In 1958, two years after it opened, the instantly iconic the Capitol Records building on Vine Street began putting up their Christmas-tree-shaped lights (more than 4300 of them) to celebrate the holiday season. From the style of the photography, I’m guessing this shot was taken in the 1960s—feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. But it is nice to see that so many of the buildings in this shot are still around: Capitol Records, that two-story building in front of it on the Yucca St corner, and farther back the Taft building with the huge Miller beer sign, and the Broadway-Hollywood department store.
Roughly the same angle in February 2021.
When the Sunset Tower opened in 1931 at 8358 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood, the apartment building was considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the Los Angeles area. This photo was taken in 1939, when parking on the Sunset Strip was an achievable ambition. The building is still around today, but only after it was saved from likely demolition and turned into a hotel in the 1980s.
Without an automobile to help date this photo of the original Brown Derby restaurant at 3427 Wilshire Blvd, it’s hard to know when it was taken. I usually try to date the vintage photos I post, but I don’t really mind in this case. The Brown Derby was a timeless, icon of the Los Angeles cityscape, and the version shown in this photo is how I always think of it.
Those Pacific Electric Red Cars must have really packed a visual wallop as they rolled around the streets of L.A. This in circa mid 1950s photo, we see a pair of Hollywood Blvd streetcars at the three-way intersection of Hollywood Blvd, Vermont Ave, and Prospect Ave. I love that sign on the bench for the nearby Dresden Room. It’s a restaurant and live music venue that opened in 1954 and is still around today, having survived the Covid pandemic.
In this photo, we can see three cars parked outside the sales office of the Hollywoodland housing development. The soon-to-be-world-famous Hollywoodland sign was illuminated for the first time on Saturday, December 8, 1923, so this photo probably was taken in 1924. Behind the cute sales office, we can see one completed home, with two more in the background. But that’s about it! It’s always surprised me that the idea was rather slow to catch on. Surely the views must have been a big selling point?
In this 1920s photo, we’re looking south down Broadway from 10th Street. Tenth is now called Olympic Blvd and the intersection no longer looks like this. The streetcars are, of course, long gone, as is that triangular building with four big neon signs. Farther down Broadway, we can see Hearst’s L.A. Examiner newspaper building at 11th and Broadway that stretches all the way to 12th. It’s still there and is currently undergoing a huge conversion to a mixed-use space with creative office, retail, and restaurant spaces. You can learn more about that project here: 
It must have been a rather warm day when this photo was taken circa late 1920s. The Angelenos were crowding Ocean Park Beach, which lays between its more famous neighbors, Santa Monica and Venice. The pier in the background was Lick Pier, which was a popular pleasure pier with all sorts of attractions and amusements. At the far right, we can see the outline of the appropriately named Dome Theatre. I can see quite a few men in jackets, ties, and boater hats, but I pity the swimmers. At this time, swimsuits were often made of wool, which sounds awfully uncomfortable, if you ask me.
On January 17, 1918 the Iris Theatre opened at 6508 Hollywood Blvd with a classical façade with columns and decorative urns. A Thomas Ince movie called “The Family Skeleton” was playing at the time this photo was taken. The movie was released on March 31, 1918, so I’m guessing this photo was taken in April. I do love the car parked out front. Only room for two people and no trunk at the back!
Vine Street in Hollywood was a quite a (neon) light show at night in the 1950s, when this photo was taken. From left to right, I can see signs for Alexander Stationers, Wil Wright’s Ice Cream (orange and yellow stripes), Spot Lite Cafe, American Broadcasting Company (ABC Radio), Santa Fe Railway, The Broadway Hollywood department store, Plaza Hotel, Miller’s beer on top of the Taft Building at Hollywood and Vine, and NBC’s KNBH Television at Sunset and Vine. The 
In 1905, just two years after the first flight of the Kitty Hawk, these curious Angelenos gathered on the grounds of the Raymond Hotel in Pasadena to feast their eyes on something they wouldn’t have seen before: a dirigible. They were probably curious because it belonged to a fellow by the name of Roy Knabenshue who was an aeronautical engineer who had made the first dirigible flight over New York City that year. I don’t know if this was for display only or if he was offering rides, but if he was, some of the people in this photo would have the first to see Los Angeles from the air.