I recently posted a photo from 1926 in which Figueroa St had no lanes painted on the road. This photo was taken 3 years later with still no lanes to guide motorists. We’re looking west along Wilshire Blvd toward La Brea Ave, and it’s a good thing traffic is light, because I’d wouldn’t like to have been facing a lane-less, free-for-all peak hour without them. (Wait, did they even have a peak hour in 1929?) On the far left we can see the blade sign (not neon but all incandescent lamps at that point) for the Fox Ritz Theatre and one of those streetlights called a Wilshire Special which were made specifically for Wilshire Blvd.
This is roughly the same view in March 2021. Not nearly as interesting, but at least there are now lanes painted on the road.
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I seem to recall seeing that building on the right with the hexagonal tower. If my memory is accurate (never a sure bet), then it would’ve survived at least into the 1980s.
Looks like they’re either building or re-making the facade of the First National Bank of Los Angeles, across the street from the Ritz. And I can’t quite read the circular sign to the left of the bank.
Round sign looks to be Gilmore over Gasoline with lion’s head in the center. To the left is a semaphore under the street lamp…it appears to extend out for “Stop”, leaving us to wonder why some idiots are rushing in where a driver is jamming through a left turn in their path! They’ll soon be in good hands with Allstate.