Skip to main content
Donate

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)
A Pacific Electric trolley rolls down Redondo Beach in 1939. Courtesy of the Metro Transportation Library and Archive.
When Trolley Tracks Ran Through Southland Beaches
Trolley lines were once an essential transportation link between populated inland areas and beaches.
The Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League played baseball in shorts from 1950 to 1953. Courtesy of the Herald-Examiner Collection - Los Angeles Public Library.
Hollywood's Baseball Team Wore Shorts For 4 Seasons
From 1950 to 1953, the Hollywood Stars wore shorts on the field, and L.A. as Subject has the photos to prove it.
The town of Toluca (now North Hollywood) in 1894. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
When North Hollywood Was a Town Named Toluca, or Lankershim
Some of Southern California's "lost towns" never actually vanished; they simply assumed new identities.
Downtown Tropico, circa 1912. From the brochure 'Glendale, California: The Jewel City,' courtesy of the Glendale Public Library's Promotional Brochures of Tropico and Early Glendale.
The Lost City of Tropico, California
A post office may still bear the name, but don't try addressing a letter to "Tropico, CA" -- the city of Tropico dissolved 96 years ago.
The Lost Towns of Los Angeles County
Entire towns have vanished from the Southland. And they had names like Morocco, Tropico, and Minneapolis.
This avenue of pepper trees was one of Central Park's charms. Circa 1890 photograph courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
How Did Los Angeles Lose its Not-So-Central Park?
Though it served its community for 27 years, privately owned Central Park in South Los Angeles was eventually carved up and sold off as individual housing lots.
Ela Park is the oval-shaped lawn in the foreground of this 1911 photo, courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
What's in a Name? The Origins of Lincoln Heights' Ela Park
Its three-letter name is almost as tiny as 0.38-acre park itself, but "Ela" -- as in Ela Park of Lincoln Heights -- is actually an acronym with big historical meaning.
Echo Park, circa 1895. Photo by W. H. Fletcher, courtesy of the W.H. Fletcher Collection, California State Library.
Echo Park's Lake Began as a Drinking Water Reservoir
You shouldn't sip from it today, but in 1870 the recently completed Echo Park Lake was the centerpiece of a promising new drinking water system.
Circa 1910 picture postcard of St. James Park in West Adams. Courtesy of the South Bay History Collection, CSUDH Archives.
St. James Park: When a Private Playground Became a Public Park
It's one of the city's oldest parks, and you've probably never heard of it.
Regional boosters held up South Park, seen here circa 1911, as an example of Southern California's semitropical abundance. Courtesy of the South Bay History Collection, CSUDH Archives.
The Original South Park, an Oasis in South Los Angeles
Established in 1899, this 19-acre park in South Los Angeles was once touted as an example of Southern California's "semitropical abundance."
The Orange Plaza, circa 1910. Courtesy of the Orange Public Library.
How the City of Orange Circled Its Towne Square
A circular park has been the physical heart of the City of Orange since its 1871 founding as the town of Richland.
The Cahuenga Pass circa 1905, when only a modest wagon road cut through the gap in the mountains. Courtesy of the USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection.
Photos: When the Cahuenga Pass Was Rustic
Today the 101 freeway traverses this notch in the Hollywood Hills, but there was a time when "rustic" truly applied to the Cahuenga Pass.
Show more
Active loading indicator