Tag Archives: Airports Aircraft Airlines

Aerial view of Los Angeles International Airport’s new control tower, 1961

This shot of the new control tower at LA International Airport was taken in 1961 during the airport’s expansion. As anyone who has been to LAX recently knows, that place is a constant tumult of crazed humanity, so it’s odd … Continue reading

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Rogers Airport at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, Los Angeles, 1922

In the first couple of decades of the 20th century, Los Angeles had a surprising number of airport and landing strips. This is one of the better known: Rogers Airport at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Ave. This … Continue reading

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Sheep graze near the terminal of the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, then known as Mines Field now LAX, 1930.

Let’s file this photo under “Look How Far We’ve Come.” This photo is dated circa 1930 and these sheep are happily grazing near the terminal of the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, then known as Mines Field, but which we now … Continue reading

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Graf Zeppelin next to a Goodyear blimp at Mines Field (future LAX), in August 1929

In 1929, the Graf Zeppelin completed a Hearst-sponsored circumnavigation of the world. On August 8th, it landed in Los Angeles at Mines Field (the future site of LAX), and was huge news. As we can see from this photo of … Continue reading

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Art Deco decoration on the Glendale Airport, north of Los Angeles.

This stunning piece of Art Deco stunning-breathtaking-ness was on the original Los Angeles airport in Glendale before LAX was developed in the late 1920s (originally called Mines Field.) What a shame we no longer build airports that feature decoration like … Continue reading

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Douglas DC-3 aircraft parked at the Glendale Airport, circa 1940s

Before the city of Los Angeles developed LAX, it’s next best thing was the Glendale airport (aka Glendale Municipal Airport, then later Grand Central Air Terminal) on the valley side of the Hollywood hills. This photo shows a Douglas DC-3 … Continue reading

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Looking east along Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive, 1930

Here we have a view looking east along Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive (where Madame Tussauds now stands). The year is 1930s, which we know because Howard Hughes’ “Hell’s Angels” is playing at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The movie must have … Continue reading

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Mines Field (Los Angeles International Airport, February 1930

Hard to believe, but this is what L.A. International Airport used to looked like: one building, two cars and the Goodyear blimp. This photo is dated February 1930, and back then, the airport (if you can call it that) was … Continue reading

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Mike Lyman’s Flight Deck & Rocket Room, Los Angeles International Airport

Mike Lyman’s “Flight Deck” Restaurant at 5900 Avion Drive was the first restaurant at Los Angeles International Airport, on the second (and top) floor of the then main terminal building.

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Model aircraft display at Union Station, downtown Los Angeles, 1943 (WWII)

Los Angeles’ Union Station turned 75 this month (May 2014) so a number of old photos of it have been surfacing. I thought this one was particularly interesting. It was taken in 1943—the middle of WWII—and shows a . . … Continue reading

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