Author: Kenn Bicknell

We Are In Overdrive: L.A. Constructs The Future, 1940-1990

“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

LA Streetcar Inaguration featured image

At L.A.’s Streetcar Inauguration, Who Told 8-Year Old Shirley Temple, “Buy Yourself A New Automobile”?

This week marks the anniversary of the 1937 National Transportation Week celebrations in Los Angeles. We reviewed the event for last year’s 75th anniversary, and included video

Movers & Shakers - Library Journal Cover

“Movers & Shakers”: Metro Transportation Library Receives National Honor For Innovative Services

This week, we received some great news. I have been named a 2013 Library Journal “Mover & Shaker”! Each year, just a handful of individuals

At Last: All Of Los Angeles Transportation History Explained In Interactive Timeline & Interactive Organization Chart

[Above: Metro Library’s new interactive timeline for Los Angeles transit history. “X” out the introduction box and move the chronology slider along the bottom to

Rideshare campaign featuring Huell Howser

Remembering Huell Howser: Some Archived Images Of The Region’s Official Rideshare Spokesman

Going back as far as at least the Gold Rush, California has been built on promotion — and we lost one of our greatest boosters this

Streetcar on Broadway, late 1880s

Broadway Bound: Looking Back At Historic Streetcars On Broadway In Los Angeles’ Historic Core

It was announced yesterday that plans to bring streetcars back to Broadway in downtown Los Angeles took a giant step forward. Business owners and residents

How is a Mastodon like a Bus?

How Is A Mastodon Like A Bus?: Local Transit Planning Impacts Los Angeles’ Paleontological Record

At the 7th Annual LA as Subject Archives Bazaar last month, archivist Denise Villegas participated in a “Pecha Kucha-style lightning round” highlighting each collection’s most

LA as Subject Archives Bazaar poster

All Of SoCal History Comes Alive At The 7th Annual LA As Subject Archives Bazaar!

Southern California history comes alive once again at the 7th-annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on the campus of USC on Saturday, October 27 from 9:00 a.m.

SCRTD Bus, 1984 Olympics Los Angeles

28 Years Ago This Week: The World Returns For Los Angeles’ Gold Medal Performance In Olympic Traffic Relief

Only four cities have hosted the modern Olympic Games more than once. When the world returned to Los Angeles in 1984, fifty-two years after its

1932 Olympic Organizing Committee official report

80 Years Ago This Week: Los Angeles Welcomes (And Transports) The World To The 1932 Summer Olympics

Millions around the globe begin to set their sights on London for the next few weeks, making this a great time to take a look back