Compliments of the L.A. Times' photography blog, Framework , comes a truly historic image of The Los Angeles-Times Richfield `Electric Newspaper' at the corner of 6th and Hill streets.
This novel news bulletin service, one of the first in the United States, became a reality on October 12, 1931, when it began splashing short snappy news bulletins (local, state, national and international) based on reporting from multiple sources, including telegraph, telephone, radio, mail and messenger across a dazzling board in incandescent letters four feet high during the five hours of its nightly operation.
Given that the Times faced fierce competition from other metropolitan dailies during the 1930’s, the idea behind this unique bulletin service was to whet reader’s appetite for the next morning’s print edition in hopes they buy the Times at their local newsstand.
The Times reports that it has never been determined exactly when the Times Richfield `Electric Newspaper' was discontinued.
Bill Lucey
May 23, 2013
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