Los Angeles

From a Tongva village by a river to a Spanish pueblo of 1781, to the oil-and-orange boom town, the dream factory of Hollywood, the city that stole a valley's water, the megacity of freeways and sprawl, Los Angeles is many cities at once. This is its story told in themes: the founding, the water, the movies, the skyline, the Olympics, the uprisings, the earthquakes and fires, the sound of the streets, the car, and the city today. Every scene sits at its real moment in time.

A chronological documentary of 441 moments spanning 1771–2026 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-20

Eras

Landmarks & Missions, The founding city and the things people go to see. El Pueblo and Olvera Street, the Spanish missions, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign, Watts Towers and the Bradbury Building.
Downtown Buildings, The centre, built and rebuilt. City Hall against the height limit, the Art Deco towers, Bunker Hill flattened and replaced, Disney Concert Hall, and the skyline that arrived late and all at once.
Broadway & Spring Street, The old commercial core. The Broadway movie palaces and their terracotta fronts, the banks along Spring Street, the department stores, the neon, and what the buildings became after the money left.
Hollywood & Studios, The industry the city is known for. The studio lots and backlots, the sound stages, the premieres and the Walk of Fame, the sign on the hill, and the business of making pictures.
Streetcars & Freeways, Getting around. The Red Cars and the interurban network that once had a thousand miles of track, the freeway interchanges, the traffic, the Metro lines built since, and the car as the condition of the place.
Beaches & Harbor, The coast. Santa Monica and Venice, the piers and the boardwalk, Muscle Beach, surfing, and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach moving most of America's container traffic.
Palm Trees & Parks, The planted landscape. The palms brought in for the 1932 Olympics and now dying of a fungus, Griffith Park, the LA River in its concrete channel, the gardens and the arroyos.
Neighbourhoods & Aerials, The sprawl from above and street by street. The San Fernando Valley, the Westside and the Eastside, the hillside streets, and the aerial photography that shows how far it goes.
Communities, Who lives there. Boyle Heights and East LA, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Chinatown, Leimert Park and South LA, the immigrant neighbourhoods and the people who built them.
Schools, Hospitals & Churches, The civic fabric. The school districts and campuses, the hospitals, the churches and cathedrals, the libraries, and the institutions that hold a city of four million together.
Fires, Earthquakes & Smog, The physical risk. Sylmar and Northridge, the San Andreas, the wildfire seasons and the Santa Ana winds, the 2025 firestorm, the smog that made the air famous, and the drought.
Riots & Protests, The city in conflict. Watts in 1965, the 1992 uprising after the King verdict, the Zoot Suit riots, the immigration marches and the recent protests, and the policing that runs through all of it.
Skid Row & City Hall, Homelessness and the politics around it. Skid Row and the encampments, the shelter and housing fights, the council votes and the corruption cases, and the charter reform arguments.
Olympics, 1932, 1984 and 2028. The Coliseum, the Olympic Village, the privately financed 1984 games that actually made money, the venues being prepared now, and what the city rebuilt each time.

1771 - Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. Los Angeles, 1771.
1781 - The founders of El Pueblo de Los Angeles (1781). The 44 pobladores, of African, Indigenous and Spanish descent, who founded the pueblo on 4 September 1781.
1797 - Mission San Fernando Rey de España. Los Angeles, 1797.
1847 - Pueblo de Los Angeles (1847). A William Rich Hutton sketch as US forces took the pueblo during the Mexican–American War.
1850 - Agustín Olvera.webp. Los Angeles, 1850. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1869 - The Los Angeles Plaza (1869). The old Plaza, heart of the original pueblo, two decades after statehood.
1870 - Sixth St(reet) Park, Los Angeles, Cal, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic …. Los Angeles, 1870. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1871 - The Chinese Massacre of 1871. One of the worst mass lynchings in US history, a mob killed at least 18 Chinese residents in Old Chinatown.
1875 - ElAliso treepre1875drawing. Photograph of a drawing by Edward Vischer depicting the "El Aliso" Winery (formerly the Vignes Winery in Los Angeles) taken by photographer Edward Vischer, before 1875. This drawing depicts the famous "El Aliso" tree which stood at the center of the Tongva village of Yaanga in the mid-eighteenth century.
1875 - Broadway from 4th Street looking north, Los Angeles, ca.1880-1900 (.1). Call number: CHS-156.1 Title: Broadway from 4th Street looking north, Los Angeles, ca.1880-1900 Filename: CHS-156.1 Coverage date: 1875/1905 Part of collection: California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960 Format: glass plate negatives Type: images Part of subcollection: Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C.
1876 - Agustín Olvera. Los Angeles, 1876. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1877 - View of Los Angeles from the east. Brooklyn Hights in the foreground; Pacific Ocean and …. Los Angeles, 1877. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1880 - Carleton Watkins (American - The Plaza, Los Angeles - Google Art Project. Los Angeles, 1880. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1880 - s Temple Block. Temple Block, Los Angeles. Sign for Cohn Bros. store dates the image to between 1892 and 1897.
1880 - Lithograph of the Baker Block on the southeast corner of Main Street and Arcadia Street. Los Angeles, 1880. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1880 - s view of the Downey Block located on the northwest corner of Temple and Main streets as…. Los Angeles, 1880. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1880 - Clocktower (Temple) Courthouse, Market and Theater 4. Los Angeles, 1880. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1880 - Baker Block. Los Angeles, 1880. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1882 - view north from Broad Place up Calle de los Negros towards Del Valle adobe on Plaza. Cor…. 1882 Calle de los Negros. At back, the Lugo House is seen with hipped roof and dormer windows, and, on left, is the cupola and flag pole of Fire Station 38 Source: Los Angeles Public Library tessa.lapl.org-cdm-singleitem-collection-photos-id-95966-rec-6.
1882 - Forster Block, east side of Main St., 5 doors south of Grand Opera House, c.1882. Los Angeles, 1882. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1882 - Los Angeles from hill. Los Angeles, 1882. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1882 - Los Angeles Street north from Arcadia Street, c.1882. Los Angeles, 1882. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1883 - Grazing sheep in front of the Church of Angels in Garvanza, Los Angeles, ca.1888. Los Angeles, 1883. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1884 - Los Angeles in 1884. The town in 1884, on the cusp of the great real-estate boom.
1885 - Temple Block with clock tower. Victorian buildings behind are - Amestoy Building and Uni…. 1885 Temple Block with clock tower. Victorian buildings behind are - Amestoy Building and United States Hotel located at Main and Requena (Market).
1885 - Orange Groves, San Gabriel Valley, Cal, by Bonine, R. (Robert K.). Los Angeles, 1885. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1885 - Grand Opera House Los Angeles c.1884-1893. Los Angeles, 1885. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1885 - Ca1885 Temple Block front. Los Angeles, 1885. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1886 - Confidence Engine Co 1886. Bernard Cohn was also a member of the volunteer fire department – Confidence Engine Company No. 2.
1886 - Monte Vista Hotel Sunland 1880s. View of the Monte Vista Hotel located at present day Fenwick Street and Floralita Avenue in Sunland (then Monte Vista).
1886 - View west on 2nd at Spring; Hollenbeck Block when two stories (left), 2nd City Hall (rig…. Los Angeles, 1886. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1886 - View south on Spring at 2nd, Hollenbeck Hotel when two stories, 1886. Los Angeles, 1886. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1886 - Ralphs Brothers Grocery and New York Bakery, southwest corner of Sixth Street and Spring…. Los Angeles, 1886. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1886 - J. W. Robinson's Boston Store at Jones Block, 171-3 N. Spring St., Los Angeles 1886–1895. Los Angeles, 1886. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1886 - North Main Street looking north from Temple, T.E. Stanton, 1886. Los Angeles, 1886. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1887 - Los Angeles National Bank Building, NE corner of 1st and Spring, Los Angeles, 1887-1906. Los Angeles, 1887. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1887 - LA-aerialphoto-baloon-06-27-1887. This is an aerial photo of Los Angeles, taken from a balloon on June 27, 1887. The town's population was a little over 20,000 at this time. North is to the left. The circular form of the Plaza is visible to the center left. The then-unpredictable Los Angeles River crosses.
1887 - View of the Downey Block. Los Angeles, 1887. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1887 - BanningHouse-on-FortMooreHill-1887. The Banning House (of Phineas Banning) on Fort Moore Hill, site of the old Fort Moore. The structure was built by Jacob Philippi as a beer hall, but Banning purchased and transformed it into a home. Part of the trenches of old Fort Moore, built in 1846-1847, are visible in the upper left.
1887 - C. 1887 view looking east along south side of 3rd Street incl. former New York Brewery, …. Los Angeles, 1887. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1887 - AtwaterVillageLosAngelesMinneapolisTract18871128. 1887 advertisement for Minneapolis subdivision in what is now Atwater Village.
1887 - Fourth Street looking west from Main Street, Los Angeles, ca.1887. Los Angeles, 1887. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1888 - looking SE from N side of Bellvue at intersection with Upper Main (now North Spring). JW…. 1888 looking SE from N side of Bellvue at intersection with Upper Main (now North Spring). JW Robinson house on hill in background. This site is now under the widened Cesar Chavez Ave.
1888 - Exterior view of the Mission Hotel in San Fernando, ca.1888. Photograph of an exterior view of the Mission Hotel in San Fernando, eastern San Fernando Valley ca.1888 (1874?). • The three and a half-story, Victorian-style hotel is shown at center, with people posing on its porch and balcony.
1888 - View south on Spring from Temple, Los Angeles, c.1883–1894. Los Angeles, 1888. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1888 - Widney Block, north side of First Street between Spring and Main streets c.1888. Los Angeles, 1888. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1889 - A group of students outside of Lankershim School in San Fernando Valley, California, ca.…. Photograph of a group of students outside of Lankershim School in San Fernando Valley, California, ca.1889. Four rows of boys and girls stand in front of a large, two-story Victorian building sporting a bell tower in a spire at its peak.
1889 - First Congregational Church, intersection of Third Street and Hill Street, 1889-1900 (). Los Angeles, 1889. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1890 - Broadway Los Angeles J W Robinsons Boston Dry Goods 1895. 237-241 Broadway Los Angeles, J. W. Robinson's Boston Dry Goods store, 1895.
1890 - Broadway 200 N Block 1890s. Sketch of the 200 block of S. Broadway (west side, 2nd to 3rd streets), Los Angeles in the 1890s.
1890 - California Bank Building SW corner 2nd and Broadway Los Angeles around 1890. Los Angeles, 1890. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1890 - Broadway-Temple-NW-Temperance-Temple-of-the-Womens-Christian-Temperance-Union-1890. Temple of the Women's Christian Temperance Union a.k.a. the Temperance Temple, built 1888, northwest corner of Temple and Broadway, Los Angeles, 1890.
1890 - Bryson-Bonebrake Building. The Bryson-Bonebrake Building on the northwest corner of 2nd and Spring Streets, with the addition of two stories on top. The original building was completed in 1889 at a cost of $220,000. The block was commissioned by John Bryson, Sr., Los Angeles mayor, and George H. Bonebrake, banker.
1890 - Broadway and Third Street, looking east on Third Street from Olive Street, Los Angeles, …. Los Angeles, 1890. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1890 - Boston Dry Goods and Harris Newmark buildings 1899. Boston Dry Goods (237-241) and Harris Newmark (231-5) buildings, Broadway, Los Angeles, 1899.
1890 - Downtown Los Angeles, late 19th century. A view of the growing downtown in the late 1800s.
1890 - Arcade Depot sold by Wolfskill. Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway's Arcade Depot sold by Wolfskill.
1891 - Haas, Baruch & Co. (successor to Haas, Hellman & Co.), 218-224 N. Los Angeles St. c.1890s. Los Angeles, 1891. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1892 - Horse-drawn streetcar on Main Street (c.1892). Before electrification, a horse-car at the Main Street post office.
1893 - Main, SE corner of Winston, US Government Bldg 1893. Los Angeles, 1893. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Bradbury Building 1894. Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Broadway looking south from Second Street showing a cable car, Los Angeles, ca.1893-1895…. Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Jevne grocers on east side of Spring looking south from Franklin c.1893-6. Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Central Business District of Los Angeles 1894 from Plaza (r) to Third Street (l). Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Long Wharf, California c. 1890s. Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1894 - Cable car on Broadway just north of 2nd Street looking south, Los Angeles, ca.1893-1895. Los Angeles, 1894. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Adams Boulevard looking west from Severance Street, Los Angeles, ca.1895-1900 (). Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Broadway looking south from Second Street, Los Angeles, ca.1895-1905. Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Farmland and the Los Angeles River looking north from Elysian Park toward Mount Washingt…. Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Artistic Wrought Iron Works Advertisement - 1895 - U.S. City Directory Los Angeles. This is an advertisement for the Fruhling Bros. Artistic Wrought Iron Works company in the 1895 U.S. City Directory for Los Angeles. Fruhling Bros.
1895 - Hollywood looking north-northeast from Olive Hill (Barnsdall Park), Hollywood, 1895. Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Bridge across the Arroyo Seco at Garvanza, showing the first cable-car to cross it, ca.1…. Photograph of a bridge across the Arroyo Seco at Garvanza, showing the first cable-car to cross it, ca.1895. A group of eighteen people pose around and in front of a cable-car coming across the trestle from Cawston's Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, approaching the U.S.C. College of Fine Arts in Garvanza.
1895 - La Grande Station. Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1895 - Boston Dry Goods (J. W. Robinson Co.) New Store, 1895, 239 S. Broadway, Los Angeles. Los Angeles, 1895. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1896 - Arcadia Block Los Angeles from an 1896 lithograph. Los Angeles, 1896. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1896 - Harris & Frank's London Clothing Co. at 119–125 N. Spring Street. Harris & Frank's London Clothing Co. at 119–125 N. Spring Street.
1896 - Looking north on Spring Street from First Street, c.1896-1900. Los Angeles, 1896. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1897 - Pages from 1897 maybe LOC Los Angeles, California, the city and county (1) page 1. Los Angeles, 1897. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1898 - Larronde Block 1898. Larronde Block in 1898, NW corner Spring and First, Los Angeles.
1898 - Orpheum Theatre when located at the former Grand Opera House, 110 S. Main, Los Angeles, …. Los Angeles, 1898. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1899 - Daniel Desmond LATimes 01 Aug 1937 Page 93-4. Los Angeles, 1899. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1900 - st and Main St SW corner Hotel Natick 1900 Los Angeles. 1st and Main St SW corner Hotel Natick 1900 Los Angeles.
1900 - Bullard Block 1900. Los Angeles, 1900. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1900 - Brands of the California ranches, ca.1840-1900. Photograph of a printed page of a table indicating the early Southern California ranches and the brand symbols under which they registered their stock as follow (ranchero, rancho, brand facsimile, date): Juan Avila, El Niguel, 1833; Maria Ygnacio Verdugo, Los Verdugos, 1836; John Roland, La Puente, 1852; Jose Sepulveda...
1900 - Chamber of Commerce, 4th and Broadway c.1900. Los Angeles, 1900. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1900 - Chinese drug store and doctor's office, ca.1900. Los Angeles, 1900. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1900 - Downtown-LA-1900. Photograph of downtown Los Angeles in 1900, looking northeast from Pershing Square at the Bunker Hill neighborhood.
1900 - Braley Building on the Hibernian Block, Los Angeles, 1900-1903. Los Angeles, 1900. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1901 - Exterior view of the Braley Building (later the Hibernian Building), corner of Fourth St…. Los Angeles, 1901. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1901 - Downtown Los Angeles (c.1901). William Henry Jackson’s panorama of the business district at the turn of the century.
1901 - Coach drawn by 6 white horses in the Los Angeles Fiesta, ca.1901. Los Angeles, 1901. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1901 - Los Angeles Courthouse and Post Office in United States Department of the Treasury. A H…. Los Angeles, 1901. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1901 - Exterior view of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Building on Broadway between F…. Los Angeles, 1901. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1902 - Exterior view of the Fifth Street Department Store, on the corner of Broadway and Fifth …. Los Angeles, 1902. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1902 - "For Sale - Lots" The Los Angeles Times, September 27, 1902. Los Angeles, 1902. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1902 - Chinese dragon feeding ceremony, ca.1902-1904. Los Angeles, 1902. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Chinesenbaby. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Westlake Park Los Angeles. Westlake Park (now known as MacArthur Park), Los Angeles.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Chinesenfamilie. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Chinese Girl. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Chinese Chums. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Panorama Los Angeles. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - The central business district (1903). Downtown LA in 1903, growing fast on oil and citrus money.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-Moki Woman and Baby. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1903 - Los Angeles-1903-A Residence in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, 1903. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1904 - Broadway looking north from Fourth Street, ca.1904-1905. Los Angeles, 1904. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1904 - Garvanza-1904-Church of the Angels, near Garvanza, Cal.. Los Angeles, 1904. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1904 - Los Angeles-1904-Westlake Park. Los Angeles, 1904. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Los Angeles-1905-Hotel Lankershim. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Los Angeles-1905-West Lake Park. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Sawtelle-1905-Residence Street. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Sawtelle-1905-Fourth st. Sawtelle. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Los Angeles-1905-Palm Drive. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Los Angeles-1905-Arcade Depot. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - Playa del Rey-1905-Playa del Rey. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1905 - The Balloon Route trolley (1905). The Pacific Electric "Balloon Route", the streetcar network that first shaped the sprawling region.
1905 - Sawtelle-1905-Bank Block, Sawtelle, Cal.. Los Angeles, 1905. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1906 - Chutes Park (later Horsley Park), an amusement park in Los Angeles, ca.1906. Call number: CHS-5197 Legacy record ID: chs-m3634; USC-1-1-1-3710 Title: Chutes Park (later Horsley Park), an amusement park in Los Angeles, ca.1906 Photographer: .mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table{background-color:#f0f0ff;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:95%;text-align:start;color:inherit}.mw-parser-output .commo...
1906 - Los Angeles-1906-The Broadway Hotel. Los Angeles, 1906. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1906 - Exterior view of the Hollywood Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (the Norman F. M…. Los Angeles, 1906. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1906 - Children's division of La Fiesta de Los Angeles held on the grounds of Judge Silent's re…. Los Angeles, 1906. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1906 - Broadway, north from Sixth Street, Los Angeles, ca.1906. Los Angeles, 1906. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1906 - Chutes, a color postcard. Los Angeles, 1906. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1907 - Apostolic Faith Gospel Mission 1907. Misión del Evangelio de la Fe Apostólica en 1907, Calle Azusa, Los Ángeles, California, Estados Unidos.
1907 - Detailed Geologic Section Through Olinda Oil Field. Identifier: bulletinofunited309eldr (find matches) Title: Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey--The Santa Clara Valley, Puente Hills and Los Angeles Oil Districts Year: 1907 (1900s) Authors: Eldridge, George Homans Arnold, Ralph Subjects: Publisher: Contributing Library: Clemson University Libraries Digitizi...
1907 - Broadway, looking north from Seventh Street, Los Angeles, ca.1907-1917. Los Angeles, 1907. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1907 - A Happy Family at the California Alligator Farm, Los Angeles, Cal (clloy 042). A young man poses next to an alligator lying in the grass near a pond, with many more alligators lying or swimming along the shore. Historical Background: The California Alligator Farm, located at 3627 Mission Road adjacent to Lincoln Park, was owned by Francis Earnest and his partner Joe Campbell.
1908 - Broadway and Fourth Street, Los Angeles, ca.1908-1910. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1908 - Chamber of Commerce Building on Broadway btw 1st-2nd, ca.1901-1911. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1908 - block Main Street south from 5th, c.1908. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1908 - Exterior view of the old Federal Building and Post Office, Temple Street and Main Street…. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1908 - Development and electrical distribution of water power. Los Angeles Receiving Station Identifier: developmentelect00lynd (find matches) Title: Development and electrical distribution of water power Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: Lyndon, Lamar, 1871- Subjects: Hydroelectric power plants Publisher: New York, Wiley Contributing Library: The Library of Congress Digitizing Sponsor:...
1908 - Broadway Department Store, Los Angeles, ca.1908-1910. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1908 - Construction of the San Pedro government breakwater from shore. Los Angeles, 1908. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1909 - Exterior view of the Pekin Curio Store in Los Angeles Plaza, ca.1909. Los Angeles, 1909. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1910 - Laurel Canyon Trolley Bus at Sunset 1908-09. Los Angeles, 1910. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1910 - Exterior view of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank, on the corner of Main Street a…. Los Angeles, 1910. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1910 - Exterior view of the International Bank Building on the southwest corner of Spring Stree…. Los Angeles, 1910. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1910 - Broadway at night (c.1910). Broadway lit up, the bright commercial spine of early-20th-century downtown.
1910 - Interior of Fred Detmers Optical Store, 354 South Broadway, Los Angeles. Postcard depicting interior of Fred Detmers Optical Store, 354 South Broadway, Los Angeles.
1910 - Chamber of Commerce 128 S Broadway 1910. Los Angeles, 1910. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1910 - Ramona (1910) - D.W. Griffith silent short. An early film shot in the LA area.
1910 - Globe Grain and Milling Company, rendering. Drawing of the Globe Grain & Milling Co. headquarters and warehouse, located at 907 E. 3rd Street, at S. Garey Street (left), in Los Angeles. Signs on the warehouse and distribution center promote Globe "A1" Mills Flour. This realistic drawing includes a streetcar traveling west on 3rd Street.
1911 - Marvelous Scenic Railway, "Dragon Gorge" at Ocean Park, Cal. (pcard-print-pub-pc-51a). Los Angeles, 1911. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1912 - Pacific Electric stops, South Bay (1912). The Red Car map of the South Bay at the network’s height.
1912 - Dredging in the Los Angeles Harbor at Wilmington. Los Angeles, 1912. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1912 - Biola-1912-1916. The Bible Institute, now en:Biola University, at its original en:Downtown Los Angeles location: top photo is the school under construction in 1912, the second picture shows the completed structure in 1916.
1913 - LA Aqueduct Opening2. building the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Spectators wait for the first water swelling down the open part of the aqueduct.
1913 - Exterior view of the Los Angeles Investment Building (later the C.C. Chapman Building), …. Los Angeles, 1913. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1913 - Opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct (1913, silent film). The actual silent newsreel of Mulholland opening the aqueduct: "There it is. Take it."
1914 - lasky02. Jesse Lasky standing outside of "The Old Barn" on the Paramount Studios lot. This is the place where he and Cecil B. DeMille started a picture studio in 1912.
1914 - Bernheimer Bros.' Japanese bungalow, Hollywood. Color postcard of the estate of brothers Charles and Adolph Bernheimer, located at 1999 N. Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood. A printed note on the verso of the postcard reads: "No post card can tell the story of Hollywood--the beautiful foothill suburb which our party visited today.
1915 - Behr-0020. Los Angeles, 1915. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1915 - Desmonds Spring St to 1924 LAT 14 Sep 1924. Desmond's Spring Street Store (1915 to 1924) first published 1915.
1915 - Stevens Duryea Automobile, Silver Motors 657 South Atlantic Blvd., East Los Angeles.... 1915 Stevens Duryea Automobile, Silver Motors 657 South Atlantic Blvd., East Los Angeles, California.
1915 - Fire works display over the lake at Venice ca1915. Photograph of a fire works display over the lake at Venice, ca.1915. The lake is still and smooth and shown in the foreground. Above, various splashes of light can be seen cascading down from the sky or erupting from the shore. In the right distance, a small foot bridge appears to have been decorated with lights.
1915 - Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly of the session of the Legislature of…. Identifier: appendixtojourna19151cali (find matches) Title: Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly of the ... session of the Legislature of the State of California Year: 1853 (1850s) Authors: California.
1915 - J. W. Robinson's new 7th Street store at launch 1915. Los Angeles, 1915. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1915 - Early days in Hollywood, 1910s (archive). Silent-era footage of the new film colony.
1916 - MGM Studios. Exterior view of the Triangle at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, located at 10202 Washington Boulevard in Culver City. A Richfield gasoline truck is seen in front of the columned building. Photo dated: 1916.
1916 - Cyclopedia of applied electricity - a general reference work on direct-current generator…. Identifier: cyclopediaofappl05amer (find matches) Title: Cyclopedia of applied electricity : a general reference work on direct-current generators and motors, storage batteries, electrochemistry, welding, electric wiring, meters, electric lighting, electric railways, power stations, switchboards, power transmission, al...
1917 - BroadwaySouthFromSeventh1917. Broadway south from Seventh St. towards Hamburger's, 1917.
1917 - Channel Pickering Townsley, Richard E. Miller, and Benjamin C. Brown in 1917. Left to right: Channel Pickering Townsley, Richard E. Miller, and Benjamin C. Brown in the Fenyes Mansion gardens, 1917.
1917 - Jan 5 display ad for Los Angeles premiere of The Play of Everyman by George Sterling. 1917 January 5 advertisement in Los Angeles Evening Express (page 15) for premiere performances of The Play of Everyman by poet George Sterling at Trinity Auditorium, Los Angeles, produced and directed by Ryszard "Richard" Ordynski, with music by Victor Schertzinger conducted by Adolf Tandler, and costumes and sets des...
1917 - Ceremonies - Salutes and Parades - California - Men from Fort McArthur marching on South…. Los Angeles, 1917. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1917 - Food Administration - Anti-Waste Campaign - War farm, Wadsworth School, Los Angeles, Cal…. Los Angeles, 1917. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1917 - BroadwayNorthFromSeventh1917 (cropped). Broadway north from Seventh St., 1917 with Bullock's, left side.
1917 - BroadwayNorthFromSeventh1917. Broadway north from Seventh St., 1917 with Bullock's, left side.
1917 - Camouflage - Wooden Guns - Movie men, camoufleurs. Dummy gun, camouflaged by movie men, …. Scope and content: Photographer: International Film Service.
1918 - New York Cloak Brockman Building 7th LAEx. Haggarty's new New York Cloak and Suit store on Seventh Street, sketch from November 1918.
1918 - Chaplin meets Harry Lauder - rare archival footage. Behind-the-scenes film of the silent-era star.
1918 - Coulters 7th LAEx. Coulter's new department store on Seventh Street, sketch from November 1918.
1918 - Ville de Paris 7th LAEx. New Ville de Paris department store on Seventh Street, sketch from November 1918.
1918 - Larronde Block undated. Los Angeles, 1918. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1919 - Air photo of building before the building of Chamber of Commerce of the Case Hotel. Air photo (ca.1919) of building before the building (1951) of Chamber of Commerce of the Case Hotel." EXM-N-9175-016.
1919 - North Hollywood Pacific Electric Car Station, 1919 (LAVC15). The North Hollywood Pacific Electric Car Station is located at the intersection of Chandler and Lankershim Boulevards. It was part of a very efficient rail system that was dismantled due to competition from the automobile in 1952, though the station itself is still standing. This picture probably dates from 1919.
1919 - Chaplin & Maxine Elliott - rare archival footage. Rare film of Chaplin in his Hollywood prime.
1919 - Charlie Chaplin - "A Day’s Pleasure" (1919). A Chaplin short from the silent era.
1920 - A man standing among the large drooping fronds of a date palm, Los Angeles, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - A big palm tree at the residence of Homer Laughlin, Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - "Away from studies" photograph of University of Southern California students Edwin Jeffe…. (l. to r.) Edwin Jefferson, Mattie Pearl Hawkins, Warner R. Wright, and Willia B.
1920 - A big palm tree in a Los Angeles park, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - A big palm tree (Phoenix reclinata) in a Los Angeles park, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - A small cactus garden next to a wooden slat building, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - A palm tree at the corner of Figueroa Street and Orange Street, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1920. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1920 - Wilshire & Fairfax from the air (1920). Open land where the Miracle Mile would soon rise.
1920 - A. Kellerman 1920-2. Photograph of photo Diving Venus Annette Kellerman in Los Angeles, Calif., circa 1920.
1921 - RoseBowl-construction1921. Rose Bowl under construction After crowds out-grew Pasadena's Tournament Park, architect Myron Hunt drew up plans for the construction of the Rose Bowl stadium in 1920. On January 1, 1923, USC beat Penn State, 14-3, in the first Rose Bowl game.
1921 - California Theatre, 810 S. Main St., Los Angeles, c.1921. Los Angeles, 1921. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1922 - Cross excavation on Sunset Boulevard near Harvard Street showing high fill over cross tr…. Los Angeles, 1922. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1922 - Excavation along Sunset Boulevard at Edgemont Street intersection showing very decided b…. Los Angeles, 1922. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1922 - Cahuenga Pass Hollywood. Los Angeles, 1922. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1922 - Aerial photograph showing intersection of Wilshire and San Vicente boulevards. Los Angeles, 1922. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1922 - Expo model. Model of the American Historical Revue and Motion Picture Industry Exposition, Los Angeles, 1923.
1923 - East side of Main at Requena, United States Hotel at right, 200–202 N. Main at left. Los Angeles, 1923. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1923 - "Country Homes in Girard" Los Angeles Evening Express, November 17, 1923
1924 - Northward view of the United States Navy dirigible USS Shenandoah over Long Beach, ca.1920. Los Angeles, 1924. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1924 - East side of Broadway, 1924.New King Hotel in Gordon Bldg. (206–10). 1920–1964 location …. Los Angeles, 1924. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1925 - Hollywood & Cahuenga (1920s). The young film capital in the Roaring Twenties.
1925 - Banksia Place Sanitarium, Los Angeles, Calif.. Los Angeles, 1925. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1927 - Building City Hall (1927). The 1928 City Hall under construction, for decades the tallest building in LA.
1927 - LA River flood (1927). A bridge destroyed by flooding on the then-untamed Los Angeles River.
1928 - Benedict Maternity Hospital. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1928 - St Francis Dam disaster, 1928 (newsreel). Reuters/period newsreel of the dam collapse that killed hundreds.
1928 - graduating class of the Los Angeles County General Hospital, School of Nursing. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1928 - Golden State Hospital. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1928 - French Hospital. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1928 - Los Angeles City Hall (1928). The completed City Hall, the icon of the interwar city.
1928 - French Hospital, est. 1860. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1928 - Chase Diet Sanitarium. Los Angeles, 1928. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1929 - Battle of La Mesa 1847 at Union Stockyards Ended Mexican Rule from Los Angeles as it app…. Los Angeles, 1929. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1929 - Frank A. Bouelle, Superintendent of Schools, Los Angeles, 1929-1937. Portrait of Frank A. Bouelle, Superintendent of Schools, seated at his desk. Bouelle was the superintendent of the Los Angeles City School District from February 1, 1929 until his retirement in January, 1937.
1929 - Dugout Restaurant. Los Angeles, 1929. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1930 - Aerial view of Los Angeles High School 1930s. Los Angeles, 1930. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1930 - Hollenbeck Park, Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles, 1930. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1930 - Columbia Broadcasting System at night, Radio City, Hollywood, Calif. Los Angeles, 1930. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1930 - Eddie August Schneider on August 18, 1930 in Los Angeles, California (600 dpi, 100 quali…. Los Angeles, 1930. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1930 - Exterior view of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, ca.1920-1929. Photograph of an exterior view of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, ca.1920-1929. The large rectangular building can be seen on a street corner at center. The main entrance, topped by a marquee, can be seen at left, while a side door can be seen at right.
1930 - Albert Kothe and his Ford Model A at Hollywoodland Sign. Albert Kothe's cabin at the Hollywoodland sign, behind the first "L".
1932 - The 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. LA hosts the Summer Games for the first time.
1932 - 1932 LA Olympics - track & field (silent newsreel). The original 1932 Games newsreel, from PeriscopeFilm.
1932 - 1932 LA Olympics & the Graf Zeppelin docking (Kinolibrary). Archive film of the 1932 Games and the airship over the city.
1932 - "Real Hustling" - Los Angeles (British Pathé, 1932). A 1932 British Pathé newsreel of the city.
1932 - 1932 Los Angeles Olympics highlights. Highlights of the Depression-era Games.
1932 - 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games (archival newsreel). Newsreel film of the 1932 Games.
1933 - The Union Stock Yards (1933). The industrial LA that fed the growing city.
1933 - Frank L. Shaw decides between a bowler hat and a straw hat. Los Angeles, 1933. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1933 - The Griffith Park fire (1933). Crews fight the deadly 1933 Griffith Park fire that killed dozens of relief workers.
1933 - Main Street, downtown (1930s). The bustling commercial heart of Depression-era downtown.
1934 - Wrigley Field Los Angeles. My father, Lee Minor (1914-2009), grew up on the west side of Chicago. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 at the age of 18. A first generation American just graduated from high school, the CCC seemed the best of the few options available to him as the Great Depression deepened.
1934 - La-crescneta-flood-times. The illustration shows road blocks due to flooding and proposed flood channels in the area.
1935 - Photos 10307 large HE box 4995-W.P.A. HE-001-947 4x5 Herald Examiner LAPL 00028113. Los Angeles, 1935. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1935 - Douglas Aircraft, Santa Monica, 1930s (Boeing Classics). On Nov. 30, 1928, Douglas incorporated his business as the Douglas Aircraft Co. Inc. and moved to the completed building in Santa Monica in 1929. In its new facilities, the Douglas Aircraft Co. continued to make observation biplanes and built its first twin-engine aircraft, the T2D-1 torpedo bomber. It also produced a small commercial amphibian, the Sinbad that led to the successful military Dolphin; the famous Douglas Commercial series aircraft DC-1, DC-2, DC-3; the DC-5 and the B-18 Bolo bomber.
1935 - Barton-sewell-ucla-library. Los Angeles, 1935. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1935 - Publicity at Hollywood dog training school, Southern California, 1935. Carl Spitz Sr. and Dr. Ross shooting an ad at the Hollywood Dog Training School. Seated at the picnic are four dogs while behind the table Dr. Ross hands Carl Spitz Sr. a can of dog food.
1935 - Laguna Beach home movies, 1930s. Beach life south of LA, captured on home-movie film.
1935 - 1930s California home movies (silent). A road trip across 1930s California on film.
1936 - 1930s Los Angeles at night - neon & movie theatres (home movie). A 1930s home movie of downtown neon, from the PeriscopeFilm archive.
1936 - Photos 86679 large WPA 401 West Los Angeles Police substation. West L.A. Police Station at 1653 Purdue Ave. in West Los Angeles, October 1936.
1936 - Untitled - Large Letters. Los Angeles, 1936. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1936 - Woodystrode collage. Woody Strode lines up as end on the Jefferson High football team. In 1936 South Los Angeles, California.
1937 - 1930s Binney family home movies, Los Angeles. Everyday LA life on home-movie film, 1930s.
1937 - Frank L. Shaw at the Los Angeles County Grand Jury. Los Angeles Mayor Frank L. Shaw at the Los Angeles County Grand Jury.
1937 - Six Los Angeles Railway weekly passes 1937 - 1940. Six weekly passes for Zone 1 of the Los Angeles Railway.
1938 - After the police raids on Alameda Street (1938). Crowds gather after a 1938 police raid, the city’s harder edge.
1939 - 1939 Pacific Electric Railroad Boosters trip (archive film). A 1939 excursion on the Red Cars, PeriscopeFilm archive.
1940 - TerminalIslandDrillingProduction1940s. Terminal Island drilling-production operations in the 1940s.
1940 - Los Feliz Brown Derby postcard. Postcard image of the Brown Derby restaurant on Los Feliz Boulevard. Originally built in 1928 as Willard's Chicken Inn restaurant before being converted into a Brown Derby in 1940. {1} This postcard was produced prior to 1978 and has no copyright markings. The image has been cropped.
1940 - Paris Inn Cafe souvenir postcard. Souvenir postcard of Bert Rovere's Paris Inn Cafe, Los Angeles.
1941 - Los Angeles Stock Exchange 1941 WPA American Guide. Los Angeles, 1941. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1941 - from FWP's American Guide Los Angeles a guide to the city and its environs 17. Writers' Program (U.S.) California. (1941). Los Angeles: a guide to the city and its environs. New York: Hastings house.
1941 - Inside the Douglas Aircraft factory, Santa Monica (1941). Santa Monica Douglas Factory (1941) Click to subscribe!
1941 - FWP American Guide Series city 1941 California Los Angeles a guide to the city and its e…. Los Angeles, 1941. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1941 - Donald Douglas inspects the Santa Monica plant (1941). Los Angeles, 1941.
1941 - Japanese American Citizens' League as Anti-Axis Committee Headquarters, Los Angeles, 1941. The headquarters Japanese American Citizen's League, a civil rights organization, Anti-Axis Committee in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles. Many Japanese-Americans sought to distance themselves from the actions of the Empire of Japan during WWII.
1941 - Alexander Kahn. Newspapers must be printed blackout or no blackout and news services must get the news to the papers, so (left to right) Alexander Kahn, night manager of United Press, and Arthur Whitney, staff correspondent, get the wire news going from the service's office in Los Angeles, during Blackout Dec.11.
1942 - Franklin D. Roosevelt and Culbert L. Olson in Long Beach, California - NARA - 195522. Los Angeles, 1942. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1943-06-07 - Servicemen stop a streetcar, Zoot Suit Riots (7 June 1943). Sailors searching a streetcar for zoot-suiters during the 1943 riots.
1944 - 1940s Pacific Electric - Long Beach line (archive film). The Red Cars running in the 1940s.
1944 - Snow at First & Spring (1944). A rare snowfall dusts the streets below City Hall.
1945 - The Central Avenue jazz district. Los Angeles, 1945.
1945 - The Pacific Electric Red Car system (archive footage). Vintage footage of the great interurban network.
1946 - Los Angeles in 1946. The postwar city.
1946 - Margaret Queen Phillips Adams at work. Image of Deputy Sheriff Margaret Q Adams at work in the 1940s.
1946 - Rodger Young Village 2. Los Angeles, 1946. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1947 - Santa Monica & the Douglas Aircraft factory (1940s home movie). Los Angeles, 1943.
1947 - Bradbury Fire,1947. Los Angeles, 1947. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1947 - California (1947, travelfilmarchive). A 1947 travelogue across Southern California.
1948 - Los Angeles, late 1940s (Huntley Film Archives). Genuine late-1940s street film of the city.
1948 - Morris Nagel Versatogs and Adele California buildings ca1948. Los Angeles, 1948. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1948 - Tearing out the streetcar tracks (1948). The dismantling of the rail system that the freeways would replace.
1950 - Meyercard. Los Angeles, 1950. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1950 - Sunset Boulevard (1950). Billy Wilder’s noir about Hollywood itself.
1950 - The sprawling lights of LA from Mount Lowe (c.1950). The horizontal city at night, seen from the San Gabriels.
1952 - Brown Derby on Wilshire 1952. Postcard photo of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. This postcard was produced prior to 1978 and has no copyright markings. The image has been cropped and color adjusted. Most of the original building shown was destroyed by fire in 1987.
1952 - Cliffie stone circa 1952. Los Angeles, 1952. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1953 - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Human Rights Banquet Honoring…. Los Angeles, 1953. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1953 - The Farmers Market (1953). The Third & Fairfax market, an LA institution.
1954 - The Watts Towers, Watts. Los Angeles, 1954.
1954 - The Watts Towers of Simon Rodia. Los Angeles, 1954.
1954 - Detail of the Watts Towers. Los Angeles, 1954.
1955 - Angels Flight funicular (1955). The little railway up Bunker Hill, "the shortest railway in the world."
1955-07-17 - Disneyland opening day, July 17, 1955. Walt Disney opens the park in nearby Anaheim.
1956 - Uclalat 1429 b257 95950CK-1 Know Your City No.66 Walkway and steel girder of the 6th Str…. Los Angeles, 1956. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1956 - Broadway theatre district at night (1950s). The neon marquees of downtown’s movie palaces.
1957 - Whittier Narrows dam project (copy), 1957. Los Angeles, 1957. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1958 - Inaugural 1958 games - Dodgers at the Coliseum. Footage of the Dodgers’ first West-Coast season, 1958.
1959 - Chávez Ravine forcible eviction. Los Angeles, 1959. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1959 - Safe driving on Los Angeles freeways (1959). A 1959 educational film on the new freeways, real period footage.
1960 - Roslyn Chasan as Nurse at Torrance Medical Practice. Los Angeles, 1960. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1960 - Hollywood Plaza Hotel pool. Postcard photo of the swimming pool of the Hollywood Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles.
1961 - The Red Car system - a final ride (historic video). Footage from the last days of the Red Cars.
1962 - Building the highways, 1960s (Kinolibrary). From the Kinolibrary Archive Film collections. To order the clip clean and high res or to find out more visit Clip ref. BPA93.
1962 - Bunker Hill razed around Angels Flight (1962). Urban renewal demolishes Victorian Bunker Hill around the funicular.
1962 - "Smog Menace" (British Movietone newsreel). A period newsreel on LA’s choking smog.
1963 - CA 1 I10 FHWA 63 1239. Interstate Route 10, the Santa Monica Freeway, meets the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles at an interchange designed for extremely heavy traffic movements.
1963 - Hollywood Plaza Hotel coffee shop. Postcard photo of the coffee shop of the Hollywood Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles.
1963 - Wich Stand 60s menu outside. Outside of (front and back) of early menu from Which Stand coffee shop in Los Angeles.
1963 - Wich Stand 60s menu inside. Inside of (facing pages) of early menu from Which Stand coffee shop in Los Angeles.
1965 - The Miracle Mile (1960s). Wilshire’s Miracle Mile, the linear downtown built for the car.
1965 - 1965 Watts aftermath - rare 8mm colour footage. Amateur colour film of the Watts aftermath.
1965 - Hollywood in 1965 (British Pathé). British Pathé colour film of Hollywood, 1965.
1965 - Watts Riots 1965 - Universal Newsreel footage. The original newsreel of the six-day Watts uprising.
1965 - The Hollywood dream, 1965 (vintage LA). Vintage 1965 footage curated by Alison Martino.
1965 - KFAC Gas Company Evening Concert 25th Birthday advert. Los Angeles, 1965. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1965 - Air pollution in LA at its worst (archive). David Hoffman’s archival smog footage.
1965 - Watts Riots, 1965 (AP archive). The six-day Watts Rebellion of August 1965.
1965 - 1960s pollution in Los Angeles (archival). Los Angeles, 1965.
1965 - Rare footage of the 1965 Watts Riots (NBCLA archive). Archive news film of Watts, August 1965.
1965 - "Watts - Riot or Revolt?" CBS special, 1965 (part 2). More of the 1965 CBS Reports footage.
1965 - 1960s Los Angeles air pollution (Kinolibrary). Archival film of the smog crisis.
1966 - The Sunset Strip in the 1960s (vintage footage). The Strip at the height of its rock-and-roll era.
1966 - Buffalo Springfield - "For What It’s Worth". The 1966 Sunset Strip riots anthem.
1967 - The Brown Derby (Kodachrome, c.1950). The hat-shaped restaurant where Hollywood ate. This photograph dates from 1967.
1967 - Sunset Boulevard, 1967. Archive footage of the boulevard.
1970 - CSNY - "Our House". Provided to YouTube by Rhino Atlantic Our House · Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
1970 - Roslyn Chasan Practicing Law. Los Angeles, 1970. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1971 - Center for Southwest Research University of New Mexico - Underground Newspaper Collectio…. Los Angeles, 1971. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1972 - LOW-HANGING SMOG - NARA - 542683. Los Angeles, 1972. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1972 - Watts Festival Next door to the Towers of Simon Rodia Allows an Ascension of Another Kind. Taken the same day as the photographs of the Towers of Simon Rodia, just a few hundred feet away, was the mechanical, moving equivalent of the Towers for all to ride to get that same sense of flight and escape as Simon Rodia no doubt experienced as he built his Towers.
1972 - SMOG, SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS - NARA - 542676. Los Angeles, 1972. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1972 - HOLLYWOOD FREEWAY - NARA - 542684. Los Angeles, 1972. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1972 - Watts Towers of Simon Rodia "The Ankh Within.". I am sure Simon Rodia had no idea that the support and connecting rods between two of the tall towers he created were formed in the shape of an 'ankh.' The Ankh is a symbol that is also known as breath of life, the key of the Nile or crux ansata (Latin meaning "cross with a handle").
1972 - MT. WILSON OBSERVATORY - NARA - 542677. General notes: Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Angeles National Forest, Southern California.
1973 - KTLA: gas stations & heavy traffic in LA (1973). Los Angeles, 1973.
1974 - Jack Albertson on the set of "Chico and the Man". Los Angeles, 1974. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1975 - U.S. ^1 NEAR THE PACIFIC OCEAN NORTH OF MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF …. Scope and content: U.S. #1 NEAR THE PACIFIC OCEAN NORTH OF MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS ARE LOCATED NEARBY, THE LAST SEMI-WILDERNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE AREA IS THREATENED WITH DEVELOPMENT.
1975 - GRAFFITI DEFACES ROCKS IN THE MALIBU CANYON AREA NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS LOCAT…. Scope and content: GRAFFITI DEFACES ROCKS IN THE MALIBU CANYON AREA NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS OF WHICH THE CANYON IS A PART CONTAIN SOME OF THE LAST SEMI-WILDERNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BUT ARE THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT.
1975 - GARAGE SALE SIGN ATTACHED TO A TREE OFF MULHOLLAND DRIVE IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS D…. Scope and content: GARAGE SALE SIGN ATTACHED TO A TREE OFF MULHOLLAND DRIVE IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS DENOTES RECENT DEVELOPMENT NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF LOS ANGELES. THE MOUNTAINS CONTAIN THE LAST SEMI-WILDERNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
1975 - Wilshire Blvd in the 1970s (vintage footage). Los Angeles, 1975.
1975 - LEO CARRILLO STATE PARK ON HIGHWAY ^1 NEAR MALIBU CALIFORNIA WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NOR…. Scope and content: LEO CARRILLO STATE PARK ON HIGHWAY #1 NEAR MALIBU CALIFORNIA WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, IS FREE FROM COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. NEARBY ARE THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. THEY CONTAIN THE LAST SEMI-WILDERNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BUT ARE THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT.
1975 - AERIAL OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS LOOKING SOUTH, NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS LO…. Scope and content: AERIAL OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS LOOKING SOUTH, NEAR MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THE CLEARED AREA IS A FIRE BREAK. THE MOUNTAINS CONTAIN THE LAST SEMI-WILDERNESS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, BUT ARE THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT.
1977 - Chicken Boy on Broadway L,A. 1977. Los Angeles, 1977. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1978 - KTLA News on the Watts Rebellion (UCLA Archive). KTLA news footage preserved by the UCLA archive.
1979 - Groundlings1979. Los Angeles, 1979. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1982 - The Chasan Villa - Top View. Los Angeles, 1982. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1983 - Hollywood Sign. Los Angeles, 1983. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - 1984 Olympics - closing ceremony. On August 12, 1984, the Games of the XXIII Olympiad ended in Los Angeles, California with ceremonies at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This video is the ABC network's live coverage of the closing ceremonies.
1984 - 1984 Olympic opening ceremony (full broadcast). The actual 1984 opening-ceremony broadcast.
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Lotul olimpic de canotaj. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - The LA ’84 opening ceremony was a whole vibe. 📲 Want to watch live sport and original documentaries for free? Check out our website:
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Cristieana Cojocaru. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Anisoara Cusmir. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - John Kerr Los Angeles Olympics 1984. Medal ceremony Los Angeles 1984. Medal presented by King Constantine of Greece.
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Pe cea mai inalta treapta a podiumului cu echipa Romaniei. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - Los Angeles in 1984. The city in its Olympic year.
1984 - Barca României, Los Angeles 1984 4+1 vâsle feminin. Los Angeles 1984: Maricica Țăran, Anișoara Sorohan, Ioana Badea, Sofia Corban și Ecaterina Oancia canotaj, 4+1 vâsle.
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Echipa de haltere a Romaniei. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - 1984 Olympics - closing celebrations. Los Angeles, 1984.
1984 - Los Angeles 1984 - Medaliatii olimpici, la sosirea pe Aeroportul Otopeni. Los Angeles, 1984. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
1984 - 1984 Olympics - opening ceremony highlights. The commercial-breakthrough 1984 Games open.
1987 - Whittier Narrows earthquake, Oct 1, 1987 (KPIX). The 1987 quake that struck the LA basin.
1987 - Whittier earthquake report from Downey (1987). Local coverage of the 1987 quake.
1988 - N.W.A - the Compton sound (1988). The year 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of N.W.A's landmark album STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, one of the two most important gangsta rap albums ever (the other being N.W.A. founding member Dr. Dre's THE CHRONIC). The album sounds as ferocious and frightening as ever, as it continues to voice the "power of street knowledge" to the masses. Like the similarly themed 10th Anniversary edition, this version of S.O.C. contains a handful of reworked versions of songs by some of the biggest names in post-N.W.A. rap,…
1988 - N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1988). Los Angeles, 1988.
1992 - Raw footage as the 1992 riots erupt (NBCLA archive). Unedited news footage of the city in chaos, April 1992.
1992 - LA riots - live coverage as it happened, 4/29/92. The live TV coverage on the day the verdict dropped.
1992 - LA riots - the first 24 hours after the verdict (1992). News footage of the first day of the uprising.
1992 - 1992 riots - live KABC reports. Live local-news coverage of the riots.
1994 - Northridge earthquake - aerial views of damage (1994). Aerial footage of the destruction.
1994 - First reports of the Northridge earthquake (NBCLA archive). The live news as the quake hit, 17 Jan 1994.
1994 - Northridge quake - live coverage, 1/17/94. Extended live coverage from the morning of the quake.
1994 - 1994 Northridge earthquake - news footage. News film of the damage.
1995-01-24 - O.J. Simpson trial - January 24, 1995. Opening days of the trial.
1995-02-22 - O.J. Simpson trial - February 22, 1995. The trial that transfixed America.
1995-07-12 - O.J. Simpson trial - July 12, 1995. The trial nears its verdict.
1995-08-15 - O.J. Simpson trial - August 15, 1995. Footage from the "trial of the century."
1996 - Tupac at Death Row Records (rare footage). Rare video recordings from Death Row vault. Most of these moments realited to 2pac.
1996 - Tupac, the last interview (1996). Los Angeles, 1996.
2004 - Olvera st los angeles. Los Angeles, 2004. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2005 - Behr-0020 close crop east side. West side of Broadway from 6th to 7th, c.1915. Bullocks at left. H. Jevne Building at right.
2005 - Behr-0020 crop east side. West side of Broadway from 6th to 7th, c.1915. Bullocks at left. H. Jevne Building at right.
2005 - Behr-0020 closest crop midblock. West side of Broadway mid-block from 6th to 7th, c.1915. Former Central Department Store building at right, now site of Los Angeles Theatre.
2006 - Chavez Ravine. This is a photo of a place or building that is listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in the United States. Its reference number is.
2006 - Ramen shop in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles by SykoSam. Los Angeles, 2006. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2006 - FarEastCafe-LittleTokyo. The Far East Café, a landmark 1896 Beaux-Arts building in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. It was recently the subject of a $3.8 million restoration that received county, state, and federal funds. Photo taken by Bobak Ha'Eri, on November 11, 2006.
2007-05-20 - Mulholland builds the aqueduct (archival). Archival film of the aqueduct project.
2007 - census Moisant.gif. Los Angeles, 2007. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2007 - census Turpin.gif. Los Angeles, 2007. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2007 - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum July 2007 5. The 1984 Summer Olympics plaque at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California (United States).
2007 - Pete rose at bat. Los Angeles, 2007. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2007 - Rose walking onto field. Los Angeles, 2007. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2008 - USC Community House. Los Angeles, 2008. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2008 - Garnier Building (Los Angeles). Garnier Building in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District Park. The Chinese American Museum is housed in the building, which was located in the city's original Chinatown. Built in the Romanesque revival style of brick and granite, in 1890 by Philippe Garnier, a French settler and prominent businessman.
2008 - Griffith Observatory & the Hollywood Sign. Los Angeles, 2008.
2009 - Detailed view of Canon F-1 New 'Los Angeles Olympics 1984 Edition' with motor drive. Canon F-1New AE Los Angeles 1984, mit Canon 1.2/55mm ASPHERICAL.
2009 - Catalina Adobe Side. This is a photo of a place or building that is listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in the United States. Its reference number is.
2009 - Canon F1-New - analog SLR camera in Edition "Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984". Canon F-1New AE Los Angeles 1984, mit Canon 1.2/55mm ASPHERICAL.
2009 - Catalina Adobe Front. This is a photo of a place or building that is listed on the California Historical Landmark listing in the United States. Its reference number is.
2010 - BroadwayTunnel L.A. Los Angeles, 2010. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2011 - Mutual of Omaha building and Hollywood sign. View looking north toward the Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood sign, and the Mutual of Omaha building, which is at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, on the Miracle Mile at 5225 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. La Brea Boulevard can be seen in the center of the image.
2011 - United Methodist Church, Olvera Street, Los Angeles. Late afternoon view of the United Methodist Church in Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. This is the oldest part of Los Angeles, from 1781. Commonly refered as La Placita Olvera, it is a nice touristy place to visit. ISO 100, 10mm, f11, 1/100.
2011 - Hollywood Hills view from Jefferson Park. The Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood Sign, and part of Griffith Park. The view is north from the 3800 block of South Norton Avenue, in Jefferson Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
2011 - A touch of Old Mexico, Olvera Street, Los Angeles, California. File name: 06_10_009697 Title: A touch of Old Mexico, Olvera Street, Los Angeles, California Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approximate) Physical description: 1 print (postcard) : linen texture, color ; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. Genre: Postcards Subject: Cities & towns Notes: Title from item.
2011 - Air View, Famous Signal Hill, Signal Hill, Calif. File name: 06_10_010222 Title: Air View, Famous Signal Hill, Signal Hill, Calif. Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approximate) Physical description: 1 print (postcard) : linen texture, color ; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. Genre: Postcards Notes: Title from item.
2011 - * - View showing the St. Charles Hotel, originally the Bella Union Hotel. To the left (n…. (1880)* - View showing the St. Charles Hotel, originally the Bella Union Hotel. To the left (north) stands the Farmers and Merchants Bank (previously the Pico Building). Further north is the 3-story Grand Central Hotel, built in 1876.
2011 - Freight landing at 22nd Street, Long Beach, California. - NARA - 295484. Los Angeles, 2011. From the Wikimedia Commons historical-photo collections.
2013 - Los Angeles from the air. The endless horizontal megacity of today.
2013 - The downtown skyline (2013). The towers that finally rose downtown in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
2013 - Early-2010s Los Angeles aesthetic. Los Angeles, 2013.
2013-11-20 - The aqueduct opens - Mulholland speaks (1913). "There it is. Take it.", the actual opening-day footage.
2015 - LA hosts the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. Los Angeles, 2015.
2017-04-18 - L.A. Burning: the riots, 25 years later (A&E). Los Angeles, 1992.
2017 - LA 92 (full documentary, National Geographic). The definitive documentary on the 1992 unrest.
2018 - Skid Row, downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles, 2018.
2018-12-11 - The four-level interchange - 70 years. Los Angeles, 1953.
2019-01-17 - Looking back at the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The quake that struck before dawn on 17 Jan 1994.
2019-03-31 - Dodgers 1958. Film of the Dodgers’ first year in LA.
2019 - The homelessness crisis on Skid Row. Los Angeles, 2019.
2020 - COVID-19 field hospital, Convention Center (2020). Los Angeles, 2020.
2020 - George Floyd protests, downtown LA (2020). Los Angeles, 2020.
2020 - George Floyd protests at City Hall (2020). Los Angeles, 2020.
2020 - The USNS Mercy arrives in LA (2020). Los Angeles, 2020.
2022 - Los Angeles street tours (modern). Los Angeles, 2022.
2023 - Union Rescue Mission, Skid Row (2023). Los Angeles, 2023.
2023-11-20 - The Santa Monica Freeway, before & after. Los Angeles, 1965.
2024-01-24 - The Los Angeles Times cuts its newsroom. KTLA's report on the Los Angeles Times laying off around a quarter of its staff, one of the deepest cuts in the paper's history. The city's paper of record has been central to how Los Angeles has understood itself since the 19th century.
2024-06-02 - Zoot Suit Riots erupt, 3 June 1943. Period coverage of the 1943 riots.
2024-06-09 - The Pride parade, in full. ABC News carries the 2024 Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Pride parade end to end. Los Angeles held one of the first permitted Pride marches in the United States, and the parade remains one of the city's largest annual street events.
2024-06-21 - Venues named for the 2028 Games. KTLA reports the venue assignments announced for the 2028 Summer Olympics, including several unexpected choices. Los Angeles is planning a Games built almost entirely on existing stadiums and arenas rather than new construction.
2024-07-26 - LA '92 - the aftermath of the riots. Los Angeles, 1992.
2025-01-11 - Fire and Ash - how the fires spread. The first part of NBC Dateline's report on the January 2025 wildfires, anchored by Lester Holt, tracing how the Palisades and Eaton fires took hold across Los Angeles County. It is the network's contemporaneous record of the week.
2025-03-20 - Anatomy of an urban firestorm. A PBS Terra documentary on what turned the January 2025 fires into an urban firestorm, set against the history of cities destroyed by fire. It treats the event as a question of wind, fuel and building stock rather than as spectacle.
2025-05-03 - Union Station opens, May 3, 1939. The grand last great rail station of America.
2025-05-08 - A house built to survive the fire. An architecture channel examines a Pacific Palisades house designed to resist wildfire and what it implies for how the city rebuilds. It moves the fire story from footage to construction standards, siting and materials.
2025-06-14 - Where the city rebuilds after the fires. Business Insider uses satellite imagery and interviews with environmental scientists, planners and residents to ask how Los Angeles should rebuild the neighbourhoods lost in January 2025. The question of building back in the same places is the central unresolved one.
2025 - Drone video of the Palisades fire devastation (LA Times). Aerial footage of the January 2025 fire.
2025 - Palisades fire tears through SoCal (ABC7). Live news footage of the 2025 fire.
2025-08-28 - Rich and poor in one city. A documentary tracking the distance between Beverly Hills and the city's poorest districts, from tourist Los Angeles to the streets where people live without housing. Inequality is the condition the modern city is most often described by.
2026-01-08 - A year after the fires, still displaced. NBC4 reports one year on from the January 2025 wildfires, with thousands of residents still out of their homes and responsibility for the fires still disputed. The recovery, not the burning, is the longer story.
2026-01-17 - The Northridge earthquake (1994). The most destructive US earthquake of its era.
2026-02-12 - How oil was drilled in 1890. The drilling that made early LA fortunes.
2026-02-27 - Charter changes could weaken the controller. CBS Los Angeles reports on proposed charter amendments that would reduce the powers of the elected city controller, the office that audits how the city spends its money. It is one strand of the first serious charter overhaul in decades.
2026-03-01 - The Rodney King beating - 1991 news footage. The 1991 news report on the King beating.
2026-05-01 - A city attorney appointed, not elected. The Charter Reform Commission proposes that the Los Angeles city attorney be appointed rather than elected by voters. Whether the office answers to the electorate or to City Hall is one of the sharper questions in the review.
2026 - Building the Los Angeles Aqueduct, 1907–1913 (film). Construction footage of the aqueduct across the desert.
2026-06-19 - Chaplin filmed in an LA park, 100+ years ago. Original footage of Chaplin shooting in Los Angeles.
2026-07-17 - Sixty recommendations for the city charter. The League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles hosts a public workshop on the Charter Reform Commission's work, which sent more than sixty recommendations to the City Council after nine months of study. Proposals include expanding the number of council districts and strengthening the Ethics Commission.
2026-07-27 - An Emmy for the firestorm coverage. The Television Academy awards the 2026 Los Angeles Area Emmy for live coverage of an unscheduled news event to ABC7's team for its reporting on the Southern California firestorms. The local Emmys are the industry's own record of what the city's newsrooms covered that year.
2026-08-04 - Rent increases close Eagle Rock shops. NBC4 reports on small businesses in Eagle Rock closing after steep rent increases, some rising from around $1,200 to $3,000. The squeeze on neighbourhood commercial strips is part of the wider cost story running through the city.
2026-08-09 - New fires in Burbank and Santa Clarita. KTLA covers crews fighting several new wildfires across Los Angeles County, among them the Walnut Fire in Burbank and the Tasha Fire near Santa Clarita. Fire in the chaparral is a recurring condition of the region rather than a single event.

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