Visual Materials

South side Ogier St. west from Avila St

1 of 2

Description: View of houses on Ogier Street near Old Chinatown in Los Angeles, with the Los Angeles Hall of Justice in the background.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1933
Call number: photCL 502 (121)
Find out more: View in the Huntington Digital Library(Opens in new tab); View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

South side Ogier St. west from Avila St

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

N.W. Cor. Ogier & Avila St

Visual Materials

Children in the street in front of an abandoned house with broken out windows on the corner of Ogier Street and Avila Street near Old Chinatown in Los Angeles.

photCL 502 (88)