In the enchanting world of streetlights, there’s a story that unfolds as vivid as the light they cast. This narrative comes to life in the article “Chasing streetlights” on Curbed LA. It’s a tale of a young boy named Glen Norman, who, in the glow of a streetlight, discovered a lifelong fascination.
As a child, Glen Norman’s family home in Westchester boasted a simple concrete post-top model streetlight, adorned with an acorn-shaped luminaire. He still fondly recalls the city technicians who would periodically clean the glass and replace the filament, ensuring that the light never dimmed.
However, in 1957, the Norman family moved to North Hollywood, and this time, their block was devoid of streetlights. The neighborhoods to the north and west enjoyed their warm glow, but Glen’s two-block stretch of Cohasset Street remained unlit. These homes, dating back to 1956, just missed the city ordinance that mandated streetlights in new subdivisions.
In 1968, as a teenager, Glen Norman embarked on a mission to document streetlights. Armed with his Kodak Hawkeye Flashfun camera and Verichrome Pan black-and-white film, he rushed to capture the installation of streetlights on freshly paved suburban streets and freeway overpasses in the Valley. The signs of transformation were evident in the curbs and sidewalks being laid, foretelling the arrival of new lights. Streetlights burning during the daytime indicated municipal electrical tests.
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Photo and article with all rights reserved, courtesy of Curbed LA.
