From the Archives: Astronomers Monument graces the entrance to Griffith Observatory

This image of Griffith Observatory’s Astronomers Monument appeared in the 1955-56 Los Angeles Times Know Your City photography series.

The caption in the Nov. 28, 1955, edition of The Times reported:

KNOW YOUR CITY, NO. 11 — You can see more stars here than at any Hollywood premiere because it's one of the best night spots in town. No liquor served, but you get that high feeling. Just for fun, can you guess what it is? Answer on Page 8, Part 2.

ANSWER: Naturally, you'll see stars there — it's the entrance to the Griffith Observatory and Planetarium high atop the Los Feliz Hills. That big dome in the background should've been a cinch clue.

Designed by L. Archibald Garner, the Astronomers Monument was completed in 1934. The six astronomers represented are Greek astronomer Hipparchus (about 125 B.C.), Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), Isaac Newton (1642-1727), and John Herschel (1738-1822).