There are very few places in the world as famous as Hollywood. Everyone who hears this name immediately thinks of cinema and the film industry. On Mount Lee in Los Angeles, at an altitude of 491 meters, stands the 13-letter word — Hollywoodland!
According to Azens.org.az, the sign, originally called Hollywoodland, was created in June 1923. It was designed as an advertisement for newly built homes. Visible from almost any corner of Los Angeles, the sign served as a real estate promotion to attract potential buyers. Although the sign’s appearance has changed several times, its meaning has remained constant: a place where dreams can come true. Since the ideal dream of many people was to have a beautiful home and a good life, the advertisement’s name perfectly reflected that aspiration.
Real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults decided to name their project Hollywoodland and began searching for a company capable of constructing the letters. They quickly found the right one — Crescent Sign Company — and signed a contract to install the 13 letters facing south on the hills. The company’s owner, Thomas Fisk Goff (1890–1984), designed and built the sign. Each letter measured 9 meters wide and 15 meters tall. The installation was completed on June 13, 1923, at a cost of $21,000.
According to some sources, the sign was never meant to be permanent. It was originally planned to remain for about 1–1.5 years, but as Los Angeles grew into the heart of the American film industry, the sign became a recognized symbol and was preserved. Official maintenance of the sign ended in 1939, after which it began to deteriorate rapidly.
In the early 1940s, the sign’s caretaker, Albert Kothe, caused an accident that led to the collapse of the letter “H.” Many historical photos show this damage. It was reported that Kothe, while climbing the hill intoxicated, lost control and crashed his car into the letter. The car was damaged, but Kothe escaped uninjured.
In 1949, the Los Angeles City Parks Department decided to repair and restore the sign. As part of this decision, the word “land” was removed from Hollywoodland, turning the sign into a symbol representing the city itself — Hollywood. However, it didn’t take long for the sign to fall into disrepair again. The first “O” broke and began resembling a “U,” and later, the second “O” completely fell off, leaving the sign to read “HuLLYWO D.”
The Hollywood sign has also witnessed several tragic events. In 1932, actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping from the letter “H.” Her body was found only two days later. Misfortunes continued — in 2000, to prevent such incidents from recurring, the Los Angeles Police Department installed security cameras around the area. Today, approaching the sign closer than 50 meters is strictly prohibited.
AzEns.org.az/ Jalya Orujeva