Would you like to own a piece of Hollywood history?
Not many people know that the original 1923 Hollywood sign, which inspired legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and James Dean, fell into disrepair and was replaced in 1978.
Kept in storage for 19 years, in 2007 Bill Mack purchased the original Hollywood sign and has created stunning works of art using the metal facing from the sign as a canvas. On each piece of metal canvas he has painted the likenesses of the great movie stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood in tribute to all the young actors and actresses that climbed Mount Lee to touch it and have pictures taken with it for luck.
View a selection of pieces from the Hollywood Project in the Home Page Gallery.
The Hollywood Sign story
In 1923, a prominent group of US investors prepared to develop a residential neighbourhood called Hollywoodland. Among the investors were Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler and movie director Mack Sennett. To promote the development, Chandler hired contractor George Roche to build the world’s largest sign. The letters of the sign spelled “HOLLYWOODLAND”. The sign was built with telephone poles and barn roofing at a cost of $21,000.00. Holes were punched through the sign to help relieve stress caused by wind. Although it was intended to last for only two years, the sign survived to become a beloved part of American History.
For many years, the Hollywoodland sign was visible at night. Its edges were lit by more than 4,000 light bulbs, which were maintained daily by Albert Kothe. In order to do this job, Kothe lived in a tiny shack behind the first letter L.
In 1949, the City of Los Angeles entered into a maintenance agreement with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to preserve the sign. The last four letters were removed, and, for the first time, the sign simply spelled “HOLLYWOOD”.
The entertainment industry expanded dramatically throughout the 1950’s 1960’s. During this period, the Hollywood sign became internationally recognized through its exposure in films, television, commercials, and the media. The sign’s prominence and historical significance led the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board to designate the Hollywood sign as a landmark in 1973. It was labelled as Cultural Historical Monument #111 by the board.
Throughout the 1970’s, the Hollywood sign deteriorated badly. By 1978, the third O had fallen over, and the sign could no longer be repaired. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce launched the “Save the Sign” campaign with the help of several celebrities. Nine donors each sponsored a new letter to cover the cost of rebuilding the sign. The donors included Hugh Hefner, Gene Autry, Andy Williams, Alice Cooper and others. Over $250,000.00 was raised. Interestingly, Alice Cooper made his in honour of Groucho Marx.
Hal Brown Jr., of the Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company, was contracted to rebuild the sign. The Hollywood sign was very personal to Brown because his uncle, George Roche, had built the original sign in 1923. Brown hired Cornelius Van Dam as the engineer responsible for designing the new Hollywood sign. Van Dam designed the new sign with a more durable structure, but the same dimensions as the original. The plans were approved by the City of Los Angeles, the Cultural Heritage Board, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The original, legendary Hollywood sign was taken down and construction of the replica sign began in August 1978. The new sign was unveiled in November 1978.
The original Hollywood sign was placed in a storage facility after it was taken down. No one was aware that the company hired to remove the sign had understood its historical significance and elected to store it rather than dispose of it as was planned. The sign remained in storage until it was purchased Bill Mack in 2007.
The next chapter of the history of this piece of American history is now being written as the sign passes into the ownership of art lovers across the world.
