Once you see this Hollywood sign mistake, you won’t be able to unsee it
Have you ever gazed at the Hollywood sign and noticed that one of the letters looks strange? You’re not the only one! This article will show those who haven’t seen this error what they’ve been overlooking. But be careful, once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Hollywood Sign error discovered
In an interview with News.com.au, Jeff Zarrinman, the chair of the Hollywood sign trust, mentioned his fascination with a noticeable mistake in the iconic Hollywood sign. Zarrinman believes that once you become aware of this mistake, it will forever alter your perception of the sign. Take a moment to closely observe the shape of the “W.” Do you notice anything peculiar? If not, let me point out that the gap on the left side of the “W” forms a narrower “V” shape compared to the gap on the right side.
“I always get a kick out of telling people this when they’re standing in front of it,” Jeff Zarrinman said. “Even though people just stand and stare at it when they visit it, they never notice. When I point it out and tell them one of the ‘V’s in the ‘W’ is wider than the other by a significant margin, they’re always amazed.”
He continued, “So the ‘mistake’, if you want to call it that, is still there, but people don’t notice even if they stare at it for hours — and when you notice it, you can’t unsee it.”
Origins
In 1923, Harry Chandler, a real estate developer and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, came up with the idea to construct a large, attention-grabbing sign to attract people from downtown Los Angeles to Hollywoodland. The plan was straightforward yet clever – Chandler wanted to spark curiosity among potential buyers looking to invest in this growing neighborhood by creating a memorable sign visible from afar.
The Hollywoodland sign successfully fulfilled its purpose for many years by capturing attention and enticing potential residents to the area. Nevertheless, when the 1930s arrived, the Great Depression brought a gloomy period to the nation. Property sales drastically declined, and the Hollywoodland development suffered greatly from the economic downturn.
Due to financial difficulties, the sign’s upkeep started to decline. The developers couldn’t maintain the sign’s full illumination, causing some letters to deteriorate. In 1944, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce took charge of maintaining the sign and opted to change it to the famous “Hollywood” sign we recognize today by removing the “land” at the end.
Fundraiser for the Hollywood Sign.
The Hollywood sign, constructed in 1949 for Hollywoodland, was deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. Despite being temporary, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce recognized its iconic status and decided to take charge of its upkeep.
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In 1970, the Chamber of Commerce decided to redo the sign completely. This required taking it down and rebuilding it from the beginning. Zarrinman organized fundraisers to collect the $250,000 required for the project. “The sign had supporters and the community was eager to assist,” Mr. Zarrinman mentioned. “Therefore, in April of 1978, the Chamber established a ‘save the sign committee’.”
Celebrities like Hugh Heffner, Alice Cooper, and the Warner Brothers supported the Sign by sponsoring letters. Hugh sponsored the letter “Y,” and Alice Cooper sponsored the letter “O.”
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