Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/the-history-of-the-hollywood-sign-from-real-estate-ad-to-landmark/
Most people picture the Hollywood Sign as a permanent part of the skyline, something that has always belonged there. Its beginnings were far more ordinary. It started as an advertisement meant to be taken down.
The story takes in a housing boom, years of neglect, a few famous pranks, and a rescue funded by celebrities. It’s also still being written, as the sign’s caretakers prepare for new projects in 2026.
A Billboard for a Hillside Subdivision
The original sign went up in 1923 and spelled out HOLLYWOODLAND, to promote a new housing development in the hills above Hollywood. Developers Woodruff and Shoults advertised the neighborhood as a superb environment without excessive cost. The Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler was among the backers behind the project.
The letters were huge, about fifty feet tall, and were lit with thousands of light bulbs so they could be seen across the basin at night. That made sense for a sales pitch. Nobody thought of it as a monument, and it was only expected to stand for a short time.
Why It Stayed Up After the Ads Stopped
The sign was never meant to outlast the sales campaign. Yet the film industry was growing quickly in those years, and the word on the hillside began to mean something beyond a subdivision. Locals and visitors alike started to associate it with the studios…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-10-20 12:20:00
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