La-La Land

February 5, 2014 4:38 PM

Vintage Los Angeles is Alison Martino's YouTube channel featuring a look back at Los Angeles during the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. There's an accompanying blog and a facebook page, too.
posted by Room 641-A (10 comments total)

I just started watching the PBS film Inventing L.A. the other evening. I've only seen the first half hour so far but by that point it's just staggeringly good; among the most immersive and absorbing documentaries of its kind I've ever seen. You can watch the whole thing online here.
posted by George_Spiggott at 4:59 PM on February 5, 2014 [9 favorites]

This is 70's. The cars, the Shell sign, the gas pumps. The little blue Beetle.

Great post!
posted by Mblue at 5:40 PM on February 5, 2014 [2 favorites]

Best L.A. nostalgia-fest I remember was the mostly-well-before-the-1970s-focused KCET/Ralph Story's "Things That Aren't Here Anymore". (I think he did at least 3 of these shows, but they're mostly YouTubed in small pieces) But then, Ralph Story had done a weekly series on KNXT in the 60s that told tales of L.A. (making him the obvious choice to host such a show) Too bad Ralph Story isn't here anymore.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:55 PM on February 5, 2014 [6 favorites]

I've been playing around with making a post about this but I may as well leave this here: Beverly Park and Ponyland: The 'Kiddieland' that Inspired Walt Disney. (I had my 9th or 10th birthday party there!)
posted by Room 641-A at 6:04 PM on February 5, 2014

There's been a relevant exhibition at National Building Museum called Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990. Related tumblr.
posted by Rob Rockets at 6:57 PM on February 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Rayner Banham's amazing BBC documentary of that time
posted by fallingbadgers at 10:06 PM on February 5, 2014

Awesome post! I love LA, though it took a few years for me to get it. And thanks for the heads up on the Inventing LA show. George_Spiggott.
posted by professor plum with a rope at 1:20 AM on February 6, 2014

oneswellfoop: those are still on KCET from time to time. I agree; they're terrific.
posted by professor plum with a rope at 1:26 AM on February 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is great. I'm 3rd generation on both sides and inherited ALL the photos, so I have a ton of photos from all over L.A. from the family. I should finish that scanning project and send a few to her.
posted by Sophie1 at 7:07 AM on February 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

Inventing LA: the Chandlers and their times-- seems like an interesting documentary.
posted by Zandile Williams at 8:20 PM on February 7, 2014