A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOLLYWOOD"LAND" SIGN
Almost everybody has seen the Hollywood Sign as it sits today, high atop its perch on Mount Lee, either in a movie, or on a postcard or news clip. However, not many people outside of Hollywood know that the original sign read “HOLLYWOODLAND” as depicted above.
The original purpose of the sign in 1923, when it was constructed, was to advertise a housing development in the nearby hills. It originally was covered by 4,000 light bulbs that would flash in three segments “HOLLY,” “WOOD,”and “LAND” intermittently. Each letter is 30ft. wide and 45ft. tall and was erected by the Crescent Sign Company at the behest of the “Hollywoodland”developers who commissioned it costing them $21,000 in those days (about $250,000 in today’s dollars)
The sign was only expected to last about a year and a half and slowly deteriorated over the years just as it was becoming a symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood in its heyday. In the early 1940’s the sign’s official caretaker, Albert Kothe, drove off the road and into the giant “H” destroying his car and the “H”.
In 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles Parks Department came to a deal to repair and restore the sign under the condition that the “LAND” part of the sign be removed to reflect the entire district of Hollywood instead of just the small housing development.
From then until the 1970’s the wood and sheet metal structure continued to deteriorate. The first “O” had broken at the top, making it look like a small “u” and the third “O” had fallen down completely. Then due to a public campaign led by legendary rocker Alice Cooper that raised nearly $250,000 replaced the letters with the longer lasting steel ones you see today.
-Robert Netherland,
www.understandinghollywood.com
For more about the Hollywood Sign, visit http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
The original purpose of the sign in 1923, when it was constructed, was to advertise a housing development in the nearby hills. It originally was covered by 4,000 light bulbs that would flash in three segments “HOLLY,” “WOOD,”and “LAND” intermittently. Each letter is 30ft. wide and 45ft. tall and was erected by the Crescent Sign Company at the behest of the “Hollywoodland”developers who commissioned it costing them $21,000 in those days (about $250,000 in today’s dollars)
The sign was only expected to last about a year and a half and slowly deteriorated over the years just as it was becoming a symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood in its heyday. In the early 1940’s the sign’s official caretaker, Albert Kothe, drove off the road and into the giant “H” destroying his car and the “H”.
In 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles Parks Department came to a deal to repair and restore the sign under the condition that the “LAND” part of the sign be removed to reflect the entire district of Hollywood instead of just the small housing development.
From then until the 1970’s the wood and sheet metal structure continued to deteriorate. The first “O” had broken at the top, making it look like a small “u” and the third “O” had fallen down completely. Then due to a public campaign led by legendary rocker Alice Cooper that raised nearly $250,000 replaced the letters with the longer lasting steel ones you see today.
-Robert Netherland,
www.understandinghollywood.com
For more about the Hollywood Sign, visit http://www.hollywoodsign.org/
IF you're planning on visiting or moving to Hollywood, this guide is a must!