20 Stunning Vintage Photographs Capture Street Scenes of Southern California in the 1920s_Old US Page

At the turn of the Twentieth century there were few rules for driving in American cities. The first law regulating the speed of automobiles was passed in Connecticut in 1901—12 miles per hour overall and 8 miles per hour in cities.

When motor vehicles began to merge with existing traffic and shared the roads with pedestrians, horses, bicyclists, and streetcars there was little distinction between local and through traffic or the speed of the respective individuals or vehicles.
Traffic controls of some type began to appear after the introduction of Ford’s mass-produced Model T and the incessant growth of the automobile population in cities. As historian Clay McShane noted, traffic lights, signs, and painted pavements not only commanded a new physical presence in cities, but “impose[d] a strong social control over the most fundamental of human behaviors, whether to move or to be still.”

1922 view of a Kodak Finishing shop on Vermont Ave. north of Jefferson Blvd.

Circa 1927 view of Fifth Street, looking east from Grand Avenue, in downtown Los Angeles.

1927 view of the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, looking northeast.

A Santa Fe Railway train crosses Colorado Street in what is now Old Town Pasadena, 1928. The at-grade crossing was later eliminated, and today the Metro Gold Line uses the old Santa Fe right-of-way. (Part of the Automobile Club of Southern California Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Circa 1927 view of the Los Angeles Civic Center from Hill Street, showing City Hall under construction, as well as the Hall of Records, Hall of Justice, and County Courthouse.

Circa 1920-24 view of the William Fox Studio on Western Ave. near Sunset Blvd. (Part of the TICOR/Pierce Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Circa 1924 view of the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and Western Ave., looking north up Western. The traffic signal device in the middle of the intersection is a remnant of a failed experiment to introduce traffic circles in L.A.’s busiest intersections. (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Intersection of Figueroa and Adams, looking north circa 1924. In the center of the intersection is an “American Bobby,” an experimental traffic control device installed by the Auto Club of Southern California. (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Pacific Electric trolleys once ran down the median of Venice Blvd, seen here at its intersection with 5th Ave in 1929. (USC Libraries/California Historical Society Collection)

Today it’s home to the futuristic Westin Bonaventure Hotel, but here’s how the northwest corner of Flower and Fifth streets looked in 1927. (USC Libraries/California Historical Society Collection)

A Pacific Electric red car on Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula in 1928. (USC Libraries/Dick Whittington Photography Collection)

A Gilmore Gasoline station at the northeast corner of Wilshire and La Brea in 1928. (USC Libraries/Dick Whittington Photography Collection)

Here’s how Los Feliz looked in 1928. (Part of the Automobile Club of Southern California collection in the USC Digital Library)

L.A.’s Miracle Mile, looking east from Wilshire and Fairfax circa 1929. (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Anaheim, circa 1925. Pictured here is the central business district along Center Street (now Lincoln Avenue). (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Brand Blvd. in Glendale, ca. 1926. (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Big Bear Village, circa 1920. (Part of the California Historical Society Collection in the USC Digital Library)

View looking north up Vine Street toward the the Hollywoodland sign, shortly after it was installed on the Santa Monica Mountains in 1923. (Part of the Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection in the USC Digital Library)

Lankershim Blvd. at Weddington St. in North Hollywood, ca. 1926. The historic El Portal Theater appears on the left.

Vine Street at Sunset Boulevard circa 1925.