Mullen & Bluett, 1920

STORE LOCATIONS

AMBASSADOR HOTEL

1921, On November 16, 1921, the company opened a shop in the Ambassador Hotel, at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard.  

Note the location in the ad: Broadway at Sixth . . . Los Angeles

The sign at the right is for Mullen & Bluett, a fine clothing store for men.  It appears that it was famous. 

1923, Broadway looking north from 7th Street with a view of Mullen & Bluett. 

1929, Exterior view of Mullen and Bluett Clothing Company, located on Hollywood Boulevard and Vine. It is a two-story brick building with a shingled roof showing three prominent peaks and numerous windows. A plaque for Roos Bros. is located on the building to the right, and a plaque for B. H. Dyas Co. is located on the building to the left. Note street-railroad tracks in the middle of the main road.  Photo dated July 15, 1929.  Thanks to Calisphere.

1935, Martin Turnbull says that Mullen & Bluett was a mid-level department store, so not exclusively a men's clothing store. 

Mullen and Bluett was a mid-level department store with a number of locations, including Wilshire Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. The one shown in this photo was at Broadway and Sixth St in downtown Los Angeles. I love the oh-so Art Deco lettering they used out front of the building! Judging from that passing 1934 Ford Cabriolet, we can probably peg this photo circa mid-1930s when people were still working their way out of the Depression. Stores like these were lucky to have survived.

1943, Mullen & Bluett store window display, 610 S. Broadway, Downton Los Angeles, CA.

1945, The Mullen & Bluett building is behind General George Patton in this photo from June 9, 1945.

1949, Mullen & Bluett Building, Wilshire Boulevard and Ridgeley Drive, Los Angeles, CA, La Brea Park area. Other building signs include Silverwoods, Wetherby Kayser, Bank of America National Trust & Savings Association, and General of America Insurance.  Thanks to UCLA.

1928, The two buildings in the background are the Guaranty Building on the left and the Knickerbocker Hotel on the right. They stand on Ivar Ave, which means the main street with traffic and streetcar is Hollywood Blvd. The billboard on the left is announcing a new Mullen & Bluett menswear store, which was at 6316 Hollywood Blvd, just west of Hollywood and Vine. Until I saw this photo, I didn’t know Cadillac had a location on Hollywood Blvd. The Guaranty opened in 1923, and the Knickerbocker broke ground in 1925 but opened in 1929, so I’m calling this photo circa late 1920s. 

Lew Irwin writes, 

Don Lee was the exclusive Cadillac distributor in Los Angeles, with a showroom in downtown Los Angeles at 7th and Bixel that opened in 1923 and a satellite operation in Pasadena that opened a few years later. This photo in Hollywood almost certainly shows the site of a Cadillac used-car and repair lot, not a new-car showroom.

1929, This is from the Los Angeles Times, Feb 22, 1929. 

The two buildings in the background are the Guaranty Building on the left and the Knickerbocker Hotel on the right. They stand on Ivar Ave, which means the main street with traffic and streetcar is Hollywood Blvd. The billboard on the left is announcing a new Mullen & Bluett menswear store, which was at 6316 Hollywood Blvd, just west of Hollywood and Vine. Until I saw this photo, I didn’t know Cadillac had a location on Hollywood Blvd. The Guaranty opened in 1923, and the Knickerbocker broke ground in 1925 but opened in 1929, so I’m calling this photo circa late 1920s. 

1965, Mullen & Bluett men's clothing store on the Third Street Mall, Santa Monica, Calif.

San Bernardino Split, the junction of Ramona Fwy, 1950

1950, Looking westerly as Pacific Electric cars cross over the San Bernardino Split, the junction of Ramona Fwy (US-60-70-99) and Santa Ana Fwy (US-101), just east of LA civic center (DWP Associates photo).

Tunnel at bottom carried WB Ramona Fwy traffic under PE tracks; Mission Rd ramps at center-right. Tunnel and tracks were removed in 1955 when flyover connector was built.

Ramona Fwy is now San Bernardino Fwy, although in this area it is merely Route 10, a stub of I-10. Landmarks include: gasometers (natural gas storage tanks) in background; LA City Hall and Federal Courthouse in right background.  Thank you to Arturo Salazar.

LA County Hall of Records, 1911-1973

 The first 3 pics here are from the LA Times.

1959, [March 27] The Los Angeles County Hall of Records was completed in 1911.

1959, View looking south on Broadway showing the LA County Hall of Records Building.  The Law Building can be seen on the right in the distance.  Thanks to Water & Power.

1960, View of the LA County Hall of Records with City Hall towering behind it.  In the foreground stands the Stephen M. White Statute.  Thank you to Water & Power.

1970, photo of the old Hall of Records angled against the new Criminal Courts Building at the right.  

1973, [July 7] Three photo combo as the last section of the Old Hall of Records is toppled.  

I post this pic of the New York Hall of Justice known as the The Tombs because the architectural design seems very similar to the LA Hall of Records as if that style, the Egyptian Revival was a thing for government buildings back in the 10s and 20s.  

1904, The Tombs of New York City, formerly known as the Hall of Justice.  The Tombs in New York City, officially known as the Halls of Justice, stood as a significant architectural and historical landmark. Built in 1838, this jail was designed in the Egyptian Revival style, with its resemblance to a mastaba—a type of ancient Egyptian tomb. Its imposing and austere design was intended to reflect the seriousness of the legal system and the gravity of its functions. Over time, The Tombs became an iconic symbol of New York's criminal justice system. Although the original building was replaced by a new facility in the 1900s, the design and legacy of The Tombs continue to be remembered for its distinctive and historical significance.  Thanks to Amy Couch.

Bergmans in Brighton, CO

The helpful librarians at the Brighton Library referred me to the Colorado History Center at 12th and Broadway downtown.  The drive down there was the usual congestion but this time I saw that the city had vacated all of the homeless folks from downtown park.  That was interesting.  But the interest ended there.  The derelicts and psychopaths were only put on the move, where they now mingle among regular working men and women.  I stopped to get a burger at a place that promised charbroiled but the taste of the meat was wanting.  The History Center referred me to a link titled, Colorado History, a research database called the Stephen H. Hart Research Center.  Here are some collections for St. Clara's Orphanage.  A short but interesting 4-page history of Brighton.  Did not know that it was part of the Louisiana Purchase.

The following pics and bio came from the Brighton Library in a book titled, History of Brighton, CO and Surrounding Area, 1887-1987.  It's $200 on Amazon.

Kaiser Steel, Fontana, 1940s

 

1940s, Kaiser Steel, Fontana.  Thanks to Lynn Thompson @ Southern California Nostalgia (Original & Official). 

No date was given.  Kaiser Steel, Fontana, CA.  Thanks to Southern California Memories.

Los Angeles Railway PCC car No. 3020 crosses the 1st Street Bridge outbound on the P Line 1938

1938, Los Angeles Railway PCC car No. 3020 crosses the 1st Street Bridge outbound on the P Line, Los Angeles, CA.

1956, Thank you to Wikipedia for this pic of the Rimpau Loop Terminus.

In the 1920 service rerouting, the western end of the West Pico and Santa Fe Station Line was combined with the eastern portion of the Boyle Heights and West 7th Street Line to form the West Pico & East First Street Line.  The new line ran from Brooklyn and Rowan via Rowan, First, Broadway, and Pico to Delaware. It was assigned the letter designation P in 1921. While the route was unchanged for the rest of its existence, the Rimpau Loop and Dozier loop were added in 1935 and 1936, respectively.  

News Stands, 1963

1963, View of a newsstand in Hollywood selling hometown and foreign newspapers, magazines, and other items on Las Palmas Avenue at Hollywood Blvd.  Thanks to the LAPL.

Philharmonic Auditorium, 1906

1906, of the Philharmonic Auditorium, located at 5th and Olive Street, showing Central Park, later Pershing Square, in the foreground.  Gorgeous.  

1915, Looking west on 5th Street toward Olive Street, with Central Park (later named Pershing Square) on the left. The famous Spanish-American War Soldier’s Monument stands at the lower-left corner of the park. This area was one of Los Angeles’ cultural and social hubs in the early 1900s. Several prominent buildings stand out, especially the Gothic-style Temple Auditorium (known at the time as Clune's Auditorium), located on the northeast corner of 5th and Olive Street, with its oversized rooftop neon sign, and the California Club with its distinctive awnings, seen on the right on the northwest corner of 5th and Hill Street.

The ornate theater, initially named Temple Auditorium, opened on November 7, 1906, with a performance of "Aida." Designed by Charles E. Whittlesey, it was the world's largest reinforced concrete structure at the time, featuring an Art Nouveau interior, a Spanish Gothic exterior, 2,700 seats, and the largest stage in the western U.S. In 1914, impresario William "Billy" Clune leased and transformed it into Clune's Auditorium, a pioneering movie palace known for elaborate prologues with music and dancers. Notably, it hosted the premiere of D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation," with a full orchestra.

Note: The Spanish-American War Soldier's Monument is still located in Pershing Square today. The monument, also known as the 7th Regiment Monument, remains the oldest piece of public art in the city and has been designated as Cultural-Heritage Monument No. 480 by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. Thanks to Jack Feldman.

Pacific Electric Red Car, No. 1522 leaves the Pacific Electric Building at 6th and Main, 1960

Pacific Electric Building, 6th and Main Street, 1905-1961.

1925, Pacific Electric headquarters building Main Street & 6th Street, DTLA.  Photo: Los Angeles Railroad Heritage Foundation.  Thank you to Jason Horton at Los Angeles and Southern California Nostalgia.

1907, Rear view of Pacific Electric Building [1904, Thomas Fitzhugh], 6th and Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA.  Thank you to Paul Ayers for the photo.

1960, A No. 1522 Pacific Electric Red Car leaves the Pacific Electric Building at 6th and Main Streets heading to Long Beach in December 1960 shortly before service ended in 1961.

1940s, View of the entrance to the Arrival/Departure platform at the rear of Pacific Electric's 6th and Main Streets Station, Los Angeles, CA.  Thanks to Paul Ayers.

1904, The Pacific Electric Building was designed by architect Thornton Fitzhugh in the Beaux-Arts style which was popular in the early 20th century.  Though not the first modern building in Los Angeles, nor the tallest, its large footprint and 10-floor height made it the largest building in floor area west of Chicago for several decades. 

1910, View of the Pacific Electric Building at 610 S. Main Street. Notice the man standing in the window watching the street below. The streetcar is bound for Edendale and the policeman has a little help although from a seated position.

1943, A general view of Pacific Electric Railway Company's 6th & Main elevated rail terminal.  Car No. 995, a franchise car on the Santa Monica Air Line is visible in the foreground with car No. 1263 to Santa Ana further behind. 

1950, A bus driver pulls a Los Angeles Limite No. 2801 city bus away from a depot underneath the elevated rails of the Pacific Electric. Red Car, No. 310 sits on the rails above the buses with the Pacific Electric Building in the background.

1954, View of MCL car No. 300 [Ex-PE, ex-NWP 252] entering 6th and Main St. Station, Los Angeles, CA, 1954, Harre W. Demoro photo.  Thanks to Paul Ayers.

1st and Hill Street, 1955, before the 1958 Stanley Mosk Courthouse

1955, 1st and Hill Street, Los Angeles, before the Stanley Mosk Courthouse was built in 1958.  Thanks to Tom Anderson.

Bunker Hill, 1946

1946, Bunker Hill looking east toward City Hall.

Broadway Avenue, 1950s

 

1950s, Broadway Avenue, Los Angeles.  Martin Turnbull notes,

What I wouldn’t give for the opportunity to spend an afternoon walking down Broadway in downtown Los Angeles in the late 30s such as what we can see in this photo looking north from 6th St. In this shot alone we can see signs for Le Roy’s, a jewelry company, Kress, a five-and-dime, Swelldom, which sold women’s clothing, and the Los Angeles Theater where the first “Blondie” film is showing. It played in theaters in December 1938 and must have done well for Columbia because 27 more films in the 1950s.  

Biltmore Hotel, 1940

Happy 100th anniversary to the Biltmore Hotel! It opened 100 years ago on October 1, 1923, opposite Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, where it still stands today. Nicknamed ‘the Host of the Coast’ it was the most lavish hotel west of the Mississippi and marked LA’s emergence as a city of note. It did not, however, have a fittingly grand ballroom. This situation was remedied in 1928 when the hotel opened the cavernous, two-story Sala de Oro, which was later renamed the Biltmore Bowl. This photo was taken on February 17, 1940, when the Bowl hosted the sixth annual dinner dance of the Warner Club, which was the social club associated with the Warner Bros. movie studios. Good luck finding space on that dance floor!

You can see a much larger version of this photo on my website: https://wp.me/p5XK3w-7c.  

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Clifton's Cafeteria, 1939-2010

 

Martin Turnbull writes, 

In 1939, Clifton’s redecorated its location at 618 S. Olive St in downtown Los Angeles and relaunched it as “Clifton’s Pacific Seas” with an impossible-to-miss 20-foot cliff-face and waterfall that we can see in this color photo. We can also see their slogan “PAY WHAT YOU WISH.” Having opened in the depth of the Depression, Clifford Clinton wanted to do his part, so his patrons were only obligated to pay whatever they could afford, including nothing at all. Interestingly, very few patrons accepted a free meal. It was worth their self-esteem to pay the only pennies they had in their pocket. The person who sent me this photo asked what year it was taken. I can only guesstimate it was in the early to mid 1950s. Can anyone narrow it down further?

Clifton’s closed in 2011, then reopened in 2015, then closed in 2018, then reopened as Clifton’s Republic in 2022. This image is from January 2023.  

From Diary of Vilma the Unconquerable,

Martin, little known facts I can share…this was the very first location established in 1931, later renovated from a plain moorish style building to this in 1938…. My mom Vilma worked as their professional photographer in the 1950’s at both the Pacific Seas tropical themed and the downtown redwood forest themed Broadway location. This rock facade was actually quite spectacular, it was like a Las Vegas show!! you can make out some of the detail like glowing neon flowers, a 20 foot real flowing waterfall in the center there, then at night there was mood lighting to make it look like moving glowing lava, the waterfall lit up at night in multi colors and you can also make out the real plants and fauna growing on the facade .. a full time gardener was employed to care for the facade. And wait until you got inside, it was a Polynesian paradise extravaganza … well I could go on and on, there was nothing like it ever!! Little do people know that Clifford Clinton was a smart business man, philanthropist and a SHOWMAN who knew how to attract clientele with his over the top themed locations!

1945, A crowd celebrates V-J Day in front of Clifton's Brookdale at 648 South Broadway on August 14, 1945.

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1945, A young child makes a wish at Clifton's Brookdale, 1945.  Thank you to Los Angeles Relics.  I am sure that me and my brothers made wishes in that same well back around 1967.

Susan Doran wrote, 

When I was in high school, I worked in this illustrious eatery, a multi-level place with no elevator.  I once slipped on Jello on a stairway while carrying a tray of hot coffee and slid down, spilling it all over.  I changed my pink uniform and went back to work at $1.10 an hour, plus tips. 

Clifton's Brookdale, 1939-2010.  Wikipedia gives some background, 

The second Clifton's facility opened in 1935 at 648 S Broadway. In 1939, its name was changed to 'Clifton's Brookdale', and as the sole survivor of the multiple branches over 79 years, it was known as 'Clifton's Cafeteria' or simply as "Clifton's". It had remained in operation for 74 years. The restaurant chain was noted for each facility having its own theme, and for aiding those who could not afford to pay. This approach to business reflected the owner's Christian ethos—he never turned anyone away hungry and maintained a precedent set by the first restaurant on Olive Street, known as "Clifton's Golden Rule". In 1946, Clifford and his wife Nelda sold their cafeteria interests to their three younger Clinton children, and retired to devote their attentions to a Meals for Millions, a non-profit charitable organization he founded in the wake of World War II to distribute food to millions of starving and malnourished people throughout the world.

1947, A smiling Clifton's founder, Clifford Clinton, in his office.  Thanks to Los Angeles Relics.