Welcome to Digital Collections (Beta)! This site is growing each week as we migrate content from our Legacy Site. Close

Search

Browse items

–

Current results range from 1910 to 1991

View distribution

Search Constraints

You searched for: Subject Portrait photographs ✖Remove constraint Subject: Portrait photographs
Start Over

174 Catalog Results

Number of results to display per page
View results as:
List Created with Sketch. List View List Gallery Created with Sketch. Gallery View Gallery

Search Results

"Prince" Michael Romanoff, popular Hollywood pretender to Russian royal blood, Los Angeles, 1934 (?)

Description:
A photograph of "Prince" (not, as captioned here, "Grand Duke") Michael Romanoff, a Hollywood restaurateur and actor, who claimed to be a member of the Russian royal family. This claim was widely known to be false; however, Romanoff kept up the deception throughout his life in Los Angeles.Romanoff was born Hershel Geguzin in Lithuania. He traveled extensively before settling in Los Angeles and into the role of Michael Romanoff. In Hollywood, he acted on stage and in film, but was perhaps most successful as the owner of the restaurant "Romanoff's" in Beverly Hills. The restaurant was popular for its chocolate souffles, and was frequented by many celebrities. It closed its doors in 1962.
Date:
1934?
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Los Angeles Daily News Negatives
"Prince" Michael Romanoff, popular Hollywood pretender to Russian royal blood, Los Angeles, 1934 (?)

Paul Mantz, motion picture stunt pilot and consultant, poses with airplane. Circa February 1936.

Description:
Stunt pilot and entrepreneur Paul Mantz poses with one of his airplanes. Mantz received his pilot's license in 1926 while serving with the Army Air Services, after which he pursued a career as a motion pictures stunt pilot, air racing pilot, film aviation consultant, and manager of "United Air Services" and "Paul Mantz Air Services," which contracted pilots and airplanes for the film industry. Paul Mantz also taught pilots, including notable student Amelia Earhart, whom he accompanied on her first (unsuccessful) attempt at flying around the globe.This photograph was likely taken during Mantz's divorce trial from his first wife, Myrtle L. Mantz (nee Harvey), a fellow aviator and former student. They were married in 1932 and divorced in 1936. A "Mrs. Putnam" was named during the divorce hearing, a likely reference to Earhart, who was married to George Palmer Putnam, publisher.
Date:
[circa February, 1936]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Los Angeles Daily News Negatives
Paul Mantz, motion picture stunt pilot and consultant, poses with airplane. Circa February 1936.

Mrs. Kate Hammond, acquitted of disturbing the peace. March 30, 1936.

Description:
Mrs. Kate Hammond, in court over a charge of disturbing the peace brought by her neighbor, Mrs. Emily Charlton. Charlton accused Hammond of various verbal abuses, as well as throwing her dirty dishwater into Charlton's yard. Hammond denied the claims. The jury acquitted Hammond of the charges after an hour's deliberation. March 30, 1936.
Date:
March 30, 1936
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Los Angeles Daily News Negatives
Mrs. Kate Hammond, acquitted of disturbing the peace. March 30, 1936.

James F. Culver, young Kentuckian transient and suspect in the murder of Ethel E. Whittaker. Circa April 20, 1936.

Description:
Photograph of James Fagan Culver, 23-year-old transient from Kentucky and suspect in the murder of Mrs. Ethel Whittaker. Mrs. Whittaker was shot in a Wilshire district hotel room in what police believed to be a fake hold-up scenario. Samuel T. Whittaker, husband of the murdered woman, was also held as a suspect.According to Culver, Samuel Whittaker cultivated a friendship with Culver and gave him money for food and shelter over several weeks' time. Then, Whittaker asked Culver to purchase a gun and gave him the money to do so. He was then instructed to go to a specific place at an appointed time and stage a robbery. According to Culver, when he entered the Whittaker's South Alvarado St. apartment, both Samuel and Ethel Whittaker were present. Culver claims to have shot his gun by accident only after being shot himself, presumably by Whittaker. Ethel Whittaker was shot four times, including once from the back. When police retrieved the gun used by Culver, only three chambers were empty.The jury eventually ruled that Whittaker had arranged the elaborate plot to kill his wife in order to collect the insurance on her life. Samuel Whittaker was convicted of the murder of his wife, as well as deadly assault on James Culver, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Whittaker died of a heart attack five days after arriving at the San Quentin penitentiary.Culver himself pled guilty to second-degree murder for his part in the plot against Ethel Whittaker, and received a sentence of five years to life imprisonment.
Date:
[circa April 20, 1936]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Los Angeles Daily News Negatives
James F. Culver, young Kentuckian transient and suspect in the murder of Ethel E. Whittaker. Circa April 20, 1936.
Not finding what you're looking for? More items may be available on our original digital collections site.