So I finally got my hands on a copy of Taschen’s new Los Angeles, Portrait of a City and have been thoroughly giddy with delight at this truly epic retrospective. Kevin Starr of USC is my personal favorite California historian and his insightful essays give this ever-so-beautiful pictorial history the sort of depth and complexity that is rarely associated with a city known for shallow gloss. But Jim Heimann’s inspired editing, along with Starr’s intimate understanding of this misunderstood city, and David Ulin’s literary intonations (the text is salted with words from Aldoux Huxley, Fitzgerald and the like), gradually unveil the surprisingly complex sociological, political and industrial ramifications that birthed a modern metropolis out of a barren desert.
Since it’s Taschen, the book has a hefty pricetag but if you ever have the opportunity to flip through its pages, please do treat yourself and prepare to be truly impressed with some of the most striking spreads I’ve seen in a long time.
Many of these photos have never before been seen and have been culled from archives and collections and universities all over the world. Some of my favorites are found below.
The Kitty Packard Pictorial 
You’ve convinced me Kitty that I should get this book! Having grown up and hung out in central parts of LA – Echo Park, downtown, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, the Sunset Strip, Eagle Rock, the beaches, Pasadena and Glendale, this will be a trip through many memories.
What stunning images! Many of those I have not seen published anywhere else. I can’t wait to look through the whole book.
That is one of the most stunning collection of photographs I’ve ever laid eyes on. The Palladium picture is incredible.
Yes, I agree! Taschen’s work is always good but this particular volume is superlative. The Palladium image resonated with me as well–can’t you just feel the rush of fabric and hear the echoing acoustics? It truly captured a moment in time.