The Hollywood Sign

In 1923 the original Hollywood sign was erected in Los Angeles; however, the original sign read, "Hollywoodland" instead of "Hollywood." The sign was built by the Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler for $21,000 for his real estate company's advertising campaign. The sign soon became the single-most iconic image of the city and a symbol of hope and stardom for young actors and actresses dreaming of fame.

The construction workers on this project had to carry materials and equipment 1,578 feet up  the southern side of Mt. Lee on narrow paths of dirt. Each of the original 13 letters was 30 feet wide and 50 feet call, constructed of 3 by 9 foot metal squared rigged together by  scaffolding, pipes, wires, and telephone poles.

At night the Sign blinked into the Hollywood night: first "Holly" then "wood" and finally "land," punctuated by a giant period. A giant white dot was constructed below the sign like a giant spotlight to catch the eye. The sign itself featured 4,000 20-watt bulbs, spaced 8 inches apart.

Originally intended to last just a year and a half, the sign has endured more than eight decades and is still going strong. Head to http://www.hollywoodsign.org/history-test.html to find the complete history of the Hollywood Sign.