Does anybody Western Airlines? They flew around the western part of the US, with hubs in LA, Salt Lake City, and Denver, from 1926 until 1987, when they merged with Delta. I don’t have a date on this glorious shot of their ticket office on the southwest corner of 6th and Olive downtown LA, but in a way, it’s timeless. The whole look of it is so clean and crisp, and with such beautiful lighting—especially along that marquee. My only regret is that we can’t see the whole WESTERN AIR LINES sign.
** UPDATE ** – This photo has been identified as being circa 1946. You can see more photos taken that day here:
https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/7336
This is the building on that corner. There’s no sign of the Western Airlines office, but the building itself is rather nice. This image is from May 2019.
What a gorgeous photo. I remember Western Airlines very well. They flew everywhere in the western US. They were heavily promoted on TV with ads featuring a cartoon bird who relaxed on the top of a Western plane propped on a pillow by the tail with a glass of champagne, a reference to Western’s champagne flights. Passengers were offered a glass of champagne when you flew Western, an amenity that has gone by the wayside on flights nowadays.
Western Airlines. The own-ly way to fly!
This collection at the Huntington has some interior shots and says the collection is from 1946.
https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p15150coll5/id/7335
I Think That The Western Airlines Office Building Should Be A Western Airlines Hotel ,
They had hotels too?
Beautiful storefront. Think of all that has gone by the wayside.
When was the last time people went to downtown L.A. in any kind of numbers after dark? Mid-1980s?
I’m guessing it’s been a while since you were in downtown LA. Covid-19 lockdowns notwithstanding, downtown LA is now peppered with loft apartments and all the supportive infrastructure that goes with that. It’s actually quite a happening scene.