Architect and historian Alan Hess has written nineteen books on Modern architecture and urbanism in the mid-twentieth century. They include The Architecture of John Lautner, Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture, Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, Viva Las Vegas, The Ranch House, and Oscar Niemeyer: Houses. Hess has been active in the preservation of post-World War II […]

Although many people start in Silver Lake and the Hollywood Hills when hunting for stunning, hillside Modern houses, a sojourn to the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley reveals an impressive and diverse collection of homes by some of Los Angeles’ best Modern architects. The post-World War II years […]

One of the most prominent practitioners of Googie architecture, the firm of Armet and Davis created many of Los Angeles’ most innovative postwar commercial structures, gaining international acclaim for their restaurants and coffee shops...

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One of Los Angeles' defining historic sites, the Ambassador fueled development of Wilshire Boulevard and housed the world-famous Cocoanut Grove.

Celebrate the L.A. Conservancy's 2025 Preservation Award recipients at the historic Founders Church in Koreatown.

One of the key challenges in understanding LGBTQ history is deciphering changes in word choice and language over time. Words that are common among community members and scholars today may have had vastly different meanings (or not existed at all) in the past. We recognize that there are many different interpretations of, and a sensitivity […]

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