L.A. Lost & Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles

"Here is a lavishly illustrated history of the diverse and rich architectural heritage of the city that has been called the earth's first experimental space colony, the new Eden, the new Babylon, Lotus Land, Lala Land, Autopia, and simply a mistake. Los Angeles has invented smog, urban sprawl, the freeway, and the whole idea of a second change. It is a city of constant contradictions, a brash, eccentric, energetic place filled with promises and problems- where a rare sense of freedom and play has created in LA an uninhibited, exuberant architecture.

As LA has grown, much of that architecture has been lost but much remains. The list of landmarks includes grand Victorian mansions, detailed craftsman houses, personable bungalow courts, Modern and Moderne-style houses, Art Deco stores, hot-dog-shaped roadside stands, magnificent civic structures, engaging amusement parks and piers, move palaces and studios, as well as the world's most extensive interurban transit system. The designers and architects who have left their mark on the city include Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Henry Greene, Myron Hunt, Irving Gill, R.M. Schindler, and Richard Neutra."