Yesterday, I featured a photo of a gas station selling a brand of purple-colored gasoline I’d never heard of: Violet Ray. And what was the first photo I randomly came across this morning? A photo of the aptly-named Umbrella Super Service gas station, and what brand of gas did they advertise? Violet Ray! This umbrella-shaped gas station stood at 830 S. La Brea Ave in Los Angeles, and this photo was taken circa 1930.
This is how that site looked in June 2024. Yet another parking lot (which, as an LA motorist, I’m always grateful for. But as a student of LA history, not so much.)
And from the ever-thickening They Sure Don’t Make Em Like That Anymore file, comes this 1930 photo of a Violet Ray gas station with a soaring tower to attract the attention of passing motorists. According to one website I found, Violet Ray gasoline was introduced in 1928 by General Petroleum. They distinguished their product by coloring it violet. I don’t know how successful the gimmick was, but I’ll give them points for creativity. I only know that this gas station was on N. Cahuenga Blvd in Hollywood, which means it could have been anywhere north of De Longpre Ave. With those hills in the background, I’d say it was probably somewhere near where the Hollywood Fwy now cuts across the northern edge of Hollywood.
In 1922, RKO opened their Hillstreet Theater at 801 S. Hill St on the southwest corner of 8th St. It operated as both a movie theater and a vaudeville house and lasted until the summer of 1965. Normally, I’d be showing photos of the theater, but this shot is more memorable. Prior to the theater’s demolition, the marquee read: “Critics acclaim return engagement – Fresh from smash hit at Biltmore – Cleveland Wrecking Co. – Brings down the house.” While it’s a grand shame that LA had to lose what had been a gorgeous theater, at least someone had a pretty good sense of humor about it, and I’m glad we’ve now got this photo.
Most photos I’ve seen of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway’s La Grande station at Santa Fe Ave and 2nd St, in downtown LA were taken, understandably, facing the front entrance. So it’s nice to see a different angle. The photographer was standing on the northern edge of the station looking south along Santa Fe Ave toward the station’s gardens. The station opened in 1893 so I’d say this photo was taken not long after that because the gardens look like they’re freshly laid out.
It might just be the author in me talking, but it’s photos like this that can inspire whole novels. In this circa 1962 photo, we have the Capitol Records building on Vine St, Hollywood, and place I don’t remember seeing before, Bob’s Burger Bar (also with chili dogs and steak sandwiches!) All the elements are there: strings of lights glowing like pearls over a packed parking lot, an iconic Hollywood landmark rising in the background with its seasonal Christmas tree lights, a cheap burger joint standing by its lonesome on a deserted Hollywood street deep into an inky night. Throw in a jaded private eye, a hooker with a heart of gold, a wise-cracking burger-flipper with a secret and a cute dog, and you’ve got yourself a page-turner.
Over the years, Los Angeles has had its fair share of exotically themed restaurants, but one of the more outlandish was the restaurant shown in this photo. The Zulu Hut stood at 11100 Ventura Blvd in Studio City in the San Fernando Valley not far from Universal Studios. I don’t know what the Zulu people actually ate in South Africa, but in Southern California, the menu included cornpones (cornmeal bread), squab (aka pigeon), and fried chicken. One report I read said that the waiters served their customers in black face. I guess some places still serve pigeon these days (though I haven’t even seen it in any LA restaurant I’ve been to) I’m glad we’ve moved past the black-face era. The Zulu Hut was open from 1924 until it burned down in 1931.
Very little information came with this photo so I had to dig a little deeper on this one. Those two buildings in the background are the Guaranty building on the left and the Knickerbocker Hotel on the right. They stand on Ivar Ave, which means the main street with traffic and streetcar is Hollywood Blvd. The billboard on the left is announcing a new Mullen & Bluett menswear store, which was at 6316 Hollywood Blvd, just west of Hollywood and Vine. Until I saw this photo, I didn’t know Cadillac had a location on Hollywood Blvd. The Guaranty opened in 1923 and the Knickerbocker broke ground in 1925 but opened in 1929, so I’m calling this photo circa late 1920s.
With the Paris Olympic Games currently running, I thought this was an appropriate time to post this shot of the intersection of 7th and S. Hill Sts, in downtown LA. This shot of the northeast corner was taken in 1932, when the Olympics had come to Los Angeles and the city was caught up in Olympic fever with the rings and flags of many different countries. In the background on the left we can see the top of the Eastern Columbia building, which was home to the Eastern Outfitting department store and only two years old at the time.
Am I the only one who looks at this photo and the “Happy Days” TV show theme song starts playing in my head? Here we have a glorious color nighttime photo of Hody’s coffee shop—and it looks like it took up the whole block. It stood at 6006 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, so there was probably lots of land. One of the cars parked out front is a1961 Pontiac Catalina, so I’m calling this circa early 1960s.
These days, Paramount Pictures faces Melrose Ave, but back when this photo was taken, it the front of the studio was a block north on Marathon St. I doubt anyone could park their car directly out front of the famous studio gate, so I suspect this shot is staged — if only because I don’t see any studio guard telling the driver to “Move along, please.” My pal at the Petersen identified this car is a 1946-48 Chrysler, probably an Imperial, so let’s call this photo circa late 1940s.