Category Archives: Uncategorized
View of the Mulholland Dam being reinforced following the failure of the St. Francis Dam, Hollywood, California, circa 1933
On March 12-13, 1928, the St. Francis Dam north of Santa Clarita suffered a catastrophic failure which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 430 people. One of the consequences of the disaster was a reassessment of the Mulholland Dam, … Continue reading
Color photo looking west along Wilshire Blvd from Commonwealth Ave toward Bullocks Wilshire department store, Los Angeles, 1972
I don’t normally post images from as late as 1972, but I’m a sucker for color photos, especially if they’re of one of LA’s most iconic buildings: the Bullocks Wilshire department store. We’re looking west along Wilshire Blvd from Commonwealth … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Bullocks Wilshire, Color photo, Hotels, Stores and Shopping, Town House Hotel, Wilshire Blvd
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The Los Angeles Federal Courthouse and Post Office building at the corner of Main and Winston Sts, downtown Los Angeles, circa late 1890s
And from the “What We Lost in the March of Progress” file comes this magnificent building that I had never heard of until I came across this photo. It was known officially as the Los Angeles Federal Courthouse and Post … Continue reading
Looking east along Hollywood Blvd at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre during the spectacular premiere of Howard Hughes’s “Hell’s Angels,” Hollywood, May 27, 1930
At Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd, there have been movie premieres, and there have been lavish movie premieres, but I can’t think of any that have topped the spectacle Howard Hughes put on for the opening of his $2.8 … Continue reading
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Tagged Grauman's Chinese Theater, Movie Premiere, Night photo, Theaters
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Looking north from around 6th St along a very crowded Main St, downtown Los Angeles, May 8th 1901
A couple of days ago I posted a photo looking north along Main St in downtown Los Angeles in 1906. Yesterday, someone sent me this photo taken from much the same angle (we can see the gazebo atop the Main … Continue reading
Color photo looking east along Wilshire Blvd from the eastern end of MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, circa 1950s
Here we have a vibrant circa-1950s photo looking east along Wilshire from the eastern end of MacArthur Park. Past the trees on the left, we can see the top of the huge sign for the Westlake Theatre (MacArthur Park was … Continue reading
Looking north up Main St from around 6th St, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1906
Click on the above photo to see a larger version. In this circa 1906 shot, we’re looking north up Main St from around 6th St in downtown Los Angeles. Being close to the turn of the century, most of the … Continue reading
St George Apartments, 1245 Vine St, Hollywood, circa late 1940s
The person who sent me this photo of the St George Apartments at 1245 Vine St in Hollywood asked me if I knew what the sign at over the alley at the far left – “The Old World” referred to. … Continue reading
Alexander’s Market, Mode O’ Day dress store, and GallenKamp’s Shoes on the 3000 block of Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, circa late 1930s
Here we have an image (from the quality of it, it looks like it’s a still from a film) that gives us an idea what local stores looked like in the late 1930s. The 3000 block of Vermont Ave was … Continue reading
Residence of General Harrison Grey Otis, 2401 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, circa early 1900s
In 1881, General Harrison Grey Otis (a Union Army officer during the Civil War) started the Los Angeles Times, and in 1898, built this home on the north side of Wilshire Blvd at Park View St. It overlooked Westlake Park … Continue reading