Nothing says “mid century America” like a shot of an Arthur Murray dance studio. This particular one was at 5828 Wilshire Boulevard, at Stanley Ave, opposite the La Brea tar pits. What was the Prudential building back in 1942 when this photo was taken is now the SAG-AFTRA building (Screen Actor’s Guild). I particularly like that line of streetlights stretching like sentinels into the horizon.
UPDATE: Susan Milner says: “The Prudential Bldg went up after the War was over, so it wasn’t there in ’42. Ohrbach’s Dept store occupied the lower 3 story wing, before it moved later on to where the Peterson Museum is now, and Van de Kamp’s was right next door to Ohrbach’s across Masselin. There were lots of different offices in the Prudential tower, including the West Coast HQ of Prudential. I think the Prudential Bldg opened in ’48.”
How that same block looks in 2016:
Other shots of the Arthur Murray dance studio:
Welcome home my friend! Re Arthur Murray: “Arthur Murray taught Me Dancing In a Hurry” was their pitch & my mother signed me up. My teacher was the nephew of Lillian Smith who had written the book “Strange Fruit” and we got along well although I never did learn to be much of a ballroom dancer – too self conscious.
Love always, Lou.
Ballroom dancing was WAY TOO GAY for moi! I developed my OWN style, and became advanced in 2-step C&W dancing!