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Lost LA
Rare Photos from the Los Angeles County Fair's 100 Years
The Los Angeles County Fair turns 100 this year. Considering all the ways the fair has entertained, informed and marketed to Angelenos over the past 100 years, here is a glimpse of a few rare attractions that have lit up local imaginations over the last century.
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Lost LA
Where to Find Remnants of L.A.'s Red Car System
Though the last of Los Angeles' famed Red Cars officially retired in 1961, there is still so much Pacific Electric history that can be found in the Southern California landscape — in expected and unexpected places.
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Lost LA
These Two Women Spent Decades Highlighting the African Heritage of L.A.
Throughout the last century, two prominent African American women — Charlotta Bass and Miriam Matthews — consistently shone a light on the city's early African heritage, raising awareness of the Black heritage of the city's first settlers.
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Lost LA
The Savvy Mexican Businesswoman Behind the Iconic Bradbury Building
While the building’s namesake Lewis Bradbury is often referenced in historical accounts, his wife Simona is rarely mentioned alongside him even though she oversaw his business affairs after his death, including the completion of the iconic Bradbury Building.
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Lost LA
Manuela C. García, the Voice Behind a Treasure Trove of Old Mexican Songs
Born in Los Angeles in the late 1860s, Manuela C. García is the voice behind over 100 songs in Charles Lummis' recordings of Southwest musical heritage. Known mostly by historians specializing in 19th-century Mexican American music, her voice connects California's present musical history with its past.
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Lost LA
A Walk Along L.A.'s Original Borders Reveals Surprising Remnants from the City's Past
To walk the border of the sprawling City of Los Angeles as it is today (about 503 square miles) seems an inconceivable feat for most. But what if that walk circumnavigated the city as it was in 1781 or 1850, when Los Angeles was square-shaped measuring four square leagues?
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Lost LA
La Pastorela: An Old Los Angeles Christmastime Tradition
Still performed today, La Pastorela was among the first theatrical productions staged in Southern California.
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Lost LA
Vast Swaths of Southern California Once Belonged to Pío Pico
If you call L.A., Orange, or San Diego County home, you may well live on one of Pico's former ranchos.
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Lost LA
Hometown Picnics: How Newcomers Kept Memory of Home Alive in Los Angeles
Newcomers from Iowa famously congregated each year in Southern California for their state picnic. Such gatherings were important for migrants from other parts of the world, too.
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Lost LA
In 1915, This Woman Served as Mayor of Los Angeles (For 36 Hours)
L.A. City Councilmember Estelle Lawton Lindsey made history in 1915 when she served as acting mayor for 36 hours.