Text by Patrick Bell.
We are traveling in the time machine today, heading to The City of the Angels, otherwise known as Los Angeles. There is a lot to absorb, with fine tourist type attractions to view as well as good street scenes. Fasten your seat belt as we prepare for takeoff.
We begin on Main Street with the City Hall looming along the right edge. As you might guess, City Hall is all that is left today. It looked like a winter day, with the lady wearing a warm coat and the man on the left carrying one. The newest cars were both 1955 models, the top down Ford Thunderbird in the center, and the Chevrolet Two-Ten 2 door sedan behind it. At the curb was a 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook Belvedere 2 door hardtop with a rusty bumper, while further back was a blue 1954 Ford Mainline Fordor. Then a 1947-1953 Chevrolet or GMC box van, and a yellow 1951-1953 Dodge Job-Rated with a canvas cover on a dump bed?
This was the 1500 block of Vine Street in Hollywood. There was some great architecture and signs to see. From the left a two tone blue 1950-1952 Cadillac sedan, light gray 1950 Pontiac, darker gray 1952? Studebaker, black 1947 or 1948 Ford, and a tan 1949 DeSoto in the street. All I can ID on the right was a white over dark green 1951 Chevrolet.
Per image notes this was Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica at Palisades Park in 1952. From the left a 1951 or 1952 Chevrolet at the curb, 1946-1948 Chrysler, 1951 Plymouth, 1947-1949 Studebaker heading away, and a green 1946-1948 Plymouth at the right curb.
I don’t have the location for this image, but there was a good view of the iconic “HOLLYWOOD” sign on the hill. The was a Chevrolet dealer on the left side, a body shop and carburetor specialist on the right side, as well as the Chowder Bowl restaurant. From the left a two tone blue 1953 Pontiac at the curb, a green 1950 Studebaker in the street heading this way, and the blur of a 1953 Ford passing by.
Down below looks like the Santa Ana Freeway (U.S. 101), but I am unsure of the cross streets. There was some interesting metal passing through beginning with a dark Triumph TR3? on the left side. Above it was a gold 1951 or 1952 Chevrolet Fleetline 2 door that was turning the corner. To the right was a light blue 1955 Ford F-series towing a travel trailer, and a little more to the right was a white 1955 Oldsmobile. Those last two seem to be the newest visible.
I have no location that I can confirm here, and the street signs to the right were too blurry to read. The was a Standard station to the left, a motel down the street, and maybe a laundromat on the right corner. The photographer was riding in a Dodge, going by the ram hood ornament. From the left a 1956 Chevrolet and a 1956 Dodge that were heading this way. Going away were a 1950 Ford and a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. And rounding the corner was a blue 1953 Buick Special.
Hollywood and Vine was the location of this image, looking down Vine to the Capitol Records building. It and the E. F. Hutton/California Bank buildings are still there, though with different businesses in the bank building. The orange truck on the left edge was a 1955-1957 Chevrolet Task Force or the GMC equivalent, while the yellow cab with the photo bombing ladies was a 1956 Plymouth Plaza. Behind it in the cross street was a blue 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. On the right side was a green 1956 Buick Super 2 door Riviera hardtop, orange 1956 Ford Mainline Fordor, and a yellow 1955 Pontiac Star Chief convertible.
Pacific Electric Red Car #5120 was on the Watts route and passing a GMC “Old-Look” bus with the Hotel El Rey in the background. A Jeep CJ was trying to stay out of the way in the right lane, and a 1956 Buick was on the cross street. A white and red 1957 Chrysler in the used car lot was the newest one seen here.
One of the search results on this car wash placed it on Van Nuys Boulevard, which I could not confirm. There was a newish looking 1957 Ford Fairlane with a dent on it’s nose on it’s way out of the wash, while the employees were gathered along the right edge of the image. Parked to the left was a Fiat 600 with a sunroof.
Here was the bus barn where you can see part of the fleet of GMC “Old-Look” buses. Number 2753 on the corner looked like a new addition, with a new color treatment and no destination displayed. It also had updated signal lamps.
We are now on Main Street looking up West 1st Street at the Los Angeles Times Building. The Security Bank building is gone, and now a LAPD headquarters building takes up most of the block. On the left edge was a red first gen Chevrolet Corvair Coupe and a 1956 Chevrolet One-Fifty 2 door sedan with a six cylinder and a new 1963 black license plate. The PCC streetcar was in its last days as they ceased operations in March of 1963. Heading away on the right were a 1960 Ford Falcon Tudor and a 1961 Chrysler 4 door sedan. And at the curb was a 1962 Ford Fairlane 500.
Back to Hollywood Boulevard, this time between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue. On the right side was the Hollywood Masonic Temple and the Parker Brothers building. “Elmer Gantry” was playing at the Paramount, where it premiered on June 29, 1960. The theater and temple are now owned by The Walt Disney Company.
On the street from the left was a red 1955 Ford Country Sedan pulling out, a red 1957 Mercury convertible, white 1960 Oldsmobile Holiday Coupe with a roof rack, white 1958 Oldsmobile convertible, a two tone 1955 Buick at the right curb, a blurry 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner passing by, and a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan at the curb.
And a nice, palm tree lined street in an unknown location. Heading this way on the left was a full size 1962 Chevrolet. Parked on the right was red 1949 or 1950 Chevrolet Styleline, white 1963 Ford Falcon 2 door sedan, brown 1963 Rambler American 440 or 440-H 2 door hardtop, and sticking it’s nose in the right side was a 1957 Ford.
Now we are in Burbank at the NBC Studios, with an image that was newer than it appears. In the first row from the left was a blue first gen Chevrolet Corvair, blue 1958-1961 Volkswagen Type I with a same color sunroof sedan above it (that’s 2 out of 7 I see), gold 1963 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass convertible, 1961 Dodge Lancer 4 door sedan, and a 1961 Plymouth Fury convertible. In the second row appears to be a white 1966-1968 Chevrolet Caprice Coupe or Impala Custom Coupe, and in the row closest to the building looks like a red 1968 or 1969 Plymouth Satellite or Dodge Coronet. Other treasures include a white 1959-1961 Studebaker Lark, pale yellow Karmann Ghia, red Porsche 356, and a light blue Renault Dauphine.
The stopping point today is the airport (makes sense). This is the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). If you didn’t know better you might think we were in a General Motors factory town.
In the street from the left a white 1961 Chevrolet, blue 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door sedan, and a black 1964 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. In the parking lot to the right a 1965 Cadillac facing this way, white 1965 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan facing away, white Fiat 1200 Cabriolet, black 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, and light blue 1958 Chevrolet. Next facing this way may have been a Mercedes-Benz SL missing the grille star, and on the end a Karmann Ghia.
Thanks for joining us and good day to all!
The “palm tree lined street in an unknown location” is also Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. We lived just a few blocks from there.
And the green wooden pavilion with ocean view seating is still there – I live a couple blocks from that spot.
The street with the Hollywood sign in the back could be La Brea. I recall those gasometers down near Civic Center in 1967 and gone by 1975.Couldn’t believe one would store natural gas in those things and they would rise and fall depending on the amount stored.
I’m thinking that image (Picture #4) was taken on Vine St., looking north to the Willoughby Ave. intersection. None of the buildings seemed to have survived, but the businesses match up to that location. There was a Chowder Bowl at 870 N. Vine, and Gene’s Auto Body was located at 902 Vine – signs for both are in the vintage shot.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4DHwEAXbdeXEwtLcA
Yes, I think that’s Vine. Gene’s Body Shop was well-known in the custom scene in the ’50s.
As enjoyable as it is to look at these old pictures, I don’t miss the jungle of giant signs and billboards and general visual clutter, at least in the urban areas of the town I grew up in and my current home town, both with 1880-1920 “Main Street” downtowns that are now mostly gentrified and decluttered. Then I checked StreetView for Hollywood & Orange and it almost looks worse today than in the picture here. But the cars today are far less interesting.
LA is a lot like my hometown of Miami in that the coastal areas are great and the inland areas meh.
When I was a kid (b. 1955) ‘moving to California’ was almost a cliche, lots of people dreamed about doing that. Looking at these pictures I can’t figure out why.
Los Angeles is not what you see in the movies; it’s like Detroit with palm trees – Don Draper
I’ll be pedantic and note that it’s more apt to refer to LA County, which has 10 million people and 88 cities within it, including Los Angeles. Some of these pictures depict areas like Santa Monica that are separate cities. The diversity of the population from all over the world offers challenges and rewards. And governing the broad encompassing area of “LA,” is made difficult through a weak LA mayor’s office, a powerful LA County Board of Supervisors, and all of these adjoining municipal governments.
As someone who moved here 52 years ago to go to graduate school and never left, I can say that SoCal is a great place to live. It is made more difficult because so many people want to live here despite the costs and challenges. The climate and surrounding natural beauty of the coast, hills, and mountains are compelling. Within the county are a plethora of world renowned colleges and universities. We have first quality museums and other cultural attractions, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site where I am a volunteer tour guide. The diverse population provides world class cuisine and cultural events. And SoCal continues to be a great car loving environment where you can see almost everything on the streets – I recently spotted two 300SLs in my neighborhood, a gullwing and convertible!
Yet there are still those who won’t believe any of that but I agree having lived in the Valley, San Diego, 10 years in The City, and the rest outside The City.
Thanks. Make that 54 years – they have flown by – that I have enjoyed SoCal! And the Draper quote is the screenwriters recreating the NYC vs LA rivalry of decades ago. Long gone is the dominance of a negative portrayal of LA by East Coast writers slumming out West (Alison Lurie labeled LA The Nowhere City in her 60’s novel of that name – no one would call it that today).
I sure wish i had when I was young.
The last photo must have been taken on what is now World Way, a little bit west of Sepulveda Blvd.
Looking East from Terminal three, TWA back then.
I never get tired of watching Dragnet reruns with Jack Webb and Harry Morgan just to see the fantastic Los Angeles street scenes and the car and trucks of the ’60s.
The green box truck in the first photo would be a GMC with the parking light in the fender below the headlight.
These are all great everyday-life shots!
Looks like Picture #6 (taken in Dodge with ram hood ornament) was on Western Ave. at the intersection with Franklin Ave.
Then-and-now image and Google StreetView link below:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/T8iw5syVJPUDArCv8
The 101 is the Hollywood Freeway. The 5 is the Santa Ana Freeway (or farther north, the Golden State Freeway.)
Thank you for these ~ I moved here 56 years ago and still love it in spite of the many changes .
-Nate
That assortment of Los Angeles G.M. ‘Old Look’ buses is interesting. The red/silver one is actually in the older Pacific Electric Motor Coach livery, the two-tone green buses are in successor Metropolitan Coach Lines livery. Metropolitan bought the Pacific Electric’s passenger operations in 1953, both streetcar and bus operations. Many buses and streetcars continued to operate in the Pacific Electric paint scheme for quite some time after the buy-out took place. Contrary to popular belief, this deal had nothing to do with National City Lines, General Motors, or Standard Oil. It simply came about because Pacific Electric’s owner Southern Pacific Railroad wasn’t making any money on the operation. Southern Pacific retained ownership of most right-of-ways and trackage and continued local rail freight operations for many years. Metroplitan Coach Lines was also less than successful, despite replacing most streetcar lines with buses. Metroplitan was municipalized in 1958 with the formation of the original Los Angeles M.T.A.. L.A.’s other streetcar line, L.A. Transit Lines, was taken over by National City Lines.
Thank you for the history and dispelling the conspiracy myths surrounding it. I remember the green MTA busses, including electric ones that replaced trolleys downtown.
Also, the palm-tree lined street with the ’62 Chevy driving on it is Ocen Ave. in Santa Monica, near Washington Ave.. The green trelis structure in the park is still there.
A self-portrait on Sunset Boulevard, September 1981, on a late Saturday afternoon. Years later found out that the Chateau Marmont would have been worth a side trip to look at. Only street picture I took during my one and only trip to Los Angeles — the lack of automobiles on the street at that hour is disappointing.
As others have pointed out, the palm lined street is Ocean Blvd, Santa Monica. I have a picture of me up on my dad’s shoulder at this spot around this time. One of the.parked cars could be his. Two things about most of these shots stand out to me. One is the street lights, they had style and I think they are a defining feature of LA. Second is the smog which was probably at its worst at that time. To be able to see across the San Fernando Valley to the hills on the other side was rare then. Makes me appreciate the advances in emissions controls since then, even though I rebelled against them as a teenager with my first car in the 70’s.