We recently found this simple 1910 snapshot showing an elderly lady with a shiny runabout (where have we seen that radiator before? ) somewhere along the Californian coast. Only after scanning the photo a whole story appeared. It always pays off to carefully read any text visible in a photo.
Starting with the 'neon' sign (it's not, but Seal Rock are deepened letters with lightbulbs inside). The 'Seal Rock (Hotel)' building is also housing the Jack Johnson Training Quarters (Seats Reserved for Ladies). It didn't take too much trouble to find another view of the the same location along Ocean Boulevard (probably our photo is a few years earlier with the top floor windows still in use). The simple building on the left is 'To Let', it was in use as "Horse Taken Care of, Drive In" . Yet in 191o already horses probably were less in vogue due to the fast upcoming of the automobile. More than that one year after this photo Jack Johnson was sent to jail to serve some time , as he repeatedly was arrested for speeding (stories of Sheriff Michael Hennessy).