Early Transportation

When Harry Culver conducted his “due diligence” study of an area ripe for development, the factors he considered included climate, location, and transportation. One of his early ads proclaimed, “All Roads lead to Culver City—the home city.” Fanning out from the new city’s name were seven examples, “Del Rey Line, Washington Blvd., Venice Short Line, Pico Blvd., Putnam Blvd. (now Culver Boulevard), Air Line and Nat’l Blvd.” Below that graphic, a box read, “Culver City is served by Four Big Boulevards and Three Great Interurban Electric Lines—159 cars a day, a Motor Bus every 13 minutes.” Just above his Harry H. Culver Co. logo, the ad proclaimed: “ If you should sit on the shady veranda of a Culver City home—could sense the fresh tonic ocean air, see the delicate color-shades of the distant mountains and feel the comfortable, uncrowded, homey atmosphere of the place—you wouldn’t wonder at Culver City’s wonderful record of growth and development. Culver City has suburban transportation facilities unequaled on the Pacific Coast.”

Pictures like this one are a historian’s delight! They put time and place in context and tell a story. In front at right, the street signs, although partially hidden, validate the intersection as Culver Boulevard and Duquesne Avenue. In the background, note the historic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios sign, perched on top of Stage #6, with “Leo” roaring on top. The water tower, still existing, is further west on the studio lot, partially hidden by structures like the famed 1938 Thalberg Building. The arrow points to the Police Dept. The CCPD was then located in the 1928 city hall, with its entry on Duquesne…how I remember walking my dad to work in the mornings, “dropping him off” there and continuing on to my school, (St. Augustine’s). In addition to the Police references, it gives direction to the entry to the City Council Chambers, also on Duquesne. The City Hall entry was 9770 Culver Blvd., the 1995 city hall’s address.

All of these factors help date a photo. In addition, there is a Chevrolet (1950s) heading east, edging close to a Pacific Electric car headed to Los Angeles. Cousin Fred Machado remembers taking rides to visit friends on them. “They ran from Culver and Venice Fred mused, west- all the way down Culver, turning at Vista del Mar, along the ocean to Manhattan, Hermosa Beach to the end of that line at Redondo.”

Behind the “Red Car,” is an apartment building, then owned by an MGM studio department head, Mr. Rippey. This is just another way to help date the photo, since the buildings seen in that block across Culver Boulevard were demolished to make way for the construction of the Filmland Corporate Center that opened in the mid 1980s, (now Sony Pictures Plaza).

Culver Boulevard is changed, and the Red Car is no longer in existence. The only historic reference is the nearby Ivy Substation, which handled the electric current.