West Adams and
Nearby Neighborhoods, 1920s to 1960s
Links to the
Photo Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library
We have added a few Notes. Private homes without people visible are in this section. Landmark buildings are here as well as in the section on Buildings, which is mostly lesser known structures.
Click on thumbnail or on link to see photo.
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Title: Automobile Club of Southern California, Adams Blvd. and Figueroa. n.d.
Description: View of the Auto Club building on the SW corner of Figueroa St. and Adams Blvd. Built in 1922-1923 in Spanish Colonial Revival style. Architects: Hunt & Burns ; Roland E. Coate. 2610 S. Figueroa
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Title: Figueroa St. looking south toward West Adams Blvd. (St. Vincent's, Auto Club) 1920s
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Title: Automobile Club of Southern California, 1919 [A reader suggests that the cars date from the mid-1930s and the 1919 date is incorrect.]
Description: View of 2601 South Figueroa Street from the opposite corner.
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Title: West Adams Blvd. looking east to Figueroa St., 1920s. The steeple of St. Vincent's Catholic Church is in the background.
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Title: West Adams Blvd. looking east toward Figueroa St. (Auto Club in rear), 1920s
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Title: Figueroa St. at Venice Blvd. in 1920s.
Description: Figueroa Street at the intersection of Venice Boulevard circa the 1920s. Manchester Apartments are seen, as well as Rickenbacker's.
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Title: Jewish women in front of house at 529 W. 78th St., 1920
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Title: Figueroa Street ca. 1920s
Description: View of Figueroa Street circa the 1920s.
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Title: Figueroa & Santa Barbara Sts. (n.d.) [Judging from cars, early 1930s]
Description: Figueroa Street looking south to Santa Barbara Avenue (later Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard), with the Coliseum Hotel and National Automotive School on the left and the Figueroa Theater on the right.
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Title: Figueroa St. looking northwest towards West Adams Blvd. 1926
Description: Figueroa Street looking northwest toward West Adams Boulevard. On the left is the Automobile Club of Southern California and St. Vincent's Catholic Church.
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Title: Community room in the Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St., 1928
A meeting or a community room in the Patriotic Hall. There is a banner in the room for the Women's Overseas Service League. Furniture, including lamps and chairs, is shown clearly.
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Title: Community Chest workers, 4349 W. Adams Blvd. 1928
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Title: Jewish woman on W. Adams Street, 1929
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Title: Pico Boulevard east from Figueroa St., 1929.
Description: Pico Boulevard east from Figueroa Street; on the left is the Studebaker agency of Paul G. Hoffman & Co.
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Title: Spanish-style apartments, Leimert Park, 1929.
Description: Looking north on 8th Ave., near Vernon Ave. in Leimert Park showing small Spanish-style apartment houses.
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Title: Western Avenue looking north from Adams Blvd., 1930
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Title: Traffic signal at intersection of Figueroa and Adams Blvd., 1930
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Title: Residential homes, Harcourt Avenue, between Jefferson & W. Adams, 2/5/1930, views 1-2
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Title: Residential homes, Harcourt Avenue, between Jefferson & W. Adams, 1930, view 3
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Title: Cows graze on Slauson at Central (c. 1930)
Description: Cows graze peacefully under the palm trees next to the J.A. Nadeau Ford dealership on Slauson at Central Avenues. 1100 E. Slauson Blvd.
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Title: Hoover Street at Lake Street, 1930 (near Pico)
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Title: The West Adams district unemployment committee today began solicitation of a $3000 fund to beautify that section as a measure to provide work for jobless men. Photo shows committee members explaining their plan to C. P. Visel, agent for the city. From left to right are: Mrs. Arthur C. Weir; Mrs. Henry H. Lissner; Mr. Visel and Miss Emily Hirsch. Under the plan, 20 men will be provided with work for 90 days. Only men living in the district will be employed. Photo dated: February 10, 1931.
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Title: Unemployed workers will beautify the entire section bounded by Venice Boulevard, Harvard Boulevard, West Adams Street and Seventh Avenue. Photo shows some of them cleaning a lot and a sidewalk, while Mrs. Henry W. Lissner, head of the committee, inspects their work. Property owners benefiting from the work are invited but not required to contribute to the fund. Photo dated: March 7, 1931.
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Title: W. A. Clark Library, W. Adams Blvd., June 15, 1934
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Title: W. A. Clark Observatory on grounds of Clark's mansion, June 15, 1934
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Title: W. A. Clark Observatory, June 15, 1934
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Title: End Poverty League headquarters, 1934
Description: New headquarters for the End Poverty League, located at 23rd and Figueroa in Los Angeles, California. Upton Sinclair was the founder of the End Poverty in California (EPIC) movement. Photograph dated 1934.
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Title: USC College students in national costumes 1935
Description: Members of the World Friendship Club at the University of Southern California in various national costumes, 1935. Mary Shon is standing second from left.
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Title: Murphy's garden on W. Adams Blvd., 1937
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Title: Pond in Singleton's Court, Adams Street, Los Angeles (n.d.)
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Title: Children at Jordan Downs Housing Projects, 1950
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Title: Vermont Avenue stores at Manchester, Part 1 (1950)
Description: Part 1 of 3. Panoramic view of Vermont Avenue near Manchester showing shops and stores, including Cytron's Shoes (Pt.2). Area was later destroyed in the Watts Riot (1965). Photo from Jewish collection.
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Title: Vermont Avenue stores at Manchester, Part 2 (1950)
Description: Part 2 of 3. Panoramic view of Vermont Avenue near Manchester showing shops and stores. Cytron's Shoes can be seen between Men's shop and Allen's Jewelers. Area was later destroyed in the Watts Riot (1965). Photo from Jewish collection.
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Title: Vermont Avenue near Manchester stores, 1950
Description: Part 3 of 3. Panoramic view of Vermont Avenue near Manchester showing shops and stores, including Cytron's Shoes (Pt.2). Area was later destroyed in the Watts Riot (1965). Photo from Jewish collection.
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Title: Shriner's Parade on Central Avenue, c. 1951
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Title: Helen Walker (hand on chin) at her Sugar Hill, West Adams, residence with her girls, ready for an evening's entertainment. Photo taken: in 1950s.
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Title: Children on pony ride near Crenshaw & Exposition, 1954
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Title: Houses (136 W. 46th Street), c. 1955
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Title: Santa Monica Freeway near Vermont Avenue, 1967
Note: The Santa Monica Freeway, built to the west from the Harbor Freeway in 1962, bisected West Adams, demolishing many of the historic homes and leaving hundreds of others within a few feet of the heavily traveled freeway.
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Photographer: Reagh, William.
Title: Victorian residence, now Otsego Apartments, 633 W. 12th St. (1967)
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Title: Pomery Powers residence, 1345 Alvarado Terrace (1970)
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Title: Needy food packages for Thanksgiving . Volunteers at First A.M.E. Zion Cathedral on 1449 West Adams Boulevard, put together packages to be given away for Thanksgiving. The packages include canned and dried foods, along with a turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner. Photo dated: November 25, 1986.
