Ah, the gentility of a bygone era when going shopping included pausing for an elegant afternoon tea. This photo (which is probably a hand-tinted postcard) is of the Tea Room at the Bullocks department store in downtown Los Angeles at the corner of 7th Street and Broadway, probably early 1900s. It was one of the big department stores at the time and I believe their tea room was on the top floor. Look at all those potted plants – someone had a busy job keeping them alive. But those scattered rugs worry me. It wouldn’t take much for a waitress with a tray of teapots, cups and saucers, and molasses cookies to trip on a corner and send the whole thing flying into the lap of some unfortunate socialite or movie magnate’s wife.
Color photo of the Tea Room at Bullocks department store, 7th Street, downtown Los Angeles
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Ah, the catch is in the title. This is not the tea room itself, but only the foyer for those who must wait their turn. And so, “Free to those who can afford it, very expensive to those who can’t.”–Withnail & I, purveyors of jukeboxes for tea rooms.
Did the doors of this foyer lead to the outside patio on the roof of the building? I have a photo of my great uncle who worked as a department manager in the mens clothing department at Bullocks in the very early 1950’s. He is standing outside on the patio.
Hi Les, I’m not 100% sure, but based on other photos I’ve seen, I think yes, it lead to the outdoor patio on top of the building.