In this photo we’re looking at the backlot of Carl Laemmle’s Universal Studios in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles. It’s a rather sprawling collection of facades with not much organization. Mind you, it was only 1919, so they were probably still building sets on an as-needed basis. But gosh, look at all that empty land around them. These days, the studio and theme park sprawl out in all directions, along with the Hollywood Freeway to the south, the Lakeside Golf Club and the concreted Los Angeles River to the north, and the Hollywood sign to the east. And beyond all of them, suburban sprawl in all directions.