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THE FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD SIGN STORY
The HOLLYWOOD sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking the city of Hollywood, Los Angeles. It is situated in Mount Lee, Beachwood Canyon area of the Santa Monica hills.
The monument which is 45ft tall and 350ft long was created in 1923 and spelt HOLLYWOODLAND. It was originally built to serve as an advertisement for a local housing development scheme. Two decades later, the sign steadily began deteriorating, with the letter “H” notably falling off. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce contracted the City of Los Angeles Parks Department to repair and rebuild the sign. They also decided to remove the word “LAND” with the sign now reflecting the district and not the housing scheme anymore. But, it deteriorated even further due to its unprotected wood-and-sheet metal structure. At one point what was left of the sign was “HULLYWO D”.
In 1978, in a bid to restore the severely deteriorated monument, the Chamber of Commerce called for donors to sponsor the replacement of all the letters. This time around, the sign was constructed and supported with steel columns and a concrete foundation. The refurbished structure was unveiled on the 11th of November, 1978, a day that marks the commemoration of Hollywood as a city.
The famous landmark is synonymous with American pop culture, making numerous appearances in movies, series and documentaries. It is a common scene in movies about natural disasters or end of the world. The sign has been casted in movies like Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, San Andreas to name just a few.
