** UPDATE ** – September 26, 1954 was the last day for streetcar service
on Hollywood Boulevard.
I love the splash of color that the Pacific Electric Red Cars provided around Los Angeles—especially when we can see them in color. This shot was taken as Car #5152 was heading west along Hollywood Boulevard toward the Highland Ave. In the background we can see the Pickwick Book Store, which had a 64-year run, from 1931 to 1995. The building with the arches used to be Hollywood’s first nightclub, the Montmartre. It was the “in” place in the early 1920s and the building is still there.
The street cars were such a part of my youth growing up in the Loa Angeles area that it now bring back wondrful memories. We used to take the big Red Car from Burbank, which we caught on San Fernando Road, trundeling along thrugh Glendale down Glen Oaks Blvd and on the entire lengh of Brand Blvd, ending up, finnaly, at the beach near San Pedro, as I remember. That was a 50 cent ride in the late 1940s. Later, when I lived in Iran, in the early Seventies, I would come home to South Pasadena, for Chistmas holidays and always spend an entire evening with my Brother in Law at Pickwick Book store, Hollywood. There were three floors there and the third floor was loaded with many interesing books that you could not find any where else. So sad that they closed. It seems LA is loosing so much of what made it “LA”.
The Hollywood Circle, a.k.a. The Circle Cafe, Cocktail Lounge at 6747 sits just west of Pickwick at the corner of N. McCadden Place. There is a blue blade sign and face signage in the same. Images place a malt shop there, where the red Cafe sign is seen, in 1938. Starbucks in 2019 shots. This image is of course somewhat earlier, before the 1954 loss of electric cars.
The car is running as a “Special”. The dash sign might read Railroad Boosters over Club, but I think it may just be Instructor’s over Car. There is a guy standing up next to where the motorman would be seated, but I can’t see why they would be training new trolley operators in Summer 1954, unless they were expecting to shift them to one of the surviving routes when this line closed out.
The street cars were such a part of my youth growing up in the Loa Angeles area that it now bring back wondrful memories. We used to take the big Red Car from Burbank, which we caught on San Fernando Road, trundeling along thrugh Glendale down Glen Oaks Blvd and on the entire lengh of Brand Blvd, ending up, finnaly, at the beach near San Pedro, as I remember. That was a 50 cent ride in the late 1940s. Later, when I lived in Iran, in the early Seventies, I would come home to South Pasadena, for Chistmas holidays and always spend an entire evening with my Brother in Law at Pickwick Book store, Hollywood. There were three floors there and the third floor was loaded with many interesing books that you could not find any where else. So sad that they closed. It seems LA is loosing so much of what made it “LA”.
I envy you all of those experiences, Richard!
I love it when you get the exact same shot today and most of it is still the same.
Nice job!
Thanks, Randy. It’s not always easy but this one lined up quite nicely!
The Hollywood Circle, a.k.a. The Circle Cafe, Cocktail Lounge at 6747 sits just west of Pickwick at the corner of N. McCadden Place. There is a blue blade sign and face signage in the same. Images place a malt shop there, where the red Cafe sign is seen, in 1938. Starbucks in 2019 shots. This image is of course somewhat earlier, before the 1954 loss of electric cars.
Not the late 1950’s, that line stopped running in 1954!
Yes, Bjorn, you’re quite right. I just looked it up – the last run along Hollywood Blvd was September 26, 1954.
The car is running as a “Special”. The dash sign might read Railroad Boosters over Club, but I think it may just be Instructor’s over Car. There is a guy standing up next to where the motorman would be seated, but I can’t see why they would be training new trolley operators in Summer 1954, unless they were expecting to shift them to one of the surviving routes when this line closed out.