A jaunty catboat skims the glittering surface of Westlake (now MacArthur Park) as promenaders stroll the palm-fringed shore and the stately Westlake Hotel looms behind leafy trees in this vivid color lithograph — a snapshot of Los Angeles before the automobile remade it. Published by Pacific Novelty Company of San Francisco and made in Germany, the card's rich chromolithographic palette captures the genteel resort atmosphere that drew turn-of-the-century Angelenos to this urban oasis. A daughter named only as "Alma" wrote to her father, addressing him as "Dear Papa," sharing domestic news — letters received, a visit from "Mrs. W.," an evening outing to an unnamed venue ("the A.") — and worrying about rain, in the endearing voice of early California family life. The card was mailed from Petaluma with a 1-cent Franklin stamp, placing it firmly in the Edwardian golden age of postcards.