William Reagh: Los Angeles 1950's-80's.

William Reagh

William Reagh

William Reagh

The blog American Suburb X has some great photographs of Los Angeles, shot by photographer William Reagh. Other images of Reagh’s, along with notes, can be found at the California State Library.

The photographs show a city undergoing vast demolition and reconstruction, especially in downtown LA. This was the era of urban renewal and grandiose high-rise projects. Odd movie-set type houses, strange juxtapositions of paper thin stucco cottages and exotic trees, empty moonscapes, sad fluorescent-lit cafeterias, plywood faced storefronts, decaying neighborhoods…this is what it looked like in LA, 40 years ago.
A documentary frankness on film.

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