Van Nuys: A Look Back.

Van Nuys 1926. Dick Whittington Studios.

Another election, another possibility to change the direction of Van Nuys and reorient this community into progress and prosperity.

Over the last 100 years, men and women, with much less technology and money, managed to build, plan, create and civilize a vast, semi-arid valley, a place of schools, homes, factories, industries, churches, women’s clubs and fraternal organizations. A sense of local pride was evident, as seen in these photographs.

When people had less, it seems, they valued what they had more.

Photographs on this page are taken from the USC Digital Archives, CSUN and LAPL.
The 1926 images are from the Dick Whittington Studios now archived at USC.

California Bank Van Nuys Blvd/Sylva (circa 1925)

Old Van Nuys Women's Club (14852 Sylvan near Kester). Now Eglesia de Jesuschristo. — Old Van Nuys Women’s Club (14852 Sylvan near Kester). Now Eglesia de Jesuschristo.

Van Nuys Blvd. at Friar (circa 1950). Notice diagonal parking and streetcar wiring.

Here in Van Nuys

July 21, 2013

History

“USC Digital Archives”, history, Photography, Van Nuys and the Valley

13 responses to “Van Nuys: A Look Back.”

Karen Stitt

January 24, 2014 at 10:33 am

I am stunned! I lived in the first house of this entry! The 14152 Emelita Street one. We lived there in the 70s and it looks pretty much the same way it did then, but it is surrounded by houses. My husband found this entry and said “Hey, this looks like the house you grew up in!” I’m stunned.

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1. Here in Van Nuys
  
  January 24, 2014 at 11:02 am
  
  Thank you for your discovery of the true address that happens to have been your childhood home. Now I want to see it today.
  
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Kymberleigh Richards

August 14, 2013 at 7:14 pm

A minor nitpick: That overhead wiring wasn’t for streetcars but for the Pacific Electric Red Cars which ran through the business district on Van Nuys Blvd. until the end of 1952.

There were never streetcars, per se, in the Valley.

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Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council

July 26, 2013 at 1:17 pm

The last VN Bl photo is mislabeled. The photo is really taken from the NW corner of VN/Sylvan, looking NE.across VN Bl. The long building with the roof treatment is still there– just without the extra details. One of the first buildings in town–built by one of the first merchants.

In reading the town’s pioneer newspaper, I was struck by the optimism of everyone–as in. any “Old West town”–everyone had a store, a shop, was clerking–and the town was so “new”– the only way to celebrate “The Fourth”, was to organize a baseball game between the “Marrieds”–those who had brought their brides to the nowhere place–and the “Singles”–those guys bragging about their “prospects” in the “Fernando Valley”.
(They wouldn’t say San Fernando).

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Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council

July 26, 2013 at 12:26 pm

And for those wishing diagonal parking–ain’t going to happen. If Van NUYS Bl gets a major bus corridor—which it will–some way–those few parking spaces on the boulevard are history. This is something where the bus riders and the planners will leave VN Bl an empty tunnel with a stop lights every 500 feet.

Other optimists suggested a tunnel under Van Nuys Bl for the busses or light rail, but like the tunnel between Palmdale and Pasadena–lots of luck.

By not being out I front on “old town Van Nuys”, Van Nuys will be out of luck.

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1. Here in Van Nuys
  
  July 26, 2013 at 12:58 pm
  
  Hmm…didn’t VNB once have diagonal parking AND a streetcar for more than 40 years?
  
  Currently, VNB is some eight lanes wide.
  
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  1. Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council
    
    July 26, 2013 at 4:41 pm
    
    Hey–VN BL is only 7 lanes wide–the sidewalks were cut back many years ago–and you can’t fit what Brand Bl in Glendale has. Take the curb lanes for busses (which MTA will do)–2 lanes either way for traffic–1llane for turning–and that’s all you’ve got. Slowing traffic to 15 or 20 mph for diagonal parking (which they did in the 1940’s) would cut a lane each way—and won’t cut for it for traffic when VN Bl and Beverly Glen is the third option–after the –405– and Sepulveda Bl to get across town–and a busy one at that.
    
    I can see backing up from a diagonal space into VN Bl traffic. But I wouldn’t do it.
    
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Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council

July 26, 2013 at 11:45 am

Recognize the now closed VAN NUYS WAR SURPLUS store–right–first photo–with the
New car ad painted upon it?

Look quickly–that old storefront may be gone–as well–soon. I would not know–just speculating–but could happen.

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1. Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council
  
  July 26, 2013 at 11:46 am
  
  Apologies–the first van NUYS Bl photograph.
  
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  1. Here in Van Nuys
    
    July 26, 2013 at 11:51 am
    
    Thanks Jon. Let me look at it more closely.
    
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  2. Jon Hendry, mbr city’s van NUYS nbrhd council
    
    July 26, 2013 at 4:09 pm
    
    And my mistake–left side of the photo–the building with the new car ad is the Van Nuys War Surplus Store.
    
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raghubirkk

July 22, 2013 at 6:22 am

Reblogged this on Van Nuys Yogi and commented:
I really enjoy this blog by Andy Hurvitz “Here in Van Nuys”

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1. Here in Van Nuys
  
  July 22, 2013 at 6:40 am
  
  Thank you. Van Nuys Yogi.
  
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