n this photo, we’re looking north up Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, between 3rd and 4th Streets. The tower in the background is part of the old City Hall (no longer there) but the five-story building in the center is the Bradbury building, which is most definitely still around. This photo was taken in 1900, when L.A. streetcars still had an open-air section, which must have been chilly during winter.

Andrew S says: “Also not in this photo yet, the seven Globe Llewellyn iron works electrolier lamps. 135 of them were Installed on Broadway in 1905. Still a very dark street at night in 1900. The cable car is also fascinating. They were soon replaced by electric cars, because during storms the cable guides would fill up with mud. That mud required an enormous amount of cleaning to reopen service.”

Roughly the same view in April 2019: