[Collection of Aerial Photographs of Various Los Angeles Landmarks and Neighborhoods Following World War II]

[Los Angeles, 1948. Very good.. Eighteen photographs, between 7 x 7 inches and 11 x 17 inches, most mounted on black construction paper, with typed captions on mounted labels or printed captions in the negative. Minor wear. An informative collection of medium and large-format photographs taken from the air above the Los Angeles area in the late-1940s. The photographs may have been produced by a studio, as many of the caption labels specify the size and format of the produced image, as well as other important identifying information; for example, one of the shots features "California Incline Santa Monica, Calif." taken from 2,000 feet on November 2, 1947 and printed "11x14 double weight semi-gloss." Three of the photographs are 11 x 17 inches, while most of the images measure 7 x 7 inches and are printed on "single weight glossy." Fifteen of the photographs carry printed labels affixed to the mounting paper or the corner of the images, while the remaining three photos display captions in the negative. Other midcentury L.A.-area subjects featured in these aerial photographs include Loyola University, the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, the Ballona Creek Outfall in Venice, the "Dismantled Amusement Pier" in Venice, the Hollywood Turf Club, Baldwin Apartment Village, Rolling Hills Estates in Palos Verdes, the Westchester Business District, Hotel Miramar in Santa Monica, and three shots of the Hyperion Sewage Disposal Plant, among others.

Two of the images measure 8 x 10 inches and picture different views of the Los Angeles Municipal Airport and the Hollywood Turf Club, respectively. These two images include the photographic studio credit at bottom left, reading "Meteor Aerial Photo Service" in Santa Monica. These are the only two photographs identifying the studio, though the other photographs may have also been produced by them. An evocative group of aerial photographs of the Los Angeles area just after the Second World War which should provide ample opportunity to study the changes and developments over the last eighty years in the City of Angels. (Inventory #: 5415)