In the early 1920s, it was determined that Los Angeles needed a bigger, better central library. A site was chosen at the corner of Flower and 5th Streets and the LA Central Library was built in 1925. This photo was taken on 5th St during its construction. It looks like the main park was well on its way and buried beneath all that scaffolding is the library’s iconic pyramidal tower. This photo is also a reminder that there wasn’t much difference in automobiles in the mid-20s, which only serves to make that little roadster in the middle stand out.
And this view of the new library’s Goodhue Building under construction was taken on November 2, 1925:
This is roughly the same view in June 2022.
This Google Earth image from September 2022 shows how the library is now hemmed in by skyscrapers—but it’s still there!
The cars were very boring in looks until the late 20s.
I love the downtown library. We used to get a carpool of kids when I was in high school to go there to do work on research papers. Gorgeous building. Then to Googies for lunch. And maybe some discreet snooping around the Biltmore.
Anybody interested in the library should read Susan Orlean’s “The Library Book,” which was written after a destructive fire in the building. Really interesting read.