“I want people to be able to see it from Wilshire.”
-Harry Chandler, describing his vision of the Hollywoodland sign
A publicity photo for the Hollywoodland subdivision’s groundbreaking includes a plow, mule and surveyors. 1923
Hollyweed
In 1923, wanting to draw people to his idea of a high class subdivision in the hills, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler constructed a huge billboard advertising his vision.
His idea would become a landmark for an entire city and a beacon to a blossoming new industry, The Hollywood sign…
Chandler’s original subdivision was named “HOLLYWOODLAND”, the original sign read the same only dropping the “LAND” in 1949.
The original sign illuminated the night sky with 4,000, 20 watt light bulbs affixed right to the sign…
Not only lighting up the sky, the sign would blink, “HOLLY” then “WOOD” then “LAND” followed by the original period that was 35 feet around punctuating the statement, finally ending in everything all together “HOLLYWOODLAND.”…
Hollyweed sign – original 1976 prank/project
In early 1975 California Senate Bill 95 was proposed by Senator Moscone. Written originally from decriminalization recommendations of a Select Committee in 1974, the bill would have made 3 ounces or less of cannabis a simple “infraction” of the law.
In order to split law enforcement opposition to the bill and pick up the necessary votes to pass the measure out of committee the bill was rewritten to one ounce or less a citable misdemeanor, rather than an infraction…
On July 9, 1975, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 95… This bill would take effect January 1, 1976.
An altered Hollywood sign in 1996 alludes to an altered state of mind.
Hollyweed once again in 1996
Wanting to celebrate this new decriminalization, Cal State Northridge student Danny Finegood along with 3 of his buddies decided to make a message of their own…
In the early hours of the new year in 1976, Danny and his 3 buddies armed with ropes and 50 dollars worth of black bed sheets, hiked up to the HOLLYWOOD sign. Using rocks as weights to hold the sheets in place the “HOLLYWEED” sign was born depicting the changing of the times.
Danny would later turn the prank into a class project at Cal State Northridge, receiving a “A” for his effort…
“We broke no laws and did no damage to the sign. An artist’s role throughout history has been to create representations of the culture he exists in. By hanging four relatively small pieces of fabric on the landmark, we were able to change people’s perception”
-Danny Finegood
A slip of two letters in 1993 and the Hollywood sign became a pat on the back.
Jollygood 1993