"the Chinese Junk Cafe"
by Michael Boss
Oil on Linen
24" X 30"
From the Collection of Carol Hobbs, Hill City, Kansas

I had not heard of the Chinese Junk Cafe until seeing a matchbook cover on ebay. I purchased the cover, did a bit of research, and found only one photograph of the cafe. The cafe was located in a small downtown section of Los Angeles called China City. Christine Sterling, who helped develop Olvera Street, was a leader in developing the China City, Chinese Junk Cafe at 733 Main. She also had backing from the Los Angeles Times. The restaurant was probably built 1939. China City did not last long and was essentially gone by the 1950s.