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Lost LA

Lost Speedways

As smooth, reliable highways became a reality in Los Angeles; speedways began popping up throughout the region. Satisfying LA’s need for speed, the first speedway arose at Agricultural Park, home today to the LA Memorial Coliseum. Harold Osmer reveals that historically, with 174 officially sanctioned auto racing tracks, more racing has taken place in Los Angeles than any other place in the world.

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The Charm & Chaos of SoCal's Botanical Landscape
26:29
From wildflowers to jacarandas, explore the plants that paint California in vibrant hues.
LA’s True Crime: Fact & Fiction
26:40
Discover how the True Crime genre was shaped by its deep historic legacy in Los Angeles.
Sci-Fi Origins: Saving Star Trek, Fan Zines, Cosplay and Counterculture
26:43
Uncover the origins of the sci-fi genre and its unique connection to historic Los Angeles.
The Fast and the Forgotten
27:10
Auto racing's LA roots, from dry lake beds to movie ranches, left tread marks across the region.
Lost LA Season 7
28:46
Uncover Disney’s LA roots and how the city became the birthplace of modern animation.
When the St. Francis Dam Collapsed
27:05
Trace the devastation of the 1928 St. Francis Dam collapse and its deadly flood.
Cold War Secrecy
26:40
How Cold War vigilance and secrecy shaped Southern California culture.
Space Shuttle
26:39
The Space Shuttle Endeavour’s journey is traced from its origins.
Lost LA Season 6
26:40
Tiki culture isn’t a Polynesian import — it’s a Hollywood creation.
Tuberculosis: The Forgotten Plague
26:49
Archives reveal the “forgotten plague” that shaped Southern California: tuberculosis.
Eternal City: Los Angeles Cemeteries
26:50
Visit Hollywood Forever, Evergreen and Forest Lawn, where L.A. reinvented the cemetery.
Hiking Trailblazers
26:40
The hiker-activists who led Angelenos into their hills and onto the trails.
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