Author Archives: Martin Turnbull
William Penn Hotel, 2208 W 8th St, Los Angeles, 1929
Built in 1928, the William Penn Hotel at 2208 W 8th St, Los Angeles always catches my eye whenever I drive past it. To me, it looks like it’s been plucked out of some centuries-old East Coast city and plopped … Continue reading
Aerial color photo of Victory Drive-in Theatre, 13037 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, 1964
This aerial photo from 1964 reminds us of something that used to be ubiquitous, but is now quite rare: the drive-in theater. The one we’re looking at here in this 1964 aerial shot is the Victory Drive-in Theatre at 13037 … Continue reading
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Tagged Aerial photographs, Color photo, San Fernando Valley, Theaters
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Color night photo of Pick’s coffee shop, 11925 Santa Monica Blvd, West Los Angeles
I don’t have a lot of information on this coffee shop, but I find this image so evocative of 1950s LA coffee shops that, for me, at least , it’s enough. This color night photo is of Pick’s coffee shop … Continue reading
A sole Angeleno braves LA’s worse smog attack at the intersection of First and Olive Streets, downtown Los Angeles, September 13, 1955
During the week of August 31 to September 7, 1955, Los Angeles experienced its worst-ever heatwave, reaching a record peak of 110° on September 1st. And then on September 13 (69 years ago today!), this spell of hot weather and … Continue reading
The front entrance to the former Southern Pacific Railroad station, 400 W Cerritos Ave, Glendale, California, 1983
I don’t normally post photos taken as recently as the 1980s, but apart from a couple of tell-tale details, this one could be from pretty much any time in the past hundred years, not specifically 1983. This is the front … Continue reading
Color photo of the Hollywood Freeway looking northwest past Hollywood Blvd toward the Hollywood sign, circa mid-1950s
In this photo (which has a very postcard-y feel to it) we’re looking northwest across the Hollywood Freeway. That overpass on the left is Hollywood Blvd and if we look much farther into the background, we can see the Hollywood … Continue reading
A night shot of Berkel’s Music Store, 446 S. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles, July 1, 1914
I don’t know when George Berkel opened his music store at 446 S. Broadway in downtown LA, but this photo was taken on July 1, 1914. So George, quite sensibly, decided to feature his most popular product in the biggest, … Continue reading
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Tagged Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles, Night photo, Stores and Shopping
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Night shot looking east along Hollywood Blvd from Highland Ave, past Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood, circa 1939
We’re looking east along Hollywood Blvd from Highland Ave on what looks to be a dark and inky night. I love how the Hollywood Theatre is lit up like a beacon tempting moviegoers. They probably didn’t have to try very … Continue reading
Passengers riding the Thompson Switchback Gravity Railroad from the Arcadia Hotel into Santa Monica, California, circa 1887
The building in the background of this circa 1887 photo was the Arcadia, a luxury-for-the-time oceanfront hotel in Santa Monica (open from 1886 to 1909) on Ocean Ave between Colorado Ave and what is now known as Pico Blvd. In … Continue reading
Color photo looking east along Hollywood Blvd of a Red Car streetcar traveling west at around El Cerrito Place, Hollywood, circa mid 1950s
** UPDATE ** – This photo was taken on September 25, 1954, just before Red Car service ended there. Oh, how I enjoy a color photo of yesteryear Hollywood. And that goes double if it’s got a Pacific Electric Red … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Color photo, Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd, Restaurants, Streetcars
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