LOS ANGELES: OLDEST KNOWN PHOTOGRAPHS, A true Old World compilation, Antiquitech, Aqueduct, Tunnels

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Today we will take a deep dive (so very deep) into Los Angeles. I was rewatching some of my previous work, and one of my earliest videos (after I began taking this channel seriously) was about Old World California.

However, while entertaining, that video lacked the certain narration and greater direction I like to present in my work.

So, today, we will take a second look at California - more specifically at Tinseltown, The home of Hollywood, The city of Angels, Los Angeles, California.

I’ve scoured the interwebs to find the oldest and most unique photographs of Los Angeles. I focused on locating images of L.A. before WW2, with an extreme focus on images before the year 1900. And oh boy! I’ve collected some very telling photographs.

We will discuss the brief “current narrative” history of Los Angeles, from Native American (and possibly Polynesian?!) occupation in the earliest described times, to the more modern city we see today. For the first portion of the video I will focus on the facts as they are told in the narrative, but the freestyle portion of the video will mainly be off the cuff. I will leave timestamps below for you to browse at your pleasure.

These are some of the most amazing images of any Old World City I have discussed yet. Looking through the architecture, and comparing it to the narrative given, we can find many buildings (and other municipal structures) which appear to predate the narrative structure we have been given.

Today we will break down these images in the best way possible. Please share any thoughts and ideas about Old World Los Angeles in the comments below!

Time stamps:

Intro - 0:01
Native American (Chumash and Tongva) occupation of Los Angeles Region - 1:50
Possibly Ancient Polynesian Arrival to LA - 2:51
Spain lays claim to Los Angeles, a convoluted history - 3:59
New Spain achieves independence, Los Angeles and Alta California - 5:32
Petroleum is Struck, A Population Boom - 6:51
The Hollywood Narrative - 7:50
Los Angeles continues to grow - 8:37
The Earliest Old World Buildings of LA - 9:50
Old World Freestyle Begins (No Written Narrative) Just General Discussion, Beginning with Early Tunnels built through Mounds - 11:08

[nora]

I've lived in Los Angeles and Orange county for 68 years. Seeing those pictures of downtown really brought back a lot of memories....taking the bus downtown from East Los Angeles and spending the day shopping and having lunch. Thanks so much. California is truly a magical place. Keep up the good work

[danburby]

I WAS IN THE COLISEUM ON THE 4TH OF JULY IN 1953, FOR THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY.THE LITES WERE OUT AND THEY ASKED EVERYONE TO LIGHT A MATCH.THE EFFECT WAS AMAZING.THERE WASNT AN EMPTY SEAT IN THE PLACE, ALSO THEY HAD 3 F-85 SABRE JETS DIVE INTO THE STADIUM AND ALMOST LAND AND THEN SWOOP UP OUT OF THE PLACE, ILL NEVER FORGET THE EXPERIENCE

[robinboyle]

I was born in L.A. in 1945 and grew up in the Hollywood Hills. Everything you show looks familiar, but I would love to see some particular places, like Grouman's Chinese Theater. I don't do much time measuring my little feet against the movie stars who left their mark (lol) in Hollywood. I'd like to see some of the canyons, I lived up in Laurel Canyon on LL surely Pass, then a dirt road that ended at a fire trail that lead through the woods and ended at Mulholland Drive. When I was about 12 the beautiful woods, home to every sort of wild animal, including Mountain Lions, were razed and yet another cookie cutter mini suburb built. My mother was so upset by the plans she chained herself to a tree and refused to jet the Earth moving machinery into the woods, but she lost that fight. While the road was still packed dirt I would walk probably a quarter mile to Wonderland Grammar School on Lookout. It was a hulking three story building with a nice big dirt playground full of oak and eucalyptus trees and a vegetable garden to one side. We ate outside mostly, at wooden picnic tables or in the classrooms if it was raining. Everyone played together, there was no age discrimination among the kids. Needless to say we all knew each other. At the end of K-6 I was bussed down to Bancroft Junior High, then Hollywood High. Dad was a commercial artist working for awhile at Universal in the 50s. Mom was also an artist (as I am too) and worked out her frustrations with housewifery by decoration every square inch of the kitchen with Toll painting designs. She also brought back seashells and cemented them around the bathtub.my dad made most of our mid century furniture. Our coffee table was an enormous tree stump carved into coffee table shape. Our house started out as a very small one bedroom with a white picket fence a wraparound porch and a tiny once stone car garage in the side yard. But they changed everything about the sweet little house, and it became as modern as 1950 would allow. They paid $5, 000 for it in 1947. Today on Google Earth it's footprint is entirely different and it's two stories. The last sale price was 1M plus. We didn't get that when we sold it in 1960 and my mom and I moved to NYC. We lived in the Village and I went off to the High School of Art and Design. Mom fell in love with a Broadway actor and stage manager and later married him when I left home. If you have any specific questions about Los Angeles in the 50s DM me. (I loved riding the electric streetcars downtown and visiting the TarPits!)

[tubadylan]

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Born in the Cedars of Lebanon hospital, which is now the world's center for the Church of Scientology. I just loved seeing these images. My mother also grew up in Los Angeles, and my grandfather's original factory at 2, 000 N. Main Street still stands to this day. Thanks again!

[imagine_being_god]

Hey man I just want to say I love your attitude towards life and I’ve been binging you with my wife for like 72 hours. I started watching Jon Levi but eventually had to stop because his attitude would bring me down, I love the guy a lot but one’s demeanor really makes a difference. So I appreciate you

[williamkuhns]

Fun fact: The ancient Hawaiians invented surf boards making them out of their native Koa wood and California Redwood. How did the Hawaiian kahunas aquire redwood you ask? In Northern California redwood logs would fall into rivers where they would be carried out to sea. The prevailing ocean/wind currents would carry these drift logs across the Pacific and wash up on Hawaiian beaches specifically the island of Kauai. The reverse of these currents could have taken Hawaiian sea going canoes across the pacific to the southern California coast by chance where the two cultures might have made prehistoric contact. The Chumash peoples around the Santa Barbara coast (including the Channel Islands) show evidence of this possible contact. Sewn plank canoes, circular shell and bone fish hooks, etc. and similar vocabulary words. After WW2 when Americans started taking up surfing as a recreation, especially at Santa Cruz, California redwood was the preferred surfboard material before later synthetic materials of today.

[peterlee]

Most of the "horses" shown are actually mules. Your work is interesting and much appreciated! Thank you!

[kathryncarter]

Original photos compared to today seems so unbelievable.
The change is shocking

[krolac]

Outstanding historical information Jarid! I was born and raised in Los Angeles (Lincoln Hospital on Soto St.) I am now going to be 67 yrs. old this coming September. I remember taking the street cars with my Grandmother, taking the Bus downtown with my Mother, nothing but great memories growing up in LA. I soon will be retiring from the Railroad and know what impact it had in growing LA. I have always tried to seek information on the early years of LA, and here it is! Once again, Thank You!

[raybrown]

My Mother was born in east L.A. in 1920 and the memories she had of that time are dear to me. She lived through the prosperity of the 20's and the struggles of the 30's and was lucky that her father was a contractor who made it through by building one or two houses a year. She graduated from Garfield High School in '38 and told me how beautiful it all was before my time, which was the smoggiest era of the 50's. I grew up in Duarte in a house built in '52 on what was an orange grove. There was one heritage orange tree on our lot (50 plus years old) that continued to produce giant navel oranges my whole early life. Needless to say, 210 freeway happened, property values changed, the house I grew up in, (along with the 1890's 'grove house), were torn down to make a commercial property, (Nissan dealership!), which continues the narrative. I get sick to my stomach seeing the incredible changes to the LA that I grew up in. This video makes me realize that there are still some places of architectural beauty hidden amongst the crass architecture of the 50's and 60's. (And 70's, 80's, 90's etc...) My best memories are of the older buildings in downtown LA that my Father took me to that were impressively ornate and captured the opulence of the 20's.

[rollandbrous]

Totally enjoyed your adventures through my city. Yes, as I near 80, so much of your video brought back memories. I remember climbing aboard the street car on Vermont, and venturing down to see the Dodgers play in the Coliseum--1959. Then I remember running the hurdles in the coliseum--city finals. The aqueduct of running water as you begin the long trip to Bakersfield was relived, thanks to your photos. Being religious, Dad would always take us to Easter Sunrise near Griffith Park. He would drive the ten miles to the old Methodist Church on Hope and 8th. Thanks for the memories.

[acme]

Excellent ! Sharing this with my father who was born in downtown LA in 1932 . . . really put a smile on his face. He lived downtown until he enlisted for the Korean War . . . thank you for all the work and wonderful narration !

[catbee]

Jarid, this is the most thorough and deeply researched video I've seen on early L.A. I was born and raised in the L.A. area and I have never seen many of these photos. Thank you, I enjoyed it so much and forwarded this to family and friends.
Thank you for helping me feel proud (once again) for the city I grew up in.

[davidturner]

How many of you watching this video, caught the alien black ball probe over old downtown Los Angeles and the Los Angles Times Building? That was really awesome. I love all of the architecture of the buildings in L.A., at time. So many of the buildings have clock towers on them.

[danoc]

My thoughts as to the large crowds at early infrastructure events: People did not have radio or TV back in the early 20th century. Wanting to socialize and looking for things to do, they attended the few public events available. Also, getting water here was a huge advancement. I was very surprised to hear you say (toward the end of this video) that you've never been to Los Angeles. Very, very few of these buildings remain, the one notable exception being the L.A. Coliseum. As a L.A. resident since 1973, your photos made me very surprised at how many elegant buildings there were prior to my time here. Nearly all have been knocked down in favor of far less interesting buildings. Anyway, your curiosity about a place you've never visited shows your deep intellect. Thanks!

[jasonmarshall]

Jarid, I was on olvera street last month. At 13:10. It's VERY interesting to find the Avila adobe house, built in 1818, is purported to be the oldest structure in downtown l.a., along with the church, 3 blocks away.. but when you turn around and look across the street from the Avila house, it's the red brick buildings to the right side of the photo, which are all like 8 feet or so lower in elevation, all mudflooders! In fact, many if the shops are located in the lower levels, about 4 feet below street level. What lies they have us believing is phenomenal!!! CHEERS. !!! Love to all the truth

[dougemerson]

This is a truly wonderful video. I am 75 years old and born in Santa Monica. Still, this video showed me many buildings and sites that I was totally unaware of. Thank you for posting this. I am now a subscriber!

[BC-ruzd]

It was the time of the great builders. Architecture and engineering developments are striking in their grandeur for that era. Almost everything was done by hand, mullahs, shovels and people were strong in faith in God, not like now. Thank you, I watched this video to the end and it was very interesting. Greetings from Russia, St. Petersburg is also a very beautiful city, with stunning architecture of the tsarist era. ❤❤❤❤❤

[evem]

i was born in LA and i am sick of tired of it, but this video made me fall in love again. California is beautiful and LA will always be in my heart

[irisgreene]

That was AMAZING thank you so much!!!! I am from LA and I promise you, I have not seen about 99% of those buildings, they must have been completely razed.

One of the best videos I’ve ever seen in my life, it was so interesting, thank you so much! I’m forwarding to my 90 yr old former trucker uncle in North Carolina- he spent the majority of his adult life in LA, he is going to love it!

Thank you thank you thank you so much!!!!