Looking west along the south side of Hollywood Blvd when “Hawaii” was playing at the Egyptian Theatre, Christmas 1966

Looking west along the south side of Hollywood Blvd when "Hawaii" was playing at the Egyptian Theatre, Christmas 1966From the angle of this photo, I’d say it was taken from the top of the building on the northeast corner of Hollywood Blvd and Las Palmas Ave looking west along the south side of the boulevard. We can see lit signs for the Gold Cup coffee shop, Union Pacific railway ticket office, a record store, the Egyptian Theatre, and the Hollywood Inn (formerly the Hotel Christie.) From the electrified Christmas trees decorating the store and the fact that “Hawaii” was playing at the Egyptian, we can narrow down the date of this shot to Christmas 1966.

Rob B says: “This 1966-era was during a pretty cool set of years for the Egyptian (notice the added “World Famous” sign at the top…just in case you were there and didn’t know it was). All during the 50s it was a PRIMO showcase (I mean, the list is impressive) and after BEN-HUR left after its big run beginning in ’59 (98 WEEKS, no less), so many top-tier exclusive and/or roadshow films premiered there. “King of Kings”, “The Cardinal”, “Molly Brown”, “My Fair Lady”, the pictured “Hawaii”, “Funny Girl”… Not long after, the big “Road Show” thing wasn’t as effective, but some big-ticket films were there. It was a FANTASTIC place to see a film, when it was really a BIG screen, BIG sound, BIG auditorium cinema.”

This is roughly how that view looked in August 2022.

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Van Nuys Blvd packed with Saturday night cruisers in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, 1972

Van Nuys Blvd packed with Saturday night cruisers in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, 1972Ever since I first saw the movie “American Graffiti” I knew that cruising up and down one of the boulevards in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles was a popular Saturday night ritual. But I never quite realized that Van Nuys Blvd got *this* packed with kids looking for love, trouble, and adventure. The A-framed building on the right is Coffee Dan’s, which was located at 6576 Van Nuys Blvd. I wonder if they did a roaring trade on Saturday nights, or was everyone too busy driving around and around and around.

** UPDATE ** – The caption I found on a forum called Pistolheads said the cruising took place on Saturday nights, but the consensus on my Facebook page seems to agree that it was a Wednesday night thing.

This is how that stretch of Van Nuys Blvd looked in February 2023.

 

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Sports event on the grounds of Hotel Green near the Santa Fe Railroad station Pasadena, California, circa 1900s

Sports event on the grounds of Hotel Green near the Santa Fe Railroad station Pasadena, California, circa 1920sAccording to the caption on this photo, some sort of sporting event was happening on the grounds of the Hotel Green, a large and luxurious hotel that opened in 1893 in Pasadena, where it quickly became a social hub. In the background we can see the turret of the nearby Santa Fe Railroad station, which was conveniently placed for guests arriving by train to escape the harsh winters back East. But what intrigues me most about this (I’m guessing circa early 1900s?) photo is that very tall pole in the foreground. Why is it so tall? Is it a streetlight? A beacon? Suggestions, anyone?

Stephen C. says: “The light is an arc light. They were blindingly bright if placed too low, but if placed high enough they provided the perfect illumination for large areas that almost gave a daylight effect within their field of illumination. Many cities used them in this era.”

 

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Looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, the night of July 27, 1948

Looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, the night of July 27, 1948In this atmospheric nighttime shot, we’re looking north up Vine St from Sunset Blvd. It was taken on the night of July 27, 1948, and we can see all the neon signs that greeted Angelenos at the time: Broadway-Hollywood department store, Plaza Hotel, Tom Breneman’s restaurant, Capitol Records, as well as the semaphore traffic signal on the southeast corner of Sunset. But I especially love the way the streetlights look like starbursts (which I assume comes from a special filter on the camera.

Andrew S. said: “Vine St. was first called Weyse St. in honor of Harvey and Daeida Wilcox’s business partner Otto Günther Weyse until being renamed Vine St by Senator Cornelius Cole. The name Vine was made official by October 19, 1909 during the annexation of the town of Colegrove into Los Angeles.”

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Looking east along Wilshire Blvd from the Gaylord Apartments to the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Berendo St, Los Angeles, 1925

Looking east along Wilshire Blvd from the Gaylord Apartments to the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Berendo St, Los Angeles, 1925In this photo from 1925, we’re treated to a glimpse of Wilshire Blvd’s wild west days, i.e. before traffic lanes were painted on the road. We’re looking east along Wilshire Blvd from the Gaylord Apartments. That construction site with the tower that resembles a rocket is the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at Berendo St. The streetlights known as Wilshire Specials (because they were only on Wilshire) have been installed, and those tress paralleling the sidewalk look like they haven’t been there long. But what is that thick white line painted on the road near the center of the photo? Suggestions, anyone?

Henry G. says: “At the bottom of the photo is a line that goes all the way across the street, with a dividing line intersecting the middle suggesting there might be another line across the street to mark off a pedestrian crossing out of frame. So, the arrow is pointing to that crossing and, in agreement with Harvey’s comment, seems to say ‘Pedestrians Ahead.'”

And Gary H. posted this image on Facebook of “Slow crossing” road sign painted on Wilshire Blvd;

"Slow crossing" road sign painted on Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles

This is how Wilshire looking east from The Gaylord Apartments looks today. Lots of trees which is nice, and we can juuust see Immanuel’s steeple in the background.

 

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Color view from the Hollywood Bowl looking east across Hollywood, circa 1940s

Color view from the Hollywood Bowl looking east across Hollywood, circa 1940sI’m not 100% sure, but I suspect/assume this photo was taken on some high perch somewhere at the Hollywood Bowl (or perhaps zooming in from the Jerome C. Daniel Overlook northwest of the Bowl?) We can see George Stanley’s 15-foot white granite “Muse of Music, Dance Drama” statue that stands at the start of the Bowl’s driveway. It was dedicated on July 8, 1940. We can also see the French Village that used to stand opposite the Bowl on the east side of Highland where the Hollywood Barn now stands. It was demolished in 1951. So my best guess is that this photo was taken some time in the 1940s—during peak hour if the back up on the Hollywood Freeway is anything to go by!

Here is an aerial photo of the French Village opposite the Hollywood Bowl:

Aerial photo of the French Village opposite the Hollywood Bowl

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Huge crowds pack the intersection of Broadway and 7th Street during a Victory Loan Parade, downtown Los Angeles, December 1944

Huge crowds pack the intersection of Broadway and 7th Street during a Victory Loan Parade, downtown Los Angeles, December 1944Look how many Angelenos turned out to watch a Victory Loan Parade as it made its way northward up Broadway. The cross street here in 7th Street, where “Laura” was playing at the Loew’s State Theatre (where movies ran 24 hours a day to accommodate wartime workers. This photo was taken in December 1944, during WWII, when 4 of 5 street lamps were blacked out on top and instead of Christmas trees decorating the streets, we can see Santas sitting in the middle of a big “V” for Victory.

This is how that same corner looked in February 2023. The building is largely intact, and the Loew’s State is now a church.

 

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Western Air Express dedication, Alhambra, California, April 17, 1930

Western Air Express dedication, Alhambra, California, April 17, 1930Until I came across this photo, I didn’t even know that Alhambra (roughly 7 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles) ever had an airport. But here we have a photo of the dedication ceremony that took place on April 17, 1930 when the airport terminal was covered in patriotic bunting. It was built by the airline known then as Western Air Express, which eventually became Western Airlines before it merged with Delta in 1987. But back in 1930, it was only 4 years old and still evolving from being a mail carrier. As we can see from this photo, the day attracted a sizeable crowd, but I wonder if maybe seeing the Good Year blimp up close might have a draw. It would have been for me.

David G. says: “In 1946 Harlow Aircraft Company sold the airport to real estate developers, the north part of the site is now commercial property and the remaining is houses. The Airport was located at what is now Valley Boulevard to the north, New Ave to the east, Almansor Street to the west and the Interstate 10 to the south.”

Western Air Express route map 1926-1930:

Western Air Express route map 1926-1930

This photo is part of a much larger panoramic. Click on the image below for a better view and then click on it again for an even larger version:

Western Air Express dedication, Alhambra, California. April 17, 1930 (full panoramic)

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Looking north up Broadway from 10th St (now Olympic Blvd), downtown Los Angeles, December 1930

Looking north up Broadway from 10th St (now Olympic Blvd), downtown Los Angeles, December 1930The first thing I noticed in this photo was the United Artists blade sign, and the one for Texaco behind it, and then the “ERN” of the Eastern Columbia building. I was so focused on them that I didn’t notice the lit-up Christmas trees lining Broadway. We’re looking north from what was then 10th St but is now Olympic Blvd. It was taken during the 1930 holiday season, back when Broadway bustled with streetcars whose tracks we can see shining in all the electric lights.

This is how that view looked in February 2023. We can still see the United Artists sign and the turquoise tiles of the Eastern Columbia building.

 

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Color photo of a Van de Kamp’s bakery at the corner of Verdugo Rd and Colorado St, Glendale, California, circa mid-1940s

Color photo of a Van de Kamp's bakery at the corner of Verdugo Rd and Colorado St, Glendale, California, circa mid-1940sI don’t have a date on this color photo of a Van de Kamp’s bakery at the corner of Verdugo Rd and Colorado St, Glendale, but I did find a website showing the history of the Ralphs supermarket logo. The one we can see in the background was used from 1944 to 1947, so let’s call this circa mid-1940s. It’s possible that this photo has been colorized—that sky looks suspiciously picture-perfect, if you ask me—but even if it is, it does remind us how striking those blue windmill-topped Van de Kamp’s bakeries must have been as Angelenos drove around town.

** UPDATE ** – I’ve been told that the vintage photo is indeed a genuine color Kodachrome shot.

1935 advertisement for Van de Kamp’s chocolates:

1935 advertisement for Van de Kamp's chocolates

The intersection of Verdugo and Colorado still has a Ralphs on it, so I assume this is the same corner. This is how it looked in September 2022.

 

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