The Hollywood sign officially turns 100! Iconic LA landmark is lit up with original lights to mark the occasion
The iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles turns 100 years old today, and it will be illuminated with the original lights to celebrate the birthday.
On December 8, 1923, a sign reading “Hollywoodland” was illuminated for the first time to advertise an upscale apartment complex in the Hollywood Hills. In the 1940s, the sign was shortened to “Hollywood.”
Tonight, the sign will be illuminated again with the original lights from 1923, and two smaller replicas will recreate the way it once flashed in the night called Hollywoodland. KTLA reported.
The non-profit group Hollywood Sign Trust is preserving the landmark and made sure the sign received a fresh coat of paint in time for the big day.
The birthday makeup used 400 gallons of white paint.
The iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles turns 100 years old today, and it will be illuminated with the original lights to celebrate the birthday.
Tonight, the sign will be illuminated again with the original lights from 1923, and two smaller replicas will recreate the way it once flashed in the night called Hollywoodland.
The non-profit group Hollywood Sign Trust is preserving the landmark and made sure the sign received a fresh coat of paint in time for the big day. The birthday makeup used 400 gallons of white paint.
The original version of the sign was lit at night with the help of a German immigrant named Albert Cote, who maintained 4,000 light bulbs.
LA Times publisher Harry Chandler built a billboard for $21,000 a century ago.
Chandler was responsible for the creation of many other iconic SoCal landmarks of the 20th century, including the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Biltmore Hotel, the Hollywood Bowl and the California Institute of Technology.
Each letter of the Los Angeles landmark is 45 feet tall and at least 30 feet wide, making it hard to miss when exploring the city of stars.
In 1923, workers used mules to haul the huge wood and sheet metal letters up the hill to where the sign sits today.
The original version of the sign was lit at night with the help of a German immigrant named Albert Cote, who maintained 4,000 light bulbs.
The sign was supposed to last only a year and a half, but has since survived, becoming one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States and reflecting the greatness of an industry inextricably linked to America and the golden age of cinema.
However, the sign fell into disrepair by the 1970s, a decade that marked a temporary decline in Hollywood and its vital film industry, caused in part by the then-new advent of television and other home entertainment.
After years of neglect, the iconic letters on the sign lost their signature luster and fell into disrepair.
On December 8, 1923, a sign reading “Hollywoodland” was illuminated for the first time to advertise an upscale apartment complex in the Hollywood Hills. In the 1940s, the sign was shortened to “Hollywood.”
Designed to last only a year and a half, the sign has endured ever since, becoming one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States and reflecting the greatness of an industry inextricably linked to America and the golden age of cinema.
Each letter of the Los Angeles landmark is 45 feet tall and at least 30 feet wide, making it hard to miss when exploring the city of stars. In 1923, workers used mules to haul the huge wood and sheet metal letters up the hill to where the sign sits today.
By the late 1970s, several of the letters on the sign had fallen or fallen apart, and the landmark seemed destined to follow the Seven Wonders of the World and become little more than a relic of a bygone era.
However, thanks to an unlikely savior, the sign was eventually saved, but not before being completely torn down and transformed.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hefner, who was 52 at the time, organized a generous fundraiser and actually auctioned off the letters from the old sign for $27,000 apiece.
Famous buyers included rock stars such as Alice Cooper and actors such as Gene Autry, who eventually spent enough money to restore the sign with new letters – the ones that stand today.
Following these efforts, the Hollywood Hills essentially stood empty for about three months without its trademark embellishment until the chamber was able to physically replace it with a new sign.
Hollywood then enjoyed a period of prosperity over the next three decades, during which time the film industry regained a semblance of its former glory.
During this period, as is standard practice today, the sign was periodically cleaned every ten years to maintain its symbolic luster.
A week before the anniversary, the Daily Mail was given exclusive access to admire the dazzling 45ft tall letters.
Not many people can boast of having climbed over the Hollywood sign, which is closed to the general public.
Members of the public trespassing on the sign area may be arrested and fined up to $10,000.