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Historic
Photos of
Los Angeles
written by Dana Lombardy, published by Turner Publishing
The world
famous City of Angels, second largest
city in America, had humble beginnings.
Author Dana Lombardy brings to life the
tumultuous history of Los Angeles, the
city destined to claim the title
"entertainment capital of the world", in
the first section of Historic Photos of
Los Angeles, (1870-1899). Photos in this
period show Los Angeles as a small
frontier town with unpaved roads and
horse-drawn carriages.
As Los Angeles vied with San Diego for
residents, the Southern Pacific railroad
constructed branches to Los Angeles,
bringing thousands of people who
intended to settle in this former desert
town. Water was an issue that was solved
by Superintendent William Mulholland and
the planning of the an aqueduct from the
Owens River. The period of 1900-1909
shows photos of grand buildings
surrounded by palms, the appearance of
automobiles and the first resort and
amusement park in the area, built to
resemble Venice, was completed.
The climate, cheap labor and land,
brought film makers to Los Angeles
during the period of 1910-1919. Studios
needed the many days of sunshine this
area provided, and Los Angeles was on
its way to becoming the entertainment
capital of the world. Photos of this
period show the famous La Brea Tar Pits,
the growth of the coastal areas like
Redondo Beach, the completion of the
aqueduct and the influx of Mexicans
fleeing the Mexican Revolution.
By the 1920s, Los Angeles had become the
tenth largest city in the U.S., and the
largest metropolitan are in America with
it's 365 square mile area. The period of
1920-1929, the Roaring 20s and
Prohibition era, shows the beginning of
overcrowding, poverty, crime and
corruption. A highlight is the opening
of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
The Great
Depression and the following recovery,
the period of 1920-1939, is depicted
with photos of a growing city getting
ready to host the 1932 Olympics. The
Long Beach earthquake of 1933 is shown,
as well as the Wilshire Boulevard and
Beverly Hills area, where movie stars
resided. Traffic was becoming a problem
and marches were held urging the U.S. to
boycott German imports to protest Nazi
Germany's repressive policies toward its
Jewish citizens.
The effects of WW2 are brought to life
with the period of 1940-1949. The photos
show a crowded, busy city that keeps
growing and an entertainment industry
that survives regardless of the
rationing of food, fuel and clothing.
Those of Japanese ancestry were sent to
War Relocation Centers--a blight on our
American history--and the Los Angeles
citizens respond to the governments call
for help for the armed forces. Women
join the work forces as men are sent
overseas. Surfing starts in 1946, as a
promotional ploy for the Redondo-Los
Angeles Railway and Hollywood's heydey
starts to decline with the advent of
television.
The period from 1950-1959 shows the cold
war and the threat of nuclear
weapons take hold. Now, with a
population of 2.5 million people, and
the third largest city in America, Los
Angeles feels the pressure of being a
prime target for Soviet long-range
weapons. Paranoia in the form of
McCarthyism take hold. Television
production and stars are on the rise,
traffic is still a problem, flashy cars
and sunny days are the norm.
The last period in book 1960-1969
earmark social changes, the Watts Riots,
the assassinations of the Kennedy
brothers, John and Robert as well as
civil rights leader Martin Luther King
Jr.
Los Angeles,
ever changing and ever growing, is
accurately and emotionally portrayed in
this book. Dana Lombardy has chosen
photos that show a city to be made of
people. With Los Angeles county being
the most populous county in the US, this
book is a valuable slice of the American
people and what they stand for--both the
good and the not-so-good.
Dana Lombardy was interviewed on our
online history radio show, Way Back
When, on October 3, 2008. To listen to
the entire, unedited show, please
click
here. To listen to Dana's interview,
please double click on the Play Button
below:
Turner
Publishing Company Turner Publishing Company is an award-winning,
independent publisher of specialty and trade
titles. They specialize in Regional & Local
History; Historic Photos Books; Southern Fiction
and Literature; General Nonfiction and
Children’s Books.
Read more aboutTurner
Publishing.
QUICK LINKS TO OUR ONLINE RADIO SHOWS--TUNE
IN ANY TIME!
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Historic
Photos of 
