The Hollywoodland Sign / The Hollywood Sign - one of the BEST advertising signs of all time!

Happy 87th birthday to the Hollywood sign! On July 13, 1923 the Hollywoodland sign was officially dedicated. It's an extra special birthday this year because it was saved over this past year from developers building around it. Hugh Hefner donated nearly one million dollars to protect the land. His donation, combined with other donations, were enough to total $12.5 million - the amount needed to purchase the acres around the sign. 

The Hollywood sign was originally the Hollywoodland sign, and it was created to advertise a new housing development back then in the Hollywood Hills. They had no idea at the time that the sign would stay forever, and would become one of the top tourist attractions that people want to see when they visit Los Angeles. The sign was simply an advertising sign when it was created, but it sure was a GREAT one. 

It used to have lightbulbs on each letter. I wish I could see a video of what it looked like with thelightbulbs on at night. However, I was grateful to find the video above. It shows the Hollywood sign in 1932, when it was still a Hollywoodland sign. 

Thank you to vspah for posting this fantastic little home movie on YouTube (the beautiful woman in the home movie is Vera, the grandmother of YouTube user vspah). 

For more information about the history of the Hollywood sign: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign