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Santa Monica Boulevard Looking East, January 31, 1935Imagine driving along a dirt road in Los Angeles before Santa Monic...
10/31/2026

Santa Monica Boulevard Looking East, January 31, 1935

Imagine driving along a dirt road in Los Angeles before Santa Monica Boulevard was widened and paved. This photograph, taken by Charles C. Pierce on January 31, 1935, looks east along Big Santa Monica Boulevard toward the intersection with South Beverly Glen Boulevard and the railroad bridge.

The road disappears over a hill in the distance, with railroad tracks and utility poles running alongside it. An open grassy field stretches beside the road, several two-story buildings stand beyond it, and six early-model automobiles can be seen traveling along the unpaved route. The Fox Film studios are located on the right, while a sign for Fox Films appears on Little Santa Monica Boulevard near Fox Hills Drive.

The scene preserves a landscape in transition, when open land, developing roads, rail infrastructure, and the film industry existed side by side. A curator's note identifies a second photograph taken on September 14, 1937, showing the same view after the road had been paved.

Together, the two images offer a fascinating before-and-after record of Los Angeles's changing landscape.

**Which would you find more interesting to see in person: the unpaved road of 1935 or the same view after paving in 1937?**

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Los Angeles Street Looking North from Third Street, circa 1918What would it have been like to cross a busy Los Angeles i...
10/30/2026

Los Angeles Street Looking North from Third Street, circa 1918

What would it have been like to cross a busy Los Angeles intersection more than a century ago? This photograph, taken around 1918, shows Los Angeles Street looking north from Third Street, with a dirt intersection crowded by horses, carriages, automobiles, and pedestrians.

Two sets of streetcar tracks run along the middle of Third Street, revealing a city where older forms of transportation shared the streets with newer technology. Tall buildings filled with shops line Los Angeles Street, while a lone bicyclist heads into the traffic on the right.

The scene captures a fascinating period of transition. Automobiles were becoming part of urban life, yet horses and carriages remained visible alongside streetcars and bicycles. Navigating the city meant sharing the road with different speeds, vehicles, and ways of getting around.

Today, the image offers a remarkable contrast with the modern city. Roads that now seem ordinary once looked like busy meeting points between the past and the future, with every passing vehicle representing a changing way of life.

**Which would you choose for a trip through 1918 Los Angeles: a streetcar, a horse-drawn carriage, or a bicycle?**

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10/30/2026

Discovering the Golden-Era Charm of Southern California, 1953.

Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Canyon, Los AngelesImagine running your everyday errands along Sunset Boulevard when a neigh...
10/30/2026

Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles

Imagine running your everyday errands along Sunset Boulevard when a neighborhood corner offered nearly everything you needed. This historical street view at Laurel Canyon shows a drugstore on one corner, with a bakery, dry cleaners, hair salon, and florist across the street. Beside the florist, an arched entrance marks the way into a parking lot.

Scenes like this capture the practical charm of neighborhood shopping. A trip outside could mean picking up something from the drugstore, collecting clothes from the cleaners, buying fresh baked goods, or stopping at a florist—all within a short walk of one another.

Before online shopping and app-based deliveries became commonplace, local businesses played an important role in daily routines. Their shopfronts were familiar parts of the streetscape, and the people working inside often became recognizable faces in the neighborhood.

Los Angeles has grown and changed over the decades, but the idea of a convenient neighborhood corner still has a special appeal. This photograph preserves a moment when ordinary businesses helped give a street its identity.

**Which of these neighborhood businesses would you have visited first: the bakery, florist, or drugstore?**

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10/30/2026

A Timeless Journey Through the Golden Era of Southern California, 1953.

Marie Barnett at the Battle of Cahuenga Monument, 1925Did you know that a battle near the Los Angeles River helped shape...
10/30/2026

Marie Barnett at the Battle of Cahuenga Monument, 1925

Did you know that a battle near the Los Angeles River helped shape California's path toward becoming part of the United States? This 1925 photograph by Dick Whittington Studio shows a woman identified as Marie Barnett standing in front of the Battle of Cahuenga monument on Mulholland Drive.

The plaque commemorates the Battle of Cahuenga on February 22, 1845, fought near the banks of the Los Angeles River. Although it is not remembered on the same scale as famous battles such as Waterloo or Gettysburg, the confrontation was part of the political struggles that preceded the Mexican-American War and California's eventual incorporation into the United States.

The episode was connected to the turbulent rule of Manuel Micheltorena, the last Mexican-born governor of Mexican California. Even the monument's wording offers a reminder of how local landmarks preserve stories that might otherwise fade from public memory.

Photographed eight decades after the battle, this image connects a historical event to the people who continued to visit and remember its location.

**How many people do you think know about the Battle of Cahuenga and its place in California history?**

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10/30/2026

Which disappeared Los Angeles restaurant do you wish would return?

Sunken Gardens at Exposition Park, Los AngelesCan you imagine spending a peaceful afternoon surrounded by the gardens of...
10/30/2026

Sunken Gardens at Exposition Park, Los Angeles

Can you imagine spending a peaceful afternoon surrounded by the gardens of Exposition Park, away from the noise and rush of the city? The historic Sunken Gardens offer a glimpse into a different side of Los Angeles, where landscaped outdoor spaces provided a place to pause and appreciate the beauty of the surroundings.

Parks and gardens have always played an important role in urban life. They offer room to walk, relax, meet friends, and enjoy a little greenery within a growing city. While Los Angeles is often remembered for its busy boulevards, entertainment industry, and expanding neighborhoods, places like Exposition Park reveal a quieter part of its history.

Historical photographs of gardens are especially appealing because they preserve not only a designed landscape but also the atmosphere of a different time. They invite us to imagine the visitors who once wandered along the paths, enjoyed the scenery, or simply took a break from their daily routines.

Today, public green spaces remain valuable reminders that even a bustling city needs places to slow down and breathe.

**Would you spend a relaxing afternoon in the Sunken Gardens or explore the busy streets of old Los Angeles?**

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10/30/2026

What do you miss most about Los Angeles in the 1970s?

10/30/2026

Hollywood, LA, California — Year 2006

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