If you’ve ever visited the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee, you know what it’s like to bask under the glory of an American cultural icon.
“This is as close to fame as I’ll ever get,” you’ll jokingly say to your friends as they snap photos of the landmark from a distance. Although the white, capital letters are 45 feet tall, they'll come out remarkably small in photographs.
That’s because it’s illegal to climb to the top of Mount Lee and stand right underneath the “H” of “HOLLYWOOD.” Disappointing to say the least, but you'll make the most out of the experience since you’ve already hiked — really, heaved — your way up.
Photo via Downtowngal (CC BY-SA 3.0)
ORIGIN OF THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
The sign was erected almost a century ago by Los Angeles Times publisher, Harry Chandler, in 1923. At the time, the $21,000 billboard read “HOLLYWOODLAND” to advertise Chandler’s new upscale real estate development, described as “a superb environment without excessive cost of the Hollywood side of the hills.”
Each letter was constructed using 3X9’ metal squares held together by a network of pipes, wires, telephone poles and scaffolding. The entire sign was also decorated with 4,000 light bulbs, which would flash in segments, beginning with “HOLLY,” then “WOOD” and finally, “LAND,” before lighting up entirely.
Photo via Alex Campos (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Although the advertisement was only meant to last a year and a half, it eventually became an internationally recognized symbol with the rise of the cinema industry. Then in 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles Parks Department joined forces to remove “LAND” in order to better represent the district.
By the late ‘70s, a complete overhaul campaign was initiated to rebuild the sign. To raise money for its facelift, Hugh Hefner hosted a fundraiser event at the Playboy Mansion, where the sign’s individual letters were auctioned off to celebrity sponsors at $27,700 per letter. The replacement letters, now made of steel, are supported by a concrete foundation.
Cover Photo courtesy turtix / Shutterstock.com
