Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Notes

In 1867, Los Angeles Gas Company, the forerunner of today's Southern California Gas Company, installed 43 new gas lamps along Main Street, making the city safer at night. The gas lighting business was run by five entrepreneurs who manufactured the gas from asphalt, a tar-like substance, and later from oil.

Historical Notes

A lamplighter on horseback rode down the street at dusk to light the streetlights. By 1873, about 136 gas lamps provided the outdoor night lighting for the City.

Historical Notes

The gas company was enjoying modest success until Thomas Edison introduced his electric light in 1879.

In 1882 electricity was introduced to Los Angeles. That year 3,000-candle power arc lamps were lifted atop seven 150-foot poles. The state of the art at that time encouraged the use of a few tall standards with high illumination.**

^The Bella Union Hotel was considered the first hotel in Los Angeles. It became the Clarenden in 1873 and the St. Charles in 1875.

Historical Notes

In 1882, C. L. Howland installed seven 150-foot tall streetlight masts, each carrying three carbon-arc lamps of three thousand candle-power. He also installed a small power plant to provide the electricity for his new street light system. The following year Howland and other investors would go on to form the Los Angeles Electric Company. It was the first electric utilty in Los Angeles.

Click HERE to see more in First Electricity in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Approximately 30, 150-foot tall poles with carbon-arc lamps were installed in Downtown Los Angeles between 1882 and about 1885.  These were reported to provide illumination equal to the level of a full moon.^^

Historical Notes

On New Year's Eve of 1882, with much less reportage and ceremony, and only twenty-four hours after electric lights were introduced to Los Angeles, the electric light mast at First Street and Boyle Avenue was switched on.

There were four other locations in Boyle Heights and East LA.   (Using present-day street names) they were Avenue 22 and North Broadway in Lincoln Heights (the area was then called East Los Angeles), First Street and Central Avenue, Fourth Street and Grand Avenue, and Sixth and Main streets.^##

Historical Notes

These maps were generally produced to promote a subdivision, neighborhood or city and prominent features, like the light mast, were given attention as part of selling a well-planned and suitably outfitted area for potential buyers of property and structures.^##

Historical Notes

By the mid-1880’s there were over 240 of the new electriic 150-ft tall streetlights throughout the city.**

Historical Notes

Over time, difficulty with maintenance and the undependability with lamps on 150-foot “masts” encouraged engineers to improve lighting technology so more pole locations could be used economically with shorter poles and less energy requirements.**

Article from LADWP's Historic Archives

“Los Angeles City is famed not only for its climate and for its oranges, but its electric light comes in as its crowning glory . . . "

This glowing eulogy depicts the enthusiasm 130 years ago when on December 30, 1882 the first streetlights were turned on in Los Angeles, illuminating the way to a pioneering age of growth and development for the expanding metropolis.

There had been a time in Los Angeles, a century ago, when a scattering of dimly lit gas lanterns, hanging from an occasional front porch, were the only traces of light on the otherwise darkened city streets. By law, early residents and business owners in the small pueblo of 12,000 were required to hang a lamp outside their doorway for the first two and one half hours of every dark night, or face a penalty of $2 for the first offense and $5 for each subsequent offense.

It was a vexing time for early Angelinos who could rarely leave their homes at night without stumbling about in the dark, toting candle-burning lanterns to find their way. A rumbling began among the citizenry for universal night lighting. The need for city dwellers to be able to find their way home, to have protection from crime, and to have greater illumination for stores and properties at night created fervor of support.

The interest was intensified in 1882 when Thomas Edison put his Pearl Street Station – the first commercial central station in the world – in operation on September 4 in New York. This was the start of the electric industry as it is known today.

The Edison plant supplied its light through incandescent lamps. A similar kind of lighting, in an improved form, was proposed for Los Angeles by C. L. Howland, representing the California Electric Light Company. While numerous proposals had been made, on September 11, 1882 the City Council unanimously voted to enter into a contract with Howland to “illuminate the streets of the city with electric light.”

At the time, it was a revolutionary idea. The proposal called for Howland, at his own expense, to erect seven, 150-foot-high masts each carrying three electric lights or lamps of three thousand candle-power. The masts were to be located in the heart of the city and its settle suburbs “which would be thoroughly and satisfactorily illuminated.”

Howland set quickly to work. He had received a deadline of December 1, 1882 to have the masts erected and electricity on. By October 25, he had purchased a lot on the corner of Alameda and Banning Streets where he proceeded to erect a brick building, 50 by 80 feet, to house the boilers, engines and the 30kw, 9.6 ampere “Brush” arc lighting equipment for supplying the electric energy. Three weeks later, by November 16, the masts were in place and soon afterwards the pole lines and wires were strung along the streets leading to the masts.

By December the only hold-up was the delayed arrival of the dynamo and lamps. In growing anticipation, the citizens anxiously awaited the moment in history when the first streetlights would illuminate the night skies of Los Angeles. That moment came on December 30, 1882 before an admiring crowd of spectators. Mayor Toberman threw a switch at twenty minutes past eight, simultaneously lighting two mast tops, one at Main and Commercial and the other at First and Hill.

An account in the Express newspaper at the time, recounted the historic event in this way: “The Main Street light burned steadily and beautifully and it cast a light similar to that of the full moon on snow. The First Street light was very unsteady, glowing at times with brilliancy and again almost fading from sight. The only complaint so far is from young couples who find no shady spots on the way home from church or theatre.”

By the following evening, five more masts were lighted on First Street and Boyle Avenue; Avenue 22 and North Broadway; First Street and Central Avenue; Fourth Street and Grand Avenue; and Sixth and Main Streets.

The project was considered so successful that before the expiration of Holland’s two year contract, he and others had formed the Los Angeles Electric Company, which besides serving streetlights, supplied arc lights for commercial establishments.

From these early beginnings, engineers over the years have worked to improve lighting technology. In May 1905, the first ornamental post system in the city was introduced on Broadway between First and Main Streets. This installation consisted of 135 posts each equipped with six small glass globes, enclosing 16 candle-power amp, and one large glass globe, enclosing a 32 candle-power lamp. This system operated until 1919 when it was demolished to make way for a more modern system.

The progress of street lighting in the years hence has been truly phenomenal. The present electric system of the DWP is a far cry from the pioneer service of the Los Angeles Electric Company in 1883. Yet, this pioneering system paved the way for today’s sophisticated electric system, which like its predecessor still “illuminates the streets of the city with electric light." **

Historical Notes

"Utilitarian" Streetlights are lamps attached to an overhead wire or to a power pole.

Historical Notes

Top photo shows the State Normal School sitting atop the last knoll of Bunker Hill, aptly dubbed "Normal Hill." In the mid-1920s the school would be demolished, Normal Hill would be leveled, 5th street would be extented through to Grand Avenue, and the LA Central Library would be constructed where the old school once stood.

Historical Notes

"Utilitarian" Streetlights are lamps attached to an overhead wire or to a power pole.

(Early 1930s)* - New street light being pulled up for installation.

(1933)* - L. G. Gould with a new and an old incandescent lamp at 30th and Trinity Streets.

Historical Notes

This marked the close of another era in the development of Los Angeles. The last arc light in the City was removed November, 1933 by L. G. Gould's street lighting section and replaced with a modern incandescent lamp.*

Historical Notes

Early Utilitarian Streetlights were served through two types of circuits - multiple and series. The multiple circuits are the same as ordinarily used in house lighting and employ a constant voltage of 120 volts, two wire or 120/240 volts, three wire. In the series circuits, the lamps were connected in series and the same current passed through all lamps. The current was maintained at a constant value and each circuit was individually regulated by a constant current regulating transformer. The voltage of the circuit at the supply point was equal to the sum of the voltages across each lamp pluse the line drop.

Utiltarian Lights still exist today, however, they are all served by 120/240 volts wire.

Click HERE to see the 1947 DWP Streetlight Manual.

Streetlight "Electroliers" are defined as free-standing streetlights generally on their own posts.

The second period of street lighting in Los Angeles took off in the early 1900 and lasted until just before the Second World War.  During this period street lighting used vertically mounted incandescent lamps (electroliers) which were relatively low in height, placed close together, and often highly ornamental.

Historical Notes

In May 1905, the first ornamental post system in the city was introduced on Broadway between First and Main Streets. This installation consisted of 135 posts each equipped with six small glass globes, enclosing 16 candle-power amp, and one large glass globe, enclosing a 32 candle-power lamp. This system operated until 1919 when it was demolished to make way for a more modern system.

Historical Notes

Even with multiple lamps, the light given off from these new Electroliers was not great.  Most had a single large globe that gave off 32‐candle power, and two to six smaller globes that each produced 16 candlepower.  This was in contrast to the 3000 candle power of the Brush arc lights.  Therefore, electroliers had to be placed relatively close together.  Nor could they be tall.*

Historical Notes

Supplying these lamps to Los Angeles was the Llewellyn Iron Works.  The company fabricated a variety of electrolier configurations featuring a single large globe and two to six smaller globes.  All followed the classical treatment of a heavier base and a more slender shaft.  All the globes were spherical, but the seven‐lamp form could be provided with a finial atop the large globe.

Historical Notes

The popularity of the electrolier soon spread to other Downtown streets.  Within a year Hill, Main and Spring Streets had installed Llewellyn fixtures.  They were typically five‐globe rather than seven, allowing Broadway to maintain its image as the brightest of the Great White Ways.   Eventually other Downtown and neighborhood commercial districts gained Llewellyns.

Historical Notes

Five-globe streetlights (called Llewellyn Electroliers) were originally installed on most streets in Downtown Los Angeles in the early 1900s, (except for Broadway which had the seven-globe lights). 

This particularly ornate model ("Winslow") seemed to be limited to Hill Street and the streets adjacent to Pershing Square: the one block segments of 5th, Olive, and 6th.

Today, the last of these poles are still being used as architectural features in the gardens and malls adjacent to City Hall.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more 5-globe Llewellyn 'Winslow' Electroliers

Historical Notes

The most common of the incandescent multiple globe electroliers of the early 1900s were those manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles.  The firm became so identified with this style of street light that any multiple globe electrolier became commonly known as a Llewellyn.  The Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889‐1890, was one of the largest metal working facilities in Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Carrol Avenue in Los Angeles, a two block long street, now has an international reputation for restored Victorian homes, c.1880 - 1910. Three, four and five globe authentic fixtures taken from various locations in the City and which date from that era now grace both sides of Carrol Avenue. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

Not a single building in the above photograph survived. The building on the left is the Temple Block, the old Hall of Records is background left, then the International Bank Building, the Sandstone Courthouse on the back right, and finally the Federal Post Office on the far right.

Historical Notes

The Van Nuys Highway Lighting District was organized August 10, 1912, under the California act providing for the highway lighting of unincorporated towns and villages and country sections.  The Van Nuys District, which is 16 miles long and 8 miles wide, embraces about 52,000 acres in the southwestern part of the San Fernando Valley (at the time).

The votes creating the district came from the new settlers.  Sixty votes were recorded for and eighteen against.  The small vote was due to the fact that the majority of people living in the tract came from other states and were not eligible to vote on account of not having been in California the required year.

The first lighting undertaken by the district was along Sherman Way, the 16 mile boulevard extending thru the tract. A sum of $75,000 was recommended for this purpose, which was included in the 1912 taxes of the district, and the entire amount was raised in that year.*

Historical Notes

This was the first Lighting District the County of Los Angeles created.  When completed the lighting system had 484 three-light posts (electroliers) and 129 five-light posts (electroliers).

Streetlight "Electroliers" are defined as free-standing streetlights generally on their own posts.

The town of Marian became Reseda and Owensmouth is now Canoga Park.

The above map shows the original route of Sherman Way, which today is west on Chandler, north on Van Nuys Blvd, and west on Sherman Way. The other sections of today's Van Nuys Blvd were known as South Sherman Way and North Sherman Way.

Historical Notes

In the three townsites of Van Nuys, Marian, and Owensmouth, five-light clusters were used thru the main parts, four electroliers to every street intersection.  On these five-light posts, one 60-watt lamp was upright and four 40-watt lamps pendant, and they were placed through the main parts of the towns, four electroliers to every street intersection.*

The most common of the incandescent multiple globe electroliers of the early 1900s were those manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles.  The firm became so identified with this style of street light that any multiple globe electrolier became commonly known as a Llewellyn.  The Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889‐1890, was one of the largest metal working facilities in Los Angeles.  It manufactured structural steel – including that for the Bradbury Building.^

Historical Notes

Cast-iron electroliers (made by Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles) were used with three-light clusters for use along the boulevard outside the townsites, one 60-watt lamp upright and two 40-watt lamps pendant.  The electroliers were located 330 feet apart staggered, or 660 feet apart on each side of the boulevard, which is about 100 feet wide.*

These same type of streetlight electroliers can be found today on Carroll Avenue.

Historical Notes

Sherman Way became the first paved boulevard across the valley. Following this was the paving of the state highway aka the Ventura Road, from the Cahuenga Pass to Newbury Park. Eventually, the road ran all the way to Ventura, and was renamed Ventura Boulevard.

Historical Notes

The most common of the incandescent multiple globe electroliers of the early 1900s were those manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles.  The firm became so identified with this style of street light that any multiple globe electrolier became commonly known as a Llewellyn.  The Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889‐1890, was one of the largest metal working facilities in Los Angeles.  It manufactured structural steel – including that for the Bradbury Building.^

Historical Notes

Called Llewellyn “Chester” lamps, these six-globe streetlights were installed in the West Adams district beginning in 1903 (Named for Chester Place, one of the first gated communities in Los Angeles).

Historical Notes

The "Chesters" can still be found along Chester Place, now a private street bisecting the campus of Mount St. Mary's College. But only the tops of the survivors match the catalog image seen in previous photo. The shafts and bases are different.

LADWP Historical Archive

(1973) Despite the variety of designs, street lights are known as either electrolier or utilitarian types, according to Harvard Johnson, engineer in charge of Street Light Design. Customers own the electroliers --- lamps affixed to concrete or metal posts. The customer-owners of these are most likely the Department of Public Works or residents who form a private street lighting district.

The DWP owns the utilitarian lights. These are temporary lamps attached to wooden poles. Other agencies and lighting districts will eventually replace this type with the more modern electrolier systems. With both types, the DWP supplies the electrical energy, cleans the glassware, replaces lamps and glassware, and paints the electrolier posts. There are 191,000 electrolier standards and utilitarian lamps presently (1973) in the city.**

(Early 1920s)* - Electric-powered street light truck with platform fully extended.

Historical Notes

Replacing the five-globe Llewellyn in Downtown Los Angeles and extending outward along several major streets, hundreds of dual-lamp electroliers (UM 1906's) were installed in the mid 1920's.

The UM-1906 was manufactured by the Union Metal Company of Canton, Ohio. The company was founded in 1906 to produce ornamental porch columns and pergolas. By 1909 it began marketing ornamental street lighting, with its first major catalog of electroliers issued in 1915. Union Metal eventually supplied more than 4400 towns and cities with street lights. The UM-1906 is currently offered by the Bureau of Street Lighting as an option for roadway street lighting.*

One of the most significant variations of the UM-1906 dual-lamp streetlight was the UM-2502, which contained an extended center pole from which trolley wires could be suspended. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

Many of these dual-lamp UM-1906's still exist today in select areas of Downtown L.A., although most are refurbished. Click HERE to see contemporary views of dual-lamp 1906's.

Historical Notes

To get cars and commerce moving through the downtown business district, Los Angeles installed its first automated traffic signals in October 1920 at five locations on Broadway. These early signals, manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Co., paired “Stop” and “Go” semaphore arms with small red and green lights. Bells played the role of today’s amber or yellow lights, ringing when the flags changed—a process that took five seconds. By 1923 the city had installed 31 Acme traffic control devices.*

Historical Notes

Manufactured by Keystone Iron & Steel Works of Los Angeles, the "Roses" were found mid-block, and the "Specials" were at the intersections.  When the shafts and luminaires were changed in 1948, the bases of both designs were left in place.  But, because the "Specials" were at the intersections, they were the most vulnerable to updates to the traffic light and intersection improvements.  So, all the "Special" bases eventually vanished, while the "Rose" bases are still quite plentiful. 

Historical Notes

Marked by three ornate ribbons of roses climbing up their safts, the eponymous Broadway Roses, designed by a General Electric engineer and originally installed in 1919, used to extend from Aliso Street to Pico Boulevard.  Given that Broadway was the first L.A. street to have ornamental lights, hailed in the papers as “the radiant way,” this lamp’s lavish design should come as no surprise.  (In fact, the Roses originally shared Broadway with an even grander, more filigreed type of post—the Spanish Renaissance-inspired Broadway Special, designed by the same engineer.)  The response was overwhelming:  “This is one of the most elaborate jobs of ornamental electroliers ever made on the coast,” the Los Angeles Times observed, “and is a 100 percent home product.”  Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last.  During the 1950s, the shafts and luminaires of the Broadway Roses were replaced with more functional, higher intensity, yet decidedly more somber CD-913 overheads, leaving only the original bases intact.  Today there are only a handful of complete models remaining in Los Angeles, which can be found running down Sixth Street between Olvie and Flower Streets.  The Broadway Specials, incidentally, have vanished altogether.*

Historical Notes

The 'Specials' were placed at the intersections of Broadway, while the 'Roses' were located at mid-block.

Historical Notes

The new Spanish Renaissance-inspired “Broadway Specials” and their efflorescent siblings, the “Broadway Roses,” were praised by the Journal of Electricity as “a new note in street lighting.”

The Los Angeles Times hailed the installation as “one of the most elaborate jobs of ornamental electroliers ever made on the coast.” The Broadway Specials no longer exist, but the Broadway Roses still light up West Sixth Street between Olive and Flower Streets.*

Historical Notes

Los Angeles installed its first automated traffic signals in October 1920 at five locations on Broadway. These early signals, manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Co., paired "Stop" and "Go" semaphore arms with small red and green lights. Bells played the role of today's amber or yellow lights, ringing when the flags changed—a process that took five seconds. By 1923 the city had installed 31 Acme traffic control devices. ^*

Historical Notes

Llewellyn's 'Broadway' dual-lamp streetlight was last seen on 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles (see next photo).

Historical Notes

Special ornamentation was common on bridges constructed between 1900 - 1928.  These poles serve two purposes:   1) to hold the decorative streetlight lanterns and  2) to support the overhead for the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) streetcars that used the bridge.

Historical Notes

See More Bridge Lighting (College Street Bridge; First Street Bridge; Fourth Street Viaduct; Fourth and Lorena Streets Bridge; Glendale-Hyperion Bridge; Macy Street Bridge; Mulholland Bridge; Sixth Street Bridge; Washington Blvd Bridge)

Historical Notes

This five-globe streetlights were originally installed on all streets in Downtown Los Angeles in the early 1900s, (except for Broadway which had the seven-globe lights).  Today, the last of these poles are still being used as architectural features in the gardens and malls adjacent to City Hall.

Historical Notes

The story behind the White Dot located under the Hollywoodland Sign: In 1920-21, the US Chamber of Commerce produced maps illustrating business conditions in areas of the country. Those shaded black were poor, white with black stripes (grey) were fair and white was good.  Los Angeles was a “white spot” in a sea of black and grey on the map in the early 1920s. Los Angeles Times publisher, Harry Chandler adopted the catchprase, “White Spot Of America” as being a city free of crime, corruption and communism. Chandler, who was vehemently anti-union, was an influential proponent of developing a strong economic base in Los Angeles.  It wasn’t long before the phrase  “keep the white spot white” was being commonly used. The term “white spot” typically referred to LA”s relative prosperity and low unemployment, and was not intended to have racial overtones.  So, for Los Angeles, the term, “keep the white spot white” meant keep L.A. prosperous.

In late 1924, in order to demonstrate support for the “keep the white spot white”, campaign, Hollywoodland  erected a 35 foot diameter “white dot” on the hillside, several feet below the Hollywoodland sign. The cost to erect the dot was $936.16. Contrary to popular belief, the white dot was not illuminated.*

Click HERE to see more Early Views of 'Hollywoodland'.

Historical Notes

The "Western" was once found on Western Avenue as well as Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. There were also a few outliers along Sunset Boulevard.  None of the ‘Western’ posts survived. Its look-alike cousin, the Llewellyn “Washington”, can still be found in Downtown LA.

Historical Notes

This ornate 5-globe streetlight was found on Pico Boulevard from Main Street on the East to Vermont Avenue on the West.

(1931)^x^ - View looking west on 8th Street toward Western Avenue showing dual-lamp electroliers running down both sides of the street.  Also seen are power lines and streetcar wire attached to the top of the streetlight posts above the lamps.

Historical Notes

Wilshire Boulevard was designated by The Octagon Museum of the American Architectural Foundation as one of the 'Grand American Avenues'. For nearly a half a century it was decorated with the Wilshire Special pole and lantern along nearly six miles of its length.

(n.d.)* - Close-up view showing a ‘Wilshire Special’ streetlight.  Each lantern is guarded by four silent, Thumbelina-sized, bare-breasted women.

Historical Notes

The idea of a specialized electrolier for a business district was particularly popular in the late 1920s.  The best known was the Wilshire Special, installed in 1928 along Wilshire Boulevard from Park View to Fairfax. In the 1930s these ornate electroliers were also installed on the remaining sections of Wilshire all the way to downtown. Other upscale commercial districts, such as Westwood Village, followed suit with their own special types.

Historical Notes

Each lantern is guarded by four silent, Thumbelina-sized, bare-breasted women.

Historical Notes

The above location, SW corner of Wilshire and La Brea, is where the new Purple Line station is being constructed today (2019). 

Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

As of 2008, approximately 100 "Wilshire Specials" still remain over the distance of about one-and-a-half miles along Wilshire Boulevard. The original lanterns are solid bronze and stand 7½ feet tall from the base of the lantern to the top of the finial.^^

Click HERE to see contemporary views.

Historical Notes

After being sold in 1975 and renovated, the Brown Derby Restaurant was finally replaced in 1980 by a shopping center known as the Brown Derby Plaza. The domed structure was incorporated into the third floor of the building and accommodates a cafe. A Korean mini-mall occupies the site today.

The Brown Derby chain included restaurants in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the Los Feliz area. The Los Feliz Brown Derby at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd is the last remaining branch of the chain still extant and in operation.^*

Historical Notes

Special ornamentation was common on bridges constructed between 1900 - 1925.  These poles serve two purposes:   1) to hold the decorative streetlight lantern and  2) to support the overhead wire for the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) streetcars that used this viaduct.^^

Historical Notes

See More Bridge Lighting (College Street Bridge; First Street Bridge; Fourth Street Viaduct; Fourth and Lorena Streets Bridge; Glendale-Hyperion Bridge; Macy Street Bridge; Mulholland Bridge; Sixth Street Bridge; Washington Blvd Bridge)

Historical Notes

*In 1932, the entire length of the 10th Street, from East L.A. to Santa Monica, was renamed Olympic Boulevard for the Summer Olympics being held in Los Angeles that year.^*

Historical Notes

The "Metropolitan" models were developed especially for Hollywood, but ultimately found their way onto the "best" streets of surrounding communities.

Historical Notes

In the late 1920s and 1930s, many of this type of streetlight were installed in various parts of the City, but none more than in the Hollywood area.

Historical Notes

The ‘Metropolitan’ is still quite common in Hollywood. They started to appear around 1924 and are celebrating their 95th Anniversary this year (2019).

Historical Notes

This street light was installed around 2014. Manufactured by Union Metal (‘Pacific’ line), the same company that manufactured the circa 1920s originals (which can still be found West of Robertson).

Historical Notes

If still standing today, the view from the porch of these buildings would be that of Disney Hall, located directly across the street, on the other side of Grand Ave. Click HERE to see more in Early LA Historic Buildings (1800s).

Historical Notes

The above street light is a Union Metal UM-1747 "Pacific" model with GE Form 18-B lanterns. They were found all over Bunker Hill until the neighborhood was bulldozed into oblivion. Only one Bunker Hill example survives as of 2021. It's on the East side of Olive Street, just South of 4th Street.

Click HERE to see more 'Pacific' UM 1747 dual-lamp streetlights (Contemporary Views)

Historical Notes

The LAPD installed call boxes in 1903. Before that, officers had to go to headquarters on foot with a message, or headquarters had to send a runner to find them. Call boxes let officers check in at intervals, using a key to unlock the box. Later—probably in the Thirties—dial telephones replaced the direct lines. And much later, walkie-talkies made call boxes obsolete.*

Historical Notes

Both high voltage and low voltage time switches were installed in the early part of the 1900s by the Bureau of Power and Light.  These were used to control streetlight electrolier circuits through the city. Some of these still exist today.

Historical Notes

The keystone Iron Steelwork Company from Los Angeles (1917-1928) made fire alarm/police call boxes, streetlight time switches, and fire hydrants. Some streetlight time switches are still in service while others are not but remain for historical value throughout the city.

More detailed information can be found on these time switches in a 1947 DWP Streetlight Manual (Page 24).

Historical Notes

The most common of the incandescent multiple globe electroliers of the early 1900s were those manufactured by the Llewellyn Iron Works of Los Angeles.  The firm became so identified with this style of street light that any multiple globe electrolier became commonly known as a Llewellyn.  The Llewellyn Iron Works, founded in 1889‐1890, was one of the largest metal working facilities in Los Angeles.  It manufactured structural steel – including that for the Bradbury Building.^

Historical Notes

Within two years of the above photo, the entire hill, including the tunnels, would be leveled as part of the Bunker Hill Redevelopment Project.

There are no 5-bulb Winslow Eletroliers left today.  The model is extinct.

Historical Notes

The dual-lamp Marbelite 1900 streetlight was a distinctive ornamental street lighting fixture used in Los Angeles in the early 20th century. Here are the key details about this streetlight model:

Manufactured by the Marbelite Corporation

Distinctive squarish base

Dual lamps mounted on a single pole

Concrete or cast iron construction

Often had a fluted, tapering column

Plain glass globes covering the lamps

Historical Notes

The twin street lights along Melrose were the Marbelite 1900 model, distinguished by its squarish base. The Melrose lights were removed around 1950, but there are a few survivors fairly close by.  Wilshire Boulevard on the west side also had similar streetlights in the 1930s.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early DWP Commercial Branch Offices.

Historical Notes

The Bell & Howell Building, located at 716 N. La Brea Ave in Los Angeles, is a distinguished example of Art Deco architecture. Constructed in 1928 to serve as the West Coast operations center for the Bell & Howell camera equipment company, it was designed by the architectural firm Edelman & Barnett. The building features classic Art Deco elements, including terra cotta ornamentation, geometric patterns, and vertical emphasis. The main structure is four stories tall, crafted from reinforced concrete, with a tall tower at the center, whose exact height remains unspecified, adding an element of intrigue to its architectural profile.

Click HERE to see more on the Bell & Howell Building.

Historical Notes

The “California Special” was designed by Westinghouse, but produced locally by Llewellyn Iron Works.  Chris Burden dubbed these "The Magnolia Double" for his Urban Light sculpture down on Wilshire Blvd.

Today, there are still plenty of these to be found on the Magnolia Boulevard between Lankershim and Cahuenga.  They were previously found in Leimert Park. Single lamp versions use to line Burbank and Magnolia Blvds. in Burbank, but those are all gone, too.

There are eight "California Specials" found around the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, four on Lankershim and the other four around the corner on Weddington.  These are 21st Century transplants. The California Special was never found on either of those two thoroughfares.

Historical Notes

Originally called the Macy Street Viaduct/Bridge, the Cesar E. Chavez Avenue Viaduct is the second bridge built during large bridge-building program in Los Angeles during the 1920s. The first bridge located on this spot was a wooden, kerosene lamp-lit covered bridge, built in 1870. It was later replaced with a small metal truss bridge.

Historical Notes

See More Bridge Lighting (College Street Bridge; First Street Bridge; Fourth Street Viaduct; Fourth and Lorena Streets Bridge; Glendale-Hyperion Bridge; Macy Street Bridge; Mulholland Bridge; Sixth Street Bridge; Washington Blvd Bridge)

Historical Notes

The site of numerous significant events in the history of public health, the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center contains one of the city's most recognizable Art Deco buildings. The facility is located in Los Angeles' Lincoln Heights neighborhood and has previously been known as County/USC and Los Angeles County General Hospital.

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the LA County General Hospital.

Historical Notes

On May 7, 1942, the Los Angeles Park Commission renamed Westlake Park in honor of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The decision to rename the park, which had been known as Westlake Park for more than 50 years, was made in preparation for an observance of MacArthur Day on June 13th.*^

Refurbished Wilshire Specials can still be found in downtown LA. (Click HERE).

Historical Notes

Among the celebrities who frequented the Trocadero were Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Jackie Gleason, Henry Fonda, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Jean Harlow, and Norma Shearer. The Trocadero was featured in the 1937 movie A Star is Born starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March.*^

Historical Notes

Southern California was once home to the world's largest interurban electric railway system, the Pacific Electric Railway. Los Angeles also boasted the Nation's fifth largest urban trolley system, the Los Angeles Railway. This combination streetlight trolley pole on North Main Street is representative of many different styles of steel and concrete decorative poles used to support the 600-volt DC wires which supplied power to the streetcars and interurbans of the two companies.

Historical Notes

One of the most significant variations of the UM (United Metal)-1906 dual-lamp streetlight was the UM-2502, which contained an extended center pole from which trolley wires could be suspended. Extant examples remain along Spring Street, between Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and First Street.

Historical Notes

Variations of the UM-1906, the UM-2502, and similar dual uprights by other manufacturers also still exist in a number of outlying areas, generally neighborhood commercial in nature. They include the south side of Magnolia Avenue from Lankershim to Vineland and north side of Magnolia from Cleon to Cartwright in North Hollywood-Valley Village; 3400-3700 Slauson Avenue in Hyde Park; Seventh Street between Union and Garland Avenues in Westlake; La Cienega Boulevard between Airdrome Street and Olympic Boulevard, and Seventh Street between Catalina and Hoover Streets In the Wilshire area.

Historical Notes

Westwood Village adjacent to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) was decorated in the early part of the century with the Westwood Special, notable for the blue and gold ceramic tile around its base. These were replaced with modern lights in the early 1960's when Westwood Village determined to become the brightest lighted commercial area in the world using 1,000-watt mercury vapor lamps.

Historical Notes

The Wilshire Special was predominantly seen on Wilshire Boulevared between the late 1920s thru the 1940s

Historical Notes

Refurbished Wilshire Specials can still be found in downtown LA. (Click HERE).

Historical Notes

The dual-lamp electroliers shown above were utilized in a most unique way. Cross-arms were installed on top of the electrolier post and power lines layed upon the arm. Also, streetcar wire ran across the street and was attached at both ends to the electroliers.

Historical Notes

Replacing the five-globe Llewellyn in Downtown Los Angeles and extending outward along several major streets, hundreds of dual-lamp electroliers (UM 1906's) were installed in the mid 1920's.

Historical Notes

Los Angeles installed its first automated traffic signals in October 1920 at five locations on Broadway. These early signals, manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Co., paired "Stop" and "Go" semaphore arms with small red and green lights. Bells played the role of today's amber or yellow lights, ringing when the flags changed—a process that took five seconds. By 1923 the city had installed 31 Acme traffic control devices.

Historical Notes

The Richfield Oil Company Building was demolished in 1969 to make way for the present ARCO Plaza skyscraper complex.

Historical Notes

In the photo above, the large building in the distance is the Biltmore Hotel and the building being demolished is the Biltmore Theatre, built in 1924.   Also, the LA Central Library is to the right (out of view).

Historical Notes

Some of these UM-1906 streetlights still exist today, although most are refurbished. Click HERE to see more contemporary views.

Historical Notes

During the War many streetlights throughout the City were blacked-out on top as a preventative measure.

(ca. 1943)* - Close-up view of a five-globe Llewellyn streetlight located on the corner of Main and 33rd streets with all five bulbs blacked-out on top (during WWII).

Note the old trapezoidal street sign imbedded just below the topmost globe.^^#

Historical Notes

*These early signals, manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Co., paired “Stop” and “Go” semaphore arms with small red and green lights. Bells played the role of today’s amber or yellow lights, ringing when the flags changed—a process that took five seconds.

Historical Notes

704 of the UM-1931s were shipped to Los Angeles by Union Metal between 1906 and 1930.  They were installed in the North Hollywood, Boyle Heights and the Mid-City.

Historical Notes

In the above photo is an odd looking structure in the form of an Igloo.  It was an Ice Cream parlor with the name of, you guessed it, “The Igloo”.  Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

The “Ventura Special" lined Ventura Boulevard from Sepulveda Eastward to Lankershim, and then Cahuenga Boulevard West from Lankershim to Hollywood Bowl. Although none of the full street lights survive, a few of the lanterns can be found on the Fletcher Drive Bridge over the L. A. River in Atwater Village.

Historical Notes

There also used to be several Ventura Specials in more recent times. Here’s the census: Four on the Washington Boulevard Bridge over the L.A. River. According to Google Street View, two survive and two were stolen sometime between January 2023 and May 2024. Eight were located on the 7th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River. All have been stolen sometime between February 2023 and May 2024, per Google Street View. That’s the sad part of life. But…life goes on.

Historical Notes

Southern California was once home to the world's largest interurban electric railway system, the Pacific Electric Railway. Los Angeles also boasted the Nation's fifth largest urban trolley system, the Los Angeles Railway. This combination streetlight trolley pole on North Alameda Street is representative of many different styles of steel and concrete decorative poles used to support the 600-volt DC wires which supplied power to the streetcars and interurbans of the two companies.

Historical Notes

The Post Office Terminal Annex, a three-story building with two towers, was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and built by Sarver & Zoss between 1939 and 1940. The building was known to open 24 hours a day and responsible for processing 2,000,000 mails per day including all incoming and outgoing mails in Los Angeles. It is located between Alameda Street and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, across from the Los Angeles Union Station.^

Historical Notes

The scroll arms (genie lamps) are in the style that began to appear just before WW2, but really took off post-war.  Vine Street scroll arms first appeared in 1947.  The Hollywood Blvd. group between Sycamore & Gower was particularly short-lived:  1947 & 1948, before being replaced with another design in the summer of 1948.

Historical Notes

The scroll arms (genie lamps) are in the style that began to appear just before WW2, but really took off post-war.  Vine Street scroll arms first appeared in 1947.  The Hollywood Blvd. group between Sycamore & Gower was particularly short-lived:  1947 & 1948, before being replaced with another design in the summer of 1948.

Historical Notes

The Four Level Interchange was the first stack interchange in the world. Completed in 1949 and fully opened in 1953 at the northern edge of Downtown Los Angeles, it connects U.S. Route 101 (Hollywood Freeway and Santa Ana Freeway) to State Route 110 (Harbor Freeway and Arroyo Seco Parkway).^*

Historical Notes

The interchange was constructed as a stack interchange because surrounding buildings and terrain made construction of a cloverleaf interchange impractical. The mainline traffic of US 101 is at the top of the interchange, above the ramps, a rarity in stack interchanges. Its distinctive architecture has long made it a symbol of Los Angeles' post-World War II development, and it appears on numerous postcards of the 1950s and 1960s.^*

Historical Notes

The Four Level, also known as the Stack, gets its name from its multi-tiered structure that separates traffic heading in each direction into dedicated lanes. On the bottom level are curved ramps for those changing from the 110 freeway to the 101. One level above is the main trunk of the 110 freeway, named the Arroyo Seco Parkway north of the interchange and the Harbor Freeway south of it. On the third level are the arcing flyover ramps carrying traffic from the 101 freeway to the 110. Finally, on the fourth and top level is the main trunk of the 101 freeway, named the Hollywood Freeway to the west and the Santa Ana Freeway to the east.^

Historical Notes

Between 1954 and 2010, Arroyo Seco Parkway was officially designated the Pasadena Freeway. In 2010, as part of plans to revitalize its scenic value and improve safety, Caltrans renamed the roadway back to its original name. All the bridges built during parkway construction remain, as do four older bridges that crossed the Arroyo Seco before the 1930s.*^

Historical Notes

See More Bridge Lighting (College Street Bridge; First Street Bridge; Fourth Street Viaduct; Fourth and Lorena Streets Bridge; Glendale-Hyperion Bridge; Macy Street Bridge; Mulholland Bridge; Sixth Street Bridge; Washington Blvd Bridge)

Historical Notes

The extended-arm electrolier that dominated the postwar period was called the Davit Streetlight. It was so named because of its resemblance to the arm hoist used for raising and lowering boats and anchors. Unlike earlier streetlights Its design was typically unornamented.

Historical Notes

The Davit Streetlight used a different type of lamp, based on improvements in HID lighting technology. Lamps were horizontally-mounted, rather than vertically as with the earlier pendants. This permitted a larger lamp in a housing, or optical assembly, which included reflector and prisms to direct the light. Along with this change in the lamp size and orientation came improvements in the gasses used.

Historical Notes

By the late 1970s, sodium had replaced mercury as the most common form of lamp.  The result was a significant change in the height and spacing of street lights. The improvement in lighting power allowed the electroliers to be taller and placed further apart. Longer arms extended the lamp over the street, and the reflectors and prisms threw the light toward the center of the roadway.  The horizontal orientation of the optical assembly, attached to a curved arm, inevitably gave this type of street light the popular name of cobra-head.^

Historical Notes

Mercury vapor lamps are more energy efficient than incandescent and most fluorescent lights, with luminous efficacies of 35 to 65 lumens/watt.  Their other advantages are a long bulb lifetime in the range of 24,000 hours and a high intensity, clear white light output.  For these reasons, they were used for large area overhead lighting, such as in factories, warehouses, and sports arenas as well as for streetlights.^

High pressure sodium lamps would replace the Mercury vapor lamps by the late 1970s.

Historical Notes

These forked three-arm streetlights were chosen in the early 1970's by representatives of the Van Nuys business community to light Van Nuys Boulevard and Magnolia Boulevard. Originally, 1,000 watt mercury vapor lamps were used to provide on average five foot-candles. This turned out to be too bright and too costly from an energy level.  Today, these three-pronged electroliers can still can be seen on and around Van Nuys Boulevard.  However, the luminaires today are 250 watt high-pressure sodium.

Historical Notes

The most colorful of the postwar lights is the Hollywood Boulevard Special. Beginning around 1960 the existing electroliers on Hollywood Boulevard were reconstructed. The original pole bases and shafts were retained, but the lamps were replaced by luminaires on short arms. The Hollywood Special is a rectangular housing, over seven feet in length, in which three lamps are housed. The face of each side of the housing is adorned by red stars.

Historical Notes

The "Hollywood Specials" streetlights, known for their distinctive three-bulb design and red stars, were installed along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in the 1960s. These streetlights remained the predominant style in the area for over three decades, indicating they lasted at least until the late 1990s. They were a notable feature of Hollywood's streetscape during this period, contributing to the area's iconic visual identity.

Historical Notes

In the 1970s, the intersection of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood was still a vibrant cultural hub with deep ties to the entertainment industry. The area, once home to NBC Radio City, was transformed with the construction of the Home Savings and Loan building, designed by Millard Sheets and completed in 1968. This building became an artistic landmark, featuring mosaics and sculptures that celebrated Hollywood's history. The surrounding streets, including "Guitar Row," were lively with nightlife and music-related businesses.

Historical Notes

An example of the transition from the pendant to the davit is the two headed specialty light (CD-950), dating from the mid-1950s, which can be found along Wilshire Boulevard, from Fairfax Avenue to beyond Wilton Place. It is significant for its use as an updated specialty electrolier to continue the tradition of the Wilshire Special of the late 1920s. While in form close to the pre-war pendants, the luminaires are not teardrop in shape, indicating the use of early optical assemblies. Also new is the side-by-side mounting, rather than the front-and back position as found in the Broadway pendants of the late 1940s.^

Historical Notes

The double heads date from 2005, reminiscent of the scroll-arm teardrops that started populating the area around 1946. The shafts and bases on Hollywood Blvd. (dubbed the CD 920 by the LABSL) date from 1948. Vine Street didn't get its CD 920s until around 1960, when the famous 5-Star street lights were installed as part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame project.

Historical Notes

The curved two-arm pendants are connected to assemblies resembling a 'genie lamp'.

Historical Notes

Hollywood’s historic Equitable Building has been transformed into condominium units with views of the Capitol Records tower and the iconic Hollywood sign. The original building was completed in 1930 and was home to the powerful Hollywood agent Myron Selznick.

Historical Notes

The pendant could make good use of the early High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps becoming increasingly common by the late 1930s. In place of a filament, the HID lamp ignited a gas. The most common in the early years of the HID was mercury vapor. It was a practical lamp by 1938, providing 400 watts of power. It had a life of almost four years, compared to the incandescent which could last six to eight months.^

Historical Notes

See More Bridge Lighting College Street Bridge; First Street Bridge; Fourth Street Viaduct; Fourth and Lorena Streets Bridge; Glendale-Hyperion Bridge; Macy Street Bridge; Mulholland Bridge; Sixth Street Bridge; Washington Blvd Bridge)

Historical Notes

The street light seen above is dubbed the "CD 913"; the shaft and arms dating from 1948. Not seen here is the base, reused from the Keystone "Broadway Rose" of late 1919. The "Roses" were dedicated in January, 1920. The luminaires are an early 21st Century modification, bringing back the look of the GE Form 81 teardrops that were part of the 1948 installation.

This is the Los Angeles Times's fourth building since it started publishing in 1881. Click HERE to see views of the earlier LA Times buildings.

Historical Notes

The 1908-built Beaux Arts building seen above was built in 1908. It was originally home to Hamburger’s Department Store which evolved into May Company and later Macy's. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

The Vermonica Exhibit is a display of 25 vintage streetlights of Los Angeles that was erected in 1992 as an artwork sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs and voluntary labor contributed significantly by staff of the Field Operations Division of the Bureau of Street Lighting. The artist was Sheila Kline and the artwork was named 'Vermonica' for its location adjacent to the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. In 2020 the exhibit was moved further West on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Historical Notes

The CD 923 street light closest to the camera displays the original luminaire--an Incandescent teardrop. The CD 923 behind it has received a Mercury cobra upgrade. The intersection behind it received an upgraded traffic light with a mast-arm suspended over Western Avenue. It was standard operating practice to update a few of the existing street lights closest to the intersection at the same time the new traffic signals went in.

The CD 923 street lights were sometimes referred to as the "Llewellyn Slayers." They are responsible for annihilating the entire run of the eponymous Llewellyn "Pico" cluster lights between Main Street and Vermont Avenue. Other Llewellyn clusters along Figueroa Street (downtown) and Main Street (between Downtown and Jefferson Boulevard) also fell to the advancing CD 923 posts. The Llewellyn "Western" twins on Western Avenue were replaced by the CD 923 posts North of Wilshire Boulevard. I'm not sure how far North the CD 923s extended on Western (definitely not as far as Melrose as documented in the 1969 film "Model Shop"), but those CD 923s were removed in the early 1970s along with the surviving Llewellyn "Western" twins.

The CD 923 posts did not limit their wrath exclusively to Llewellyn product. The entire run of Marbelite twins on Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax Avenue and the Beverly Hills city limits was also replaced by the CD 923 in the late 1940s.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Pacific Dual-Lamp UM-1747 Streetlights.

Historical Notes

There are eight of these California Special streetlights located around the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, four on Lankershim and the other four around the corner on Weddington.  These are 21st Century transplants. The California Special was never found on either of those two thoroughfares.

Historical Notes

The “California Special” was designed by Westinghouse, but produced locally by Llewellyn Iron Works.  Chris Burden dubbed these "The Magnolia Double" for his Urban Light sculpture down on Wilshire Blvd.

Today, there are still plenty of these to be found on the Magnolia Boulevard between Lankershim and Cahuenga.  They were previously found in Leimert Park. Single lamp versions use to line Burbank and Magnolia Blvds. in Burbank, but those are all gone, too.

Historical Notes

Carroll Avenue is a two block long street with an international reputation for restored Victorian homes (1880 – 1910). Three, four and five globe authentic fixtures taken from various locations in the City and which date from that era now grace both sides of Carroll Avenue.

Historical Notes

The entire 1300 block of Carroll Avenue was listed under the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Historical Notes

The "Melrose Hill Specials" can be found along three streets: Marathon Street, Melrose Hill, and an intersecting street also called Melrose Hill. This one is on the corner of Marathon and Melrose Hill.

Historical Notes

Melrose Hill is a small neighborhood located in the Hollywood Studio District of East Hollywood consisting of only a few dozen homes. It is located north of Melrose Ave., South of Santa Monica Blvd., East of Western Ave., and West of the 101. (aka Hollywood Freeway).

Historical Notes

Designed by architects Gerald Allen and Kent Bloomer in 1983, the above light fixture is found throughout New York's Central Park.  It is almost identical to the ‘Melrose Hill Special’ found in East Hollywood. ^

Historical Notes

The cast-aluminum shell of the luminaire is constructed of elliptical curves adorned with abstracted leaves that follow and twist along the curves. The lantern is crowned with an acorn cap.

(n.d.)* - View of a 7-bulb electrolier lamp in an early Los Angeles City park.

(n.d.)^^ - This pole was installed exclusively in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles which is now the location of the homes of many Hollywood movie stars and the Playboy Mansion.

(n.d.)^^ - This "Windsor Square Special" originally installed as part of land development in 1914 in the Windsor Square area of Hancock Park was recently refurbished, including the use of incandescent lamps under a special policy adopted by the City Council.

(n.d.)^^ - No longer in service, this Victoria Park special was affectionately called a 'plumber's nightmare' by maintenance forces. It graced an area of upscale Victorian-style homes from shortly after the turn-of-the-century until nearly 1960.

The Modern Look - Century City Special

(ca. 1960s)^^ - Century City was developed as a major business center in the early 1960's principally sponsored by the Aluminum Corporation of America (ALCOA), hence the use of these aluminum davit poles throughout the streets within Century City.

(1960)* – View looking west on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.  A man stands at the base of a newly installed streetlight known as the ‘Century City Special’.

Historical Notes

Los Angeles International Airport installed eight M-1000 mercury-vapor luminaires mounted atop 57' Pacific Union metal poles, 60 poles spaced 160' apart, six FTC.  M-400 mercury vapor used on perimeter roadway and approaches.

Historical Notes

Eaton dual-arm contemporary streetlights played a crucial role in revamping the exterior curbside lighting, as part of the first and second phases of the $118-million LAX Curbside Appeal and Roadway Improvement Project. The newly installed street lighting consumes 48 percent less energy than the 33-year-old, high-pressure sodium lights they replaced.

Historical Notes

In 2013, the first 13 of the dual-arm contemporary fixtures were installed for the unveiling of the new $1.9 billion Tom Bradley International Terminal.  78 additional Y-shaped fixtures were subsequently installed throughout the airport.

Historical Notes

These contemporry Eaton Electroliers were inspired by the ’60s style of the Theme Building and took their sculptural form from airplane propellers.

Historical Notes

The streetlights’ two arms illuminate different areas and levels of the roadway. The resulting uniform illumination meets the roadway lighting requirements (average 2.5 foot-candles) for both the Lower/Arrivals and Upper/Departures levels at the airport, which serves 70.7 million passengers each year.

Historical Notes

Scroll arms (sometimes called Genie arms for their passing resemblance to Aladdin's Lamp) are pretty common on the pedestrian-scaled lights that have appeared in Los Angeles over the past couple of decades. Usually, those street lights feature skirts surrounding the the globes. The Highland Special Pole does not show this feature.

Historical Notes

The Highland Special Pole can be found on its namesake thoroughfare Highland Avenue from Yucca Street to a point North of Franklin Avenue.

Historical Notes

Scroll arms (sometimes called Genie arms for their passing resemblance to Aladdin's Lamp) are pretty common on the pedestrian-scaled lights that have appeared in Los Angeles over the past couple of decades. Usually, those street lights feature skirts surrounding the the globes. The Highland Special Pole does not show this feature.

Historical Notes

The twins were originally lamped with 400 Watt Metal-Halide, but were updated recently to 100 Watt LEDs.

Historical Notes

Los Angeles has 215,000 street lights, 2nd most on any major city in the United States.  Since 2009, LA started converting all of these lights to LEDs. Today, LED lights are capable of producing almost double the ratings compared to when they started.  Millions of dollars have been saved by the City through this form of conservation.^

Historical Notes

Today, Cobra Head LED streetlights are commonly used for street lighting applications because they are shaped in such a way that diffuses light to cover a wide patch of ground and, more importantly, they are highly energy efficient.

Historical Notes

In 2015, the LA City Bureau of Streetlighting kicked off a program that integrates telecommunication companies’ cell sites with newly installed streetlight electroliers.  The combination streetlights (called ‘Smartpoles’) have gone through several iterations of designs as can be seen in the above image.  Originally installed in the Hollywood area only, they can now be found throughout the City (200-plus as of 2020).

Historical Notes

The Union Metal (UM-70149) streetlight dates back to the early 1950s.

Historical Notes

The Lumec RN 20 luminaire would have replaced a Mercury or HPS cobra. But, that cobra in turn had replaced what looks to be the original side-mounted teardrop fixture.

Note the typical "L.A." finial; we also see it on the CD 929 and CD 923 street lights among others.

Historical Notes

"So why is this here? This was the only one around. It's definitely NOT the winner nor any of the entries in the recent "L.A. Lights the Way" competition. It also does not appear on any of the LABSL maps. Maybe erected for a movie or TV shoot, given the Courthouse background?

And what's with that little upward pointing thing about 3/4 of the way up the pole? It's too high to benefit the sidewalk and is pointed in the wrong direction." –Glen Norman

Historical Notes

Marked by three ornate ribbons of roses climbing up their safts, the eponymous Broadway Roses, designed by a General Electric engineer and originally installed in 1919, used to extend from Aliso Street to Pico Boulevard.  Given that Broadway was the first L.A. street to have ornamental lights, hailed in the papers as “the radiant way,” this lamp’s lavish design should come as no surprise.  (In fact, the Roses originally shared Broadway with an even grander, more filigreed type of post—the Spanish Renaissance-inspired Broadway Special, designed by the same engineer.)  The response was overwhelming:  “This is one of the most elaborate jobs of ornamental electroliers ever made on the coast,” the Los Angeles Times observed, “and is a 100 percent home product.”  Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last.  During the 1950s, the shafts and luminaires of the Broadway Roses were replaced with more functional, higher intensity, yet decidedly more somber CD-913 overheads, leaving only the original bases intact.  Today there are only a handful of complete models remaining in Los Angeles, which can be found running down Sixth Street between Olvie and Flower Streets.  The Broadway Specials, incidentally, have vanished altogether.*

Historical Notes

These dual-lamp electroliers (UM-1906's) were originally installed in the mid 1920’s. They were manufactured by the Union Metal Company of Canton, Ohio.  The Bureau of Street Lighting still uses these UM-1906's in select areas of Downtown Los Angeles.

Historical Notes

Although similar in many ways, the dual-lamp UM-1906 should not be confused with the Broadway Rose and Broadway Special. Click HERE to see the differences.