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The Plaza, Los Angeles, circa 1880 by Carleton Watkins / J. Paul Getty Museum
This amazing photograph of the old Plaza downtown, and showing La Placita and Fort Moore Hill in the background, is one of the 19th century treasures by photographer Carleton Watkins. He visited Los Angeles twice, in 1877 and 1880, and his photographs are in a new book by Getty curator emeritus Weston Naef and Huntington Library curator Jennifer Watts. They will talk about "Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs" today at 2 p.m. at the Central Library's Taper Auditorium, a free event of Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library. Below, Our Lady Queen of Angels Church facing Main Street and the Plaza these days.
From the LA Observed vault:
Photography of Carleton Watkins
La Placita, LA Observed