I don’t know where on Franklin Ave this photo was taken, but it does give us a good idea of what the streets of Hollywood looked like back in the day. In this case, the “day” is circa 1920s. Before the palm trees became the most common type in Hollywood, it was the pepper trees that locals were most likely to come across, and to provide shade from the relentless Californian sun. However, they had a tendency to not play well with sidewalks, causing them to buckle with their roots, so in the 1910s the city began to replace them. They also sprouted TONS of berries, which probably played havoc with car windshields and squished underfoot. But still, they lent a genteel pastoral charm to the cityscape.
Pepper trees along Franklin Ave, Hollywood, circa 1920s
It might be around Van Ness…there was a large enclosed property at the SW corner of that intersection (and never any traffic control devices beyond stop signs). Notice how small those palms are in front of the car on the north side? They might turn up in another view to give away this location. Of course the effect of that darn freeway always complicates the issue.
You’re a sharper man than I, Sherlock Donnelly!
Hardly, couldn’t even get the corner right. Should be SE. And it’s just a hunch at this point. Can’t see how Pacific Electric would have been thrilled with those trees being near their shuttle route.
Isn’t it ironic that, decades after the pepper tree, the City of Los Angeles used the ficus as its go-to street tree for many years, before discovering that its roots also caused extensive sidewalk damage.
You’d think *someone* would have know about that *before* they started planting.
Since I lived in the Andes of Peru for two years (1964-66) I watch for Peruvian related facts. Years ago I read that Spanish priests/friars in the 1700s brought Pepper Tree seeds from Peru to California…Peru’s Inca Civilization was conquered by Spanish conquistadores in 1542. Spain was finally kicked out of the New World between 1806-1826.
I’ve heard that Hollywood’s pepper trees came from Peru, which seemed odd, but the Spanish friars bringing them makes more sense. Thanks, William.
I think I’ve found it, maybe? In studying many old images, there is one looking over an estate with groves near Western Avenue just below the college site. Standing up along the Franklin border (southside, north side of the grove) are four brick pillars with caps just like this. And to boot, other view from the hills show a cluster of luned trees in that area with a major dropoff to the west. I think it must be the location, a favorite zone with the photographers of the day.