We've visited the 4th Street Cut and the elevated section that joins 4th Street to the Harbor Freeway many times (
post #23024 by
MichaelRyerson has a lot of info/pictures), but I couldn't resist posting these 1955 Leonard Nadel construction photos. They're all from the "Leonard Nadel photographs of Community Redevelopment Agency projects, 1948-1998" > "Urban Redevelopment Commission, 1949-1955" section. Again, I've listed the subsection/name of negative under the images.
There's a lot of scaffolding in this shot which looks across Flower Street from Figueroa. The Stuart K. Oliver house is on the hill just right of center, and the Barbara Worth is on the far right.
getty.edu
"Parking lots and the Fourth St. ramp, 1955 August 9" > "UR1-1 (negative 1)"
A reverse shot looking towards the Harbor Freeway. The little cabin at the bottom says something like "P & L BODY SHOP" on the side, although it probably wasn't still in business (it's not listed in the 1956 CD). That gap in the elevated section over Figueroa looks perfect for a movie car chase/jump
.
getty.edu
"Parking lots and the Fourth St. ramp, 1955 August 9" > "UR1-8 (negative 11)"
The La Belle, the Gordon, the Bronx, the Zelda, the Sherwood and the Rose Mansion have all gone, but at least there's a new parking lot! The Mutual Garage is visible in the background.
getty.edu
"Parking lots and the Fourth St. ramp, 1955 August 9" > "UR1-3 (negative 6)"
I mentioned the temporary ramp between Flower Street and the 4th Street Cut when I posted Leonard Nadel's Bunker Hill aerial photos at the weekend. Here's a better view. This picture is dated two months after the ones above, and it looks like most of the scaffolding has gone.
getty.edu
"Playgrounds, substandard, poor, and acceptable housing, traffic, and general views, 1955 October 18" > "BH2-135a (negative 18)"