Incline L.A.: The Lost Residential Railway of Mt. Washington (Episode 2) | KCET
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Incline L.A.: The Lost Residential Railway of Mt. Washington (Episode 2)
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Nathan Masters
Nathan Masters is host and executive producer of Lost L.A., an Emmy Award-winning public television series from KCET and the USC Libraries. The show explores how rare artifacts from Southern California's archives can unlock hidden and often-surprising stories from the region's past. Nathan’s writing has appeared in many publications, including Los Angeles Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
View Mt. Washington Incline Railway in a larger map
In case you missed it, watch Part 1 on incline railways in downtown L.A. here.
Mount Washington: a hill more than a mountain, the landform in northeast Los Angeles is home today to leafy streets and artists' bungalows. But just a century ago, Mount Washington remained carpeted in chaparral, its hilltop land inaccessible to real estate developers and homebuyers. Ultimately, it was the simple Edwardian technology embodied in the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Incline Railway that conquered the hill.
Closed more than ninety years ago, the Mt. Washington funicular is one of several Southern California incline railways lost to history, their remains rusting on hillsides or long ago sold for scrap, their memory preserved only in the photographs, films, and maps of the region's archives.
Now, discover the story of this lost residential railway -- and other forgotten funiculars --through "Incline L.A.," a new video series showcasing L.A. as Subject member collections and the archivists, historians, and experts who care for them.
Collections Featured in Episode Two: Mt. Washington
Automobile Club of Southern California Archives
Los Angeles Public Library Map Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Transportation Library & Archives - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
USC Libraries - California Historical Society Collection
UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library
Experts Featured in Episode Two: Mt. Washington
Morgan P. Yates, Automobile Club of Southern California Archives
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About the Author
Nathan Masters
Nathan Masters is host and executive producer of Lost L.A., an Emmy Award-winning public television series from KCET and the USC Libraries. The show explores how rare artifacts from Southern California's archives can unlock hidden and often-surprising stories from the region's past. Nathan’s writing has appeared in many publications, including Los Angeles Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
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