I’ve seen plenty of photos showing the metal Christmas trees that used to decorate Hollywood Boulevard for the holidays, but this is the first one I’ve seen using giant Santa Clauses instead. This photo was taken circa 1943 so perhaps the trees were melted down for the war effort? Whatever the reason for the change, they sure look festive—I only wish this shot had been taken in glorious Kodachrome.

Daniel N says: “The trees were impounded ‘for the duration’ because of street light restrictions on the West Coast—this was outside of actual blackouts. The santas were not lit.”