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. He also helps manage public programs and media initiatives at the USC Libraries, home to the L.A. as Subject research consortium.

1961 artist's rendering of LAX's Theme Building, designed by architect William Pereira. Courtesy of the California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries.

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The Early History of L.A. International Airport

The transportation hub has hardly stood still since it emerged from the bean fields of Westchester in the late 1920s.

In conversation with original Imagineer Bob Gurr | Katie Noonan

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Lost LA

Lost LA Field Notes: Fantasyland

For the Fantasyland episode, I met an Imagineer, sat down with the director of the Walt Disney Archives and went through photos of Universal's original studio tour. We also visited the restaurant that inspired Walt Disney's fantasy theme.

Abbot Kinney's original plan for Venice of America. All the canals pictured here are now paved roads. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Map Collection.

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Lost LA

Lost LA Field Notes: Venice

Venice has been in a state of perpetual renaissance since tobacco heir Abbot Kinney founded the seaside resort town in 1905. And yet traces of its past stubbornly persist in street names, artworks and the built environment.

In discussion with Zzyzx caretaker Jason Wallace | Katie Noonan

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Lost LA

Lost LA Field Notes: Ghost Towns

The only ghosts in this episode are the dreams of the past — visions of wealth, of new cities, and of new ways of living that failed. One of our stops was at Zzyzx, where we found multiple layers of history baked under the desert sun.

In conversation with Dick Metz at the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center in San Clemente | Katie Noonan

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Lost LA

Lost LA Field Notes: Surf’s Up!

Before we made this episode, I didn’t realize how far surfing’s influence extended, even to my own childhood. Conversations with surf culture historians Dick Metz and Peter Westwick, and a visit to Muscle Beach, helped to tell the story.

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Lost LA

Lost LA Field Notes: Desert Fantasy

Californians have learned to love their arid eastern lands. Joshua Tree continues to enjoy (or suffer from, depending on your perspective) record visitation. Music and art festivals draw hundreds of thousands more. For many, the desert is home.