Tag Archives: 1800s
Santa Monica Beach, California, 1887
This photo is one of the earliest shots of Los Angeles I’ve come across. This is Santa Monica beach in 1887. I’m pretty sure these dozen or so people had their entire beach to themselves, which for this modern-day Angeleno … Continue reading
Pacific Electric streetcar number 13 on Central Ave at 56th Street, Los Angeles, 1893
In this photo, we’re seeing Pacific Electric streetcar #13 on Central Ave at around 56th Street in 1893. As we can glimpse in the background, there isn’t much development at 56th Street, so I’m actually kind of surprised the Central … Continue reading
An Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway train leaves La Grande Station, Los Angeles, 1899
This shot shows us an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway train leaving La Grande Station, which stood at 2nd Street and Santa Fe Ave, just outside of downtown Los Angeles. Is it just me or does it look remarkably … Continue reading
Santa Monica Beach and the Palisades, as viewed from the 99 Steps, 1889
It’s hard to credit that Santa Monica Beach every looked like this—even in 1889, when this photo was taken from the 99 steps, which is a wooden staircase built into the palisades at Colorado Avenue down to the sand. The … Continue reading
Angelenos dressed to the nines arrive in Santa Monica on the Pasadena & Pacific Railway, 1896
In this photo we have a large group of Angelenos dressed to the nines arriving in Santa Monica on the Pasadena & Pacific Railway in 1896. The motto of the Pasadena & Pacific Railway was “from the mountains to the … Continue reading
The L.J. Rose residence at Fourth and Grand, Los Angeles in 1890
The massive The L.J. Rose residence stood at Fourth and Grand in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Bunker Hill was filled with these grand homes. John Rose was as very successful vintner and built his mansion in 1888. This … Continue reading
Residential stretch of Seventh Street at Lucas Avenue, Los Angeles, circa 1892
This circa 1892 photo shows us a residential stretch of Seventh Street at Lucas Avenue, not far from downtown Los Angeles. It’s a block south of what was once called Orange Street before Henry Gaylord Wilshire started developing it into … Continue reading
A 150-foot electric street light at Main and Commercial Streets, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1882
In the early 1880s (this photo is circa 1882) the city of Los Angeles installed seven electric street lights. This one is at the corner of Main and Commercial Streets in downtown LA. For some reason, they were 150 feet … Continue reading
North Santa Monica Beach, shortly after the Southern Pacific railroad reached the town, 1880s
This is what the northern end of Santa Monica beach looked like in the 1880s, shortly after the Southern Pacific railroad reached the town. It looks like a long, broad wooden platform was built on the sand, with—by the looks … Continue reading
Bradbury Building at the corner of Broadway and 3rd, downtown Los Angeles, 1894
I was staring at this photo for probably two minutes before I realized it was the Bradbury Building at the corner of Broadway and 3rd in downtown L.A. This photo is from 1894, so it was taken within a year … Continue reading