This photo gives us a glimpse at what it was like to walk up Broadway between 5th and 6th Streets in downtown Los Angeles circa 1906. Between the streetcars and the horse-drawn carriages, I’m guessing it would have been quite a lively and noisy street scene. I do love the banner strung across Broadway announcing the Midwinter Carnival at Venice Beach on January 14, 1906. Farther back, there’s another banner for a horse show at Pasadena. And get a load of those street lamps—it looks like there is a ring of five globes surrounding a large globe on top. I would imagine that at night they gave off quite a glow.
I’m not certain which direction the vintage photo was facing. I believe it’s looking north in which case this is roughly the same view in February 2021.
Lots of details in this pic! It looks like a woman’s show (boot) on the roof of the building on the left. I wonder if that’s a Red Car or some other trolly car. The architecture was definitely more interesting back then.
I worked at 4th and Spring for several years when our City offices were moved during the City Hall retrofit. I think the building that says “Parmelee” might still be there – that name sounds familiar. I’m curious about that sidewalk sign referring to “Matinee To-Day.” I’m guessing it refers to a stage show, rather than a movie, given that movies were mostly one- or two-reelers in 1906. I’d love to know what that matinee was.
I worked at the Petroleum Building at Olympic and Flower for a few years. It was built “recently” in 1947…it seemed old to me!
Oops. There’s another building called the “General Petroleum Building.” That was the one built in 1947. My Petroleum Building was built in 1925…I thought it was much older than the 40s!
It’s probably possible to find out by going through pages of the old LA Time online, focusing on early-to-mid-January 1906 and looking at listings or ads for theaters on Broadway between 5th and 6th Streets.
The Parmelee brothers were an early supplier of china and glasswares in Los Angeles. In the photo, we see the Dohrmann name added as that San Francisco established firm spread south to L.A./San Diego, north to Portland/Seattle/Spokane and eastward as far as Texas and thereabouts. The Parmelee name, kept in the early “partnership” period, would ultimately disappear as Dohrmann Hotel Supply became the sole owner.