Pacific Electric Railway Company Photographs: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Sue Luftschein.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Photo Archives

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: (626) 405-2191

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Overview of the Collection

Title: Pacific Electric Railway Company Photographs

Dates (inclusive): approximately 1870s-1950s

Bulk dates: 1910s-1940s

Collection Number: photCL 91

Creator: Pacific Electric Railway Company.

Extent: 27 boxes (21.59 linear ft.)

Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Photo Archives

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, California 91108

Phone: (626) 405-2191

Email: reference@huntington.org

URL: http://www.huntington.org

Abstract: The collection consists of 3396 black and white photographs (many with corresponding original and copy negatives), 116 unprinted glass plate negatives, memos, correspondence, press releases, and notes related to the Pacific Electric Railway, ca. 1870s-1950s. The collection provides a comprehensive overview of the routes and areas served by the Railway during the years of its operation, and thus a picture of the growth of Southern California during the first half of the twentieth century.

Language: English.

Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Administrative Information

Publication Rights

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

Pacific Electric Railway Company Photographs. The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Donated to The Huntington Library by the Pacific Electric Company, April 1955.

Processing Information

The collection was rehoused and the original finding aid created in February 2006 by Sue Luftschein. The collection originally included ephemeral materials such as timetables and promotional materials which were moved to the Library's Prints and Ephemera Collection. Consult the Curator of Historical Prints and Ephemera for access to these materials.

Historical Note

The Pacific Electric Railway was established by railroad and real estate tycoon Henry E. Huntington in 1901; it grew out of Huntington’s early ventures in both real estate and transportation in the Los Angeles area. In 1898, Huntington and a group of investors purchased the financially strapped Los Angeles and Pasadena Electric Railway; this company operated the first interurban rail line in Los Angeles, running between Central Los Angeles and Pasadena. Huntington, seeing an opportunity to invest in the still small public transportation market in Southern California, began buying land in growing areas not yet reached by existing public transportation. The Pacific Electric was designed to serve these areas.

Only a few years after the company’s formation, most of Pacific Electric’s stock was purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad, of which Huntington’s uncle, Collis P. Huntington, was a founder. Henry Huntington had tried and failed to gain control of the Southern Pacific a decade earlier; in 1911, Southern Pacific bought him out completely and also purchased several other passenger railway operators in the Los Angeles area resulting in the “Great Merger” of 1911. Henry Huntington purchased the Los Angeles Railway (LARy), which provided local streetcar service to Los Angeles and nearby communities.

As a result of the Great Merger, the Pacific Electric became the nation’s largest interurban electric transport system with over 1000 miles of track. The first interurban line constructed by the Railway ran from Los Angeles to Long Beach, and opened July 4, 1902. By 1914, riders could go from downtown Los Angeles to San Bernardino, Santa Ana, San Pedro or San Fernando. Pacific Electric offered low cost trips to a variety of southern California destinations. One of the most popular was the Mount Lowe trolley trip, which included a narrow-gauge cable car ride to the top of Echo Mountain. The Pacific Electric also ran frequent freight trains under electric power throughout its service area, and was responsible for an innovation in grade crossing safety that was adopted by other railroads, a fully automatic electromechanical grade crossing signal nicknamed the “wigwag.”

In 1905, Huntington opened the Pacific Electric Building at 6th and Main Streets in Los Angeles. At the time, it was the largest building in the city. The Pacific Electric Building housed office and commercial space and served as the terminal for many of the interurban routes. Twenty years later, the Pacific Electric opened the Subway Terminal Building at 4th and Hill Streets, and completed a mile-long subway (the “Hollywood Subway”) as a means of avoiding the growing automobile congestion in downtown Los Angeles.

The 1920s witnessed the rise of automobiles, and ridership on the Pacific Electric’s lines was down. Tracks were being paved over and trains had to yield their high speed rights of way to traffic crossings. The onset of World War II, however, saw an increase in ridership, but by the 1950s it was clear that the automobile would become the primary means of transportation in the region. The last Pacific Electric line in operation, the Los Angeles to Long Beach trolley, ceased operation on April 8, 1961.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of 3396 black and white photographs (many with corresponding original and copy negatives), 116 unprinted glass plate negatives, memos, correspondence, press releases, and notes related to the Pacific Electric Railway, ca. 1870s-1950s. The collection provides a comprehensive overview of the routes and areas served by the Railway during the years of its operation, and thus a picture of the growth of Southern California during the first half of the twentieth century.

The images include views of landscape along, and towns served by, the Pacific Electric routes, including Central Los Angeles; Pacific Electric track and stations; Pacific Electric advertising, publicity, and public relations photographs; Los Angeles and surrounding area parks; Pacific Electric employees and employee activities; construction of Pacific Electric facilities, such as the Hollywood subway, the 6th and Main Street terminal, and the Subway Terminal Building; and Pacific Electric trolley cars and buses.

The views along the Pacific Electric routes include beach communities such as San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach, Redondo Beach, Laguna Beach, Venice, Ocean Park and Santa Monica. These images include views of the coastline, the towns, and the amusement areas of Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Venice, and Ocean Park. Also included are many photographs of Mount Lowe—the cable incline railway, the trolley up to Ye Alpine Tavern, the Tavern itself, and the Mount Lowe Tavern. The Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange County views document the landscape and popular sites in and around the towns served by the Railway; these include the Glenwood Mission Inn and Rubidoux Drive summit. Also of note are the photographs documenting activities of Pacific Electric employees, including construction of and activities in the Pacific Electric Club and outings sponsored by the Railway; and the construction of the Pacific Electric and Subway Terminal Buildings.

Arrangement

The collection remains in its numerical order and is described at the folder level. The first half of the collection is generally arranged by route; the remainder seems to be arranged by general subject. There is some chronological logic to the arrangement; photographs with later dates are placed later in the collection. Numbers 2559-2581 are open numbers with no photographs assigned. Some folders contain memos, correspondence, press releases, or notes; their presence is noted. Every attempt has been made to be as inclusive as possible in the description of the folder contents; some folders, labeled “Miscellaneous”, contain images that span two or more subjects.

The collection has also been intellectually described by subject matter in a "Subject List" in this finding aid. Entries are arranged alphabetically.

Related materials in the Huntington Library

For materials related to the Pacific Electric Railroad:

Balloon Route Excursion, approximately 1900-1910 (photCL 176)
Mount Lowe Railroad Construction, 1892-1893 (photCL 194)
Pacific Electric Advertising and Employees (photCL 209)
Pacific Electric Railroad Southern California Scenes, 1910 (photCL 65)
Pacific Electric Views, ca. 1910. (photCL 75)
Califorina Ephemera: Pacific Electric Railroad (Rare Books Department)

For construction of the Pacific Electric building and the Jonathan Club:

Historical Society of Southern California Collection: Architectural Work from the Office of Thornton Fitzhugh (photCL 400 volume 10)

For local Los Angeles streetcar transport:

Los Angeles Railway Corporation Photographs (photCL 58)

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.

Corporate Names

Casa Verdugo (Glendale, Calif.)—Photographs.

Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.

Mission Inn—Photographs.

Motor Transit Co. (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.

Subjects

Amusement parks—California—Photographs.

Business districts—California—Los Angeles—Photographs.

Buses—Photographs.

Commercial buildings—California—Los Angeles—Photographs.

Electric railroads—California—Photographs.

Electric railroads—Cars—Photographs.

Electric railroads—Design and construction—Photographs.

Electric railroads—Maintenance and repair—Photographs.

Electric railroads—Substations—Photographs.

Hotels—California—Photographs.

Industries—California—Photographs.

Missions—California—Photographs.

Parks—California—Los Angeles—Photographs.

Railroad bridges—Los Angeles—Photographs.

Railroad repair shops—Photographs.

Railroad stations—California—Photographs.

Railroad terminals—Los Angeles—California—Photographs.

Railroads, Cable—Photographs.

Railroads—California—History—20th century—Photographs.

Railroads employees—Photographs.

Railroads—Buildings and structures—Photographs.

Railroads—Track—Photographs.

Resorts—California—Photographs.

Scenic railways—Photographs.

Street-railroads--California--Los Angeles--Photographs.

Soldiers' homes—Sawtelle—California—Photographs.

Strikes and lockouts—Railroads—Los Angeles—California—Photographs.

Subway tunnels—Los Angeles—California—Photographs.

Places

Covina (Calif.)—Photographs.

Glendale (Calif.)—Photographs.

Glendora (Calif.)—Photographs.

Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.

Laguna Beach (Calif.)—Photographs.

Long Beach (Calif.)—Photographs.

Los Angeles (Calif.)—Photographs

Lowe, Mount (Los Angeles County, Calif.)—Photographs.

Monrovia (Calif.)—Photographs.

Newport Beach (Calif.)—Photographs.

Pasadena (Calif.)—Photographs.

Pomona (Calif.)—Photographs.

Redondo Beach (Calif.)—Photographs.

Riverside County (Calif.)—Photographs.

San Bernardino County (Calif.)—Photographs.

San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.

Santa Ana (Calif.)—Photographs.

Santa Monica (Calif.)—Photographs.

Sierra Madre (Calif.)—Photographs.

Venice (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.

Whittier (Calif.)—Photographs.

Genres and Forms of Material

Photographs.

Black-and-white negatives.

Correspondence.

Memorandums.

Notes.

Press releases.

Container List

Photographs

Box 1

Photographs 1-162

Box 1, Item 1-21

San Pedro, undated

Box 1, Item 22-41

San Pedro, undated

Box 1, Item 42-64

Long Beach, undated

Box 1, Item 65-76

Long Beach, undated

Box 1, Item 77-99

Long Beach, 1910, undated

Box 1, Item 100-123

Long Beach-San Pedro Line. Track; Junctions; Views and scenery, 1910, undated

Box 1, Item 124-162

Newport Beach Line (Dana Point, Aliso, Green Bay, Laguna Beach, Balboa Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach scenery and views), 1890, 1892, 1931, undated

Box 2

Photographs 163-395

Box 2, Item 163-203

Redondo Beach. Hotel Redondo, undated

Note

[Nos. 167-170, 172-179, 184, 185 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 2, Item 204-254

Redondo Beach. “Plunge” bath house, undated

Note

[Nos. 204-210, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217a, 218, 291a, 220, 226, 227, 229, 231-234, 237, 238, 240-245, 251, 252 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 2, Item 255-265

Redondo Beach; Hermosa Beach; Manhattan Beach, undated

Box 2, Item 266-281

Venice, undated

Box 2, Item 282-326

Venice, undated

Box 2, Item 327-371

Venice; Ocean Park, 1877-1887, undated

Box 2, Item 372-395

Santa Monica, undated

Box 3

Photographs 396-558

Box 3, Item 396-411

Santa Monica; Redondo Beach; Playa del Rey; Ocean Park; Venice; Long Beach; Santa Catalina Island, undated

Note

[No. 396 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 3, Item 412-417

Laguna Beach; Dana Point; San Juan Capistrano, undated

Box 3, Item 418-425

Santa Monica, undated

Box 3, Item 426-431

Sawtelle, Soldier’s Home, undated

Box 3, Item 432-443

Hollywood. Paul de Longpre residence; Residences; Hotel Hollywood, undated

Box 3, Item 444-469a

Whittier-La Habra Line. Scenery; Whittier State School; Rivera, ca. 1905, undated

Box 3, Item 470-482

Santa Ana-Orange Line. Scenery; street scenes (Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Orange); Farms, undated

Box 3, Item 483-510

Covina-Pomona Line. Covina; Orange and lemon groves in Whittier and Covina; Strawberry farm; Kerckhoff residence, undated

Box 3, Item 511-535

Covina-Pomona Line. El Monte; Claremont station; Pomona, undated

Box 3, Item 536-558

Monrovia-Glendora Line. Glendora; Azusa; Monrovia; Baldwin Ranch; Scenery; Orange groves, undated

Box 4

Photographs 559-699

Box 4, Item 559-571

Sierra Madre Line, undated

Box 4, Item 572-598

Upland-San Bernardino Line. San Bernardino; Fontana station; Chino; Ontario, undated

Box 4, Item 599-625

San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Palm Springs; Banning; Redlands, undated

Box 4, Item 626-646

Riverside County. Rubidoux Drive Summit; Orange groves; Riverside, undated

Box 4, Item 647-666

Riverside County. Sherman Indian Institute; Arlington Heights Fruit Company; Riverside streets, undated

Box 4, Item 667-699

Riverside. Glenwood Mission Inn, undated

Box 5

Photographs 700-851

Box 5, Item 700-716

Riverside. Glenwood Mission Inn, undated

Box 5, Item 717-741a

Glendale Line. Echo Park; Glendale; Tracks and scenery, undated

Box 5, Item 742-772

Glendale Line. Casa Verdugo, undated

Box 5, Item 773-793

Pasadena, 1907, undated

Box 5, Item 794-809

Pasadena Lines (short and main). Pasadena; Highland Park; Garvanza; Oneonta Park junction, 1906, 1920s, 1940s

Box 5, Item 810-832

South Pasadena and Rose Parade, Pasadena. Raymond Hotel; Ostrich farm; Roses, undated

Box 5, Item 833-851

San Gabriel. Old Mission trolley trip, 1920, 1921, 1938, undated

Box 6

Photographs 852-1003

Box 6, Item 852-872

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, 1895, undated

Box 6, Item 873-902

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 903-932a

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 933-950a

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 6, Item 951-982

Mount Lowe. Rubio Canyon; Mount Lowe Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 983a-1003

Mount Lowe, undated

Note

[No. 983 missing as of February 2006.]

Box 7

Photographs 1004-1152

Box 7, Item 1004-1018d

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 7, Item 1019-1038

Mount Lowe. Great cable incline, 1897, 1903, undated

Box 7, Item 1039-1064

Mount Lowe. Observatory, undated

Box 7, Item 1065-1109

Mount Lowe. Great cable incline, 1893, 1920s, 1955, undated

Box 7, Item 1110-1152

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 8

Photographs 1153-1311

Box 8, Item 1153-1186

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1187-1216

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1217-1233

Mount Lowe trolley trip, 1898, 1912, undated

Box 8, Item 1234-1264

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1265-1285

Mount Lowe. Snow activities, ca. 1920s

Box 8, Item 1286-1311

Mount Lowe. Snow activities, ca. 1920s

Box 9

Photographs 1312-1462

Box 9, Item 1312-1346

Mount Lowe, 1911, ca. 1920s

Box 9, Item 1347-1363

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 9, Item 1364-1376

Mount Lowe. Animals, ca. 1920s

Box 9, Item 1377-1385

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, ca. 1920s, 1955, 1959

Box 9, Item 1386-1406

Los Angeles. Chester Place residences; Doheny residence, undated

Box 9, Item 1407-1440

West Lake Park; East Lake Park, undated

Box 9, Item 1441-1462

Central Los Angeles. Arcade depot; Chinese/Chinatown; Street scenes; Plaza Church, 1900, undated

Box 10

Photographs 1463-1618

Box 10, Item 1463-1483

Central Los Angeles. Buildings; Street scenes, 1925, 1929, undated

Box 10, Item 1484-1491

Hollywood. Easter services at Hollywood Bowl; Glendale. Tower of Legends, Forest Lawn Cemetery; Hemet. Ramona pageant, undated

Box 10, Item 1492-1501

Missions, undated

Box 10, Item 1502-1512

El Paseo de Cahuenga park; Campo de Cahuenga, undated

Box 10, Item 1513-1529

Santa Anita Race Track; Circus train, undated

Note

[Numbers 1525-1529, various views of the Padua Hills Theater near Claremont, missing as of August 2006.]

Box 10, Item 1530-1533

Olympics, 1932

Box 10, Item 1534-1555

Los Angeles county transportation. Trains; terminals; Easter Rock at Mount Lowe; Watts station and Watts street scenes; Long Beach line; Road construction, undated

Box 10, Item 1556-1575a

Stations. Miscellaneous stations and stops; Whittier bus station on opening day, 1948, undated

Box 10, Item 1576-1600

American Transit Association convention, undated

Box 10, Item 1601-1618

Pageants and parades, 1901, undated

Box 11

Photographs 1619-1780

Box 11, Item 1619-1648

Publicity and public relations photos. Carmen Venegas, General Electric engineer; MGM filming; Jerry Colonna; Miscellaneous filming; Billy Dooley; George O’Brien, 1929, undated

Box 11, Item 1649-1661

Exhibitions. San Bernardino National Orange Show (Pacific Electric exhibits); Los Angeles County Fair, 1920, 1923, undated

Box 11, Item 1662-1667

Pigeon farm, undated

Box 11, Item 1668-1696

Pacific Electric advertising, 1918, 1926-1930, 1933, undated

Box 11, Item 1697-1724

Pacific Electric employees, 1923, 1930, ca. 1940s

Box 11, Item 1725-1737

Pacific Electric employees, undated

Box 11, Item 1738-1780

Pacific Electric Club. Construction; Interiors; Activities; Rod and Gun Club, 1920s-1930s

Box 12

Photographs 1781-1933

Box 12, Item 1781-1815

Pacific Electric employees. Baseball and bowling teams; Pacific Electric vacation home, San Bernardino Mountains; Staff parties; Laborer's Camp, Arcadia, 1916, 1929, 1930s, 1946

Box 12, Item 1816-1839

Pacific Electric employees. Picnics, 1920s

Box 12, Item 1840-1852

Pacific Electric employees. Executive dinner; Pico grade crossing structure dedication; D.W. Pontius, 1927, 1929, 1930s

Box 12, Item 1853-1870

Groups using/viewing Pacific Electric cars/buses, 1929-1932, undated

Box 12, Item 1871-1885

Southern California Editorial Association summer outing album; Lake Arrowhead, 1922

Box 12, Item 1886-1900

Big Pines Recreation Area. Winter sports, 1931, undated

Box 12, Item 1901-1917

San Bernardino County. San Bernardino Mountains; Cabins, undated

Box 12, Item 1918-1933

Pacific Electric subway construction, 1924-1925

Box 13

Photographs 1934-2048a

Box 13, Item 1934-1957

Pacific Electric subway construction, 1925

Box 13, Item 1958-1977

Subway Terminal Building construction, 1925-1926

Box 13, Item 1978-1999

Pacific Electric subway terminal, 1920s, 1940s

Box 13, Item 2000-2026

Pacific Electric cars, 1927, undated

Box 13, Item 2027-2048a

Pacific Electric shop, Torrance, undated

Box 14

Photographs 2049-2220

Box 14, Item 2049-2099

Pacific Electric maintenance. Torrance shop; Equipment; Workers; Signals, 1913, 1930s

Box 14, Item 2100-2123

San Bernardino County resorts. Big Bear; Little Bear Lake; Camp Pinecrest, undated

Box 14, Item 2124-2147

San Bernardino County resorts, ca. 1920s

Box 14, Item 2148-2185

Miscellaneous. UCLA construction; Exposition Park; Central Los Angeles street scenes; Track construction; Automatic street announcer; Power plant interior, 1925, 1930, undated

Box 14, Item 2186-2203

Miscellaneous. Employees; Excursion specials; Riverside County roads and parks; San Bernardino County, undated

Box 14, Item 2204-2220

Track and rights of way, 1933, 1940s

Box 15

Photographs 2221-2351

Box 15, Item 2221-2225

Resorts, undated

Box 15, Item 2226-2235

Track, ca. 1901, undated

Box 15, Item 2236-2250

Bridges and tunnels. First Street viaduct; Hyperion bridge; Aliso Street viaduct, 1927, 1929, 1930s

Box 15, Item 2251-2266

Track construction. Cahuenga Pass; Equipment; Muscat grade, 1910, 1920s-1930s

Box 15, Item 2267-2279

Motor Transit Company, undated

Box 15, Item 2280-2294

Motor Transit Company, undated

Box 15, Item 2295-2310

Pacific Electric buses, 1930, undated

Box 15, Item 2311-2329

Buses and passengers, ca. 1940s-1950s

Box 15, Item 2330-2351

Buses on the Hollywood Freeway, ca. 1950s

Box 16

Photographs 2352-2501

Box 16, Item 2352-2403

CBS special events broadcast “Keep-em-Rolling,” 1943

Box 16, Item 2404-2411

Friendship train, 1947

Box 16, Item 2412-2430

World War II effort. “Wave Special;” “Fly for Navy” special, 1940s

Box 16, Item 2431-2447

World War II effort, 1942

Box 16, Item 2448-2463

Pacific Electric Macy Street shop, 1942

Box 16, Item 2464-2475

Main Street station, 1930s, 1942, 1944, 1947

Box 16, Item 2476-2488

Miscellaneous. Yards; Terminals; Substations; Parades/pageants; Shops; Buses; San Bernardino County; Long Beach; UCLA; Union Station, 1924, 1938, 1939, 1945, undated

Box 16, Item 2489-2501

6th and Main Street station, 1940s

Box 17

Photographs 2502-2760

Box 17, Item 2502-2510

6th and Main Street terminal, 1940s

Note

[Nos. 2502 and 2503 rehoused in oversize Box 22.]

Box 17, Item 2511-2541

Transit strikes, 1946-1947

Box 17, Item 2542-2558

Miscellaneous. Schools; Tournament of Roses; Pomona; Hollywood; Redlands; Pacific Electric buses; Motordrome; Bel Air Country Club, 1930s, undated

Box 17, Item 2582-2596

Recreation and entertainment. Bands; Outings; Trolley line opening; Stations; exhibits, 1910s-1930s

Box 17, Item 2597-2610a

Miscellaneous. Sea Bright (San Pedro); Outings; Camping; Oil wells; Los Angeles County street views, 1915, 1920s, undated

Box 17, Item 2611-2625

Miscellaneous. Beaches; Coastline; Motor coach; Pacific Electric maintenance, 1920s

Box 17, Item 2626-2670

Pacific Electric Building construction, 1902-1904

Box 17, Item 2671-2716

Power house extension construction, 1902

Box 17, Item 2717-2760

New power house extension construction, 1902

Box 18

Photographs 2761-3044

Box 18, Item 2761-2811

Car house and new power house extension construction, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2812-2866

Power house and shops, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2867-2914

Power house engines, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2915-2930

Power house machinery, 1903

Box 18, Item 2931-2936

Pacific Electric cars, 1902, undated

Box 18, Item 2937-2993

Pacific Electric Substations #5 and 6. Long Beach line; Substation construction and views; car barn construction, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2994-3044

Pacific Electric Substations #3 and 4. Watts substation; Whittier line; Belt line; Eastlake substation; University substation; Westlake substation, 1902-1903

Box 19

Photographs 3045-3224

Box 19, Item 3045-3080

Pacific Electric Substations #2 and 8. Street views; Arcadia substation; Echo Mountain substation; Pasadena line track; Pasadena substation; Monrovia-Glendale line, 1902-1903

Box 19, Item 3081-3103

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3104-3122

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3123-3158

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3159-3201

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3202-3224

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 20

Photographs 3255-3307

Box 20, Item 3225-3237

Miscellaneous. Mount Lowe trolley; Tournament of Roses day; Glendale; Trolley cars; Hollywood subway; 6th and Main Street station; Subway Terminal Building, 1920s, undated

Box 20, Item 3238-3253

Miscellaneous. Pacific Electric shops; Freight yards; Employee orientation; Motor Transit Company buses, c. 1940

Box 20, Item 3254-3264

Pacific Electric cars, 1930s

Box 20, Item 3265-3280

Miscellaneous. Employees; Pacific Electric magazine covers; Jerry Colonna; Santa Monica; Hollywood; Maintenance, 1940s-1950s

Box 20, Item 3281-3307

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks, undated

Oversized photographs

Box 21

Oversized photographs 167-238

Box 22

Oversized photographs 240-2503

Glass plate negatives

Box 23, Item 3308-3347

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks [unprinted glass plate negatives], undated

Box 24, Item 3348-3379

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks [unprinted glass plate negatives], undated

Box 25, Item 3380-3423

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks [unprinted glass plate negatives], undated

Box 26, Item 1794-3122

Glass plate negatives

Box 27, Item 3123-3306

Glass plate negatives

Subject List

Los Angeles County towns and beach communities

Box 9, Item 1441-1462

Central Los Angeles. Arcade depot; Chinese/Chinatown; Street scenes; Plaza Church, 1900, undated

Box 10, Item 1463-1483

Central Los Angeles. Buildings; Street scenes, 1925, 1929, undated

Box 3, Item 483-510

Covina-Pomona Line. Covina; Orange and lemon groves in Whittier and Covina; Strawberry farm; Kerckhoff residence, undated

Box 3, Item 511-535

Covina-Pomona Line. El Monte; Claremont station; Pomona, undated

Box 5, Item 717-741a

Glendale Line. Echo Park; Glendale; Tracks and scenery, undated

Box 5, Item 742-772

Glendale Line. Casa Verdugo, undated

Box 3, Item 432-443

Hollywood. Paul de Longpre residence; Residences; Hotel Hollywood, undated

Box 10, Item 1484-1491

Hollywood. Easter services at Hollywood Bowl; Glendale. Tower of Legends, Forest Lawn Cemetery; Hemet. Ramona pageant, undated

Box 3, Item 412-417

Laguna Beach; Dana Point; San Juan Capistrano, undated

Box 1, Item 42-64

Long Beach, undated

Box 1, Item 65-76

Long Beach, undated

Box 1, Item 77-99

Long Beach, 1910, undated

Box 3, Item 536-558

Monrovia-Glendora Line. Glendora; Azusa; Monrovia; Baldwin Ranch; Scenery; Orange groves, undated

Box 1, Item 124-162

Newport Beach Line (Dana Point, Aliso, Green Bay, Laguna Beach, Balboa Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach scenery and views), 1890, 1892, 1931, undated

Box 5, Item 773-793

Pasadena 1907, undated

Box 5, Item 794-809

Pasadena Lines (short and main). Pasadena; Highland Park; Garvanza; Oneonta Park junction, 1906, 1920s, 1940s

Box 2, Item 163-203

Redondo Beach. Hotel Redondo, undated

Note

[Nos. 167-170, 172-179, 184, 185 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 2, Item 204-254

Redondo Beach. “Plunge” bath house, undated

Note

[Nos. 204-210, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217a, 218, 291a, 220, 226, 227, 229, 231-234, 237, 238, 240-245, 251, 252 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 2, Item 255-265

Redondo Beach; Hermosa Beach; Manhattan Beach, undated

Box 5, Item 833-851

San Gabriel. Old Mission trolley trip, 1920, 1921, 1938, undated

Box 1, Item 1-21

San Pedro, undated

Box 1, Item 22-41

San Pedro, undated

Box 2, Item 372-395

Santa Monica, undated

Box 3, Item 396-411

Santa Monica; Redondo Beach; Playa del Rey; Ocean Park; Venice; Long Beach; Santa Catalina Island, undated

Note

[No. 396 rehoused in oversize Box 21.]

Box 3, Item 418-425

Santa Monica, undated

Box 3, Item 426-431

Sawtelle, Soldier’s Home, undated

Box 4, Item 559-571

Sierra Madre Line, undated

Box 5, Item 810-832

South Pasadena and Rose Parade, Pasadena. Raymond Hotel; Ostrich farm; Roses, undated

Box 2, Item 266-281

Venice, undated

Box 2, Item 282-326

Venice, undated

Box 2, Item 327-371

Venice; Ocean Park, 1877-1887, undated

Miscellaneous

Box 9, Item 1386-1406

Los Angeles. Chester Place residences; Doheny residence, undated

Box 10, Item 1492-1501

Missions, undated

Box 11, Item 1662-1667

Pigeon farm, undated

Box 14, Item 2148-2185

Miscellaneous. UCLA construction; Exposition Park; Central Los Angeles street scenes; Track construction; Automatic street announcer; Power plant interior, 1925, 1930, undated

Box 14, Item 2186-2203

Miscellaneous. Employees; Excursion specials; Riverside County roads and parks; San Bernardino County, undated

Box 16, Item 2476-2488

Miscellaneous. Yards; Terminals; Substations; Parades/pageants; Shops; Buses; San Bernardino County; Long Beach; UCLA; Union Station, 1924, 1938, 1939, 1945, undated

Box 17, Item 2542-2558

Miscellaneous: schools, Tournament of Roses, Pomona, Hollywood, Redlands, Pacific Electric buses, Motordrome, Bel Air Country Club, 1930s, undated

Box 17, Item 2597-2610a

Miscellaneous. Sea Bright (San Pedro); Outings; Camping; Oil wells; Los Angeles County street views, 1915, 1920s, undated

Box 17, Item 2611-2625

Miscellaneous. Beaches; Coastline; Motor coach; Pacific Electric maintenance, 1920s

Box 20, Item 3225-3237

Miscellaneous. Mount Lowe trolley; Tournament of Roses day; Glendale; Trolley cars; Hollywood subway; 6th and Main Street station; Subway Terminal Building, 1920s, undated

Box 20, Item 3238-3253

Miscellaneous. Pacific Electric shops; Freight yards; Employee orientation; Motor Transit Company buses, c. 1940

Box 20, Item 3265-3280

Miscellaneous. Employees; Pacific Electric magazine covers; Jerry Colonna; Santa Monica; Hollywood; Maintenance, 1940s-1950s

Orange County communities

Box 3, Item 470-482

Santa Ana-Orange Line. Scenery; street scenes (Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Orange); Farms, undated

Box 3, Item 444-469a

Whittier-La Habra Line. Scenery; Whittier State School; Rivera, ca. 1905, undated

Pacific Electric buildings and construction projects

Box 18, Item 2761-2811

Car house and new power house extension construction, 1902-1903

Box 16, Item 2464-2475

Main Street station, 1930s, 1942, 1944, 1947

Box 17, Item 2717-2760

New power house extension construction, 1902

Box 17, Item 2626-2670

Pacific Electric Building construction, 1902-1904

Box 16, Item 2448-2463

Pacific Electric Macy Street shop, 1942

Box 13, Item 2027-2048a

Pacific Electric shop, Torrance, undated

Box 17, Item 2671-2716

Power house extension construction, 1902

Box 18, Item 2812-2866

Power house and shops, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2867-2914

Power house engines, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2915-2930

Power house machinery, 1903

Box 12, Item 1918-1933

Pacific Electric subway construction, 1924-1925

Box 16, Item 2489-2501

6th and Main Street station, 1940s

Box 17, Item 2502-2510

6th and Main Street terminal, 1940s

Note

[Nos. 2502 and 2503 rehoused in oversize Box 22.]

Box 18, Item 2937-2993

Pacific Electric Substations #5 and 6. Long Beach line; Substation construction and views; car barn construction, 1902-1903

Box 18, Item 2994-3044

Pacific Electric Substations #3 and 4. Watts substation; Whittier line; Belt line; Eastlake substation; University substation; Westlake substation, 1902-1903

Box 19, Item 3045-3080

Pacific Electric Substations #2 and 8. Street views; Arcadia substation; Echo Mountain substation; Pasadena line track; Pasadena substation; Monrovia-Glendale line, 1902-1903

Box 13, Item 1934-1957

Pacific Electric subway construction, 1925

Box 13, Item 1958-1977

Subway Terminal Building construction, 1925-1926

Box 13, Item 1978-1999

Pacific Electric subway terminal, 1920s, 1940s

Box 17, Item 2511-2541

Transit strikes, 1946-1947

Pacific Electric cars and buses

Box 15, Item 2311-2329

Buses and passengers, ca. 1940s-1950s

Box 15, Item 2330-2351

Buses on the Hollywood Freeway, ca. 1950s

Box 15, Item 2267-2279

Motor Transit Company, undated

Box 15, Item 2280-2294

Motor Transit Company, undated

Box 15, Item 2295-2310

Pacific Electric buses, 1930, undated

Box 13, Item 2000-2026

Pacific Electric cars, 1927, undated

Box 19, Item 3081-3103

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3104-3122

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3123-3158

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3159-3201

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 19, Item 3202-3224

Pacific Electric cars, undated

Box 18, Item 2931-2936

Pacific Electric cars, 1902, undated

Box 20, Item 3254-3264

Pacific Electric cars, 1930s

Box 20, Item 3281-3307

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks, undated

Box 23, Item 3308-3347

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks, undated

Note

[Unprinted glass plate negatives.]

Box 24, Item 3348-3379

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks, undated

Note

[Unprinted glass plate negatives.]

Box 25, Item 3380-3423

Pacific Electric cars and wrecks, undated

Note

[Unprinted glass plate negatives.]

Pacific Electric employees

Box 11, Item 1738-1780

Pacific Electric Club. Construction; Interiors; Activities; Rod and Gun Club, 1920s-1930s

Box 11, Item 1697-1724

Pacific Electric employees, 1923, 1930, ca. 1940s

Box 11, Item 1725-1737

Pacific Electric employees, undated

Box 12, Item 1781-1815

Pacific Electric employees. Baseball and bowling teams; Pacific Electric vacation home, San Bernardino Mountains; Staff parties; Laborer's Camp, Arcadia, 1916, 1929, 1930s, 1946

Box 12, Item 1816-1839

Pacific Electric employees. Picnics, 1920s

Box 12, Item 1840-1852

Pacific Electric employees. Executive dinner; Pico grade crossing structure dedication; D.W. Pontius, 1927, 1929, 1930s

Pacific Electric tracks and maintenance

Box 15, Item 2236-2250

Bridges and tunnels. First Street viaduct; Hyperion bridge; Aliso Street viaduct, 1927, 1929, 1930s

Box 14, Item 2049-2099

Pacific Electric maintenance. Torrance shop; Equipment; Workers; Signals, 1913, 1930s

Box 14, Item 2204-2220

Track and rights of way, 1933, 1940s

Box 15, Item 2226-2235

Track, ca. 1901, undated

Box 15, Item 2251-2266

Track construction. Cahuenga Pass; Equipment; Muscat grade, 1910, 1920s-1930s

Parks, resorts, and recreation

Box 10, Item 1576-1600

American Transit Association convention, undated

Box 12, Item 1886-1900

Big Pines Recreation Area. Winter sports, 1931, undated

Box 10, Item 1502-1512

El Paseo de Cahuenga park; Campo de Cahuenga, undated

Box 11, Item 1649-1661

Exhibitions. San Bernardino National Orange Show (Pacific Electric exhibits); Los Angeles County Fair, 1920, 1923 undated,

Box 6, Item 852-872

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, 1895, undated

Box 6, Item 873-902

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 903-932a

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 933-950a

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 6, Item 951-982

Mount Lowe. Rubio Canyon; Mount Lowe Tavern, undated

Box 6, Item 983a-1003

Mount Lowe, undated

Note

[No. 983 missing as of February 2006.]

Box 7, Item 1004-1018d

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 7, Item 1019-1038

Mount Lowe. Great cable incline, 1897, 1903, undated

Box 7, Item 1039-1064

Mount Lowe. Observatory, undated

Box 7, Item 1065-1109

Mount Lowe. Great cable incline, 1893, 1920s, 1955, undated

Box 7, Item 1110-1152

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 8, Item 1153-1186

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1187-1216

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1217-1233

Mount Lowe trolley trip, 1898, 1912, undated

Box 8, Item 1234-1264

Mount Lowe trolley trip, undated

Box 8, Item 1265-1285

Mount Lowe. Snow activities, ca. 1920s

Box 8, Item 1286-1311

Mount Lowe. Snow activities, ca. 1920s

Box 9, Item 1312-1346

Mount Lowe, 1911, ca. 1920s

Box 9, Item 1347-1363

Mount Lowe, undated

Box 9, Item 1364-1376

Mount Lowe. Animals, ca. 1920s

Box 9, Item 1377-1385

Mount Lowe. Ye Alpine Tavern, ca. 1920s, 1955, 1959

Box 10, Item 1530-1533

Olympics, 1932

Box 10, Item 1601-1618

Pageants and parades, 1901, undated

Box 17, Item 2582-2596

Recreation and entertainment. Bands; Outings; Trolley line opening; Stations; exhibits, 1910s-1930s

Box 15, Item 2221-2225

Resorts, undated

Box 12, Item 1901-1917

San Bernardino County. San Bernardino Mountains; Cabins, undated

Box 14, Item 2100-2123

San Bernardino County resorts. Big Bear; Little Bear Lake; Camp Pinecrest, undated

Box 14, Item 2124-2147

San Bernardino County resorts, ca. 1920s

Box 10, Item 1513-1529

Santa Anita Race Track; Circus train, undated

Box 12, Item 1871-1885

Southern California Editorial Association summer outing album; Lake Arrowhead, 1922

Box 9, Item 1407-1440

West Lake Park; East Lake Park, undated

Publicity and Public Relations

Box 16, Item 2352-2403

CBS special events broadcast "Keep-em-Rolling," 1943

Box 16, Item 2404-2411

Friendship train, 1947

Box 12, Item 1853-1870

Groups using/viewing Pacific Electric cars/buses, 1929-1932, undated

Box 11, Item 1668-1696

Pacific Electric advertising, 1918, 1926-1930, 1933, undated

Box 11, Item 1619-1648

Publicity and public relations photos. Carmen Venegas, General Electric engineer; MGM filming; Jerry Colonna; Miscellaneous filming; Billy Dooley; George O’Brien, 1929, undated

Box 16, Item 2412-2430

World War II effort. “Wave Special;” “Fly for Navy” special, 1940s

Box 16, Item 2431-2447

World War II effort, 1942

San Bernardino and Riverside Counties communities

Box 4, Item 626-646

Riverside County. Rubidoux Drive Summit; Orange groves; Riverside, undated

Box 4, Item 647-666

Riverside County. Sherman Indian Institute; Arlington Heights Fruit Company; Riverside streets, undated

Box 4, Item 667-699

Riverside. Glenwood Mission Inn, undated

Box 5, Item 700-716

Riverside. Glenwood Mission Inn, undated

Box 4, Item 599-625

San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Palm Springs; Banning; Redlands, undated

Box 4, Item 572-598

Upland-San Bernardino Line. San Bernardino; Fontana station; Chino; Ontario, undated

Tracks and stations

Box 1, Item 100-123

Long Beach-San Pedro Line. Track; Junctions; Views and scenery, 1910, undated

Box 10, Item 1534-1555

Los Angeles county transportation. Trains; terminals; Easter Rock at Mount Lowe; Watts station and Watts street scenes; Long Beach line; Road construction, undated

Box 10, Item 1556-1575a

Stations. Miscellaneous stations and stops; Whittier bus station on opening day, 1948, undated