There’s a reason why so many night scenes in movies are shot with wet roads – it add enormously to the atmosphere. As we can see in this circa mid 1930s shot, the slick sidewalk (note the gorgeous interlocking octagonal tiles!) reflects the electric lights on the Christmas trees strung up along Hollywood Blvd for the holiday season. This shot was taken on the south side of the boulevard looking east toward Highland Ave. We can just see the lit-up sign for the Hollywood Hotel on the north side of the street.

Andie P says: “When I first came out to California in 1952, there were still a few places along Hollywood Blvd (and quite a few in downtown L.A.) where there were glass tiles in the sidewalks, mostly they were purple though they didn’t start out that way. They were for illumination, to pass light into the “basement” rooms below. In a few places there were “hatches” in the sidewalk that could be opened and hydraulic “elevators” to bring in supplies. My dad said that the glass tiles, mostly installed in the 1930s, was originally clear but exposure to the sun turned it purple – just like the “desert glass” where discarded clear glass also changed color when exposed to the sun. I remember seeing similar glass tiles in the sidewalks in Chicago but they were all “clear” glass although the surface had become “frosted” from abrasive grit on the soles of shoes.”