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A black and white photo of a Los Angeles city street illuminated by street lights along the street and mounted on shop exteriors. The building in the middle of the photo has a sign that reads, "Coast Cigars Coast. The largest retail cigar dealers in the world."
L.A.'s Many Moons: The Electrification of Los Angeles
By the end of 1883, Los Angeles became the first city in America to abandon gas for street lighting, opting for electricity.
A black-and-white photo of a stagecoach passing through Old Chinatown in Los Angeles, near the site of the 1871 Chinese massacre
Los Angeles Seeks Ideas for Memorial to 1871 Chinese Massacre Victims
Los Angeles city officials have released a Request for Ideas to memorialize the victims of the 1871 Chinese Massacre, which took place in the old Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles.
Looking west over the Heart Mountain Relocation Center with its sentry name sake, Heart Mountain, on the horizon.
How Japanese American Incarceration Was Entangled With Indigenous Dispossession
Indigenous land dispossession was bolstered by the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II — and vice versa.
A black and white photo of a flat, desert valley. A few small buildings are scattered in a cluster near the foreground of the photo and an area is fenced off with wood fencing. Mountains can be seen in the distance.
How Indigenous Labor Was Diverted in the Making of L.A. Aqueduct and Owens Valley
By creating Indian boarding schools, the government converted Indigenous labor and lands into property for capitalist gain.
An old, Sepia-toned image of a late 1800s street with unpaved roads. A gas lamp stands just off the side of the road.
Making Modern L.A.: When the City Was Lit by Gas
In the 19th century, efforts in making Los Angeles more modern made the city more dependent on burning a fossil fuel.
A black and white photo of a valley with a river running down the center. Off in the distance, embedded into the foothills of the mountain is a house. Across the bottom of the image is written in white text, "The Crag's Country Club, Los Angeles."
How an Exclusive Club Helped 'Preserve' Nature While Pushing 'Progress'
While working on ambitious plans to grow the city of Los Angeles for profit, an elite group of businessmen also founded an exclusive club that promised a natural escape.
In this photo dated January 6, 1982, Vin Scully in front of a podium with the Dodgers logo behind him.
13 Vin Scully Highlights Captured in Southern California Archives
Here are photos, videos and ephemera from Southern California archives to add to the collective celebration of one of the best sportscasters in history.
An elder Japanese American man points at a iPad being held by another woman off-screen. On the iPad screen is a view of the front facing camera with 3D images of two Japanese Americans conversing next to suitcases overlaid.
L.A.’s Multi-Layered History Comes to Life in These AR/VR Projects
A number of Los Angeles history-minded institutions are exploring the use of new technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to reconstruct Southern California’s past. Here are projects that make the past feel present through the use of AR and VR.
A black and white photo of a steel-framed stage. Three man stand outside of it.
How Balboa Studios Almost Made Long Beach the West Coast Movie Capital
In the early 1900s, Long Beach was on track to becoming the "other Hollywood," led by independent production company Balboa Amusement Producing Company which created over 200 films in their studio at the intersection of Sixth Street and Alamitos Avenue.
A black and white photo of men standing in front of a store front. The glass of the store has printed on it, "Automobile Club." The men are standing on the sidewalk in front of it. On the street in front of it, two men sit on an old car and a young boy behind them is leaning on a bicycle.
How SoCal's Automobile Club Paved the Way For Road Development in the Name of Historic Preservation
First envisioned as a private social club, the Automobile Club of Southern California helped push development throughout Los Angeles by playing up a fabricated cultural past.
Photograph of people posing with their automobiles at Tioga Pass Summit, Yosemite National Park, ca.1925. Three automobiles are visible from the front at center, with a fourth visible from the side at left. At least twelve men and two women can be seen standing around, on top of, or sitting on the automobiles. A few are holding their hats in their hands, or are about to take their hats off. Most wear suits. Two piles of stones can be seen at left and right in the foreground, while a few trees are visible in the background.
How a Car Ban in Yosemite Park Ushered the Car-Friendly National Parks of Today
During Yosemite Park's infancy, it banned all automobiles at the park. The resulting rally from the Automobile Club of Southern California set the stage for cars at national parks to this day.
A drawing by Edward Vischer depicting cattle-drivers traveling towards the Mission Santa Barbara, May 6, 1865. The mission is visible at the foot of the mountains in the distance, while several cowboys on horseback drive a herd of cattle towards it from the pueblo. Several unsaddled horses, one of which is a foal, graze by a cluster of short trees to the left. The text below the image reads: "View of the Convent Santa Barbara from the Town". Picture file card asserts: "Cattle drove (northward-bound for market) passing the Valley of Santa Barbara" and "In lower left hand Vischer, May 2, 1865."
How a 19th-Century Drought Gave Us the L.A. We Know Today
The Owens Valley aqueduct and water from the Colorado River blunted the impact of 20th century droughts. Cattle and sheep range, emptied by thirst, became 50-by-100 foot house lots for the ten million of us who live in Los Angeles County, wondering today if there will ever be enough water.
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