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1930s Sidney Hillman Medical Center
21st and Chestnut
Slated to be demolished, date TBD
Architect: Magaziner & Eberhard
The Agfa Ansco building is an excellent blend of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles that were significant during Hollywood’s heyday. This structure played a critical role during the Golden Age of the motion picture industry, housing the photographic film, paper and cameras used to create movie magic,” he said.
When German camera and film company Agfa Ansco built the structure in 1937, Art Deco architecture was prevalent in Southern California, said Christy McAvoy, who co-founded Hollywood Heritage and is a member of the group’s preservation committee. With this structure, Agfa Ansco wanted to make an “architectural statement,” she said. Beyond the design, the structure housed work that was important for the early film industry.
Agfa Ansco, which occupied the space for more than 20 years until the late 1950s, developed several breakthroughs in film technology that allowed other improvements, such as better lighting and color. After Agfa Ansco’s departure, the Birns & Sawyer Cine Equipment Company, which allowed filmmakers to buy or rent filmmaking equipment -– including for major films like “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Easy Rider” – moved in.