Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932
Interesting series by Dick Whittington concentrating on just the one intersection, here looking east on Temple Street with the Hall of Justice on the left and the County Courthouse on the right just beyond the Owl Drug store. The Acme semaphore sitting over here on the right curb is interesting in it's placement well short of the intersection allowing for the turning radius of the streetcar tracks. The fact that the Acme is showing neither the 'stop' or the 'go' arm means either Whittington hit the shutter at exactly the moment they were both folded into the light body or the exposure was taken early enough in the morning (probably by 7 am) before the semaphores were again operating for the day, being turned off around 9 pm when the 'red' and 'green' lights would suffice until being turned off themselves around midnight (or 1 am) when the little light seen at the base of the light body would then be turned on as a flasher. The Bank of Italy stands out down the street with the squat old post office just to its left.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987
Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932 (2)
Second image in the series here standing with our backs to the WCTU building looking southeast across the intersection at the County Courthouse (here with it's truncated tower) and the Hall of Records, with the new City Hall just peeking through the haze. A beautiful, busy image of a favorite intersection.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987
Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932 (3)
And number three looking southwest directly at the Owl Drug Co. with our backs now against the Hall of Justice with the County Courthouse just out of frame on the left and the WCTU out of frame on the right. Nice shot of the Broadway Rose.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987
Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932 (4)
Looking north on Broadway in number four, Broadway tunnel showing just over the hump in front of the Alhambra Hotel/Apartments (the Alhambra Annex is seen on the left). The Hall of Justice on the right and the WCTU building on the left before the haircut. Here again (see number one) the Acme on the corner is showing neither the 'stop' nor the 'go' semaphore arm indicating the shot may have been taken in the early morning (perhaps before 7 am) before the semaphores were turned back on for the day. While I wish for clear skies when I look at these images, I try to remind myself even the haze is part of the truth being captured.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987
Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932 (5)
Number five finds us looking west on Temple which is suddenly bathed in sunshine with the WCTU building on the right and farther down the block at Hill Street is the two story, light colored, Temp-Hill Hotel.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987
Intersection West Temple Street and North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 1932 (6)
And finally number six looking south across Temple Street right down the east side sidewalk of Broadway at the Hall of Records with the County Courthouse on the left. Beautiful shot.
USC digital archive/Dick Whittington Photography Collection, 1924-1987