Talmadge Apartments, Wilshire & Berendo St., Los Angeles, 1952

Photograph. "In new hands -- Talmadge apartment (above), Wilshire and Berendo, was bought by Constitution Life Insurance Co." -- Examiner clipping attached to verso, dated 30 April 1952.; Streetscape. Horizontal photography. In 1952, Constitution Life planned to convert the building into headquarters for its company. The firm hired for this purpose was Pereira & Luckman, a prominent architectural firm. William Pereira designed LACMA, and did a lot at USC, including several buildings in Engineering, as well as one of USC's master-plans. Constitution Life sold the Talmadge in 1953, and the owners in 1953 announced that it will go back to being an apartment house. According to a Los Angeles Times article (from April 30, 1952), "The Talmadge has had a glamorous history. It was built by financier A.C. Blumenthal who sold it before completion to film executive Joseph M. Schenck. He named it for his wife, film star Norma Talmadge".