This isn’t a photograph but a screen grab taken from footage shot along Wilshire Blvd in 1951 that has been auto-colorized, remastered, with sound added. It’s a remarkable 10-minute visit to 1950s Los Angeles and worth your while: https://youtu.be/5fL8n_aAisQ I freeze framed here because I became curious about this very modern-looking (especially for 1951) building on the right. My ever-knowledgeable friend, David, identified it as Googie-inspired coffee shop of the Carnation Building next door at 5055 Wilshire. Farther west, we can see a Standard gas station, and further along the E. Clem Wilson Building at 5225 Wilshire, which is pretty much the only thing in this image that’s still left standing.
Here it is from a different angle:
Here’s what the interior looked like:
And here is their kid’s menu. It looks like it folded up into some sort of box.
The Carnation building and its coffee shop is long gone. That stretch of Wilshire is now filled with apartment blocks. The following two images are from March 2021:
Here is a closer view of the E. Clem Wilson Building:
I avoid Samsung products just because of that ugly sign.
The kid’s menu probably folds into a Carnation milk truck
Ah yes, that makes sense.
Can’t remember why, but Mom took Sis & I to the Carnation Coffee Shop in the late ’60s. The food was good, but the standout was real whipped cream on top of the milkshakes. Quite the delicious difference from aerosol can equivalent upbringing.
If Carnation can’t make good whipped cream, we’re all in trouble!
The menu probably folds into a Carnation Milk truck.
I expect so, yes.
Remembering more: In the ’70s recall seeing a magazine advertisement for
a chest of drawers identical to the second picture. No joke. An artist had “recreated” the Carnation Building facade with Palm trees as a high chest of drawers! Tried to find a photo but no luck.