Vintage Los Angeles Postcards, Part 2
Here is PART 2 of a series of blog posts featuring some vintage Los Angeles postcards that belong to Steve DeGaetano - cards that he purchased in New Orleans Square at the "One of a Kind Shop". He graciously offered to scan them and provide some accompanying text, which is pretty awesome. Let's get to the cards!
LA-06: This card has no caption other than “A beautiful southern California garden.”
LA-07: “Pershing Square is located in the heart of the downtown shopping district, close to theatres, café and leading hotels. It affords a delightful resting place for countless visitors and Southern Californians. Beneath the park is located the world’s largest underground garage – three floor levels accommodating over 2,000 cars.” (See a few photos from Pershing Square HERE).
LA-08: “Olvera Street is located near the Plaza, and the new Union Station. The street is typical of Old Mexico – an interesting quarter of colorful Bazaars, where vendors display their quaint pottery, candle and basket novelties. The oldest house in Los Angeles is located on this historical street.” (See some vintage Olvera Street photos HERE).
LA-09: This card has no caption other than “Fountain, Pershing Square, Los Angeles, California.” Probably can be paired with LA-07. (There are a few more views of Pershing Square HERE)
LA-10: This card has no caption other than “Broadway looking north, Los Angeles, Calif.”
MANY THANKS to Steve DeGaetano, I know that scanning and writing can be more time-consuming than it looks. We have two more Vintage LA Postcard posts to come!
6 comments:
@ Steve DeGaetano-
"A beautiful southern California garden". I can help you ID this view... Well, of course that was my garden when I was living high on the hog-! I gave it all up for the 'simpler life'. Potted plants are so much easier to maintain.
Thanks for sharing more images, Steve. You too, Major.
LA-06: Beautiful! I wonder if the card had those warm colors when it was new? Or maybe it has faded over the years?
LA-07: Hmm. When I hear "resting place" I don't think of hotels. Someplace more.... dead. If you get my drift.
LA-08: I like the colorful, busy scene. I can't tell if this is a painting or a photo that has been painted on.
LA-09: This looks like it would be a very pleasant place to walk around in, with the fountain and all the palm trees.
LA-10: Interesting... This card doesn't have the warm colors that the other cards have. Is it newer? Or did it somehow escape fading?
Thank you, Steve. These are great postcards. Thanks, Major.
In the picture of Broadway (last postcard), we can see the signage for Lowe's State Theater (built in 1921, and still standing!), although most of the "Lowe's" name is blocked by the flag. In the distance, we can also see the tall radio antenna for KRKD, on top of the historic Broadway Arcade Building (a three-level glass-roofed shopping arcade, built in 1924, and still standing!).
Could that first postcard be showing the original Busch Gardens, in Pasadena?
I'm enjoying this series of vintage postcard posts! Thank you, Steve and Major!
Thanks everyone. I don't think any of them are "painted." I think they're all photographs that have had color tinting applied. That last one is probably the earliest of this batch, maybe 1930s/1940s, judging by the car styles. Nanook?
Fun stuff Steve, thanks. LA09 makes Pershing square look nice, so we know it’s an oldie (I hope the restaurant is still operating on top of the terra cotta tower, as it is very nice indeed.) LA101 shows how that park is devoid of life since it is isolated by big streets on all sides…as it still is.
MS
These are fun!
I agree, photo 1 might be in Pasadena. No idea why I think that.
Photo 2, the Biltmore Hotel is prominent on the left. I recently learned this lobby was the model for the Tower of Terror lobby.
Olvera Street appears as I remember it.
The fountain view is wonderful, I doubt it looks like this now.
The Broadway view looks familiar, I think Dad drove us along this street years ago.
Thanks Steve and Major! Looking forward to more!
JG
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