in 15 meter (48 feet) high white letters. It was created as an advertisement for a real estate developer promoting Hollywoodland in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition after its initial purpose had been fulfilled. Throughout the 1920s the sign was all lit up at night, being studded with thousands of light bulb. There was a caretaker's shack behind the letter "Y," changing all those light bulbs being a full time job.

Contrary to popular myth, Albert Kothe did not actually live in the shack, but he was apparently the only maintenance man who worked up there. Kothe purportedly stripped all the copper wiring out of the sign and sold it for scrap metal in 1939 because the sign was no longer being lit up. In 1932, wannabe star Peg Entwistle, distraught over her failed movie career, climbed the "H" and jumped to her death. Ms. Entwhistle is the only person known to have jumped to their death from the Hollywood sign.

In the 1970s the sign became a frequent target of pranks and vandalism, including lot of graffiti, and has undergone periodic restoration over the years. The sign is now a registered trademark and cannot be used without the permission of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which also manages the Walk of Fame.

In 1978, in large part because of the public campaign to restore the landmark by shock rocker Alice Cooper (who donated the missing O), the Chamber set out to replace the intensely deteriorated sign with a more permanent structure. Nine donors gave US $27,700 each to sponsor replacement letters made of steel, guaranteed to last for many years.

The new letters were 45 feet (14 m) tall and ranged from 31 to 39 feet (9.4 to 12 m) wide. The new version of the sign was unveiled on Hollywood's 75th anniversary, November 14, 1978, before a live television audience of 60 million people.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=988l9Ay770I&ab_channel=CBSS...


www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wei9nvD3yU
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°8'2"N   118°19'18"W

Comments

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  • Official Hollywood sign Website http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
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