Iliad Bookshop Rebuilds Crunched Giant Books

Front of Shop Restored From Attack by Vehicle

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 Look back on our archives to January 22, 2015 to see the incident of a car that was hit in in the intersection of Chandler and Cahuenga and sent crashing into Iliad Bookshop’s display of Giant Books outside the front of the shop.  The car was the loser of the crash, with damage to the front end, but the books took a beating and were torn down and replaced with a whole new row of colorful tomes.

In addition, owner Dan Weinstein added two fabulous murals along the building’s facing sides on both Cahuenga and Chandler. We all remember the great mural on his old location on Lankersheim.  Sadly, only a small portion of that is left, the rest were painted out by incoming businesses.  Below are some photos of the new books and portions of the murals  The fantastic murals on both locations were done by artist Paul Dilworth.  Click here to visit his website. Dilworth is a London artist who paints portraits of houses and London Life.  His latest murals on the Iliad show the fantasy and whimsy of literary characters, so next time you visit Iliad Bookshop take your camera with you.

More scenes of Giant Books and Dilworth’s murals:

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And finally, L.A.’s own Bukowski, having a perpetual smoke outside the Iliad. He seems to be saying “boy, a nice cold beer would be good right now.”

photos by Paul Hunt

Tibetan Bookseller’s Story

Tsering Thondup Saved Rosicrucian Leader Raymond Bernard

Tsering Thondup

Tsering Thondup

Back in August, 2014 I was visiting Vajra Bookshop in Inglewood, California with my friend Julie Webster.  The main bookie was a Tibetan named Tsering.  On a previous visit he had shown me a letter from Dr. Raymond Bernard, thanking him for saving his life in In India.  I asked him to tell the story to Julie, and tried to film it with my malfunctioning iphone, but you can get the basics of it by clicking below on the video box.  Tsering, as well as being a bookseller, was an accomplished silversmith, and kept the shop going by working on jewelry repairs, as the book sales in Inglewood were not very good. He passed in the fall of 2015, so this is the only record of an incredible event, as young Tsering, then living in  Dharamala, the Tibetan community in India, literally carried Dr. Bernard on his back for 3 miles to a hospital, and then stayed there for a week to cook for him.  I’m wondering how many Americans would do the same here if they found a sick Tibetan on the street.  Just wondering……

The Beautiful old Vajra Bookshop in Inglewood

The Beautiful old Vajra Bookshop in Inglewood

Dr. Raymond Bernard, the French head of the Rosicrucian Movement

Dr. Raymond Bernard, the French head of the Rosicrucian Movement. Tsering carried Dr. Bernard on his back for 3 miles to a Hospital in India when he had collapsed from hepatitis.

Photo of Dr. Bernard from http://www.plotinus.com/raymond_website_copy.htm

Click on the box below to view the video.


Photos (except that of Dr. Bernard) by Paul Hunt and Julie Webster.

Uncle Paulie says:  Learn a lesson from this, don’t drink the water in India.  Or Flint, MI.

Eli Goodman Laid To Rest

Goodman Interred at Riverside National Cemetary

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Goodman was interred on April 21, 2016 at the Riverside National Cemetery.  He qualified for resting there by his service in World War 2.  I found a few more photos of Eli, which I am posting here.

 

Eli Goodman, 2009

Eli Goodman, 2009, photo by Paul Hunt

 

Eli Goodman with Price Guide to the Occult. Photo by Arnold Herr

Author Eli Goodman with Price Guide to the Occult.  Photo by Paul Hunt

Eli Wallowing in Books. Photo by Paul Hunt

Eli Wallowing in Books. Photo by Paul Hunt   A customer was pointing to some cash left on the counter, jerking Eli from his slumber and into immediate action, and in the process blurring the shot.

Eli getting ready to close for the day. Around 2009. Photo by Paul Hunt

Eli getting ready to close for the day, around 2009. Photo by Paul Hunt

Breaking news:  Arnold Herr’s hilarious fictional account of his many years of adventure at Cosmopolitan, uh, I mean “Megalopolis Books”, is being readied for publication.  Stay tuned for further news, especially if you are interested in obtaining a limited edition.