The Hollywood Sign Above Mount Lee at Dusk

Hollywood Sign on hillside above residential area with Griffith Observatory tower in background, Los Angeles.
Hollywood Sign on hillside above residential area with Griffith Observatory tower in background, Los Angeles.

The Hollywood Sign sits on Mount Lee in Griffith Park, overlooking Los Angeles. It was built in 1923 as "HOLLYWOODLAND" to advertise a new real estate development in the hills above the city. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce shortened it to "HOLLYWOOD" in 1949, and the current metal letters date to a 1978 reconstruction funded by donors including Hugh Hefner and Gene Autry. The sign runs 350 feet across the hillside, with each letter standing 45 feet tall. A broadcast tower beside the sign transmits signals for several Los Angeles television and radio stations.

Taken November 2011

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