Chapter 1
A giant billboard for a suburban dream
Chapter 2
Decades of decay and a dark history
Chapter 3
The rock stars who bought the letters
Chapter 4
Pranks, security, and the modern fortress
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Hollywood sign
Ch 2 · Decades of decay and a dark history
dave By the 1970s, the sign had deteriorated into a rusted, broken hazard on the hillside.
dave In 1949, the city removed the last four letters to shift the focus from real estate to the film industry.
Fun Fact
Car vs. letter: The caretaker once destroyed the letter H after losing control of his car and driving it directly off a cliff into the sign.
Glossary
decay (noun)
The state or process of gradual decline, decomposition, or rotting. By 1944, severe structural decay caused the landmark's fifty-foot-tall letter H to completely collapse.
The state or process of gradual decline, decomposition, or rotting. By 1944, severe structural decay caused the landmark's fifty-foot-tall letter H to completely collapse.
Quiz
In what year did the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce remove the 'LAND' portion of the sign?