It seems that Lewis Bradbury had always wanted to leave a legacy behind that bears his name and he did. According to la.curbed.com, "The building was the idea of a gold-mining magnate, Lewis Bradbury, who really wanted to put his name on a building."
The Bradbury Building is indeed remarkable. It was built in 1893 and it is one of Southern California's most remarkable architectural achievements as stated in a report by publicartinla.com.
The history of the Bradbury Building is as melodramatic as the building itself. History states that the in 1892, Lewis Bradbury turned down prominent architect Sumner P. Hunt and opted for George H. Wyman. The unknown architect had zero experience and he himself was mystified as to why he was chosen to design a huge, extravagant, half-million-dollar office building.
George H. Wyman could still not believe his ears when Bradbury walked up to him. He then decided to consult the aid of someone more experienced and wiser. The person would be his dead brother. According to la.curbed.com, "Wyman employed a planchette, which looks exactly like the thing that everyone puts their hands on to navigate the Ouija board." The outcome? Wyman took the job and made the Bradbury Building the biggest architectural movie star in all of Los Angeles as stated in a report by 99percentinvisible.org.
The Bradbury Building was used in various famous movies such as "China Girl", "White Cliffs of Dover", "DOA", "Marlowe", and even in "500 Days of Summer". The Bradbury's most well-known role was the Toymaker's house in the 1982 movie "Blade Runner".
The Bradbury is a tall building. It features a narrow courtyard. It is walled in with terra cotta, and sheltered with a glass ceiling. The elevators are powered by hydraulics and operated by human conductors. The building is beautiful to core. It is also spacious and well-designed.
The legacy of Lewis Bradbury still stands today. A historical landmark of Los Angeles that will still make others be inspired and be awed just by watching it. Not to mention that it was built on the occult belief of George Wyman.