I don't believe this photograph has been posted yet / I could be wrong.
_____________________


This is a view up Broadway from 2nd Street with the Los Angeles Times Building and the Hall of Records in the distance.


http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5...nbroadwayf.jpg
usc digital archive


Believe it or not, this is the first time I have noticed the name of the streets attached part way up the corner lighting fixtures.

My partner and I stumbled upon this a few years ago, and we debated about it, wondering how old it was, if it even is old. I figured that Bunker Hill has been so decimated that it couldn't possibly be old; if it is old, it's like 1970s old, I figure. My guess is that it's probably a landscaping feature that was abandoned, or something. But of course I could be wrong. The "L.A. Law" building dates from the late 70s, while the other building (Stuart Ketchum YMCA) next to it dates from about 1983.

BTW whenever I walk on one of those pedestrian bridges to the Bonaventure Hotel, the theme song from "It's a Living" starts going through my head.

Great photo. You can really see the detail on the lamp posts, too. They were referred to as the "Broadway Rose," because of the rose patterns. When you walk down Broadway today, you can see the rose pattern at the bases of the lamp posts, but not on the posts themselves, being that they're newer. The Broadway Rose posts were installed in 1920; I'm not sure when they were removed.

Undated photo, from the book, "Streetlights-- Urban Details, Los Angeles."
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6808/picture1bt.png

9th and Broadway. You can see the detail of the Broadway Rose lamp post. Notice the street signs; from a later era than the ones in the photo you posted, ethereal. I like your other post too with the old houses.

Northeast corner of 6th and Broadway, 1938:
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/1...oadway1938.jpg
USC Archive

Stone Building, housing Silverwood's. It was such a beautiful building. It still exists today, but it's hideous; the ground floor has been destroyed, and the upper floors are grimy.

"WHY WAIT TILL 1955--We Might Not Even Be Alive"
 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_z...2/antismog.jpg http://wehadfacesthen.tumblr.com
Optimists? The Anti-Smog Committee of the Highland
Park Optimist Club demonstrating the importance of
their cause at a club function, 1954.

I would SO love to see a similar photo of the west side of this block of Broadway. It's one of my Holy Grails of L.A. history.

-Scott

I need some help on Pershing Square Buildings
 

Hello everybody.
I need some help. I want to recover a bit of the history of Pershing Square, and I woundn't get a mess by my own mistakes, so I was wandering if anyone of you could help me. Let's see the map:


http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2...631dc998fo.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


This is a excerpt of the incredible map 'Heart of Los Angeles' showing downtown LA streets in 1931. Thank you gsjansen for share the map. The excerpt shows Pershing Square....
I would like to know what were the vanished buildings around Pershing Square.
Like for instance (I have my list)
-Phillarmonic auditorium (today a parking lot)
-California Club (demolished to make place to the Tittle and Trust Guarantee Building, I guess)
-San Carlos Hotel (where now it's located the Gas Co Tower)
-Saint Paul Cathedral (later to move out to Figueroa St, now where Biltmore Hotel is located)

And many more that I'm missing and I have no clue about them. That's why I was asking you for some help.
I'm also intrigued about what was the building before the City National Bank Building was built...(on south olive and 6th intersection)

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hattem's on Vermont
 

http://www.agilitynut.com/08/4/vtwc.jpg http://www.agilitynut.com/08/4/vtwc.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_z...o/hattems6.jpgLAPL

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_z...A/hattems2.jpgLAPL

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_z...84741%20AM.jpgGoogle Street View


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_z...0/hattems3.jpgLAPL

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_z...0/hattems4.jpgLAPL

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_z...tyhallcake.jpgLAPL
The grand opening of the second Hattem's Market at 8021 S. Vermont on April 4, 1931, is
celebrated with a giant cake in the form of Los Angeles City Hall, with a replica of the
Lindbergh light on top. (The first Hattem's store was on Western at 43rd [1927--see below]
and has been demolished.) I was surprised to find that such an opulent market was opened
after the Crash, and so far south of downtown. That the building still stands is a bonus.

Some sources (including its own website) claim King Kullen, a chain started in New York in
1930 and still operating, as the first supermarket. It seems, however, that Hattem's Market
predates King Kullen by three years. And apparently Hattem's was the first to issue trading
stamps....


http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics24/00031943.jpgLAPL
The opening of the first Hattem's at Western and 43rd, December 27, 1927.
Per one website, this resulted in the coining of the word "supermarket" when
the Southwest Wave, a community newspaper, described its grand opening.

More history here: http://historylosangeles.blogspot.co...r-17-1927.html

And many more interior photos here: http://photos.lapl.org/carlweb/jsp/D...wdate=&hidate=

I've always loved Pershing square. Here's a bunch of pix over the years:

Love this one. This church in the foreground was removed to build the Biltmore. Looking South, 1884:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...r/view/CHS-115

Looking North, 1885 at the sight of the biltmore:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets.../view/CHS-6086

Looking Southwest 1920's

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-36723


Here's a close up of the Philharmonic/Auditorium in 1920

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets.../view/CHS-7196

This picture is printed backwards but it looks north and shows the biltmore and the philharmonic before it's Art Deco facelift in 1925

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets.../view/CHS-9065

Looking Northeast 1927

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets.../view/CHS-6953

Pershing Square looking west, 1930

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-35284

Looking west across the square in 1930:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-48141

The Underground parking being built in 1951. Looking Northeast at the beautiful old Philharmonic building, now a parking lot.:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-32449

All these large trees you see looking west across the park in the 30's?

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-36717

They were dug up and moved to Disneyland when the park was redone in the 50's:

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assets...view/CHS-32461

More to come later.

What does it take to put pictures on this thread?
 

Many thanks, Wilshire.

^^^Fantastic post KevinW....good job!

Thank you very much for your pics, I'm going to save them to my pc to add them to my L.A. vintage photos.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm particulary interested in all those pictures of Pershing Square, looking south west or looking shouth, you just post a moment ago.
I've got some questions for the next following ones:


http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6357/chs35284.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


What is the name of the building in Olive and 6th st intersection, in front of the Pacific Mutual Building? Today the building is still there, but I couldn't get any info about it on the net...My bad!


http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/68/chs36717.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I loved this one. Wow! Look at the buildings across 6th st, in front of Pershing Square... On the left side, on the roof of the first building there's a big neon sayin STATE LIFE...What is its official name? Is it the same building we can see today? And the next one?
Finally, and that's why I love this pic... the third lower building, corner of south olive and 6th st, in front of Pershing... It has a sign on its roof saying CAGELS??? What was the name of this building? This is the place where today stands the City National Bank Building... The first modern office tower in L.A. along with the One Wilshire Building?


And finally...many thanks for that one:

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/7260/chs36723.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


On the remaining buildings... Is there a plan to torn down the Tittle Guarantee Bulding, to build there a new tower? I thought that this building was used nowadays as lofts... This thing is taking me to another question... Is still downtown loosing all its remaining art-decó buildings to be replaced by new highrising or new office towers?

I wish I could have a guide on the vanished art-decó buildings of downtown, plus the remaining ones...

Thanks for your help! I love it!

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics20/00029519.jpgLAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics20/00029519.jpg

An unidentified architectural detail
found in the LAPL archives. Any
ideas?

Here is a great little utility. This is from Cartifact. The are based in Downtown L.A., and are responsible for creating some of the best looking maps.

This utility (click on the circular icon in the tool bar) lets you overlay a historic map over a modern map and see how the city has changed. Enjoy
http://maps.cartifact.com

That second building looks a little like the MTA Gateway building near Union Station. That may be a modern B&W photo :shrug:

"It cost 7 cents to ride the streetcars or buses...."
 

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026726.jpgLAPL http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics14/00026726.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_z...75355%20PM.jpgGoogle Street View
The Frostonya, 346 N. Vermont. I could find no noir connections to it, but here is a
redolent slice of Los Angeles life just before Pearl Harbor, via one of its
residents in 1941:

http://alongthelane.blogspot.com/200...y-much-of.html

:previous:
Very interesting letter to dad. An hour to Burbank by bus or streetcar from 346 N. Vermont, just to go 12 miles! Even back then, a car was deemed necessary.

It'd probably take about that long by bus even today. Maybe longer.

Scott, not quite what you want...but it's close. :)

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/2...thonbroadw.jpg
usc digital archive







below: This resembles my previously posted photograph at http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=2941

The only thing missing in this photo is the Los Angeles Times Building.

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/292...thonbroadw.jpg
usc digital archive

Notice the beautiful filigree below the bay windows on the building at the left (northwest corner of Broadway & Second St.).

Getting closer! Both of these photos actually fill in a few my visual gaps of early Broadway. Thank you!

My goal someday is, through the aid of old photos, to be able to 'mind-walk' all around old L.A. by visualization - the whole area from Sunset south to 9th, and from Figueroa east to Los Angeles St. I suspect there are a couplethree folks on this thread who can do a mind-walk around Downtown like this already. I've still got quite a ways to go, though. ;)

-Scott