I found precious little information about this remarkable construction so I’m not even sure that the meager facts I did find are correct. But it looks like this ice cream and candy shop made in the shape of a woman in a hoop skirt, holding a fan, and wearing a hat was called “Betsy Ann” after the owner, Betsy Ann Hisle, who founded her company in 1938. Signs on either side of her read: “We manufacture our own ice cream and candies,” below that, another sign reading, “Betsy Ann fancy ice cream & candies,” and “Good old Eastside. The perfect brew. We serve cold drinks of all kinds.”

Here is another photo of two-story Betsy Ann. Apparently she got moved to a more remote location. That looks like the Hollywood Hills in the distance.

Or maybe she wasn’t moved. Maybe this was a whole different one because apparently you could buy your own Betsy Ann. This advertisement is from the Calexico Chronicle, dated October13, 1927. Which shows that Betsy Ann must have opened for business some time in the 1920s.

**UPDATE** – Here’s some more information that a follower of my Facebook page sent me:

Little Betsy Anne Hisle sure was a cutie-patootie!