That's number one on everybody's referral list!

I mean everyone who ever mentioned it, of course.

Roger's right... I did an item a month ago about KIIS-FM DJ "Koby," who's probably regretting choosing that as his on-air name right now. As a result, we get hits from every misspeller looking for articles about "Koby" Bryant!

Kevin:

For the purpose of having the most accurate information for your book on the history of Wilshire Boulevard, in fact the "Playboy Mansion West" (as it is officially named by Playboy Enterprises) was originally built at 102336 Charing Cross Road circa mid-1920s as the home of Arthur Letts, JR.

He is the SON of the founder of the Broadway and Bullocks department stores, Arthur Letts, Sr. The younger Letts commissioned the construction of this stately English Tudor manor to be his private residence.

(To be absolutely accurate, Letts, Sr., who DID found the Broadway department store in downtown Los Angeles, staked one of his most trusted employees, John Bullock, in underwriting Bullock's enterprise to create his namesake department store. Thus, Letts, Sr. was more the original "financier" of Bullock's Department Store rather than its "founder." Many books, however, somewhat carelessly use the shortcut description of Letts, Sr. as the "founder" of both the Bullocks AND Broadway chains.)

More about Letts, Sr.: he was a Trustee of the California State Normal School (forerunner to the "Southern Branch of the University of California," later renamed "University of California at Los Angeles, and still later, "UCLA").

Letts, Sr. died somewhat suddenly, circa 1923 or '24 I believe. (I am writing this from memory, without the benefit of access to my books or reseach materials, so please forgive the fact that I do not have this date down EXACTLY).

Letts, Sr.'s death occurred largely before he could live to realize his vision to develop an area of grandious estates - some say the finest in Southern California - which was his master plan for the prime acreage he devoted to his Holmby Hills development.

Incidentally, "Holmby Hills" was personally christened by Letts, Sr. The name was loosely derived from his birthplace, a small hamlet in England called "Holdenby."

After Letts, Sr. died, it was left to his son-in-law, Harold Janss (one of the two brothers who ran the Janss Investment Corporation), who married Letts, Sr.'s daughter, Gladys, to consummate the agreement to sell some 373 acres to the UC Regents for the new home for UCLA.

This decision by the Regents to relocate UCLA to the then-undeveloped area of "Westwood Hills" sparked the accelerated development of Westwood (offically "Westwood Hills"), Westwood Village, and Holmby Hills.

The home of Arthur Letts, Jr., now the Playboy Mansion, still exists today as one of the finest estates in all of Southern California.

Incidentally, Gladys Letts (and her husband, Harold Janss) also built one of the premiere estates in Holmby Hills as their private residence. This estate was very near (possibly adjacent to) her brother's manse, which is now home to Hef and his bunnies.

I thought you might find this of interest....

(By the way, this definitely "wanders way off topic," so feel free to delete it. I sent this primarily to you, so you would have the correct information for your Wilshire Boulevard history.)

(P.S. - enjoyed your book on the San Fernando Valley. As you might guess, I am a big fan of local history, with special expertise in Westwood, Westwood Village, UCLA, etc.)

Thanks Steven! That's about as ON topic as possible. Thanks for clarifying that it was Letts Jr. who commissioned the mansion. The story of how Letts told Bullock to go off and start a new store at 7th and Broadway then basically gave it to him is one of my favorites, on a couple of levels -- as an example of gutsy hands-off management, of being a nice guy, etc. The Letts and Janss families figure into the Wilshire story in lots of ways, culminating in UCLA and Westwood.

Was it "California State Normal School," or just plain "State Normal School"? I have also seen it (most often) as "Los Angeles State Normal School."

gg

All very interesting !!!
Arthur Letts Snr had a brother, Richard, who came to Australia [ where I live ]while a young man, and this Richard Letts is my grandfather. As noted in the book "Arthur Letts", their father [ also Richard ] spent a couple of years in Oz, when a young man.
My grandfather owned a farm in Australia which he also called "Holmby"
For the record, Arthur Letts Snr died on 18th May, 1923