Hollywood Sign Los Angeles during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the sign became an internationally recognized symbol and was left there. Over the course of more than half a century, the sign, designed to stand for only 18 months, sustained extensive damage and deterioration. During the early 1940s, Albert Kothe (the sign's official caretaker) caused an accident that destroyed the letter "H". Kothe, driving while inebriated, was nearing the top of Mount Lee when he lost control of his vehicle and drove off the cliff directly behind the "H". While Kothe was not injured, his 1928 Ford Model A was destroyed, as
Hollywood Sign It is illegal to make unauthorized physical alterations to the sign. Although the city has occasionally allowed it in the past for commercial purposes, current policy does not permit such changes to be made. This is largely due to neighborhood opposition and to past accidents. However, the sign has been unofficially altered a number of times, often eliciting a great deal of attention. Among the more famous modifications: Multiple other places have imitated the sign in some way. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce claims trademark rights over the sign's image and demands license fees for commercial use. In films and