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Lost LA

Outposts of Unreality

Sam Gennawey, urban planner and theme park historian, talks to us about the cross-pollination of inspiration that happened in Los Angeles’ built environment. Set designers working on bombastic backdrops for Hollywood would also find themselves the architects of homes for celebrities and vice versa. In this city of dreamers and big ideas, themed restaurants such as Tam O’Shanter, Pig N Whistle or Clifton’s could exist, as well as the Babylonian themed archways in the City of Commerce, Disneyland and Universal Studios.

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Season
California Blooms
26:29
From wildflowers to jacarandas, explore the plants that paint California in vibrant hues.
True Crime
26:40
Discover how the True Crime genre was shaped by its deep historic legacy in Los Angeles.
Sci-Fi Origins
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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