It Was 17 Years Ago Today...

... that the Ambassador Hotel closed its doors to guests forever. The L.A. Times marks the occasion in its new A2 feature (a part of its 125th anniversary milestone), "Times Past":

Declining business along once-thriving Wilshire Boulevard forced the 68-year-old Ambassador Hotel to shut its doors. The majestic hotel had played host to six Academy Awards ceremonies as well as countless movie stars and other dignitaries, including Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill. But it is perhaps best known as the site of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968.

By this time next year, of course, the Ambassador will be gone. Hell, it could be gone within a month, as I noticed today that half of the building's south wing has now been demolished (pics to come).

Meanwhile, some more shots taken a year ago (in Jan. 2005 and Nov. 2004) by Franklin Avenue reader Theresa: