Views of Chinatown and related neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles: Finding
Aid photCL 502
Finding aid prepared by Diann Benti.
The Huntington Library
2014
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Note
Finding aid last updated on July 15, 2022, by Maggie Hughes.
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Views of Chinatown and related neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 502
Physical Description:
0.75 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1933
Abstract: 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 passenger
terminal. 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. Notably, almost all of the images are annotated with the street addresses of the
buildings depicted.
Language of Material: English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
Views of Chinatown and related neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles. The Huntington
Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Purchased from Dawson's Book Shop, 2011.
Biographical / Historical
Chinese immigrants began establishing businesses and residences in downtown Los Angeles in
the 1870s, near the historic Los Angeles Plaza. By the 1880s, the Chinatown community had
expanded to east of Alameda Street to land bordered by Macy Street (later renamed Cesar E.
Chavez Avenue). In the 1910s, property near the Plaza that encompassed much of Chinatown and
adjacent railroad and industrial land was identified as a potential site for a union
passenger railroad terminal to be shared by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Union Pacific
Railroad, and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. By the early 1930s, following
years of litigation over the project, plans were finalized to build the terminal on the
site. The project required the acquisition of the land, much of it owned by the Southern
Pacific Railroad, the relocation of affected residents, and the razing of all buildings. The
demolition of old Chinatown began on December 23, 1933, and the grand opening of the Los
Angeles Union Passenger Terminal occurred on May 3, 1939. "New Chinatown," developed by
Chinese-American leaders, was built a few blocks north of the old Chinatown, opened in June
1938.
Scope and Contents
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. Photographs are gelatin silver prints; sheets 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10
format).
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.
Notably, Item 21 has a handwritten note, "on S.P. land not to be acquired." The locations
for the majority of the photographs are indicated by street and building numbers at lower
right that were written on the original negatives, and some also have parcel numbers written
on the prints.
The approximate year for the images is based on a photograph of the Familian Pipe &
Supply Co. building (Item 17) that reads, "Moving to our new home corner Sacramento &
Mateo St. Dec. 15, 1933." But differences in trees and foliage among views of the same
buildings indicate the photographs were not taken all at once (see Item 19 versus Item 20
and Item 84 versus Item 85).
Existence and Location of Copies
Arrangement
The collection is arranged numerically according to the item numbers supplied by the
cataloger.
Processing Information
Titles transcribed from items; titles devised by the cataloger are enclosed in square
brackets.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Abandoned houses -- Photographs
Business districts -- California -- Los Angeles --
Photographs
Chinese Americans -- California -- Los Angeles -- Photographs
Commercial buildings -- California -- Los Angeles --
Photographs
Dwellings -- California -- Los Angeles -- Photographs
Industrial buildings -- California -- Los Angeles --
Photographs
Railroads -- California -- Los Angeles -- History --
Photographs
Storefronts -- California -- Los Angeles -- Photographs
Vacant lands -- Photographs
Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Photographs
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Photographs
Photographs
Union Passenger Terminal (Los
Angeles, Calif.) -- History -- Photographs
Box 1, Item (1)
S.P.R.R. Scale Ho cor. Alameda & Macy St.
Box 1, Item (2)
Corner Apalabasa St & Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (3)
800, 802 & 804 No. Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (4)
750, 752, 754, 756 & 758 No. Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (7)
710, 712 & 714 No. Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (8)
710, 712 & 714 No. Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (9)
North of Apalabasa & east of Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (10)
Northeast corner Alameda & Aliso Sts.
Box 1, Item (18)
Looking north on Lyon St. from #721.
Box 1, Item (21)
745 & 747 Lyon St.
General
With handwritten note on image: "on S.P. land not to be acquired."
Box 1, Item (22)
785 & 789 Lyon St. (Two sty. Bn is Cor of Ramirez St.)
Box 1, Item (23)
Looking east along Ramirez St. from Avila St.
Box 1, Item (24)
East end of Apalabasa St. taken from A[?]
Box 1, Item (25)
South side of Apalabassa St. # 300 to 314.
Box 1, Item (26)
South side Apalabassa St. # 316 to 326.
Box 1, Item (27)
South side Apalabassa St.# 300 to 320.
Box 1, Item (28)
South side of Apalabassa St.
Box 1, Item (29)
Apalabassa St. taken from # 317 looking west. Alameda St. in
distance.
Box 1, Item (30)
North side Apalabassa St. at jog in street east of Alameda St.
Box 1, Item (31)
311, 315, 317 & 319 Apalabasa St.
Box 1, Item (32)
319, 321,323, 325, 327 & 329 Apalabasa St.
Box 1, Item (33)
325, 327 & 329 Apalabasa St.
Box 1, Item (34)
333, 335, 337, 339, 341, 343 & 345 Apalbasa St.
Box 1, Item (36)
Southside of [Apalabasa St. and Juan St.?]
Box 1, Item (40)
City playgrounds on south side Apalabassa St.
Box 1, Item (42)
[Jewel Stables on Apalabasa St.]
Box 1, Item (43)
Jewel Stables east end of Apalabasa St.
Box 1, Item (44)
Looking east along Apalabasa St.
Box 1, Item (46)
339 to 345 Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (47)
South side of Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (48)
West of Cayetano St. & north of Apalabassa.
Box 1, Item (51)
325 & 327 Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (52)
317, 319, 321 Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (53)
321,323, 3231/2 Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (54)
[313, 313 1/2 Marchessault St.]
Box 1, Item (55)
309, 313, 3131/2 Marchessault St.
Box 1, Item (57)
# 303 Marchessault St. Alameda St. to the left.
Box 1, Item (58)
South side Marchessault St. (1 of 3)
Box 1, Item (59)
South side Marchessault St. (2 of 3)
Box 1, Item (60)
S.W. corner Juan & Napier St.
Box 1, Item (61)
South side Napier St. (Alameda St. in distance)
Box 1, Item (64)
South side Napier St. (Alameda St. in distance)
Box 1, Item (68)
West of 307 Napier St. Alameda St. to the left.
Box 1, Item (72)
421 to 429 Aliso St. Lyon St. on left.
Box 1, Item (76)
612-614 Alameda St. Commercial St. to the right.
Box 1, Item (77)
South side Napier St. (Alameda St. in distance)
Box 1, Item (88)
N.W. Cor. Ogier & Avila St.
Box 1, Item (89)
West side of Avila St.
General
"Get house numbers"--handwritten note in top right margin.
Box 1, Item (90)
332, 330 & 326 Bauchet St.
Box 1, Item (91)
316 1/2, 318 & 312 Bauchet St.
Box 1, Item (99)
South east corner Date & Bauchet St.
Box 1, Item (101)
409 Bauchet St. Corregated fron bldg. to the left is south end of American
Foundry.
Box 1, Item (102)
South east cor. Avila & Bauchet St.
Box 1, Item (102a)
South east cor. Avila & Bauchet St.
Box 1, Item (108)
Gladding McBean storage [?] of #918 Date St.
Box 1, Item (109)
Looking east along Date St. Eureka Supply Co. on left side of
street.
Box 1, Item (110)
Looking north along Queriola St. from Date St.
Box 1, Item (111)
North side Date east of Queriola St.
Box 1, Item (112)
North west corner of Date St. and College St.
Box 1, Item (113)
Looking north along College St. from Date St.
Box 1, Item (114)
Looking north along College St. from Date St.
Box 1, Item (115)
[Date St. and College St.]
Box 1, Item (116)
Alhambra & College St. S.E. Corner.
Box 1, Item (118)
East end of Bauchet St. (South side of St.)
Box 1, Item (121)
South side Ogier St. west from Avila St.
Box 1, Item (122)
North side of Bauchet St. east of # 415.
Box 1, Item (127)
Juan St. north of Apalabassa St.
Box 1, Item (128)
North side Bauchet St. at Clara St.
