Author Archives: Martin Turnbull
Night view of Stan’s drive-in restaurant on the northwest corner of Beverly Blvd and La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, circa 1952
Here’s a 1950s scene if ever if ever there was one. We’re looking at Stan’s drive-in restaurant which stood on the northwest corner of Beverly Blvd and La Brea Ave. I wonder if it was as packed as this every … Continue reading
The Hollywood Bowl’s first shell shortly after its completion in 1926 as seen from the back rows
Over the years since it opened in 1920, the Hollywood Bowl has had several different stages and shells (including the first one, which had no shell at all.) The one we’re seeing in this 1926 photo was designed by architect, … Continue reading
Looking east along Wilshire Blvd from Western Ave, Los Angeles, circa late 1930s
As a 21st century Angeleno, I take some measure of comfort in this photo looking east along Wilshire Blvd from Western Ave. I wouldn’t have imagined that Wilshire Blvd would have often seen traffic has heavy as this. Not that … Continue reading
Aerial photo taken from a balloon looking north between Main St and Los Angeles St towards the plaza, downtown Los Angeles, 1850
**UPDATE** THIS IS ACTUALLY A PHOTO OF A MODEL OF WHAT 1850 LOS ANGELES WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE. (Scroll down for further info.) After posting a daily vintage photo of Hollywood/Los Angeles/Southern California for more than 10 years, I suspect … Continue reading
Night shot looking north up Broadway from 7th Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1939
This is one of those photos I want to dive through my screen and plunge into. We’re looking north up Broadway from 7th Street in downtown LA. It was taken in 1939, when Broadway and 7th was one of the … Continue reading
The Car Café at the Brown Derby restaurant, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, circa 1941
The fourth Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles opened in 1940 at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd, which made it a perfect place for a before-the-show dinner when going to the nearby Greek Theatre. I’ve seen photos of it before, but … Continue reading
Atmospheric night shot looking from the Santa Monica bluffs south along the beach toward the pier, Santa Monica, California, 1929
I couldn’t find much information about this atmospheric photo. What I could glean is that we’re perched atop the bluffs overlooking Santa Monica beach facing south along the beach toward the pier. That’s the constellation of bright lights in the … Continue reading
The old Los Angeles County Courthouse and the Hall of Records dwarfed by the new Los Angeles City Hall, downtown Los Angeles, 1927
This photo captures a time when downtown Los Angeles wasn’t all shiny glass skyscrapers. Here we have the old Los Angeles County Courthouse (on the left) and the Hall of Records (right) dwarfed by the then-new Los Angeles City Hall. … Continue reading
Griffith Observatory at night, Griffith Park as seen from the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, circa 1937
The 3,000+ acres of land that industrialist Griffith J. Griffith donated to the city of Los Angeles makes a stark background for this striking photo of the Griffith Observatory taken at dusk circa 1937. The observatory had opened in 1935, … Continue reading
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Tagged Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, Los Feliz, Night photo
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A crowd gathers for an Easter Parade on what appears to be the grounds of the Ambassador Hotel, Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 1941
From the rather vague caption that was attached to this photo from 1941, it seems this crowd had gathered for an Easter Parade on what appears to be the grounds of the Ambassador Hotel. That road with the traffic is … Continue reading