The construction of the world’s first stack interchange took place north of downtown Los Angeles between 1949 and 1953. So when the four-level interchange of the Arroyo Seco Parkway and the Hollywood Freeway (aka the 101) opened, I’d imagine that it would have been a fairly big deal. However I don’t know that would have gone out of my way to find a patch of grass and watched the traffic whiz by like these nice, young, well-dressed Angelenos are doing in this circa mid-1950s photo. Did they have nothing better to do?
** UPDATE ** – It was for an advertisement.
This is a 1954 aerial view of the interchange:
Beautifully composed photograph with the City Hall centered above the man’s head, the woman seated to balance the grouping and even capturing a car in the background on a different level. The photographer deserves a credit for taking it. I’m sure it is a commercial photograph to celebrate a major achievement.
Skyscraper Noorish LA posted circa 1949 shot taken from up in City Hall which overlooks Hill Street tunnels viewing toward this interchange as it is being built (scroll down): https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?s=be17cc113b1288af005a3d8df57871fa&t=170279&highlight=greystone+mansion&page=2259