Advertising from a different time. The vintage Corvette atop the huge hand at Hand Car Wash, at 11514 Ventura Blvd., in Studio City. #steveemigphotos
There was a time, 50-60 years ago, when business owners built ridiculous things to get the attention of people driving by. Roadside attractions, roadside landmarks, whatever you call them, there were lots of them across the U.S.. Whether it was on historic Route 66 across the country, or in your local town, weird and unusual sculptures became local landmarks.
These days, the business bottom line and local codes and ordinances have pretty much ended this vintage type of advertising. But in Studio City, Hand Car Wash still stands as one of those reminders of the car culture and roadside landmarks of yesteryear. It's still in business, packed on the weekends, and I figured it must have been in a few movies, as a back drop. But I didn't find any, just this weird fight over the mural (originally done without a permit) on the back wall. Either way, the big hand and the vintage Corvette are a San Fernando Valley icon, and reminder of advertising ideas long past. I'm not sure how long it's been there, but it was here in the early 90's when I first worked up this area, and it wasn't new then.
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