Ida Hancock’s Villa Madama, on the northeast corner of Wilshire Blvd and Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, 1930
In 1909, Ida Hancock, the widow of Major Henry Hancock (owner of Rancho La Brea, which included the La Brea Tar Pits), built a 23-room home that she called Villa Madama on the northeast corner of Wilshire Blvd and Vermont Ave. This shot is from 1930, when the place only had 8 more years in existence before it was razed. These days, you’d never know something so grand ever existed there.
The same view in March 2020. Quite a difference, isn’t it?
Wright’s LTD Importers at Le Conte Ave and Westwood Blvd, Westwood Village, circa 1920s
This shot of Wright’s LTD Importers on Westwood Blvd in Westwood Village reminds us how commercial buildings were designed with such an eye for detail that you don’t often see these days. Those urn-shaped decorations spaced along the roof, the shutters on the windows, the thin metal balustrade around the second floor. From the look of the car parked out front, I’d say this photo is circa 1920s. Wright’s official address was 10906 Le Conte Ave and the building stood on the southwest corner of Le Conte and Westwood Blvd.
This is how it looks today:
Here are some closer shots to see the detailing more clearly:
Richfield Building lit up at night, 555 South Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles
The Richfield Building at 555 South Flower St, downtown LA was a feast of architectural wonder for the eyes during the day, and different sort of feast by night. I thought this was a particularly gorgeous shot framed with foliage in the (I assume) gardens of the LA Central Library. I don’t know when this photo was taken, but by from the sight of that house in the background, I’d say it’s from early in the tower’s 1929 to 1969 lifetime.
Even the street sign was classy!
You can see more photos of the Richfield tower here.
Looking north from Santa Monica Blvd, between Rodeo Dr and Beverly Blvd, Beverly Hills, 1921
I’m eternally glad that someone thought to bring along a camera or photographer when they went up in an airplane or the Goodyear blimp; aerial shots like this give us a whole different perspective. In this 1921 photo facing north, Santa Monica Blvd is along the bottom. Beverly Dr is running up the center of the photo, and Rodeo Drive on the left. Note the bridle path down the center of Rodeo. Prior to 1920, it was used as a one-trolley car system (known locally as “Dinky”) that took people from the Pacific Electric station at Canon Dr and Santa Monica Blvd) to the Beverly Hills Hotel, which we can juuuuust see in the background.
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Tagged Aerial photographs, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Streetcars
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