Until 1942, LA’s famous MacArthur Park to the west of downtown Los Angeles was known as Westlake Park. In this circa 1934 photo we see a practically empty Wilshire Blvd as it winds its way through the middle of the park. (1934 was the year the park was extended to the south side of Wilshire.) Interestingly, the caption calls it “West Lake” Park (two words) which I don’t recall seeing before. I do love seeing those streetlights (known as a Wilshire Special because they were only on Wilshire Blvd) line both sides of the street. And I can’t help but wonder where that lone motorist was going that day.
Daniel K says: “I grew up fishing there, and it was safe and clean. And old guys indeed played chess and checkers by the trees, as in JImmy Webb’s immortal song. When I met him after a concert I told him, and he smiled. When he played the bandshell he told the story — he was in love with a girl who worked in the Aetna Bldg (now condos) and they’d sit on the grass during her break. I assume she fed pigeons, very tame things. She broke my heart, he says today. And re the cake, I think he baked it for her, then she broke up with him on that day. And he left it there, on a table, in the rain. And he walked back to his apt in Silver Lake. Then, he wrote the song.”
Kevin W. says: “It wasn’t that the park was extended – it was always a large square, with streetcar lines along both its north and sooth sides. Rather, when they realized what a major artery Wilshire would become, they did an earthen fill across the lake and extended Wilshire through the park to downtown.”
This is how that same view looked in January 2023. I marveled at seeing Wilshire so empty in 1934, but apparently it’s not all that unusual!
I’d never heard of the Wilshire Specials before, and I asked my sister if she’d ever seen or heard of them, and she said “no.” Then, in your after photo, there’s one still there! I wonder if there are any left on other parts of Wilshire.
Is that street light installation still at the L.A. County Museum of Art? Did they have Wilshire Specials? Hmmm.
ETA: Just googled, and it looks there might be some, but I can’t tell for sure.
It’s ironic that you haven’t heard of it because they’re the only LA streetlight that I could name. Yes, they’re in the LACMA light installation. You can also see them at the museum dedicated to LA street lights (yes, there is one) and also at City Hall in downtown LA.
Yeah, and I was born and raised here. I’ve been on Wilshire a billion times. I’m not as observant as I thought!
During the 1920’s and early 1930’s each boulevard had distinctive decorative street lights. Thus was the case for the ones on Wilshire Boulevard between Figueroa Street and Fairfax Avenue. The Wilshire Special (I call it the Wilshire Ladies) lights were installed circa 1927 while the ones through West Lake Park were installed in 1934. However, by the late 1930’s, the concept of unique styles was abandoned as streets lights with overhanging arms became the model since they were functionally more effective, although not aesthetically more pleasing. The ones between Park View Street and Fairfax Avenue were modified/replaced while those between Figueroa Street and Park View Street were mostly retained.
The Wilshire Ladies capital is cast solid bronze. Each edge of the light fixture is an elongated semi-nude flapper with bobbed hair–pure jazz age roaring twenties.
Thanks for all that wonderful extra info, John!
Thanks for all the detail, John! Now I’ll have to track down a close-up image.
Why is the street curve much more prevalent in the 34 photo? Thank God someone did have the common sense to keep those street lights.
I wondered about that too, and think maybe its due to lens distortion.
The last link of Wilshire Boulevard was constructed in 1934, between Alvarado Street and Park View Street, thus dividing the lake.