Duh on me about the pictures

Richard Lanham <lanhamflREMOVE RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote in
news:140820051451218294%lanhamflREMOVE@cox.net:

> In article <Xns96B2945BA6159rowanart RemoveThis @68.1.17.6>, rowan
> <rowanart RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote:
>
Three pictures of McDermott's pool, one from 1950, two from 2004, are at
alt.binaries.test. What an assortment of posts at THAT group!

Rowan

>> Well, THAT certainly makes sense. Is there any particular newsgroup
>> that would be best?
>
> You can't go wrong with alt.binaries.test
>
> Rick
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

In article <Xns96B2A95E72FBFrowanart.RemoveThis@68.1.17.6>, rowan
<rowanart.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote:

> Three pictures of McDermott's pool, one from 1950, two from 2004, are at
> alt.binaries.test. What an assortment of posts at THAT group!

You're one to talk! Yours fit right in! The one is just the right size
for the computer desktop, but the close-in view of the spider is more
interesting. I wonder who the woman is in the other one?

Rick
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

The woman is Betty Blue. Part of the research project is to ID
*everyone* affiliated with the pool, and her pose is the quintessential
image of it. A print of a similar picture, with a different model, was
just auctioned at Christie's, starting price $800. I didn't bid. I can
barely afford to collect information, let alone pricey objets d'art.

Why anyone would choose a huge spider as the centerpiece overlooking a
beautiful tiled swimming pool is another big question. I had long ago
done searches for spider-themed movies from the old days, but only
recently made the McDermott connection. The Picture Play article seems
to fit whoever built this pool to a T, even though I haven't yet proven
McD was the one.

In the 1950s it was owned by Hollywood prop man Karl Brainard, assuming
he's the same as the Carl M. (Max, I think) Brainard on the deed. It
seems possible that the Hollywood fraternity may have kept the pool "in
the family" for a while.

I can't prove it but I think the house was gone by the 1950's.

Rowan

Richard Lanham <lanhamflREMOVE.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote in
news:140820051713468110%lanhamflREMOVE@cox.net:

> In article <Xns96B2A95E72FBFrowanart.RemoveThis@68.1.17.6>, rowan
> <rowanart.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> Three pictures of McDermott's pool, one from 1950, two from 2004, are
>> at alt.binaries.test. What an assortment of posts at THAT group!
>
> You're one to talk! Yours fit right in! The one is just the right
> size for the computer desktop, but the close-in view of the spider is
> more interesting. I wonder who the woman is in the other one?
>
> Rick
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

In article <Xns96B2C01568525rowanart.RemoveThis@68.1.17.6>, rowan
<rowanart.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote:

> In the 1950s it was owned by Hollywood prop man Karl Brainard, assuming
> he's the same as the Carl M. (Max, I think) Brainard on the deed. It
> seems possible that the Hollywood fraternity may have kept the pool "in
> the family" for a while.
>
> I can't prove it but I think the house was gone by the 1950's.

The easiest thing in most counties then would be to search the land
records at the court house. Maybe there are some things online at the
county's site??

If there isn't, you could write or call, asking for photocopies of the
land record INDEX pages which would list all the McDermotts, as well as
a lot of other "Mc" names (shouldn't cost too much). Or you might start
with Brainard. Specify the years you are interested in covering.

When you get those pages, then write/call again to get the individual
records that look interesting.

Or maybe someone in the area can help, if you are not in the LA area.

///
Did you see my posting of the info from Edward M.'s WWI Draft Card?

Rick
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

Yes, Rick, I saw the info, and many thanks. I'm in the middle of
painting my house right now or I would be at the computer steadily to
follow up on all this. I've just recentyl gotten the chain of title back
to McD in 1937 and am trying to get more records now. You have good
ideas and I appreciate them. I'm on the wrong coast to do LA research
and have little on-site help even though many people are rooting me on
-- and even chipping in money to do the records searches! Having names
now has uncorked the bottle, and the genie is already delivering me info
that up untl recently had eluded me. I think we will prove a very strong
Hollywood connection with this property, before and after McD. It's been
a very good mystery, very challenging to do from across the continent,
and an impossible task without help from all over. I'm certainly not the
only one working on this project, but I may be the one most interested
in the historical side of it.

Rowan



Richard Lanham <lanhamflREMOVE RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote in
news:140820051945371082%lanhamflREMOVE@cox.net:

> In article <Xns96B2C01568525rowanart RemoveThis @68.1.17.6>, rowan
> <rowanart RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote:
>
>> In the 1950s it was owned by Hollywood prop man Karl Brainard,
assuming
>> he's the same as the Carl M. (Max, I think) Brainard on the deed. It
>> seems possible that the Hollywood fraternity may have kept the pool
"in
>> the family" for a while.
>>
>> I can't prove it but I think the house was gone by the 1950's.
>
> The easiest thing in most counties then would be to search the land
> records at the court house. Maybe there are some things online at the
> county's site??
>
> If there isn't, you could write or call, asking for photocopies of the
> land record INDEX pages which would list all the McDermotts, as well
as
> a lot of other "Mc" names (shouldn't cost too much). Or you might
start
> with Brainard. Specify the years you are interested in covering.
>
> When you get those pages, then write/call again to get the individual
> records that look interesting.
>
> Or maybe someone in the area can help, if you are not in the LA area.
>
> ///
> Did you see my posting of the info from Edward M.'s WWI Draft Card?
>
> Rick
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

"rowan" <rowanart.TakeThisOut@cox.net> wrote in message
news:Xns96B2CD415AED5rowanart@68.1.17.6...
> Yes, Rick, I saw the info, and many thanks. I'm in the middle of
> painting my house right now or I would be at the computer steadily to
> follow up on all this. I've just recentyl gotten the chain of title back
> to McD in 1937 and am trying to get more records now. You have good
> ideas and I appreciate them. I'm on the wrong coast to do LA research
> and have little on-site help even though many people are rooting me on
> -- and even chipping in money to do the records searches! Having names
> now has uncorked the bottle, and the genie is already delivering me info
> that up untl recently had eluded me. I think we will prove a very strong
> Hollywood connection with this property, before and after McD. It's been
> a very good mystery, very challenging to do from across the continent,
> and an impossible task without help from all over. I'm certainly not the
> only one working on this project, but I may be the one most interested
> in the historical side of it.

Have you tried looking at the Sanborn maps for the address?

Frederica
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

I don't have online access to Sanborns, and the nearest site with a
California set is 5 hours away... it's on the to do list but I don't know
when I'll get to it. I have never used the Sanborns and hope they will
cover the time frame and the neighborhood in question; it was relatively
sparsely developed before the 1950s.

I have an address for Jack McDermott from a 1940 LA phone book; it's
different from the address on the later deeds (3100 vs. 3010) but I suspect
this represents renumbering or an error as there seem to have never been
many houses on the street. There's a lot I could do -- or at least do a lot
more easily -- if I were in LA. Part of the challenge, unfortunately, has
been doing this by "remote control". All the info posted here in the past
few days has definitely helped.

Thanks for the suggestion and feel free to continue brainstorming on my
behalf. :)

Rowan

"Frederica" <missmerrivale RemoveThis @RATSPAMMERSyahoo.com> wrote in news:ddqamt$70l$1
@sm-news1.rand.org:

>
> "rowan" <rowanart RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote in message
> news:Xns96B2CD415AED5rowanart@68.1.17.6...
>> Yes, Rick, I saw the info, and many thanks. I'm in the middle of
>> painting my house right now or I would be at the computer steadily to
>> follow up on all this. I've just recentyl gotten the chain of title back
>> to McD in 1937 and am trying to get more records now. You have good
>> ideas and I appreciate them. I'm on the wrong coast to do LA research
>> and have little on-site help even though many people are rooting me on
>> -- and even chipping in money to do the records searches! Having names
>> now has uncorked the bottle, and the genie is already delivering me info
>> that up untl recently had eluded me. I think we will prove a very strong
>> Hollywood connection with this property, before and after McD. It's been
>> a very good mystery, very challenging to do from across the continent,
>> and an impossible task without help from all over. I'm certainly not the
>> only one working on this project, but I may be the one most interested
>> in the historical side of it.
>
> Have you tried looking at the Sanborn maps for the address?
>
> Frederica
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

"rowan" <rowanart DeleteThis @cox.net> wrote in message
news:Xns96B3AAF4DBEA1rowanart@68.1.17.6...
> I don't have online access to Sanborns, and the nearest site with a
> California set is 5 hours away... it's on the to do list but I don't know
> when I'll get to it. I have never used the Sanborns and hope they will
> cover the time frame and the neighborhood in question; it was relatively
> sparsely developed before the 1950s.

The L.A. Public Library has access to digitized Sanborns from their web
page, but I think you have to have a library card. For some sections of Los
Angeles, there weren't any maps done from between 1919 and around 1950, so
sometimes buildings have come and gone by then. Where was this address?

Frederica
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

For a more current view of the houses in the immediate area, you can
try google earth. The maximum setting does not show that much detail
for individual houses.


rowan wrote:
> The address is (or was) 3100 or 3010 Goodview Trail, LA (Hollywood Hills
> area). I have friends in California who tell me that even their local
> libraries don't have access to California Sanborns. The company that
> bought all the rights to the Sanborns is very proprietary and too
> expensive for an individual. My local library (and even the nearest
> university libraries) can only afford to subscribe to in-state Sanborns.
>
> Rowan
>
> "Frederica" <missmerrivale RemoveThis @RATSPAMMERSyahoo.com> wrote in
> news:ddqvlj$bev$1@sm-news1.rand.org:
>
> >
> > "rowan" <rowanart RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote in message
> > news:Xns96B3AAF4DBEA1rowanart@68.1.17.6...
> >> I don't have online access to Sanborns, and the nearest site with a
> >> California set is 5 hours away... it's on the to do list but I don't
> >> know when I'll get to it. I have never used the Sanborns and hope
> >> they will cover the time frame and the neighborhood in question; it
> >> was relatively sparsely developed before the 1950s.
> >
> > The L.A. Public Library has access to digitized Sanborns from their
> > web page, but I think you have to have a library card. For some
> > sections of Los Angeles, there weren't any maps done from between 1919
> > and around 1950, so sometimes buildings have come and gone by then.
> > Where was this address?
> >
> > Frederica
> >
> >
> >
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

The address is (or was) 3100 or 3010 Goodview Trail, LA (Hollywood Hills
area). I have friends in California who tell me that even their local
libraries don't have access to California Sanborns. The company that
bought all the rights to the Sanborns is very proprietary and too
expensive for an individual. My local library (and even the nearest
university libraries) can only afford to subscribe to in-state Sanborns.

Rowan

"Frederica" <missmerrivale DeleteThis @RATSPAMMERSyahoo.com> wrote in
news:ddqvlj$bev$1@sm-news1.rand.org:

>
> "rowan" <rowanart DeleteThis @cox.net> wrote in message
> news:Xns96B3AAF4DBEA1rowanart@68.1.17.6...
>> I don't have online access to Sanborns, and the nearest site with a
>> California set is 5 hours away... it's on the to do list but I don't
>> know when I'll get to it. I have never used the Sanborns and hope
>> they will cover the time frame and the neighborhood in question; it
>> was relatively sparsely developed before the 1950s.
>
> The L.A. Public Library has access to digitized Sanborns from their
> web page, but I think you have to have a library card. For some
> sections of Los Angeles, there weren't any maps done from between 1919
> and around 1950, so sometimes buildings have come and gone by then.
> Where was this address?
>
> Frederica
>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

Rowan and Chris,

Would you mind if I shared your posts on the owner and the article with
the posters over at Lotta Living?

Thanks,

lynn in sherman oaks
www.classiclasvegas.com
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

lzcutter wrote:

> Rowan and Chris,
>
> Would you mind if I shared your posts on the owner and the article with
> the posters over at Lotta Living?


No problem on my end.

(Rowan, I'm going to e-mail you scans of that article with the
photos. The magazine went back into a box and I need to dig it out
again.)
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures 

Fantastic, Chris, thanks! Anything you'd like to know or see that I have
found... let me know. I'm melding all the McD info that I've gotten here
of late into the Spiderpool Chronology and will post it ASAP.

I was curious what killed Jack McD at age 54 (so young!), and now you
guys have pointed out that brother Edward only made it to 35! The way
this research is going I expect to find something "odd" was involved. I
have found many more editing credits for Edward than I first found, so
he was more than a minor figure in Hollywood (he edited The Public Enemy
in 1931... a film even *I've* heard of!).

What was Jack doing from '34-'46? No credits in that period. The
documents I have suggest he was having money problems. The earliest I
can prove he owned the property was '36, too late to be the Picture Play
house of 1927... but the docs leave open the possibility of earlier
ownership.

Liz's links show more of the Pool's eccentricities, but not all.

Rowan

"Christopher Snowden" <unkvid2 DeleteThis @yahoo.com> wrote in
news:1124215353.960973.161980@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

>
> lzcutter wrote:
>
>> Rowan and Chris,
>>
>> Would you mind if I shared your posts on the owner and the article
with
>> the posters over at Lotta Living?
>
>
> No problem on my end.
>
> (Rowan, I'm going to e-mail you scans of that article with the
> photos. The magazine went back into a box and I need to dig it out
> again.)
>
 >> Stay informed about: Duh on me about the pictures