By the turn of the 20th century, West Adams had become one of the first
bedroom communities in fast-growing Los Angeles. Mansions and bungalows
housed bankers and merchants who commuted to their businesses downtown,
as well as moviemakers, debutantes, the social elite, and one or two
scoundrels. Anchored by Adams Boulevard, this area just west of downtown
has been through many changes. Today the neighborhood is one of the most
racially and architecturally diverse in the country and contains the
highest concentration of historic cultural monuments in Los Angeles.
Residents and local archives, including the University of Southern
California and the Automobile Club of Southern California, have
contributed images to this volume illustrating life and architecture
from Victorian times onward.