“Every city has had its boom, but the history of Los Angeles…should be regarded as one continuous boom punctuated at intervals with major explosions.” —Carey McWilliams, Southern California: An Island on the Land, 1946 Metro Transportation Library, Archives & Records…
Category: Primary Resources
Primary Resources
At L.A.’s Streetcar Inauguration, Who Told 8-Year Old Shirley Temple, “Buy Yourself A New Automobile”?
Remembering Huell Howser: Some Archived Images Of The Region’s Official Rideshare Spokesman
Broadway Bound: Looking Back At Historic Streetcars On Broadway In Los Angeles’ Historic Core
All Of SoCal History Comes Alive At The 7th Annual LA As Subject Archives Bazaar!
75 Years Ago This Weekend: California Inspires The World With One Of America’s Greatest Infrastructure Projects (And Celebrations) Ever
20 Years Ago This Week: Southern California Rapid Transit District Employees’ Heroic Response To The Civil Unrest Of 1992
75 Years Ago This Week: 10,000 Turn Out As Shirley Temple Inaugurates New PCC Streetcar Service In Los Angeles
The third week of March, 1937 had been designated “National Transportation Week” and Los Angeles was ready to roll out its new streetcars. 10,000 cheering spectators celebrated the arrival of two Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars at City Hall. It…
Los Angeles And The Rise Of The “Super-Commuter”: The Dramatic Increase In Our Long-Distance Workforce
One of the many attributes of libraries and archives is that they provide access to information which might not otherwise be discovered or accessed by those who benefit from it. Even though a standard Google search can return thousands or millions…
How Los Angeles Began Its Experiment With Steam-Powered Buses…Plus, Its Rare Documentary Film
Today marks the anniversary of an important experiment in the history of local transportation and alternative fuels. On this date in 1972, the Southern California Rapid Transit District took delivery of a prototype steam turbine-powered bus for a year-long demonstration…