Back to Show
Lost LA
Venice’s Inclusive African American Roots
The vision of Abbot Kinney was inclusive, collaborating with the African American community in the creation of Venice of America. We talk with heirs of two prominent players in the Venice identity. Sonya Reese Greenland is the granddaughter of Arthur L. Reese, who contributed to many lasting decisions of the seaside town. We also talk to Jataun Valentine, great-grandniece of Irvin Tabor, Kinney's personal chauffeur, about family life and how the African American community thrived in early Venice.
Support Provided By

26:40
California’s deserts have sparked imaginations around the world. This episode explores the creation of the Salton Sea; the effort to preserve Joshua Tree National Park; and how commercial interests created desert utopias like Palm Springs.

51:47
"Lost L.A.: Descanso Gardens" explores the history of one of southern California's most-beloved public gardens.

26:50
Americans have long looked at the California shore and seen the end of the continent. Instead, this episode interprets that sandy edge as the beginning of a Pacific world.

25:06
See how the many restrictions many Angelenos had to navigate, exposing Los Angeles as a place of coded segregation and resistance.

23:50
Los Angeles is often identified with Hollywood, but there's more to the entertainment industry than its facade of movie stars and blockbuster films.

25:32
Wood, iron, steel, concrete -- these are the materials that gave form to Los Angeles and shaped its identity in the national imagination. This episode also questions the cultural legacy and environmental costs of the city's relentless growth.

26:50
American history has long been told as a triumphant march westward from the Atlantic coast, but in southern California, our history stretches back further in time.

28:32
In this episode, "Lost LA" examines how the modern metropolis has reshaped its own topography. The program explores downtown L.A.'s lost hills and tunnels, as well as the vanished canals of Venice Beach.

20:57
In this episode, "Lost LA" explores the various ways Southern California's inhabitants have used the hills around Dodger Stadium.