It’s not often we get to see L.A.’s Broadway from this angle. The photographer was standing on the Chamber of Commerce building, which was next to the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper building. (That’s the “NER” sign we can see on the left.) There’s a parade going up Broadway because on this day, Los Angeles was celebrating their new, instantly iconic City Hall. That was quite a parade because the cross street we can see in this photo is 11th Street and L.A. City Hall is at 1st Street. But it means we can date this photo on City Hall’s dedication day, which was April 26, 1928.

Tony V says: “The Western Pacific Building will bring back bittersweet memories to Baby Boomers. During the Vietnam War, when the draft was major part of life in the USA, the Western Pacific Building was where young men—most of them about 18 years old—reported for their mandatory physicals to evaluate their readiness for military service. All those who ended up being drafted said goodbye to their families and friends here before being sent to Basic Training and two years away from home.“