In this photo we’re watching traffic zoom through the intersection of Wilshire Blvd and La Brea Ave. In the background we can see the charming Dyas-Carlton Café with its octagonal turret with its own octagonal turret, which in turn has a cute little weather vane. The photo was taken circa late-1920s/early-1930s, so I’m surprised to see a three-light traffic signal because I’d have expected a two-light semaphore model. The road looks freshly paved, but I don’t see any lanes painted along Wilshire, and that concerns me!
** UPDATE ** – The cafe’s owner was one of the Dyas brothers whose failed department store on Hollywood and Vine was later occupied by The Broadway.
“Dyas-Carlton Cafe Opening Soon” – Los Angeles Times, March 18, 1928:
This interior shot of the Dyas-Carlton surprised me. Looking at the exterior shot, the restaurant doesn’t look nearly that big!
This is how the northwest corner of Wilshire and La Brea looked in December 2022. It’s been a construction site for a very long time. Whatever is going up there sure is taking a long time!
Martin, I love your before photo’s but must you always show the current photo’s!!! I do not want to see vacant lot’s where once stood magnificent looking buildings. It is very depressing for me to see. Thanks
You and me both, John!
It’s not a vacant lot, the corner is part of the Metro subway extension to the west. There’s going to be a Purple Line Metro Station there.
Martin, I would rather just see current photo’s of buildings that are still there from the 20s and 30s. It is just heart breaking for me to see all of this modern CRAP going up in LA.
Thanks
John, below you mention “the beautiful architecture that used to be on the same spot,” and I don’t disagree that it was. I don’t know when that cafe was closed, but I know it’s been at least 40 years ago. Many buildings of the ’20s and ’30s don’t stand the test of time in earthquake country and newer buildings, especially taller and taller ones, cannot have all that ornamentation that used to be common. City Hall was almost torn down with the damage done to it in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and might well have been if it wasn’t “Los Angeles iconic City Hall,” considering the cost of that.
Besides that, things change way faster than we realize. Someone on youtube posted a video tour of the neighborhood I live in from 10 years ago. One of those where someone just walks up and down the street and records what it looks like that day. Because I know the area I watched it. I was absolutely shocked at how much had changed in ten years. Day to day it seems there’s been changes during the last decade that just gradually happen and you don’t realize it.
I do not disagree about the current state of architectural design in this country, but I’m occasionally surprised and, despite this cafe that is no longer there, the subway station design that is now going to be there is a great deal better than the flat Bank of America box that used to be there.
Lets hope so as far as a more eye pleasing design for the station. There are way to many ugly flat looking buildings in the country.
Absolutely!
Me three. But I always look forward to the current photos in the hope that the building will still be there. Hope Springs Eternal. In this case, as in so many, it is hard to imagine why anyone would even consider tearing this place down rather than repurposing it, unless there was a fire or some other event that required it. What a loss! It is very depressing!
Thanks Mary, It is good to know there are others out there like myself. I only like it when the buildings get repurposed as you mentioned. My heart sinks when Martin shows the newer photo’s that show no evidence of any of the beautiful architecture that once stood in the same spot.
I do agree John. It is dreadfully depressing to see what has replaced these wonderful structures. It’s amazing how often it is simply a parking lot. And even some of the repurposing can be depressing when you see how it was originally. I moved here from San Francisco in 1964, where at the time Los Angeles had the reputation of being just a big cement block with freeways and no ‘culture’. I was surprised to find out how many lovely buildings and neighborhoods Los Angeles does have; but after getting connected to Martin’s site, even more surprised at how much has been lost. It must have been lovely here in the twenties and thirties, before smog, before freeways, before someone decided anything unique had to go.
Smog was the worst mid-century; the last 30 years it’s not been much of an issue. I’ve never seen anyone on Martin’s site bemoaning that all those horrible oil wells we see in photos were still lining the streets and dotting the hillsides. I’m not trying to be a contrarian with anyone here, I bemoan a lot of the same things many do, but the reality of living day to day in any times is different than looking back at them. I mean, in the ’20s you couldn’t drink (legally). The entire ’30s was a depression!
Right now I’m bemoaning that the Warner Bros. Ranch in Burbank, originally known as the Columbia Ranch and around since the thirties, is being leveled for several new soundstages and two office buildings designed by an architect I loathe, Frank Gehry. This ranch was the filming site of so many movies and TV series for decades. The houses lining the streets of the backlot housed Dennis the Menace, Hazel, Gidget, the Partridge Family, Jeannie, Darrin & Samantha right up to the Heck’s on The Middle and WandaVision, too. The Friends romped in the fountain every week and The Monkees cavorted in the park. A lot of people spend time each year watching Christmas Vacation, filmed there, as were movies from Lost Horizon to High Noon to 1776 to who knows what else. The Flying Nun even flew over the place. I have a friend who feels any backlot’s purpose is in the shows and movies that are made from them. I don’t like them being erased…and so so many have been. Most of us grew up on this one.
I’m with you there. So sorry to hear they are leveling the Ranch. It broke my heart when they got rid of the Western street on the main lot at Warner’s. I first experienced the leveling of Lot 2 and Lot 3 at MGM to build housing. That was gut wrenching. But now I have noticed over the last decades or so that studios are simply becoming a bunch of office buildings surrounded by a fence. They don’t seem to realize these backlots are historical as well as interesting to see. And Warners even has a tour, but now it seems all that’s left to see of ‘moviemaking’ is the town square and their ‘New York St’ surrounded by ugly, modern office buildings. What do they think people are coming to see?
All it is about is the Benjamin s!!! Shame on Warner Brothers for destroying all that was good in Hollywood.
Mary, I could not agree with you more and I would give anything to go back to the 20s and 30s just to see how beautiful LA must have been. Everything even down to the street light and traffic signals were works of art. Still waiting for that time machine to whisk me away.
Wilshire Boulevard was the first street in the City to have tri-light traffic signals. They were installed at the end of 1931. Road users became irritated with the bell gong sound of the Acmes. Also, at this time, some of the other major cities were starting to use tri-light signals, with yellow change intervals. After that, no new signals in the City would be Acmes. The poles for the Wilshire Boulevard signals were fluted and had decorative bases similar to those for the Wilshire Lady street lights.
Wilshire Boulevard was also the first street in the City to have striping (along with Figueroa Street and Ventura Boulevard in 1930). It is clear that the street was just resurfaced as the crosswalks are missing, as well as the striping.
Thanks for all that interesting info, John. I’d never had suspected that the replacement of semaphores with 3-light signals would have started so early.
The corner is the site of a subway station.
You mean it’s only “a foot long”? 😂
The construction site at Wilshire and La Brea is taking a long time because it is the future site of the Metro subway station. It is being used as a staging area for the building of the subway.