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The Times plans to reopen its grand front door on First Street, the city landmark "globe lobby," for the first time since Sept 11, 2001. Just Monday, L.A. Observed pointed out that, to save a little money on guards, the globe lobby remained closed and that only one entrance to the entire Times building was useable.
The lobby's most prominent features are a large rotating globe showing all the countries of the world and wall murals by the noted artist (and later MGM art director-producer) Hugo Ballin. His paintings also adorn the Griffith Park Observatory, the city council chambers in City Hall and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The lobby, if I'm not mistaken, is a certified Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument largely because of Ballin's work.
There's also a small museum with an old linotype machine and other newspaper relics. The Times memo doesn't say whether the public will be admitted when the lobby reopens Monday (weekdays only, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
A great lobby and a fine place to cool one's heels.
Posted by: Tim McGarry at January 30, 2004 12:50 PMGood point, Joseph. Griffith Observatory it is and shall be; fix made. Thanks.
Joseph wrote about the remodeling project a few months back in the L.A. Alternative Press: http://www.laalternativepress.com/v02n09/arts_and_ideas/mailander.php
Posted by: Kevin Roderick at January 30, 2004 02:01 PMGood to hear that the "Globe Lobby" will be reopening. I always used to enjoy looking at the old copies of The Times, sort of like a walk through Los Angeles history over the last century.
Posted by: Emma Schafer at January 30, 2004 03:42 PMMy fave part of the Globe Lobby is the telephone area past the elevators. There's a thin blue door with the word "Telephones" carved out of the door itself. Inside are carrels where phones used to be. Then inside this enclave is yet another booth, with another cool blue door, this one reading "Long Dist." When I worked at the Times I once snuck in here to make out with a boyfriend.
Opposite the telephones area is a blue door that says "Private." I once opened this, and to my surprise I smelled incense. I started down its thin spiral staircase to find...a massage therapist giving a massage! The Times has allowed this area to be used by a therapist who comes in a few days a week.
of LA Observed
A small point, but mine own: The Griffith Observatory it is; the Griffith Park Observatory it ain't.
Posted by: joseph at January 30, 2004 12:31 PM