Tag Archives: WWII
Crowds gather to celebrate the end of World War II on VJ Day at Broadway and 7th Street, downtown Los Angeles, August 15, 1945
What a crazy, loopy, wondrous day it must have been when this photo was taken. News that Japan had surrendered, putting a celebratory end to the second world war. Angelenos took to the streets and it looks like a ton … Continue reading
Mark C Bloom 24-hour gas station and tire store, 6210 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, April 1942
This very film-noir-esque night shot of the Mark C Bloom gas station at the corner of Sunset Blvd and El Centro Ave was taken in April 1942. It looks like he was a one-stop shop: gas, motor oil, car wash … Continue reading
Billboard for Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank, circa 1940s during WWII
Never wanting to miss an opportunity at promoting a great job they were doing with the war effort, this circa early 1940s billboard outside the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank is telling the world that not only was this “The … Continue reading
Breast-protector safety garb to prevent future occupational accidents among wartime women factory workers, Los Angeles, 1943
Bringing women into the workforce during WWII necessitated adjusting to new sorts of safeguards that weren’t needed when men worked the production line. As the brave woman on the right is showing, they had to come up with breast protectors. … Continue reading
Looking down to the intersection of Broadway and 7th Street from the Loew’s State Theatre, downtown Los Angeles, 1943
This shot gives us a rare bird’s eye view of the busy corner of Broadway and 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles, anchored by the Loew’s State Theatre, which was MGM’s flagship theater. I wonder what was playing when this … Continue reading
Mary Pickford (in the white suit) entertains young Royal Air Force students at Pickfair, Beverly Hills, 1944
When Mary Pickford was married to Douglas Fairbanks (1920 to 1936) their palatial estate, Pickfair, was filled with visiting royalty and A-list stars of stage and screen. After they split up, and Mary later married Buddy Rogers (1937 to her … Continue reading
Excited Angelenos pack a Los Angeles streetcar while celebrating the end of World War II, September 1945
My first thought when seeing this photo was “And I used to think my morning commute on the 405 Freeway was bad.” But then I noticed the joyful looks on the faces on these Angelenos as they packed the B … Continue reading
The Sky Room Cafe at Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank, California, circa 1940s
Burbank Airport has been through more names than a Hollywood divorcee. It’s had 7 names since it opened as United Airport in 1930. This shot of the airport’s main restaurant, The Sky Room Café, was taken when the facility was … Continue reading
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Tagged Airports Aircraft Airlines, Restaurants, San Fernando Valley, WWII
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Premiere for RKO’s “Show Business” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard, May 10, 1944
I love the composition of this photo with the silhouette of the guy in shirt sleeves in the foreground as he’s watching the searchlights sweeping a Hollywood premiere and filling Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with a blaze of glorious light. But … Continue reading
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Tagged Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd, Movie Premiere, Night photo, Theaters, WWII
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Minnie Mouse Boulevard on the Disney Studios, Burbank, California, 1943
In case you’ve ever wondered what it was like to wander the Disney Studios, here’s a rare shot for you. It’s really quite neat and orderly, and without the need for soundstages to film on, the studio lot isn’t crowded … Continue reading