Citrus Avenue in the Fifties

Here we have two nice, detailed mid-century views of Covina's busy Citrus Avenue. The photos are undated, but examining certain clues, I think I can come up with some pretty good educated guesses as to when they were taken.

In this first one, the newest car I see is that 1952 Ford Convertible just left of center. That model was introduced in Fall, 1951. However, the photo has to have been taken later than September, 1952, because that's when Faye's Maternity Shop to the left of the Ford opened at 111 North Citrus,¹ and that place does look essentially brand new here. So, 1952 seems like a safe bet for this view.

Looking north on Citrus Avenue from Badillo Street, Covina, 1952.
Click on the image to view an enlargement. Photo courtesy Covina Valley Historical Society and Powell Camera Shop (RIP).

(As an aside, I like how several kids felt safe to park their bikes on the street while they went to a show at the theater.)

 

In this second shot, the newest cars are 1955 models (the two-tone Chevy Coupe coming toward us, and the partially-hidden '55 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria parked in front of the San Gabriel Valley Milling Co. at right). That would establish the photo's earliest date as Fall, 1954. That said, it can't be later than Fall, 1955, because in calendar year 1956, California license plates switched to yellow, and all the cars I see here still have the black 1955 plates. So, I think 1955 it is! (Hall, 2007,² also says this is 1955, which increases my confidence in my estimate.)

Looking north on Citrus Avenue approaching its intersection with College Street, Covina, 1955.
Click on the image to view an enlargement. Courtesy Covina Valley Historical Society and Powell Camera Shop (RIP).

On the subject of cars, both photos also show that not being able to see the mountains because of smog was already a thing in the early 1950s. Remember how it used to hurt just to draw a deep breath back in Fifties and Sixties? People nowadays have no conception how seriously bad air pollution can really be!

References:

¹ Covina Argus-Citizen, September 12, 1952, p.1.
² Hall, B. A. 2007. Covina: Images of America. Arcadia Publishing, San Francisco, California, 127pp.