The Max Factor Salon, formerly the Hollywood Fire Safe Building and also known as the Max Factor Building, is a historic four-story building located at 1666 N. Highland Avenue, Hollywood, California, just south of Hollywood Boulevard. It is best known for its more than five decade tenant Max Factor, and is currently home to the Hollywood Museum and Mel's Drive-In.
Max Factor Salon | |
 The building in 2014 | |
  Location in Los Angeles County | |
| Location | 1666 N. Highland Ave Hollywood, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°06′04″N 118°20′17″W / 34.101°N 118.338°W |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Architectural style | Hollywood Regency |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704) |
| LAHCM No. | 593 |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | April 4, 1985 |
| Designated LAHCM | April 26, 1994 |
History
editThe Max Factor Salon was originally the Hollywood Fire Safe Building before it was bought by Max Factor in 1928. The building was remodeled by renowned theater architect S. Charles Lee, and in 1935, it re-opened featuring a ground-floor salon, make-up manufacturing on the three floors above, and the Max Factor Make Up Studio in an added one-story wing.[1] 3000 people were invited to the re-opening but more than 8000 attended,[2] and after re-opening, the building earned the nickname the "Jewel Box of the Cosmetic World" and the make-up studio earned the nickname "The Pink Powder Puff."[1]
Virtually all of Classic Hollywood's greatest starlets frequented the salon and make-up studio, including Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Claudette Colbert, Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, and more.[3][4]
In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Max Factor Salon listed as a contributing property in the district.[5] In 1994, the building was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #593.[6]
In the early 1990s, The Max Factor Museum of Beauty occupied the building, the building itself owned by Procter & Gamble. The museum closed in 1996.[4] In 2001, a Mel's Drive In opened in the building's one-story wing,[7] with the Hollywood Museum occupying the rest of the building in 2002.[1]
In 2011, the building held an I Love Lucy reunion to celebrate Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the show. In attendance were Lucille Ball's daughter Lucy Arnaz as well as many of the filmmakers who worked on the show.[8]
Architecture
editThe Max Factor Building, a four-story brick and stucco structure, was remodeled in the early 1930s by S. Charles Lee, who also added a one-story wing. The remodel combined art deco and regency revival styles into a Hollywood look called Hollywood Regency.[1][5]
Aspects of the building that define its look include street-to-roof fluted pilasters, curved display windows containing bronze, copper, and pewter finished aluminum castings, bas-relief ornaments, art-deco rooftop ornaments, and an entrance and window cases clad in marble and decorated with medallions and garlands.[5][9] Inside, the building features an art deco lobby that contains pastel hues, marble archways, trompe l’oeil, faux finishes, and crystal chandeliers.[4][8]
The Max Factor Building in Universal Studios Orlando was modeled after the Max Factor Salon, as was an unnamed one-story building in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Early Views of Hollywood (1920 +)". Water and Power Associates. p. 9. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Angels Walk LA Self Guided Historic Trails - Hollywood" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Max Factor Building". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c Gary Wayne. "The Max Factor Beauty Museum (Now the Hollywood History Museum)". seeing-stars.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. April 4, 1985.
- ^ "Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved Oct 10, 2020.
- ^ "The History of an American Classic". Mel's Drive In. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Historic Max Factor Building". Hollywood Museum. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Image / Max Factor Building". University of California - Calisphere. Retrieved July 7, 2024.