The decade of the 1950s established Southern California's reputation for creativity in architecture. The city's residential architecture gained international fame, largely due to the Case Study program sponsored by Arts+Architecture magazine. Through Sunset magazine, however, California design spread even more widely and popularly.
The region's growth was also gaining attention nationally; its burgeoning population led to enormous mass-produced housing tracts, new shopping centers, recreational facilities, and an eye-catching car culture of drive-ins, car washes, and car dealerships that spotlighted a new youth culture.
These stunning color photographs below capture streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s.
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
Streets of Los Angeles in the 1950s and 1960s
