An illustrated cartographic history of the City of Angels from the colonial era to the present. Los Angeles inhabits a place of the mind as much as it does a physical geographic space. A land of palm trees and movie stars, sunshine and glamour, the city exists in the imagination as a paradise; of course, the reality is much bigger than this. Through seventy reproductions of seminal and historic documents, Los Angeles in Maps presents the evolution of this almost mythical place. Maps featured include historic Spanish explorers' charts from as early as 1791, as well as more recent topographic surveys, tourist guides, real estate maps, bird's-eye views, and more. Like the course of the Los Angeles River, the book winds through essential terrain: the discovery of oil, the rise of Hollywood, the streetcar system, Los Angeles Harbor, earthquakes, sprawl, and splendor. Author Glen Creason is map librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library and co-curator of the landmark exhibition LA Unfolded: Maps from the Los Angeles Public Library. Creason recently discussed the content of his book at the LA Public Library.
In Downtown L.A., there was a piece of land where Latin-Americans lived. A famous architect named Richard Neutra, and he wanted to build public housing for the poor, and told the people in Chavez Ravine that they would get first dibs on it. However, the people wanted the land, and in order to get it, they called Neutra a communist.
The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots that erupted in Los Angeles, California during World War II. A group of white sailors on leave clashed with a group of young Latinos in the downtown area, and ended up with a death.
A week after the Zoot Suit Riots, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt described the riots in a way that supported the Mexican-Americans. This led to an outraged response from the Los Angeles Times, which printed an editorial, the following day, in which it accused Mrs. Roosevelt of stirring "race discord.
Sleepy Lagoon was a hangout place for Hispanic teenagers. However, one day, there was a murder, and 21 Hispanic teenagers were arrested. 12 of of the 21 were convicted for murder and was sentenced to jail. This made the Hispanic people angry.
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