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Video: A Bit of Hollywood History Up for Auction
It's pretty much how it went down at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights: They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot. Once upon a time, The Garden of Allah stood there, and welcomed the rich and famous into its lush landscaping, sparkling pool, and cozy bungalows. Once the private mansion of Alla Nazimova, in 1927 she opened the property as a hotel, and it soon became an exclusive getaway, social hotspot, and the home for many a scandal. The wrecking ball ultimately felled the building after its 1959 farewell soiree. [Read more about the Garden of Allah in our LAistory series.]
Also once upon a time, there used to be a model of the Garden of Allah kept beneath a glass bubble, on display first outside the bank building on the property, which eventually moved inside the bank, and then...disappeared.
But it didn't disappear for good. A few months ago we heard from the friend of the model's owner, and just recently were updated with word the model is being auctioned. They sent us this video showing the model from all angles, even as it is lit up for "nighttime." It's the closest any of us these days will get to what was once a bona fide Hollywood paradise. Hopefully whoever buys it can put it somewhere for all to see. Any buyers?
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