The murals from the Snow White were NOT historic, at least not the ones most people talk about. My mother owned the Snow White Cafe for 25 years, before she lost ownership due to a nasty-politically-driven blackmail plot to strong-arm her out of Hollywood politics. That's a story for another time. There were only two "historic" murals in the restaurant. One- which read "we hope we have pleased you" which you could see on your way out. It was painted onto the wall and the years of dust and age were clearly visible on it, even though she had it professionally restored in the 90's. The other "mural" was actually a very large etched-mirror panel, behind the counter, with a scene of Snow White in the forest surrounded by animals. Most people seem to only remember the restaurant after it was turned into a bar, so they had no idea that an original Disney panel of mirrors existed behind the brick facade. The owners who put them up clearly no respect for the history of the place, otherwise, they wouldn't have covered them with bricks! Additionally, they wouldn't have trashed the custom-made benches, tables, chairs and counter that were custom-made during the 90's remodel my mother hired Disney Imagineers to make by hand! And the murals/panels people seem to be sad about, they were created during the same 90's remodel, by Disney animators. So, having been created in the 90's, even though they were made by Disney artists, they were NOT historic. My mother's efforts to get Disney Imagineers to work on that remodel were nothing short of heroic, and the abrupt closure of the restaurant is extremely sad. But the downfall of the restaurant began when my mother's dream was stolen from her, and the charming elements of the restaurant were torn out piece by piece by subsequent owners. It's literally and figuratively criminal what happened there.
Thanks so much for this fascinating comment. We appreciate you filling in the gaps in the history of the charming Snow White murals, and about all the good work your mother did with the cafe and for Hollywood. We found some newspaper reporting on her brave fight against the redevelopment agency, and have heard first hand from another PAC member how much she was appreciated. Hope this will be a story for another time, because the true tale of how the neighborhood of Hollywood was destroyed through eminent domain, rezoning, Metro sinkholes and dirty tricks needs to be told. P.S. Do you think the etched mirror is still behind the brick?
Need to attack these problems from so many sides. Historic districts, like hollywood, are nominated based on windshield surveys that make note of character-defining architectural features. Once nominated and approved, the protection applies only to the outdoor visible features. OHR, in reviewing a permit, can only go by what's listed in the nomination. They can require an historic assessment of the property, but that's it. Once the assessment is completed, the findings stand. They can only challange the assessment on technical errors and omissions, though such problems were ignored and not addressed at the Pig n' Whistle due to allegeded political pressure.
The nomination process is highly biased because the program was developed by architects. They really don't care about famous persons or historical events tied to a property, only which master architect may have designed the building. While a building could always be nominated due to cultural significance, most of these nominations were rejected in the past. The reign of the architect also resulted in nominations being rejected because original windows were replaced. This was a cheap and easy way to avoid nomination. It's also a stupid reason for rejection because windows can be replaced. The destruction of the Pig n' Whistle interior was justified on the basis that the ripped out interior can always be recreated. It's just a matter of money. If so, then the need to replace some windows should not halt the nomination.
Now, what about the assessment? That is conducted by a historian who knows how to research permits, and may know all about a buildings period of significance, but they do not need to know about cultural history or how to read an architectural drawing. In the Pig n' Whistle assessment, the provided drawing plans clearly showed some of the illegal construction at the front of the building, and yet, was not identified as such. In addition, the provided site history clearly did not agree with the provided drawings.
And what about the findings? You just know that these assessments will always agree with the developer. OHR believes that they have a fair system to manage the work. The person conducting the assessment is not allowed to talk to the developer. It's hands off while the report is underway. Okay, but once the report is out, the person who conducted the assessment is now known. Not a good career move to become known as a pro-preservation historian since your pay comes from the developer.
As for the Snow White Cafe, it all may be an urban legend. The Snow White Waffle Shop opened in 1946. Snow White, the movie, came out in 1937. That's nine years prior to opening. The movie re-release was two years prior to the opening. The spot was not a restaurant or bar prior to 1946 so the artists were unlikely to be hanging out. So, why would Disney animators drive into Hollywood from Echo Park just to hang out and drink? And this would be up to April 1949 when the studio moved to Burbank. No one has mentioned any Disney-related biography that talks about these paintings and there is no newspaper coverage from the '50s to the '70s about these murals inside the cafe. There was a lawsuit, but again. all details are lacking.
How tragic that our architectural history is so easily destroyed by capitalists in search of making money. Thank you for keeping us updated on the corruption in our city.
The Silver Platter smells disgusting, has a shitty beer selection, and is possibly the stickiest place I have ever been in. It’s at the bottom of my street and I went all of one time before realizing it is not a dive, it’s just gross. We actually DO need housing in this city. I hope the city tears it down soon.
If you live in Westlake, you must see all the empty buildings and vacant lots--we sure do. It's not necessary to tear everything down to build new. A sticky bar top can be cleaned, but demolition of the oldest gay bar in Westlake can't be reversed. There are serious procedural questions about how this application to redevelop the property failed to call out its age or historic status so a proper assessment and community feedback could happen.
The murals from the Snow White were NOT historic, at least not the ones most people talk about. My mother owned the Snow White Cafe for 25 years, before she lost ownership due to a nasty-politically-driven blackmail plot to strong-arm her out of Hollywood politics. That's a story for another time. There were only two "historic" murals in the restaurant. One- which read "we hope we have pleased you" which you could see on your way out. It was painted onto the wall and the years of dust and age were clearly visible on it, even though she had it professionally restored in the 90's. The other "mural" was actually a very large etched-mirror panel, behind the counter, with a scene of Snow White in the forest surrounded by animals. Most people seem to only remember the restaurant after it was turned into a bar, so they had no idea that an original Disney panel of mirrors existed behind the brick facade. The owners who put them up clearly no respect for the history of the place, otherwise, they wouldn't have covered them with bricks! Additionally, they wouldn't have trashed the custom-made benches, tables, chairs and counter that were custom-made during the 90's remodel my mother hired Disney Imagineers to make by hand! And the murals/panels people seem to be sad about, they were created during the same 90's remodel, by Disney animators. So, having been created in the 90's, even though they were made by Disney artists, they were NOT historic. My mother's efforts to get Disney Imagineers to work on that remodel were nothing short of heroic, and the abrupt closure of the restaurant is extremely sad. But the downfall of the restaurant began when my mother's dream was stolen from her, and the charming elements of the restaurant were torn out piece by piece by subsequent owners. It's literally and figuratively criminal what happened there.
Thanks so much for this fascinating comment. We appreciate you filling in the gaps in the history of the charming Snow White murals, and about all the good work your mother did with the cafe and for Hollywood. We found some newspaper reporting on her brave fight against the redevelopment agency, and have heard first hand from another PAC member how much she was appreciated. Hope this will be a story for another time, because the true tale of how the neighborhood of Hollywood was destroyed through eminent domain, rezoning, Metro sinkholes and dirty tricks needs to be told. P.S. Do you think the etched mirror is still behind the brick?
Need to attack these problems from so many sides. Historic districts, like hollywood, are nominated based on windshield surveys that make note of character-defining architectural features. Once nominated and approved, the protection applies only to the outdoor visible features. OHR, in reviewing a permit, can only go by what's listed in the nomination. They can require an historic assessment of the property, but that's it. Once the assessment is completed, the findings stand. They can only challange the assessment on technical errors and omissions, though such problems were ignored and not addressed at the Pig n' Whistle due to allegeded political pressure.
The nomination process is highly biased because the program was developed by architects. They really don't care about famous persons or historical events tied to a property, only which master architect may have designed the building. While a building could always be nominated due to cultural significance, most of these nominations were rejected in the past. The reign of the architect also resulted in nominations being rejected because original windows were replaced. This was a cheap and easy way to avoid nomination. It's also a stupid reason for rejection because windows can be replaced. The destruction of the Pig n' Whistle interior was justified on the basis that the ripped out interior can always be recreated. It's just a matter of money. If so, then the need to replace some windows should not halt the nomination.
Now, what about the assessment? That is conducted by a historian who knows how to research permits, and may know all about a buildings period of significance, but they do not need to know about cultural history or how to read an architectural drawing. In the Pig n' Whistle assessment, the provided drawing plans clearly showed some of the illegal construction at the front of the building, and yet, was not identified as such. In addition, the provided site history clearly did not agree with the provided drawings.
And what about the findings? You just know that these assessments will always agree with the developer. OHR believes that they have a fair system to manage the work. The person conducting the assessment is not allowed to talk to the developer. It's hands off while the report is underway. Okay, but once the report is out, the person who conducted the assessment is now known. Not a good career move to become known as a pro-preservation historian since your pay comes from the developer.
As for the Snow White Cafe, it all may be an urban legend. The Snow White Waffle Shop opened in 1946. Snow White, the movie, came out in 1937. That's nine years prior to opening. The movie re-release was two years prior to the opening. The spot was not a restaurant or bar prior to 1946 so the artists were unlikely to be hanging out. So, why would Disney animators drive into Hollywood from Echo Park just to hang out and drink? And this would be up to April 1949 when the studio moved to Burbank. No one has mentioned any Disney-related biography that talks about these paintings and there is no newspaper coverage from the '50s to the '70s about these murals inside the cafe. There was a lawsuit, but again. all details are lacking.
How tragic that our architectural history is so easily destroyed by capitalists in search of making money. Thank you for keeping us updated on the corruption in our city.
It's getting to be like that episode of the old "Night Gallery" show- "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar"- only with more than one bar.
The Silver Platter smells disgusting, has a shitty beer selection, and is possibly the stickiest place I have ever been in. It’s at the bottom of my street and I went all of one time before realizing it is not a dive, it’s just gross. We actually DO need housing in this city. I hope the city tears it down soon.
If you live in Westlake, you must see all the empty buildings and vacant lots--we sure do. It's not necessary to tear everything down to build new. A sticky bar top can be cleaned, but demolition of the oldest gay bar in Westlake can't be reversed. There are serious procedural questions about how this application to redevelop the property failed to call out its age or historic status so a proper assessment and community feedback could happen.