I’ll definitely have to head down to the Central Library soon to check out “L.A. Unfolded,” which showcases some of the library’s massive collection of Los Angeles maps.
The L.A. Times’ Bob Pool
makes a visit:
There’s the mysterious “Mesmer City,” shown in 1924 as prosperously thriving between Culver City and Mar Vista. It turns out the detailed map was a subdivision promoter’s dreamy depiction of what life could be like at homesites “in the direction of Los Angeles’ growth toward the ocean.”
That growth eventually arrived, but Mesmer City didn’t.
A 1903 road map showing owners of the city’s 1,600 automobiles where dirt roads were safe enough to drive at 8 mph is included. With an eye toward more sales, cartographer Henry Rueger labeled his creation “Rueger’s Automobile and Miners Road Map” so he could tap into the vein of potential local prospectors and speculators.
One of Hollywood’s first movie star maps is there — John Tyler’s 1945 “Guide Thru Starland” that pinpoints the homes of Harold Lloyd, Groucho Marx, Walter Pidgeon and dozens of their peers.
The late, lamented L.A. City Nerd put together a list of excellent online L.A. map resources a while back; check out my post on it, complete with links, here.
