Looking back: the Wilshire Grand hotel *

The Wilshire Grand, closing this week to be torn down and make way for a new high-rise hotel and office tower, opened in 1952 as the Hotel Statler (later adding Hilton to the name.) This image from the Herald Examiner Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library shows the Wilshire Boulevard side during opening week in October 1952. Notice the unmistakable old Wilshire street lamp.

* Fixed: I got misled by an old photo and originally said the hotel opened as a Hilton. That came somewhat later.

Below: the corner of Wilshire and Figueroa in 1937, from the LAPL's Dick Whittington collection. That's a Studebaker dealership on the future site of the Statler.