In this 1903 photo, we’re looking west along 3rd St. in downtown Los Angeles. On the left, we can see a sign for Desmond’s. They later evolved into a one of the nicer men’s clothing stores, but they started out selling men’s hats. Down the end of 3rd St, we can see the tunnel that was a boon to drivers wanting to get around town. It’s hard to see from this distance, but it’s also where the original Angels Flight funicular was located. When this photo was taken, it was barely two years old.
This is roughly how that view looked in May 2024.
My grandpa would have been looking at that scene back then. He worked at LA RY yellow cars back in 1903 that was located at the Douglas Building, 257 s Spring at 3rd, if I did my homework right. I wish I could show him all these old photos, I bet he would have a lot to say about them.
I believe that is the Douglas building on the corner, right side.
Great comparison shot to see how much they chopped off the hill that the original Angel’s Flight was on.