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Rare and important early plan of Hollywoodland, as prepared by the original developer and promoter, S.H. Woodruff. The map tracks Mullholland Drive and Hollyridge Driver from Belden and Burwell to Tyrolean and Hollywoodland Drive.
S.H. Woodrfuff, along with Tracy Shoults and Harry Chandler (LA Times owner), developed an estate community known as Hollywoodland. Woodruff, an architect and land developer, went so far as to register the name Hollywoodland with the State of California. The area includes thde location of the famous "HOLLYWOODLAND" sign. The sign was erected to advertise a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. H.J. Whitney, developer of Whitney Heights, suggested to his friend Harry Chandler, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, that the land syndicate in which he was involved make a similar sign to advertise their land. Real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults called their development "Hollywoodland" and advertised it as a "superb environment without excessive cost on the Hollywood side of the hills."
They contracted the Crescent Sign Company to erect thirteen letters on the hillside, each facing south. The sign company owner, Thomas Fisk Goff (1890-1984) designed the sign. Each letter of the sign was 30 ft (9 m) wide and 50 ft (15 m) high, and was studded with some 4000 light bulbs. The sign was officially dedicated on July 13, 1923. It was not intended to be permanent. Some sources say its expected life was to be about a year and a half, but after the rise of the American cinema in Los Angeles it became an internationally recognized symbol, and was left there.
Includes a terrific promotional tract on the advantages of Hollywoodland. An excellent and rare early promotional map.
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