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When I Think of Home: Images from L.A. Archives

Los Angeles Architecture and Landscapes

As the inhabitants of Los Angeles have shifted over time, they have transformed the landscape to accommodate their growing numbers and influenced an environment often misunderstood in its layered uniqueness. The land protected and cultivated by the indigenous Tongva and Fernandeño Tataviam people whispers of their presence through familiar landmarks (for example, Cahuenga translates to Kavwénga, “place of the hills”) though missionaries and early settlers now dominate the greater imagination of what people think of when they think of the historical landscape of “Los Angeles.” The perception of L.A. as a palimpsest, or blank slate, has been carefully crafted by such renaming, redesigning, and remarketing to sell an idea that usually contrasts with lived and historical reality.

Much of the city today exudes a dream-like aura. The combination of the dreams of those who migrate to Los Angeles from all over the globe for a new life and those of enterprising settler-investors results in a confusing and mesmerizing landscape. As Mike Davis succinctly puts it, “compared to other great cities, Los Angeles may be planned or designed in a very fragmentary sense (primarily at the level of its infrastructure) but it is infinitely envisioned.” [1]

Visionary architectural stylings of Richard Neutra, Frank Ghery, and Charles Sumner and Henry Mather Greene influenced possibilities for building in Los Angeles. One of the architectural designs featured in this exhibit is the mid-century modern design of Pueblo Del Rio, a public housing project in the city of Long Beach. It was built in 1940 for African-American defense industry workers and is now inhabited by Black and immigrant communities that call Long Beach home. Following a completely different path than Pueblo Del Rio, the residents of Chavez Ravine were forcibly vacated to make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium, depicted in the print above by Miyo Stevens-Gandara. You can see the outlines of bulldozed homes beneath a jubilant stadium, reminding us that along histories of triumph for some there are parallel histories of loss and displacement.

Amid the artistic visions, social boundaries are drawn through the built environment of the city, influencing how people interact with the landscape. Freeways encourage sprawl, athletics and entertainment spur redevelopment of existing communities, and industry creates enclaves where communities simultaneously thrive and are sequestered. This exhibit offers a glimpse into some of the areas where constant envisioning meets resistance, balanced by recreation offered by beaches and outdoor spaces that are so highly sought after in Los Angeles.

[1] Mike Davis, City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles (New York: Vintage Books, 1992), 23.

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Bird's eye view of Los Angeles surrounded by vignettes symbolizing key moments and features in the city's history to 1871, including ranchos; old and new city halls; a view of the pueblo in 1853; zanjas and waterwheels; Placerita Canyon, site of discovery of gold; early vehicular traffic (the Spanish carreta); hacienda life; Chinese dragons from fiesta parades; the Battle of La Mesa 1847; the Federal Building, site of many vigilante hangings; and more.
Aerial view, 1946, of the Northrop Aircraft plant in Hawthorne, between 120th St. (right) and Jack Northrop Ave. (right), looking east from Prairie Avenue, showing housing for Northrop employees. Note the difference between the houses in the foreground and the near left, which appear to have been built individually, one at a time, and the houses in the upper left and upper right, which were built by developers.
This aerial view showcases the bold yet rational design of Pueblo del Rio. Built in 1940 for African-American defense industry workers, the mid-century modernist project, located at 52nd Street and Long Beach Avenue, was designed by the Southeast Housing Architects, led by African-American architect Paul Revere Williams. The group also included Richard Neutra, Gordon Kaufman, Adrian Wilson, and the firm of Wurdeman & Becket.
Take an aerial trip through Los Angeles landmarks, circa 1964, visiting city streets before sweeping stops to the Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Observatory, Dodger Stadium, City Hall, and Union Station. In the first shot, get a glimpse of the May Company Building, now home to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Filmed on 16mm, this served as an audition reel for Pan Am World Airways. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.
Experimentations in domestic architecture are a feature of the landscape in L.A. Renowned L.A. architect Edward Fickett, known for his work on large tract-home developments, designed the Tennis Court House for a 1971 issue of Architecture and Interiors magazine, which featured case study houses for the community of Bon Vivant in Woodland Hills. The “roof” of the house takes the unusual form of a tennis court sitting atop the living spaces below.
The tape begins with short clips of the participants. At 4:19, Shelly Kappe introducing Whitney Smith, A. Quincy Jones, John Lautner, and Carl Maston. Kappe silently presents a selection of slides depicting each panelist's work. At 13:11, a brief video with highlights of last week's design forum is presented, featuring Gregory Ain, Harwell Harris, Thornton Abell, and Raphael Soriano. Ain argues that architecture is about solving a problem while Harris argues that architecture is about solving personal goals as opposed to social goals. Abell discusses form and function, and Soriano argues that style is thought with a minimum amount of words. At 25:13 the live discussion begins. Carl Maston remembers Raphael Soriano and reflects on some stories from Soriano's history. Whitney Smith jokes about how various generations all believe they are going to save the world. He talks about the importance of communication, the AIA, and he compares the profession to a fraternity. A.Quincy Jones discusses the importance of ecological design. Lautner defines architecture as a search for a better human environment, the need for meaning in the work, and the difficulty of progress. John Lautner discusses his arrival in California and getting started as a young architect. Whitney Smith brings up the subject of programming and collaboration. A. Quincy Jones discusses client relationships and programming in terms of a project for a factory. Carl Maston talks about clients in rocky marriages who turn to two things as a solution; building a home or having a baby.
Chavez Ravine by Miyo Stevens-Gandara depicts Dodger’s Stadium, a triumphant icon of Los Angeles pride and identity, with the bulldozed phantom of the Chavez Ravine community that existed in its place before the stadium’s construction. Stevens-Gandara draws parallels between the historical accounts and testimonies of the Chavez Ravine community’s displacement and the present issue of gentrification and displacement facing communities everywhere.
This poster opposes the demolition of public housing in Los Angeles. Gentrification and a lack of affordable housing creates life-threatening conditions in Los Angeles and throughout the world. Posters are key for organizing resistance. Whether the residents win or lose, they become empowered by the process of fighting for the stability of their communities—and posters such as this one record their struggle and empowerment.
This bridge was designed by architects Waddell and Harrington of Missouri but the local contractor from Los Angeles, John Drake Mercereau, changed the design to use natural strong footing in the Arroyo saving money to the city and giving the bridge it's distinctive curve. It was the first high bridge across the Arroyo Seco with an eleven-arched reinforced concrete structure. It connected Pasadena with Highland Park and gave way to more development of both sides of the Arroyo.
Designed by the Greene and Greene architectural firm of Pasadena, the Darling House was built for Mrs. Mary Darling at College Avenue and 8th Street in 1903. In 1921, the house was sold to Pomona College professor, M. B. Jones. This photograph is part of the Wheeler Scrapbooks, which chronicle life at Pomona College and in the city of Claremont from 1884 to 1938. The digitized scrapbooks are featured on the Claremont Colleges Digital Library.
Established by Secondo Guasti in 1900, the Italian Vineyard Company accounted for thousands of acres of agricultural land, and at one point became the largest vineyard in the word. The acres of vineyard and accompanying walnut groves depicted here helped to create the town of Guasti, California. Secondo Guasti's heavy Italian influence in the area led to the Italian consulate in Los Angeles to promote the agricultural town to Italian workers during this time.
Built in 1915, the Lanterman House was one of the first reinforced concrete homes built west of the Mississippi River. This innovative building material was chosen because of the Lanterman’s interest in preventing fire and earthquake damage. Designed by Arthur Haley, the house features a U-shaped Mexican Colonial hacienda design with a fountain courtyard in the middle, pergolas with plantings on all sides of the house, and English Arts and Crafts design elements throughout.
This is an excerpt from a larger brochure highlighting the six miniatures made in the 1930s that toured the country from 1946 to 1948, as a celebration of Hollywood and Los Angeles. This page is the short text explaining the miniature of Hollywood and how it came to be. The brochure covers all the models but we are including just the pages on this specific model. The brochure was created to promote the tour of the models.
This is an excerpt from a larger brochure highlighting the six miniatures made in the 1930s that toured the country from 1946 to 1948, as a celebration of Hollywood and Los Angeles. This page is an image of the Hollywood Miniature. It is the companion to the text page submitted separately. The brochure covers all the models but we are including just the pages on this specific model. The brochure was created to promote the tour of the models.

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Chavez Ravine, 2016 Chavez Ravine by Miyo Stevens-Gandara depicts Dodger’s Stadium, a triumphant icon of Los Angeles pride and identity, with the bulldozed phantom of the Chavez Ravine community that existed in its place before the stadium’s construction. Stevens-Gandara draws parallels between the historical accounts and testimonies of the Chavez Ravine community’s displacement and the present issue of gentrification and displacement facing communities everywhere.