In this glorious aerial shot, we’re treated to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio’s Lot One showing the back lot where all that movie magic was shot. European castles, wild west streets, Anytown USA store fronts, and pirate ships, it was all there in Culver City. This photo was taken in 1932 when a lot of the land around the studio was still empty. I assume it’s 1932 because down at the bottom, we can see a billboard for “Grand Hotel” which was MGM’s biggest movie that year.

**UPDATE** : The corner of Overland and Washington Blvd is at the bottom of the photo and Culver Blvd running parallel at the top. Duquesne would be out of view in the upper left corner.

Here’s a close up of the “Grand Hotel” billboard: