Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Visual Materials
This collection contains 131 black-and-white photographs (including some duplicates) of views of building exteriors and streets scenes in Old Chinatown and neighboring residential and industrial areas of downtown Los Angeles, California, that were taken prior to the demolition of the area beginning on December 23, 1933, to make way for the Los Angeles Union Station railroad terminal. The photographs consist of eye-level street views focused on the area of downtown Los Angeles, around Apablasa Street (spelled Apalabasa or Apalabassa on the images), that was bordered by Alameda Street to the west, Aliso Street to the south, Date and College Streets to the north, and Lyon to the east. The views include images of industrial and commercial areas; retail storefronts; warehouses; manufacturing; utility and railroad buildings; houses and apartments with balconies; dirt streets and alleys; children; automobiles; and dilapidated and vacant buildings. The signage on retail buildings often reflects the Chinese and Hispanic heritage of residents and shop owners in the area. The photographer is unidentified, but presumably the photographs were created to aid in planning for the project, perhaps as part of the process of determining property valuation.
photCL 502
![East end of Apalabasa St. taken from [Avila Street]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frail.huntington.org%2FIIIF3%2FImage%2F22APN4ZZI64N%2Ffull%2F%5E360%2C%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=750&q=75)
Visual Materials
View of Jewel Stables buildings with a vacant dirt lot in the foreground at the east end of Apablasa Street, as viewed from Avila Street, near Old Chinatown, Los Angeles.
photCL 502 (24)
Visual Materials
View of houses with fenced-in yards and trees, as well as two boys standing at center and a business at the far right viewed from the corner of Avila Street and Bauchet Street near Old Chinatown in Los Angeles.
photCL 502 (102a)
Visual Materials
View of houses with fenced-in yards and trees, as well as two boys standing at center and a business at the far right viewed from the corner of Avila Street and Bauchet Street near Old Chinatown in Los Angeles.
photCL 502 (102)
Visual Materials
View of attached brick two-story buildings, one with potted plants on balcony, on Juan Street, as viewed from Marchessault Street, in Old Chinatown, Los Angeles. Storage tanks of the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation are in the background.
photCL 502 (45)
Visual Materials
View of houses with automobiles and children in the street on Avila Street near Old Chinatown in Los Angeles.
photCL 502 (89)
