StoryGnat #31: Hollywoodland
(Yep, I wrote that right)
Hello hello,
Another week, another StoryGnat. Last week, we talked Flower Fairies. This week, we’re heading stateside. I do love a bit of variety.
The Hollywood Sign
We all know those big white letters lit up with lights across the Hollywood hillside. But what far fewer people know, is that the sign didn’t originally say (just) ‘Hollywood’.
Instead, it read ‘Hollywoodland’.
The Hollywood sign is such a familiar sight, but unless you’ve visited LA on holiday, the chances are you’ve never really pondered its history or who put it up in the first place.
I’ve never been to LA, but I DO ponder this kind of thing. So I went digging to find out.
The sign was originally built over a century ago in 1923 as an ad for a high-end property development. It was only meant to stand for 18 months, but 100+ years on it’s still there.
Although… that’s not strictly true. Maybe it’s better to say the descendants of the original sign are still there, or something like that. The sign was so dilapidated by the 1970s (not surprising given it was over 50 years since it was due to come down) that it was replaced in 1978 with a new sign, funded by celebrities.
As you can imagine, it’s seen a lot through the years, and I highly recommend taking a look at the official site (yes, it has an official website) and taking a digital wander through its history. Fascinating stuff.
Next week, as ever, something totally different…
Meg