Following on from
e_r's Bank Cafe in San Pedro, and by complete coincidence, today's Julius Shulman post concerns a branch of Bank of America in San Pedro. Here's the bank at S Pacific Avenue and 10th Street. It's
"Job 1046: Bank of America (Los Angeles, Calif.),1951". Where some branches show no external images of the USS Portsmouth, this one has five - one either side of the name on each side, and one above the door.
Opposite the Bank of America was the California Bank, and two doors down from that was the Golden Cafe and their "Famous Broiled Steaks".
Looking south, we get better look at McCorkell's Department Store. The sign under the word "TOYS" is for McCorkell's Shade & Linoleum Co at 931 S Pacific Avenue.
I thought I'd include this close-up because it shows the Strand Theatre at 1035 S Pacific Avenue. You can read more about it at
cinematreasures.org.
All from
Getty Research Institute
This is quite a novelty - the bank building is not only still standing, it's also still a Bank of America.
GSV
The lighting makes it difficult to see, but all five ships are still there too.
GSV
This building, opposite the bank on the east side of Pacific Avenue, can't really be seen in the Shulman pictures, but looks like it would've been there at the time. The glass bricks give this establishment a noirish quality.
GSV
Diagonally opposite the bank is this building which can just be seen on the right of the second Shulman photo. The corners have lost a little height over the years, but it looks pretty complete otherwise.
GSV
Going back to my close-up of the third Shulman image, the California Bank, Golden Cafe and Strand Theatre have all gone, replaced by a modern Chase Bank building and parking lot. Off in the distance, however, I spotted a tower or pylon, and took the Googlemobile to investigate. I'm not sure what it was in 1951 (the 1946 San Pedro CD lists a Van de Kamps Holland Dutch Bakery there), but 1231 S Pacific Avenue is now the San Pedro Ballet School, complete with intact pylon.
GSV