Simon's Sandwiches Black and White Photo 1944
Taken by a talented young photographer still in high school and featured in that school's photo exhibit. Took third place. John H Francis Polytechnic High School. Measures 10" x 12" unframed.
In the 1930s, 40s & 50s, Los Angeles was dotted with "drive-in" restaurants like this one. This Simon’s drive-in was most probably the one that stood on the corner Wilshire Blvd and Hoover Street, opposite Lafayette Park, and a couple of blocks east of the Bullocks Wilshire department store. Back in 1944, when this photo was taken, it was one of the more popular joints in town.
Polytechnic High School opened in 1897 as a "commercial branch" of the only high school at that time in the city, the Los Angeles High School. As such, Polytechnic is the second oldest high school in the city. The school's original campus was located in downtown Los Angeles on South Beaudry Avenue, the present location of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education headquarters.
In 1905, Metropolitan Polytechnic moved to the south side of Washington Boulevard at the corner of Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles, across Washington from old St. Vincent’s College.Poly was the first school to offer studies in multiple class subjects, which is now modeled by many high schools, as “periods.” In 1935, its name was changed to “John H. Francis Polytechnic” to honor the founding principal.
In February 1957, Polytechnic moved to its present site in the San Fernando Valley and opened its doors to new students for the then fast growing suburb.
