The photographer of this 1903 photograph was standing on Flower St while looking at the western end of the newly opened 3rd Street Tunnel in downtown L.A. That mansion on top of the hill stood on Hope St. The tunnel was a boon for drivers because it cut a chunk of time if they were traveling from the east side of the city to the west (or vice-versa.) Back in 1903 “drivers” meant horse-drawn vehicles or those new-fangled horseless carriages, and I think it’s kind of cool that we have one of each in this photo.
Roughly the same angle in June 2021:
The mansion seen above the tunnel was actually located on the northeast corner of 3rd and S Bunker Hill Avenue. It survived until the early 1960’s when the CRA took it and everything else out. The top of Bunker Hill was removed to the level of the top of the tunnel. Hope Street ran just above and level with the top of the tunnel. the tunnel.