We've covered the many architecturally significant Ralphs here before... I was intrigued by the top left photo, unidentified by the library.... Where was this Ralphs, I wondered? Well, it turns out that just to the right would have been one of the chain's famous Morgan, Walls churrigueresque designs, seen top right. I knew that the lamp looked like the later Hollywood Boulevard design (taller, on the same base), but I was thinking of the store at 5711 Hollywood Blvd as being on a corner... well, piecing that and other things together, such as details of the palms and phone poles, I realize that that Ralphs was in the
middle of the block, between Taft and Wilton. The Google view north on Taft doesn't reveal the height of the hills as seen in the ca. 1956 photo, which confused me, but I realize that camera perspectives are tricky. Anyway, a quick cruise up Taft, and eureka... there are those houses, still there on the west side of Taft. Apparently Ralphs took over and tore down the building closer to its Taft corner at some point to make for more for all those beautiful midfifties Chevys and Pontiacs and Buicks....
The low building to the west of Ralphs wasn't there originally, and it seems to have been demolished at some point to
provide parking for the grocery store, which Pier 1 and
its parking lot now occupy. I'm not sure when the
Morgan, Walls building was demolished.
Two pics at top, one at bottom:
LAPL; others, Google SV