When banks were banks

Imiss Southern California's old, rock-solid banks. The ones sheathed in enough granite to survive a missile strike. The ones with lobbies decked out with marble and mahogany and statuary to rival an Old World palace. Their ornate trappings brought a sense of splendor to L.A.'s Pop-Tart suburbs. More important, whatever the true state of their balance sheets, their financial-fortress architecture conveyed strength and stability. They were built to last.

By Mark Kendall

August 11, 2008