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Tom Matson's Postcards - Downtown San Diego

The back of the card shows "San Diego, with its population of 300,000 is America's No. 1 defense city. Here the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps have large operating and training bases and the aircraft industry has developed to a high degree." Point Loma in the background. (Click on picture to magnify)
 
Hand-painted card the business district of San Diego with Coronado, North Island, and Point Loma in the background.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

"Running east from the Embarcadero, through the heart of downtown San Diego, Broadway is a principal thoroughfare. On each side are many of the city's outstanding buildings, hotels, theaters, stores, and other business institutions."

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

A slightly different view of the Business Section showing ships in the harbor with North Island in the background.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

The U.S. Grant Hotel looking down D Street (Broadway) towards San Diego Bay. Card sent 1939.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Pickwick Hotel in the left foreground looking down Broadway. Card shows "San Diego is a city of over 175,000."

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Pickwick Hotel on the left. Looking down Broadway.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Broadway at Second Street looking east.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Broadway, looking East, showing the Spreckels Theater and the Central Mortgage Building in the foreground. U.S. Grant Hotel in the background.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Broadway looking at the U.S. Grant Hotel "On Line of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern".

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

Postcard for the San Diego Exposition / Pan American Exposition. Picture 1914 looking down Broadway.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

This is a unique view of the U.S. Grant hotel. The back of the card has a handwritten note stating "...this is where the old Horton house stood."

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

U.S. Grant Hotel on a card postmarked May, 1922.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

This undated card shows the U.S. Grant Hotel with two antennas and a Santa Fe office on the corner. Horton Plaza and the historic fountain shows in the foreground.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

U.S. Grant Hotel showing the two antennas and a Southern Pacific office on the corner. Text printed on the back of the card shows "The Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego has been the center of city interest since 1870. Facing it is the modern 500 room U.S. Grant Hotel, famed throughout the country for its excellent service.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

This interesting card shows the twin antennas and the following history:

"This hotel was built and is operated by U.S. Grant, Jr in honor of his illustrious father Gen. Ulysses S. Grant." The postmark shows Sep, 1929.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

The U.S. Grant Hotel and Horton Plaza. The railroad office appears to be gone on the corner but the United Airlines office near the main entrance is still there. The card was produced in "Plastichrome."

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

This "Natural Color Card from Kodachrome" shows a later view of the U.S. Grant Hotel with new fire escapes along the front of the building.

(Click on picture to magnify)

 

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