Los Angeles highlight
Hollywood Sign
Built in 1923 as an advertisement for a real estate development, the Hollywood Sign has become a global symbol of the city's film and entertainment industry.
In 1923, Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler constructed a large sign on Mount Lee as a $21,000 advertisement for his Hollywoodland real estate development. The sign was deliberately designed to last approximately eighteen months before being removed, but it survived and transformed into an icon representing not just the city but the entire motion picture industry.
By the 1970s the sign had deteriorated significantly, prompting the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to organize a 1978 fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion. Individual letters were ceremonially sponsored by celebrities, with each letter carrying a cost of $27,700. The old structure was removed in August 1978, and the replacement utilized 194 tons of concrete, enamel and steel. Since 1992, the Hollywood Sign Trust has maintained legal responsibility for its upkeep and preservation.
Families living in Los Angeles often establish their own traditions: a hike with children, a milestone viewed from different neighborhoods, a landmark that marks time passing. Life insurance planning works similarly, creating a foundation that protects those traditions for the people you love.