Marc Chevalier
Gone Home
- Messages
- 18,192
- Location
- Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Some more info on the layout of the OVIATT'S store ...
In Oviatt's day, two floors and the mezzanine of the 12-story building--as tall as a building could then legally be in Los Angeles- -were given over to luxury goods displayed against a backdrop of marble, burled wood and art glass. On the first floor were sweaters, shirts and hats, and on the second were Oviatt's custom clothes, suits of superb European fabric and cut, as well as shoes, riding clothes and leather goods. Some were laid out in what the opening- day announcement called the "Outdoor California Palm Grove," which "enhances the charm of the shop and permits the inspection of clothing in natural daylight." Remember that the entire ceiling was made of Lalique glass, so that the colors of clothes could be seen as they actually looked. It's a crime that so many stores nowadays have flourescent lighting, which gives a totally false impression of colors.
The OVIATT'S building and its rooftop tower, with the first outdoor electric clock in Los Angeles:
.
In Oviatt's day, two floors and the mezzanine of the 12-story building--as tall as a building could then legally be in Los Angeles- -were given over to luxury goods displayed against a backdrop of marble, burled wood and art glass. On the first floor were sweaters, shirts and hats, and on the second were Oviatt's custom clothes, suits of superb European fabric and cut, as well as shoes, riding clothes and leather goods. Some were laid out in what the opening- day announcement called the "Outdoor California Palm Grove," which "enhances the charm of the shop and permits the inspection of clothing in natural daylight." Remember that the entire ceiling was made of Lalique glass, so that the colors of clothes could be seen as they actually looked. It's a crime that so many stores nowadays have flourescent lighting, which gives a totally false impression of colors.
The OVIATT'S building and its rooftop tower, with the first outdoor electric clock in Los Angeles:
.