PC-000-782

Picture postcard of El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, photographed between 1956 and 1959

 

1950s

 

Del Mar Sales Company, San Diego, California, US

Built on the site of the U. S. Grant, Jr. home on Ash Street, the hotel was the tallest building (at 310 feet) in San Diego from its opening in 1927 until 1963. The El Cortéz was designed by the firm of Albert R. Walker (1981-1958) and Percy Eisen (1885-1946), the architects responsible for the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. In 1937 the hotel changed hands, and the large illuminated sign seen here, reading "El Cortez Hotel," was placed on top of the building. In 1951 the hotel was again purchased, this time by hotelier Harry Handlery, who installed the glass elevator (called "Starlight Express"), seen here going up the front of the hotel in 1956. The 15-story elevator may have been the tallest hydraulic elevator in the world (175 feet), and it was the second exterior glass elevator ever installed. Its designer was architect C. J. Paderewski (1908-2007). In 1959, Handlery also installed a moving walkway between his "Travolator" motel and the first floor of the El Cortez that would be visible crossing in front of the Cafe Cortez. The travolator walkway, also designed by Paderewski, can be seen in postcard PC-000-785. Given these two dates of installation, the photograph must have been taken between 1956 and 1959. This color picture postcard is identified on the back with the number P15914.

El Cortez Hotel; San Diego; Starlight Express; Glass elevators; Pacifico Room; Cafe Cortez; C. J. Paderewski; Starlight Room

702 Ash Street

California - San Diego

 

 

MS-0008

English

Colourpicture Publishers, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, US

Postcard

3.5 inches x 5.5 inches

No

PC-000-518, PC-000-609, PC-000-615, PC-000-708, PC-000-769 through PC-000-781, PC-000-783 through PC-000-788

[signs on bujilding]
El Cortez Hotel
Cafe Correz
Pacifico Room

 

Image

TIFF

20.50 MB