I think there was more to the steeple in 1905.

[And you'd win. Here it is shortly after the earthquake, courtesy the Detroit Publishing Co. - tterrace]

Here's a view of the same building today. I bet it was a job to clean off all that ivy!

Ansco sold a 500 a.s.a. film that I tried out on R&R in Hong Kong in the late sixties. A bit grainy but it had a lovely pastel-like color. I quite liked it and somewhere I have a few slides, that survived many a move, to this day.

Beyond the red car (Buick?) in the grassy spot is the burial place of the Reverend Thomas Starr King, Universalist minister of First Unitarian Church, and one of the most influential and significant personalities of the Civil War period. He has often given credit for keeping California in the Union; he raised huge sums for the Sanitary Commission (some Sanitary Commission photos somewhere on Shorpy)and died young.

Until recently his statue was in Statuary Hall of the US Capitol, along with Father Serra, representing California. His portrait can be seen in the California Capitol.

When I was in 3rd grade I attended Thomas Starr King Elementary School in Long Beach, California.

When looking at pictures of this vintage, one does not have to be an expert on automobiles to be able to instantly identify a Buick, for obvious reasons.

A nice 1954 Buick Special 2-door hardtop right in front, then a late '40s Chrysler product, a '57 Chevy station wagon, and the back end of a '59 Ford. Looks like a '51-'52 chevy 2-door post going by in the background.