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The Natural History Museum unveils to the public the new and much-anticipated Becoming LA exhibit hall on Sunday. It's must-see for students of Los Angeles history, but it should be interesting for just about anyone. It starts with objects from the native Tongva people, includes relics from the mission and Mexican Rancho periods, and shows off things like the star sign from the offices of the 19th century Los Angeles Star newspaper, an early automobile and photographs of historical figures such as Pio and Andres Pico, Biddy Mason and Arcadia Bandini. The Great Depression, Hollywood, World War II and the postwar aerospace boom all get some treatment in the 14,000-square-foot exhibit.
Above, one corner of a Works Progress Administration model of downtown Los Angeles as it looked in 1940, with City Hall at the top left and Pershing Square at the bottom right. Several Civic Center buildings shown and some streets are long gone, as are the auto tunnel on Broadway and the Court Street railway.
Photo: LA Observed
