In its July 13, 1953 issue Life magazine ran one of many photo essays on the city of Los Angeles. This one focused on the immense population and development growth the city and surrounding area encountered in the late ’40s and early ’50s. Here then is a gallery of the most interesting photos — some unpublished — that went into its story called “400 New Angels Every Day.” There were all shot in either December ’52 or July ’53 by J. R. Eyerman.
More old photos here:
http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/blog/time-capsule-los-angeles-development-boom-of-the-1950s
Hat tip Eddie89!
Daytrip sent this in:
Life magazine told America about the rapid development of Lakewood in 1953 in a series of photographs that included a dramatic panorama of a street filled with moving vans. The photo seemed to show a typical moving-in day. As this Press Telegram story shows, however, the shot was staged by the Lakewood Park publicist. The Life magazine photo later became famous as a icon of suburban life in the 1950s.
https://lakewood-ca.smugmug.com/keyword/moving%20vans/
That photo looks really cool until you realize that all those people are moving OUT. Unless that guy is walking the chair down the ramp backwards?
I really love history. The pics and video were a really good history lesson.
And to think that some or all of those houses are still there and selling for close to a million bucks!
If we could go back in time and tell those homeowners that “In the future, 2017, you could sell your house for almost a million dollars!” they would think we were insane!
Everything I needed to know about LA, I learned from watching Chinatown, LA Confidential, and LA story.
A fantastic trifecta!
Fun facts, if I’m remembering correctly, regarding that pic… the photo was a housing development in Lakewood, intended as starter homes for veterans. The photo was staged by the photographer. Not much spontaneity in that photo. The brand spanking new neighborhood was “restricted” at the time. The housing developers who designed the tracts, chose the architects, hired the construction workers were Jewish. Because Lakewood was designated as “restricted,” they weren’t allowed to move into any of the houses in the city they designed and built. Most of the homes built still stand today, and are in good shape.
Now you know the rest… of the story. If I’m remembering correctly.
Balboa Park carousel back in the day. For you millennials, this was back when there were tight-nit communities, nobody locked their car doors, and everybody left their ignition keys under the seat. People routinely picked up hitchhikers, and the woman taking tickets for park rides knew your mom.
Thats why your parents are so strange. We grew up in bizarro world. We dressed up to go to Denny’s. We even dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner! No shoes, no turkey! Guys were routinely pressured to MARRY the girl they impregnated! If we were unemployed, we had to go to an office building to wait in line to explain to a mean old spinster why we still weren’t working! If she didn’t like our explanation, she cut off our checks!!! We’d be forced to work at a car wash! Food stamps… were stamps! No credit cards back then! Can you believe that madness?
Don’t begrudge us! Pity us!!
https://youtu.be/RlEDSpGiK6Y