Spare a thought for poor Claude Braden, who got stuck with the job of night operator of Pasadena’s first telephone exchange in 1898. I don’t know how many telephones Pasadena had at the end of the 19th century, but judging by the size of the switchboard, I’m guessing not too many. And the few there were, were probably not used much. So poor Claude would have had to devise ways of keeping himself awake. I wonder what the late 19th century version of Benzedrine was because it looks like he took a handful of ‘em.The Gentleman’s Grill at the Hotel Alexandria, 501 S Spring St, Los Angeles
This color postcard gives us a glimpse of the Gentleman’s Grill at the Hotel Alexandria on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. In its early-20th-century heyday, the Alexandria was THE hotel in Los Angeles. It brings to my mind two questions: were ladies allowed inside the Gentleman’s Grill or was this a sacred men-only space? Also, what happened to those glorious green light fixtures sitting on those platforms? The Alexandria is still around. After a long decline into decrepitude, it is now a condo building but I bet someone made off with those fixtures years ago. Let’s hope they still exist somewhere.
Walt Disney Productions studios, Burbank, California, circa mid 1950s
These days, it can seem like Disney owns half the world but back in the mid 1950s, when this photo was taken (judging by that fire-engine-red 1955 Mercury Monterey Station Wagon on the right) they were a minor film studio still establishing themselves as live-action producers. (Their first live-action movie, “Treasure Island” came out in 1950.) And so their front gate was fittingly low key.
There’s no mistaking which studio it is now. (April 2019)
Eddie Cantor’s Antique Shop, 8743 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, circa 1930s
Not only did Eddie Cantor have a store in the Brown Derby building on Vine Street, but in the 1930s, he also had an antique and gift store at 8743 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, in the middle of the Sunset Strip. I’d say that Cantor was aware that showbiz was a fickle biz and having alternative sources of income to fall back on was a smart move. This lovely building is still there and largely intact, which is a sentence that I don’t get to write nearly as often as I’d like to.
The same building in May 2019:
Fred Harvey Restaurant at the opening of Union Station, Los Angeles, May 1939
The May 3rd, 1939 opening of Union Station at the edge of downtown Los Angeles was a very big deal as it brought the country’s three main railway lines under on roof. It was also a big day for the Fred Harvey Restaurant, which was attached to the main building. This shot was taken on opening day. As we can see, it was a very busy day for the staff and, by the look of the crowd outside the tall glass windows, a long wait for eager patrons.
And here is the only photo I’ve ever seen of Mr. Fred Harvey. I do hope that in person he was a tad more lighthearted than how he looks in this portrait:
He looks a bit more friendly in this image:
Menu of Fred Harvey restaurant, Union Station, Los Angeles:
Advertisement for the Fred Harvey run dining car on the California Limited railway route:
McColloch Drug Co at 6th St and Figueroa, downtown Los Angeles, late 1920s
This photograph of the corner of 6th St and Figueroa was taken circa late 1920s in downtown Los Angeles. What’s most interesting about this shot is what was standing on the sidewalk outside McColloch Drug Company. It’s a raised booth for (I’m guessing) traffic cops, although how any cop expects motorists to see him from up there is a mystery to me. Another mystery is that long pine box next to the motorcyclist on the right. Please tell me that’s not a coffin.
A stop/go semaphore traffic signal at the corner of Sunset and Vine, Hollywood, 1942
I’ll take any excuse to post a photo of a semaphore traffic signal. But especially if it’s at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street right in the heart of Hollywood. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that someone or something has taken a huge chunk out of the left-hand side of the stop sign. I suspect an inattentive truck driver veered a little to close to the curb when taking a right onto Sunset. Makes me wonder what distracted him…
Twin Barrels café, 7227 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, circa mid 1920s
At first glance, you’d think that the Twin Barrels café served up a refreshing glass of beer or maybe wine. But judging from that circa 1925 Marmon parked in front, I’m guessing this place was around during the mid 1920s, which means Prohibition. Speakeasies were a liiiiiiiiitle more clandestine than this. The sign in the middle shows Twin Barrels was a more mundane place: hamburgers and sandwiches, chili and tamales, and a malted to wash it all down with. Sounds good to me.
In this photo, we’re looking northeast from the corner of Canon Drive and South Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills. The railway line along S. Santa Monica Blvd is long gone but back in 1926, when this photo was taken, the Beverly Hills station of the the American Railway Express Co. had just opened. In the background, we can see Sun Lumber but not for much longer. That’s the future site for the new Beverly Hills City Hall, which opened in 1932.
The Angelenos on this streetcar might have been among the first ride that line heading for Downey Ave, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. This photo was taken in June of 1889, when it was still quite new. How different downtown L.A. was back then. Look at those highly detailed Victorian era buildings lining both sides of Broadway, as well as all those horses and carriages. So the sounds (and smells!) of the city would have been quite different back then, too.