Even though I know The Owl Drug Co had locations across California, I tend to think of them as a very LA thing—maybe that’s because one of them featured in the film of “LA Confidential.” This one was on Main St in downtown Los Angeles on the corner of either 6th or 7th Street. I couldn’t find any buildings to match my favorite part of this photo, which are the gorgeous medallions and grillwork between the first and second floors. I also love that corner streetlight with the five lamps. I bet it looked rather film-noir-y at night. This photo is from 1941.
This is how that corner looked in November 2021:
Wonderful picture, including the Plymouth convertible in the foreground. Thanks
Above Main, LARy ran on 7th, while PE held sway on 6th.
This will drive you nutz….look at the May 08 posting and you will see this building was previously the location of a Liggett’s Drug Store…same window pattern and medallions. Overells in the diagonally opposed corner started as Heywood Bros. & Wakefield in 1899 and changed over circa 1907. Address cited is beginning of 700 numbers (700-10?) of S. Main Street. Early shots of this 7th & S. Main area (allegedly) from PE Building show a concentration of furniture and bicycle business….peddlers one and all.
All those “lower cornices” have human faces. This building recieved some serious attention to details on the bottom floors. Odd that it seems to have been overlooked.