The Hollywood Sign is 100 Years Old!

The iconic Hollywood Sign that overlooks Los Angeles was built in 1923. The original sign was spelled "Hollywoodland" and its purpose had no association with the movie studios. It was also never meant to be a permanent public placard. Instead, the Hollywoodland Sign was an advertising strategy to sell property in a new housing development. An article from the Los Angeles Evening Express, dated December 8, 1923, promoted the lighting of the new Hollywoodland Sign and invited all to visit the perfect residential district in the Hollywood Hills. The original storybook-style Hollywoodland real estate office is still present and still functions as a real estate office!

The sign stayed and overtime, it became associated with Tinseltown. But by 1949, the wooden letters had started to decay. To save it from demolition, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce restored the sign, but renamed it "Hollywood" for its new purpose to landmark the city of Hollywood. By the 1970s, the wooden letters had started to decay again. This time, a group of donors contributed funding to replace the wooden letters with steel letters and concrete foundations. In 1992, the Hollywood Sign Trust was developed to manage the protection and preservation of the Hollywood Sign. It now gets a fresh coat of paint every ten years. For its 100 year anniversary in 2023, it got 400 gallons of Sherwin Williams High Reflective White #7757 paint to help make Hollywood's biggest star sparkle brighter.

Today, the Hollywood Sign is a world renowned national treasure and a cultural icon for the movie industry. It is also a popular tourist destination, that requires some hiking, but once you arrive it's a magical sight to behold!

Hooray for Hollywood! ⭐