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Bathing Beauty
How the All-Year Club Sold the L.A. Summer
Most tourists once came to Southern California in the winter – and then the All-Year Club invented the L.A. summer.
PBS SoCal Building
Examining Some of Los Angeles's Remarkable Architecture from 1972
In the year of the first KOCE broadcast — now 50 years ago — many buildings popped up around the Los Angeles area, including a landmark design by architect William Pereira.
Circa 1930-44 postcard of Naples' Rivo Alto Canal
From Marshland to Italian Village: The Creation of Naples, Long Beach
It opened one year after Venice of America – that other Southern California development boasting saltwater canals and an Italian name.
Reitman v. Mulkey
How One O.C. Woman Took Her Fight For Fair Housing All The Way to the Supreme Court – And Won
Reitman v. Mulkey, decided in 1967, was an important legal victory against discriminatory housing policies. The case originated in Orange County, California.
Students and faculty assemble outside the State Normal School in 1904
When UCLA Was a Downtown Teaching College
The California Branch State Normal School occupied a hilltop site in downtown L.A. The teacher's college later became UCLA.
Los Angeles Central Library
A Brief History of the Los Angeles Central Library
L.A.'s historic 1926 downtown library has survived calls for its demolition – and a still-unsolved case of arson.
Buried Alive (social media)
Real L.A. Noir: The Case of the Blonde Buried Alive
A popular carnival stunt in 1930s Los Angeles featured beautiful Gloria Graves, buried alive in her coffin.
Beverly Center ad
Bright Colors, Big City: One Man’s Massive Collection of Postwar California Print Media
A collection documents how local magazines, ad inserts, zines, and trade brochures, all brightly colored and striking, advertised 1950s-'80s California.
Santa Monica Cycle Path By Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
A Very Brief History of Bike Trails in Southern California
As PBS SoCal (formerly known as KOCE) celebrates its 50th anniversary, here's a look back at another milestone of 1972 — the opening of the South Bay Bike Trail — and what its place was in the history of bicycling in SoCal.
Battle of Antietam
What Happened in L.A. During the Civil War?
The American Civil War inflamed passions in distant Southern California.
Descanso Gardens' Old Verdugo, an ancient oak that doubled as a survey marker
These Boundary Trees Are Remnants of California's Lost Mexican-Era Ranchos
Ancient oaks and sycamores marked the boundaries of many Mexican-era rancho land grants.
Dr. Norman Watson founder of KOCE/PBS SoCal
Before we were KOCE, something else was ...
Before the radio call sign KOCE was assigned to PBS SoCal, it was associated with a Coast Guard vessel.
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