[BifRayRock]

Originally Posted by rcarlton

Looks like 268 East Colorado in Pasadena was the address for Famous Department Store in 1933. Sears was 530 East Colorado.
The Pasadena Digital History collection
Famous Department Store, 268 East Colorado, Pasadena. 1933.

The palm tree, and details of the two buildings look very similar.

Similar angle today, maybe a block closer to the distant Sears building and church steeple. Using the known addresses doesn't provide the proper perspective. If I look east from Famous Department Store I cannot see the Sears building and church steeple. Probably due to the wide angle lens of the Google Earth camera.

GE

Nice work and thanks to you and ProphetM.

My initial reaction was Colorado Blvd. due to the street width, but was unable to obtain confirmation through usual sources. Per ProphetM, there did not appear to be any Pasadena directory listings for The Famous, Sears, Leed's or even "[United Ar]tist[s theater]" (to the immediate left). (Were they deemed strategically significant for the War effort? )

Perhaps someone can positively ID the the black and gold marquee business. First impression was a theater (that patriotically encouraged glass or metal recycling). The closest "listed" theater seems to have been the Strand at 340 E. Colorado - which would have been located on the same side of the street as the Famous.

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1940s(?) Sears -
http://www.google.com

Closer to the building Sears occupied is another fascinating structure at 606 East Colorado. Former movie theater now school supplies vendor.

http://hometown-pasadena.comhttp://cinematreasures.org

C.St.Lib