Clark & Snow Museum / Animal Hippodrome

244 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012   | map | 

Opened: The Clark & Snow Museum was at this address by January 1911. It was on the east side of the street in the middle of the block between 2nd and 3rd. Once you bought a ticket to this venue's exhibits, the proprietors J. Sky Clark and Herbert C. Snow also offered a "Free Vaudeville and Motion Picture Theatre." 

In the 1910 city directory there seems to be nothing for Clark & Snow. 244 S. Main was listed as the Eureka Bar and Cafe. On the 1906 Sanborn map the addresses from 242 to 248 had been indicated as a three or four story plus basement structure called the "Eureka Bldg." 

An ad from the January 7, 1911 issue of Billboard. Thanks to T.K. Pepper for locating this via Internet Archive. We have a bit of a disconnect between the new address for the Museum but a photo of what evidently was their earlier location in the Panorama Building, 316-324 S. Main. Perhaps they were there for only a few months in late 1910. The Panorama building got new construction behind it and became home to the Adolphus Theatre in November 1911. That venue soon was rebranded as the Hippodrome. 

In the 1911 directory Clark & Snow Museum was listed at 244 S. Main under the "Amusement, Places of" category. In 1912 the proprietors are listed as J.S. Clark and H.C. Snow. In 1913 the venue is listed under "Museums." William Cole gets a listing as as the Museum's superintendent and also listed as living in the building. 244 also gets a listing as a billiard hall in the 1913 directory. In the 1914 directory there doesn't seem to be a listing for either the museum or the two proprietors.   

 

The skinny building that was the museum's location is identified as "Hippodrome" in the center of this detail from plate 002 of the 1914 Baist Real estate Survey Map from Historic Map Works. The 1921 Baist Map shows the building still there but no identification as far as a tenant. Based on the numbering we see here one would assume a 246 or 248 address for the Museum instead of the 244 they used. Perhaps they occupied more than one storefront. 

The 1915 city directory lists the business as the "Clark & Snow Animal Hippodrome," still with the 244 address. In 1916 Mr. Snow is gone and it's "Clark and Kreider Animal Hippodrome" with William Kreider as the new partner.  

Closing: Evidently they closed in 1916. That's the last city directory listing. In 1917 the billiard hall is still a tenant at 244. Upstairs at 242 1/2 it's furnished rooms. 

 

A lovely c.1958 look south on Main. That's the Higgins Building, 2nd and Main, in the lower center. The first intersection we see is 3rd St. with the former Electric Theatre building on the left, just this side of the "Karl's" sign across the street. We don't see the triangular remains of the Liberty Theatre at 266 from this angle as it was a bit shorter. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting this one when it was offered for sale online.

 

The signage of what was left of the Hippodrome is seen a half block beyond with the top of the Follies Theatre visible across the street to the right. Ken McIntyre notes that the Westminster Hotel is still visible on the NE corner of 4th & Main. It was demolished in early 1960. In the distance note the sign on the side of the Santa Fe Building at 6th and Main.

A detail from the previous photo showing the skinny Museum/Animal Hippodrome building several lots this side of 3rd. The taller building on the left is the St. George Hotel. Thanks, Sean! 

Nearby: On the east side of this block the Manhattan/Denver Theatre was just to the north at 238 S. Main. To the south were Kingsley, Moles & Collins at 258, the Electric Theatre at 262 and the Liberty Theatre at 266. On the west side of the 200 block there was the Crystal Theatre at 247, the Arrow/Linda Lea at 251 and the Nickel Theatre at 255 S. Main. 

More information: There isn't any yet.  

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