Towering above the low-slung buildings building and trees, the Los Angeles City Hall stands as a monument to the aspirations of a city only beginning to find its greatness, at the time of the building’s construction, but with dreams of international recognition. A new architectural symbol was needed, something akin to New York’s Statue of Liberty, or San Francisco’s bridge — some more iconic thn the old Broadway building that served as the unofficial city hill for the past forty years.

On April 26, 1928, the Los Angeles City Hall was dedicated in an three-day official ceremony, held in conjunction with — who else — the film studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Almost every spotlight in the studio’s possession  was trained on the grand building.

To add to the festivities, MGM organized a parade. Civic organizations from all over the city took part, marching along Broadway with the famous director Cecil B DeMille and Leo, the MGM lion. Some 32,000 attended the parade.