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Nathan Masters

Nathan Masters (2018)

Nathan Masters is host and executive producer of Lost L.A., an Emmy Award-winning public television series from KCET and the USC Libraries. The show explores how rare artifacts from Southern California's archives can unlock hidden and often-surprising stories from the region's past. Nathan’s writing has appeared in many publications, including Los Angeles Magazine and the Los Angeles Times. He also helps manage public programs and media initiatives at the USC Libraries, home to the L.A. as Subjectresearch consortium.

Nathan Masters (2018)
An early color photo of the arena. Courtesy of the Orange County Archives.
When Anaheim's Flying-Saucer Arena Touched Down Near Disneyland
A new Space Age arena arrived in the summer of 1967.
KCET's first studio facility in Hollywood opened in 1948 as the headquarters of the Mutual-Don Lee broadcasting empire. Circa 1949 photo courtesy of the Security Pacific National Bank Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.
KCET's First Hollywood Home: The Historic Mutual-Don Lee Studios
The sleek, mid-century modern production facility at 1313 North Vine Street in Hollywood had already acquired the patina of television history by the time KCET launched in 1964.
Western Ave. as a dusty county highway in 1894. Courtesy of the Braun Research Library Collections, Autry National Center: LS.14502.
Was Western Avenue Once L.A.'s Western Boundary?
Western Avenue, as the oft-repeated explanation goes, is so named because it once formed L.A.'s western boundary. But is there any truth to this just-so story?
Aliso Street in 1899, looking west toward downtown Los Angeles. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
Photos: Aliso Street, Before It Became the 101 Freeway
Long before it became the downtown portion of the 101 freeway, Aliso Street was a major transportation corridor for early Los Angeles.
Another C.C. Pierce view from Olive Hill circa 1890, looking north toward Mt. Hollywood (on the left) and the future site of Los Feliz. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
When East Hollywood's Barnsdall Art Park Was an Olive Orchard
Before the Hollyhock House, there were olive trees -- a veritable army of them, each spaced 20 feet apart, marching up the hillside in an orderly grid formation.
Chavez Ravine the canyon is clearly marked on this 1966 USGS topo map, a landform distinct from the hilly terrain now occupied by Dodger Stadium. Courtesy of the USGS.
Where Is Chavez Ravine, Exactly?
Dodger Stadium might have replaced the community known as Chavez Ravine, but the actual canyon still exists -- albeit anonymously.
Bridle paths ran down the center of Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, intersecting at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Courtesy of the Beverly Hills Public Library Historical Collection.
The Lost Bridle Paths of Beverly Hills
From 1923 until the 1960s, pathways dedicated to horse travel ran down the center of several Beverly Hills streets.
Paul Bragg (front-right) leads his Wanderlusters Hiking Club up Mt. Hollywood in Griffith Park in 1932. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - Dick Whittington Photography Collection.
How a Health Guru Helped L.A. Discover its Hiking Trails
In the 1920s and '30s, health guru Paul Bragg led huge group hikes into the Hollywood Hills and San Gabriel Mountains.
In 1926, a stretch of Oxnard's beach was transformed into Hollywood-by-the-Sea, fifty miles west of Tinseltown. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - Dick Whittington Photography Collection.
When Oxnard Beach Became 'Hollywood-by-the-Sea'
Never mind that Tinseltown was fifty miles away. In 1926, one Ventura County beach became Hollywood-by-the-Sea.
From 1937-40, workers blasted a roadcut through Point Mugu. The rocky stub of the headlands, Mugu Rock, now appears frequently in car commercials. Undated photo courtesy of the Santa Monica Public Library Image Archives.
When PCH Blasted Through Point Mugu
Today, Pacific Coast Highway passes effortlessly through Point Mugu between Oxnard and Malibu.
The Hollywood Sign stands on the face of Mount Lee, a 1,708-foot peak in the Hollywood Hills. 1960 photo courtesy of the Security Pacific National Bank Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.
What Flattened the Top of Mt. Lee (of Hollywood Sign Fame)?
Behind the Hollywood Sign rises the 1,708-foot summit of Mount Lee, a hilltop flattened for a never-built house that would have been L.A.'s grandest mansion.
Two-way traffic once ran through the Figueroa Street Tunnels, now part of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - Dick Whittington Photography Collection.
Before the 110 Freeway, Figueroa Street Ran Through These Tunnels
Until 1943, the Art Deco tunnels carried Figueroa Street's two-way traffic through the Elysian Hills.
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