Back in the first half of the 20^th century, Pershing Square in downtown L.A., was a beautiful green oasis with lawns and trees and fountains and monuments. That all changed when they decided to put in a multi-level parking garage and removed everything. But for decades it gave Los Angeles its heart, and offered Angelenos shade from the relentlessness of the Californian sun and respite from the hubbub of life. This shot, circa 1920, give us an idea of what it once was like.

And this is what it looked like in 1968: