There was a time when extraordinary effort was put into the external decoration of public buildings. This photo was a case in point. This building is at 8701 Santa Monica Boulevard at the corner of Westbourne Dr. in West Hollywood. Look at the detailing on that grillwork! And the masonry under the window! Perhaps even more miraculous is that it went up in 1929—a year later the Great Depression would have been in full swing and there probably wouldn’t have been the money to install such great, enduring work.

And today: