Vintage Los Angeles

Vintage Los Angeles Documenting the history of Los Angeles told by the people who lived it. Provided by your personal DeLorean of the Internet!
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This page was created to celebrate the history of Los Angeles. Vintage Los Angeles is a labor of love. It is a daily celebration which draws people from all over the world. It is a forum for the preservation and archiving of memories, events, people and especially places that have disappeared. I’ve spent 20 years gathering artifacts and photographs of Los Angeles which are part of my vast collecti

on of LA memorabilia that I share weekly. I am an LA native dedicated to the city of angels and its history. This is the reason I created “Vintage Los Angles”. It is more then just photos and historic clips. It's an interactive experience documented by the people who lived it. Every day we hear from people that have an emotional connection to a photo or a place in time. Together we are documenting first hand information that you could never find in a textbook. VLA has basically become the Delorean of the internet. DISCLAIMER: The images posted here are for nostalgia and educational purposes. I am a curator of thousands of personal images, but most of them are found via Google which often does not provide source information. VLA will always list the photographer or image rights when that information is provided. If you took a photo that was posted here and did not receive credit, please contact me and I will be happy to give you image credit. Please note VLA has no tolerance for bullying or no name calling. I also would prefer followers not making every post political. Meaning if you change the shift of a thread for your own political agenda, you are instantly banned. Of course we can discuss political events in a historical sense, but please keep to the original intent and purpose of the post. You may send me direct messages on Vintage Los Angeles but please be patient - I am only one person controlling this page. It is virtually impossible for me to get back to every request. VLA can now be seen weekly on Spectrum News weekly on a program called “The So Cal Scene”

You can follow VLA on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/alisonmartino/?hl=en

And TWITTER https://twitter.com/alisonmartino

Alison Martino
alisonmartino.com
[email protected]

05/28/2026

Question for the Vintage Los Angeles community!!

would anybody happen to have an image of the Capitol Records Tower lobby that once graced all of the gold records on the walls?

The streets were dark with something more than night.-Raymond Chandler
05/28/2026

The streets were dark with something more than night.
-Raymond Chandler

SAFEWAY. Manhattan Beach, 1972. Today it’s VONSThere were two common styles of Safeway. The A frame like the MB photo a...
05/28/2026

SAFEWAY. Manhattan Beach, 1972. Today it’s VONS

There were two common styles of Safeway. The A frame like the MB photo and also the “Marina” style.

From my personal archives. This was the Crescendo Club (and Interude) located at 8572 Sunset Boulevard. It opened in 195...
05/27/2026

From my personal archives.

This was the Crescendo Club (and Interude) located at 8572 Sunset Boulevard. It opened in 1954 by Gene Norman who started his own record label called Crescendo Records. He recorded many jazz albums here. They were always entitled GNP Presents. Amazing headliners played The Crescendo and comedy acts upstairs at The Interlude. For example Chubby Checker actually introduced “The Twist’, at the Crescendo in 1961. Other legendary performers included Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Louie Armstrong, Count Basie Oscar Brown, Jr., Eddie Cano June Christy, Sam Cooke, Billy Eckstine, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Shelly Manne, & Sarah Vaughn. Headlining comics acts included: Woody Allen, Shelley Berman, Lord Buckley, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Phylis Diller, Mort Sahl, Jonathan Winters, and Lenny Bruce was totally unknown when he started out here.

The Crescendo closed in 1965. The Trip opened in its place soon after in 1965.

Photos of these clubs are scarce, so this is an extraordinary image. It looks exceptionally great blown up because there’s so much detail in this picture. I do love the “Free Tourist Information” sign. I miss seeing the “Maps to the Stars Homes”

If you’re interested in owning a gorgeous print of this image, please send me a PM. I have two 11 x 14 copies left. It’s definitely one of a kind. They were Developed a DIGITAL FUSION from the original negative.

11 x 14. $150
$7 dollar shipping
Or pick up in person in West Hollywood.

The white watermark is not included on the photo. I just added it here to protect the image on Facebook.

Your support for the Vintage LA archives means the world!

05/27/2026

VINTAGE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUPERMARKETS

This is the look I remember from my childhood. The Market Basket, Hughes, Alfa Beta, Gelson’s….I wish they would bring back space-age design and elevator Muzak

And we always called them “Supermarkets” not grocery stores!

Whose parents or grandparents had this exact same style living room in the 70’s? If so, raise your hand Maybe some even...
05/27/2026

Whose parents or grandparents had this exact same style living room in the 70’s? If so, raise your hand

Maybe some even took it a step further and had plastic on the furniture 🥴

Hope to see some of you at the The Hollywood Show ‘in beautiful downtown Burbank’ this weekend. Please stop by my table ...
05/27/2026

Hope to see some of you at the The Hollywood Show ‘in beautiful downtown Burbank’ this weekend. Please stop by my table and say hi. I’ll be there both with new VLA swag on May 29 & 30th.

Others attending this year:
Heather Locklear
Joey Lawrence
William Shatner
Candy Clark
Kathleen Quinlan
Mackenzie Phillips
Mamie Van Doren
George Chakiris
Priscilla Presley
Susan Olsen
Charo
Engelbert Humperdinck

Where: Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel
2500 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California 91505
Friday 3 - 8
Sat - 10 - 6

Click on the link for a full list of who’s attending - plus times, place and directions.

Then and now… The older photos show the Inn of Tomorrow during the 1960s. Today it’s Best Western’s Stovall's Inn locate...
05/26/2026

Then and now…

The older photos show the Inn of Tomorrow during the 1960s. Today it’s Best Western’s Stovall's Inn located on Katella Ave in Anaheim.

Thoughts?

I'd love to step inside this rainy photo and bump in Nelson Riddle or Nat King Cole entering Capitol Records. It had jus...
05/26/2026

I'd love to step inside this rainy photo and bump in Nelson Riddle or Nat King Cole entering Capitol Records. It had just been recently built when this photo was taken during the mid 1950s

You can also see the Taft Bldg on the right and Owl Rexall Drugs. The Firefly bar was behind it. Around the corner and across the street is the Frolic Room. American Airlines is on the north east side of Hollywood. Back when you could purchase your airline ticket directly from a travel agent. Also seen is E. F. Hutton, Topsey’s & Dupar’s north of Hollywood Blvd.

It looks like the only cars on the street are made by General Motors or Ford. And no freeways yet. Times, were about to change.

This truly is a beautiful photo with great color and clarity taken at a significant spot so long ago.

2026 appliances: *break within two years. 1970s Refrigerator: “I will outlive you & everyone you love”
05/26/2026

2026 appliances: *break within two years.

1970s Refrigerator: “I will outlive you & everyone you love”

This pic pops like a ViewMaster reel!! The Blue Bayou” located at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland ...
05/26/2026

This pic pops like a ViewMaster reel!!

The Blue Bayou” located at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland opening on March 18, 1967. Best Monte Cristos ever.

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118 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA
90014-2006

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