Tag Archives: Downtown Los Angeles
Looking north toward the junction of Main and Spring Streets, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1900
** UPDATE **- I didn’t get the facts right on this one. See below from the comments by Al Donnelly for more accurate information. Looking at this photo makes me think of that L.P. Hartley quote from “The Go-Between” – … Continue reading
Brochure for The Woman’s Hotel at 639 S. Grand Ave, downtown Los Angeles, 1919
Until I came across this brochure, I never knew there was a hotel in downtown Los Angeles solely for women, and am very glad to hear there was a safe place they could go to. This is from 1919. Andie … Continue reading
The Dome Hotel on the southwest corner of 2nd St and Grand Ave, downtown Los Angeles, 1960
If the caption hadn’t told me where this photo was taken, I never would have guessed. This is the 122-room Dome Hotel, which stood on the corner of 2nd St and Grand Ave in downtown Los Angeles from the early … Continue reading
Looking west along 3rd and Spring St past Desmond’s toward Angels Flight and the 3rd St tunnel, downtown Los Angeles, 1903
In this 1903 photo, we’re looking west along 3rd St. in downtown Los Angeles. On the left, we can see a sign for Desmond’s. They later evolved into a one of the nicer men’s clothing stores, but they started out … Continue reading
The Bryson Block on the northwest corner of Spring and 2nd Streets, downtown Los Angeles , circa 1900
The Bryson Block was, at least to my mind, the most beautifully ornate Victorian-era (opened circa 1888) commercial building in turn-of-the century downtown Los Angeles. It is featured here in this circa 1900 photo in its location on the northwest … Continue reading
Aerial photo taken from a balloon looking north between Main St and Los Angeles St towards the plaza, downtown Los Angeles, 1850
**UPDATE** THIS IS ACTUALLY A PHOTO OF A MODEL OF WHAT 1850 LOS ANGELES WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE. (Scroll down for further info.) After posting a daily vintage photo of Hollywood/Los Angeles/Southern California for more than 10 years, I suspect … Continue reading
Night shot looking north up Broadway from 7th Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1939
This is one of those photos I want to dive through my screen and plunge into. We’re looking north up Broadway from 7th Street in downtown LA. It was taken in 1939, when Broadway and 7th was one of the … Continue reading
The old Los Angeles County Courthouse and the Hall of Records dwarfed by the new Los Angeles City Hall, downtown Los Angeles, 1927
This photo captures a time when downtown Los Angeles wasn’t all shiny glass skyscrapers. Here we have the old Los Angeles County Courthouse (on the left) and the Hall of Records (right) dwarfed by the then-new Los Angeles City Hall. … Continue reading
Looking south on a busy Broadway from 4th Street, downtown Los Angeles, 1931
In this photo we’re looking south along a busy Broadway from 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Back in 1931, when this photo was taken, downtown LA was much more of a thriving heart of LA than it is these … Continue reading
Two enormous residences on Figueroa St near 5th Street, downtown Los Angeles, circa 1905
This photo gives us an idea of the sort of mansions that used to fill the streets of downtown Los Angeles around the turn of the century (This photo is circa 1905.) Narrowing down their location is a bit tricky. … Continue reading