Pacific Electric meets the Santa Fe on Colorado Blvd & Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA 1950

1950, Pacific Electric meets the Santa Fe on Colorado Blvd [Route 66] in downtown Pasadena.  Thank you to Robert Di Dio.

Funeral Bagpipes

Amazing Grace,

Going Home, 

Taps on Bagpipes.

 

I was asking around--Charlen, Dan, and Patrick--about the bagpipe songs played at John's funeral, 2018.  Pat replied, 

Hello . . . Mike!

So lovely to hear from you. I'm currently in London. The piper did not play Taps. He played "Ave Maria," "Danny Boy," and "the Fields of Athenry."

Broadway and 1st, 1956

this is not the greatest picture, but the caption was helpful to mark the shift in the 1950s beatnik, rock'n'roll, Ozzie and Harriet era to the 1960s, a heavier state and federal government period in the lives of citizens.  

1956, View looking south on Broadway from 1st Street showing the businesses and buildings along the west side of the street. These buildings would soon be demolished to make way for a State building. Buildings seen include the Mason Theater (at center-left) and the Hough Block building with its fire escape ladder down the front and Rowan ad on the side (at center). The building to the left (SE corner) would be demolished in the early 1970s to make way for a 6-story modern addition to the LA Times Building.  Thank you to the Water & Power Museum.

Hollywood & Highland, 1937-1960

1937, Highland Avenue looking north on Highland Avenue near Sunset Blvd.  Hollywood High School can be seen at far left, and in the center distance are the Hollywood United Methodist Church and the Hollywood First National Bank Building.  Thank you to the Water & Power Museum.  

1944, Looking north up Highland Avenue with streetcar tracks, just south of Franklin Avenue upper right.  Thank you to LAPL.  Added Thursday, February 20, 2025.

1945, Hollywood and Highland, Los Angeles (1945).  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles USA.

Hollywood and Highland was a bustling intersection in 1945, known as the heart of the Hollywood entertainment district. Surrounded by theaters, restaurants, and hotels, this area attracted tourists and locals looking for a taste of glamour. In the 1940s, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre were already legendary landmarks here, capturing the essence of the movie industry. This corner was also a hub for nightlife and live performances, reflecting Hollywood’s reputation as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” Hollywood and Highland has remained a defining location for film history and tourism.  [I originally posted this elsewhere on December 27, 2024, and moved it over here on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

1950, View looking north from the southeast corner of Hollywood and Highland with the Hollywood First Methodist Church visible in the distance.  Note the semaphore traffic signal and the sign on the light post.  Thank you to Jack Feldman.  This is my favorite shot of that intersection. 

And this would be my second favorite.

1960, Looking north on Highland toward the Hollywood First Methodist Church.  Thank you to Jack Feldman. 

Sears Building, Boyle Heights, CA, 1927

Mom used to work here.  She said that she operated a comptometer machine.  Kind of cool and interesting.  This was a decent video.

1927, Construction of the Sears store on Soto Street and 9th Street (later Olympic Blvd.), Boyle Heights, May 4, 1927.

In December 1926, Sears, Roebuck, and Company of Chicago announced that it would build a 9-story, height-limit building on East 9th Street (later renamed Olympic Boulevard) at Soto in Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles.  The building intended to serve as a mail order distribution center for the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states, was constructed by Scofield Engineering Company.  Architectural work was handled by George Nimmens Company.  Thank you to the Water & Power Museum.  

9th, Main, and Spring Streets converge, downtown Los Angeles, 1948

1948, The intersection where 9th, Main and Spring Streets converge, downtown Los Angeles (1948)

By 1948, downtown Los Angeles had become a commercial powerhouse, with the intersection of 9th, Main, and Spring Streets at its heart. This intersection connected vital economic arteries, surrounded by banks, department stores, and office buildings. Traffic was dense, with post-war cars cramming the streets, and the sidewalks were equally crowded with shoppers and workers. The buildings around this intersection reflected a range of architectural styles, from Beaux-Arts to more streamlined modern structures. The energy of this area exemplifies the fast-paced growth of Los Angeles in the late 1940s, driven by economic prosperity and population expansion.  Thank you to Historical Los Angeles, USA.

Olympic and Broadway, Los Angeles, 1954

1954, Olympic and Broadway, Los Angeles (1954)

The intersection of Olympic and Broadway in 1954 was a bustling part of downtown Los Angeles, lined with shops, businesses, and heavy foot traffic. This area served as a key commercial district, capturing the post-war economic boom that fueled the city’s growth. As cars and pedestrians filled the streets, Olympic and Broadway became a lively and diverse intersection where residents and tourists alike experienced the vibrant energy of 1950s Los Angeles.  Thank you to Historic Los Angeles. 

1954, A view of Broadway looking south. On the right side of the street is the Grant Building, then The Broadway Dept. Store. On the left are the O.T. Johnson Building and the Judston Rives Building. (Los Angeles Public Library Legacy Collection) https://buff.ly/4geY9lu.  Posted Monday, January 27, 2025.  Thank you to LAPL.