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8 Ansel Adams Photos of L.A.'s Changing Food World in the 1940s

By Cat Vasko
August 18, 2014
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In 1939, Fortune magazine asked Ansel Adams to get some photos of the burgeoning aviation industry in L.A. Like any good photographer, however, Adams found his attention wandering, and wound up with 217 photos of everyday life in the city, which he would later donate to the Los Angeles Public Library. Below, eight of his photos that capture what the food world was like in L.A. at that time, from food trucks to candy stores.

lockheed1941

Employees at the Lockheed factory in Burbank lined up at 1941's version of a food truck. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

chickenhouse1940

In 1940, Adams photographed this advertisement for Pat Murphy's Chicken House. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

brownderby1940

Here, Adams captures the iconic Brown Derby on Wilshire in 1940. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

bigfive1940

Workers eat lunch at a cafe advertising "Everything GOOD, Everything BIG" in 1940. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

acmebeer1940

Patrons at an unidentified L.A. bar enjoy some Acme beer. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

lunchstand1940

A 1940 lunch stand set up in a parking lot advertised hot dogs, burgers and cigarettes. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

awfulfresh1940

The Awful Fresh MacFarlane candy store at 3655 Wilshire beckoned Adams to "taste b-4-u buy." Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

promenade1940

At Santa Monica's original Promenade, photographed by Adams in 1940, a concession stand advertised pineapple and corn on the cob. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

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