The History of the Hollywood Sign

The iconic Hollywood Sign is one of Los Angeles’s most recognizable symbols. Seeing it in photos and movies, you might think it’s been around forever, but in reality, it was only built in 1923. Let’s take a look at how the Hollywood sign was constructed and its role in LA history.


Who Built the Hollywood Sign?
The Hollywood Sign was originally intended to be an advertisement for a new housing development called “Hollywoodland.” It was commissioned by Harry Chandler, who owned the Los Angeles Times, and funded by real estate developers Mack Sennett and Daeida Wilcox Beveridge. Construction began on July 13th, 1923 with workers using 50-foot tall wood scaffolding to build each letter of the sign. In total, it cost $21,000 to construct—which would be about $300k today accounting for inflation!

The original sign had 4,000 lightbulbs that were switched on at night to promote the housing development. It also included a 30-foot high white picket fence surrounding the base so people couldn’t climb up to the top of the hill where the letters were placed. The last letter was finished on November 2nd, 1923 and celebrated with an opening ceremony attended by hundreds of people including celebrities like Will Rogers and Tom Mix.

How Has the Sign Changed Over Time?
The “land” part of “Hollywoodland” was removed from the sign in 1949 after having fallen into disrepair over previous decades due to lack of maintenance or funding. In 1978, Hugh Hefner held a fundraiser that raised nearly $250k to restore each letter back to its original form—a large undertaking that took 18 months to complete! Since then, there have been other initiatives to preserve this symbol of LA culture including installing security cameras and reinforcing it with steel bars so no one can damage or deface it again.

Conclusion:
Today, standing 45 feet tall and spanning 350 feet wide across Mount Lee in Los Angeles County, the Hollywood Sign is still one of California's most recognizable landmarks. Even though construction only took about four months back in 1923 for this iconic piece of history, what has kept it alive all these years is its ability to remain relevant through continuous restoration projects and fundraising efforts from generous donors like Hugh Hefner who are dedicated to preserving its legacy for generations to come. For anyone interested in exploring more about how this beloved sign came into existence – now you know!