When this photo was taken on May 4, 1939, the Los Angeles Times building at the corner of First and Spring in downtown Los Angeles had been open for four years. The Art Deco building had quickly become an iconic part of the LA skyline—and still is, even though it’s now empty. This shot was taken from the gardens of LA City Hall, which must have been a nice respite for city workers looking to eat their lunch in the shade.

This is as close to that view of the LA Times building as I could get. It’s from May 2024.

And here’s a May 2024 view of the gardens in front of LA City Hall. They’re even shadier now!