The Hollywood Hotel stood on the northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave from February 1903 to August 1956, and for most of those 53 years, it was a Hollywood landmark. But it was also a place that was usually photographed in black and white, so to find a color shot is always a joy. This one was taken in 1954, when it was only a couple of years away from facing the wrecking ball. It would have started to fall into disrepair by now, and unable to compete with other, newer hotels who were able to offer private bathrooms. However, in this photo at least, she still looks like a grand old dame, if you ask me.

Susan M says: “It really smelled in there toward the final decade. It had severe dry and wet rot. Apparently, the mold was hard to deal with in the wood inside and out. A lot of the paying customers asked for their money back due to feeling sick from the mold and smells. Apparently the long drawn out demise found a lot of corners being cut like how to tent the place to get rid of termites. Folks used to claim it would fall off its wooden foundation with the next Santa Ana winds.”

This is roughly the same view in July 2022: