Googie | Los Angeles Conservancy

Googie

Photo by Jessica Hodgdon/L.A. Conservancy.

Bob's Big Boy

Wayne McAllister
This Toluca Lake landmark escaped the wrecking ball, thanks to the Conservancy's Modern Committee.
Photo by John Eng

Bob's Big Boy Broiler

Paul B. Clayton
When it opened in 1958, Harvey's Broiler was the largest drive-in restaurant in Southern California and soon became the hub of the 1950s cruising culture.
Brunswick Sands Bowl interior
Photo by Jessica Hodgdon/L.A. Conservancy

Brunswick Sands Bowl

Architect Unknown
The Sands Bowl's Googie-esque, Egyptian-themed design is a great example of a bowling center in the "California style," with cocktail lounge, sunken dining room, and exotic decor.
Photo by Jessica Hodgdon/L.A. Conservancy

Cafetales

Martin Stern, Jr.
One of the finest of Inglewood's storied Mid-Century Modern classics and a stellar example of playful Googie-style coffee shops.
Car Wash
Photo by Jessica Hodgdon/L.A. Conservancy

Car Wash

Architect Unknown
Originally known as the Auto Laundry, this Googie-style Ventura Boulevard gem is one of few that retains its spectacular original details that unmistakably advertise it as a car wash.
Photo by Tony Hoffarth on Flickr

Chips

Harry Harrison
With its exaggerated rooflines, tall windows, and eye-catching signage, this quintessential Googie coffee shop, in continuous operation since its opening, was designed by Taliesin-trained Harry Harrison.
Photo by John Eng

Covina Bowl

Powers, Daly, & DeRosa
Southern California has a few mid-century bowling alleys that survive as a testament to the glory days of the building type. One of the most exuberant is the Covina Bowl.
Photo by Michael Locke

Denny's

Bissner Zook
The lone surviving hallmark of an L.A. institution lives on in part because of a public outcry and a chain of greasy spoon diners.
Photo by Adriene Biondo.

Driftwood Dairy

Theodore Masterson
A very rare example of an intact drive-thru dairy, the Driftwood Dairy recently survived a demolition threat and stands as a truly spectacular example of Googie design.

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