Photo of the Downtown Burbank Post Office at 135 E. Olive Avenue taken from across the street. A 1970's convertible sports car drives past while a man mails an item at one of the two curbside collection boxes. The building inscription reads, "United States Post Office, Downtown Station, Burbank California 91503." The post office was built in 1938 on the former site of the Santa Rosa Hotel and, before that, the Burbank Villa. Constructed during the Depression, under the federal Works Progress Administration program, out-of-work skilled laborers were employed by Los Angeles architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who also designed the Los Angeles Federal Court House. The Mediterranean style exterior features five large arches and a red tile roof. The inside lobby displays two 25-foot murals, by artist Barse Miller, celebrating Burbank's aviation and motion pictures industries. The post office served as the main branch and administrative offices until 1968 when increased mail volume required a larger facility. A new post office then opened on Hollywood Way while the Olive Avenue location continued to serve as the Downtown branch. In 1985, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and, on November 11, 2003, the Downtown Burbank Post Office was named in honor of legendary entertainer, Bob Hope, who launched his career nearby with a weekly radio show at Burbank's NBC Studios.
Type
image
Format
nonprojected graphic 3½ x 3½ b&w print
Identifier
islandora:1464 local: cco01504
Subject
Burbank (Los Angeles County, Calif.)--Buildings--Architecture--Spanish colonial--Post Offices--Tiles--Roofing--Streets--Roads--Mailboxes--Automobiles--Trees--Men--1970s
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