An Excavation of East Hollywood, Part One

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This is the first of a three part series.

All photos are specific to a particular pocket of Los Angeles known as East Hollywood, and are courtesy of publicly available collections at the University of Southern California Libraries and California Historical Society, as well as at Los Angeles Public Library with the exception of two: The first, taken at LACC by L.A. Times photographer B.I. Oliver on March 13, 1969, and the second, taken by J. Benton Adams at Vermont & Santa Monica, circa 1998.

  • Hollywood, a land of valleys to be sold according to a map by Harvey Henderson Wilcox and wife Daeida Wilcox, 1887
  • View of the future site of East Hollywood, pre-Melrose and Normandie avenues, circa 1900
  • East Hollywood Lemon Groves, circa 1905
  • Cahuenga Valley Line steam-engine train, from Temple and Hoover street, circa 1905
  • Cahuenga Public Library on Santa Monica boulevard, 1916
  • Aerial view of LACC when its campus actually served as the first home of UCLA, 1920
  • Hollywood Memorial Cemetery showing the Cathedral Mausoleum on the lower west side, circa 1924
  • Western avenue & Santa Monica boulevard going east, 1924
  • A home at 519 North Vermont avenue before it was torn down to make room for the 101 Freeway, 1926
  • Oil heiress Aline Barnsdall donates the “Hollyhock” house to the city of Los Angeles, circa 1927
  • Flooding on Santa Monica and Sunset boulevard, according to photographer (most likely Sunset junction area today), 1928
  • Wrecked Nash automobile at 218 North Virgil avenue (right by the historic Public Storage building), circa 1929
  • American Storage Company building near Virgil avenue and Beverly boulevard, circa 1929
  • The former Cedars of Lebanon Hospital (now property of Scientology), circa 1930
  • North Virgil avenue and Santa Monica boulevard rail crossings, 1931
  • Santa Monica boulevard and North Virgil avenue rail crossings, 1931
  • Los Angeles City College Administration building, circa 1924 – 1957
  • Los Angeles City College Administration building, 1938
  • Red car with the Pacific Electric Railway system travels west on Santa Monica boulevard, 1940
  • Drivers head south on Vermont avenue from Sunset boulevard, 1949
  • Opening of the 101 Freeway entrance heading west from Silver Lake boulevard, 1950
  • The 101 Freeway heading east, as seen from North Vermont Avenue, 1951
  • Jewish Community building erected (now West Coast University), 1951
  • Jewish Community building ceremony (now West Coast University), 1951
  • Car along Santa Monica boulevard heading east of Vermont avenue, circa 1951
  • Car crash on Vermont avenue just over the Vermont exit for the 101 Freeway, 1955
  • An aerial view of the “hospital center” of East Hollywood, showing Hollywood Presbyterian hospital as well as Children’s hospital at center, 1968
  • Photo of a barricade being torn down by students in front of Los Angeles City College during a period of frequent protests against racist policies at L.A. schools, 1969
  • Students on Vermont avenue after the removal of a barricade in front of LACC during a period of frequent protests against racist policies at L.A. schools, 1969
  • Drivers wait at a stop light at the intersection of Sunset and Virgil avenue, 1976
  • A car flown through the window at Vermont and Beverly bank, 1986
  • A multi-ethnic community of approximately 10,000 commemorate the Armenian genocide at LACC, 1988
  • Vermont & Santa Monica Metro station wedge, designed by Mehrdad Yazdani, under construction, circa 1998

J.T.

In photos: Two years on, from El Salvador to Guatemala, and Oaxaca to L.A., our pueblo lives on

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Two years since our first sojourn through familial homelands in central America and beyond, one lesson remains: the need to continue discovering our cuentos in yet more places is as important as ever. Admittedly, this particular time is a difficult one for us to discover more of the world beyond familiar borders on foot, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take some time to learn about the world from afar through a good book; I’d say a good starting point would be Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America. Of course, it’s also said that a picture’s worth a thousand words, so here are a handful. More with yours truly once again soon, Los Angeles. And with hands extended in prayer for all the people of the world during this extraordinary time.

J.T.

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A military plane, presumably belonging to the National Guard, flies above Los Angeles

In Pictures: A Week that Changed Los Angeles for A Generation

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(Pandemic in Los Angeles: Day 80)

A group of police officers, sheriffs, and National Guard service-members at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A group of police officers, sheriffs, and National Guard service-members at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A line of National Guard service-members guard the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A National Guard truck gets ready to make a turn on Hope Street in downtown Los Angeles
A police officer, sheriff, and National Guard service-member guard the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A police officer, sheriff, and National Guard service-member guard the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A police officer and National Guard service-member exchange a word at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A police officer and National Guard service-member exchange a word at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles
A crowd of protesters gathered on North Spring street
A line of police officers forms a barrier at L.A. City Hall in downtown Los Angeles
A line of police officers forms a barrier at L.A. City Hall in downtown Los Angeles
A police officer holds what appears to be a rubber bullet rifle at L.A. City Hall
A police officer holds what appears to be a rubber bullet rifle at L.A. City Hall
A protester holds a sign at a protest in front of L.A. City Hall
A protester holds a sign at a protest in front of L.A. City Hall
A helicopter circles around L.A. City Hall, monitoring protests
A helicopter circles around L.A. City Hall, monitoring protests
A police SUV cruises by on Hill street in downtown Los Angeles
A police SUV cruises by on Hill street in downtown Los Angeles
Police cruisers parked along 1st street and Hope street in Los Angeles
Police cruisers parked along 1st street and Hope street in Los Angeles

“The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation…We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution.” – James Mattis, Former Secretary of Defense of the United States with more than 50 years of experience in the U.S. Marine Forces

J.T.

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