Angeles Before the Freeways: Images of an Era 1850–1950

by Arnold Hylen, Nathan Marsak (contributor)

Discover of a lost Los Angeles from an era before the freeways in this beautiful coffee table book from iconic architectural photographer Arnold Hylen.

Los Angeles Before the Images of An Era 1850-1950 gives a lush, visual tour of a Los Angeles that no longer exists—one of elegant office buildings and stately mansions that were razed in the name of “progress” to build the city’s famous freeways. Featuring stunning black-and-white photography from Arnold Hylen that captures a lost era, the book contains an original essay by the photographer that provides historical background and context for the time period. This new edition contains additional, never-before-seen photographs from Hylen and newly unearthed information from historian Nathan Marsak on these lost architectural treasures.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Natalie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting! As I worked for many years in downtown, I love this record through pictures of what downtown looked like as it was changing due to modernization and the freeways that changed so many neighborhoods. It’s hard to believe that older historical building were being demolished as late as the 1980s. The text is also helpful to connect history and architecture styles to the changing look of downtown. So glad Hylen has provided the record with the addition of Marsak’s considerable knowledge about the subject.

[jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An immensely fascinating book about the development, and, sadly, the destruction of the historical architectural heart of downtown Los Angeles. Many of the noteworthy buildings described came to their end by demolition for parking lots and for freeway construction in the early to mid-1950s, and mysteriously by fire in the mid-60s.

The photographs in this book are excellent and the detailed narration provides the exact addresses of the buildings described. But the major flaw of this otherwise magnificent and important work is that there are no maps provided. What is the point of noting street addresses without an accompanying map? I would strongly suggest that unless the reader is well-acquainted with DTLA, having your own map is essential.

[EL]

for people interested in architecture which for some reason did not occur to me as someone who picked this up as a person interested in los angeles

the careful documentation of buildings and their architects only for most of marsak’s captions to end with “it was demolished to become a parking lot” 3

buildings as presences

the landscape is so much more changeable than i tend to think, though i’m not sure how wise it is to be razing whole entire hills