I can't find any previous mentions of the Cooper Building. Julius Shulman photographed it in 1948. This is
"Job 241: Stiles Oliver Clements, Cooper Building (Los Angeles, Calif.),1948". The two images in the set are very similar, so I just picked one.
Here's a close-up of the Martin Lee Shoe Company - I'll return to it below.
Getty Research Institute
Mr Shulman took his photo from Santee Street.
GSV
Believe it or not, the Cooper Building looks better from the front. It stands on the corner of Los Angeles and 9th Streets.
GSV
I like the way the name and street number (its address is 860 S Los Angeles Street) repeat across the front, with the section over the door painted white.
GSV
Going back to Santee Street, some of the windows have been filled on the old Martin Lee Shoe Company building, but it's still standing.
GSV