The Hidden History of Los Angeles: Recent Episodes
Robert Petersen
The Hidden History of Los Angeles podcast explores the lesser known aspects of L.A. history. Contrary to the commonly held belief that L.A. does not have any history, Los Angeles has a rich and colorful history. You just have to dig a little deeper to find it.
This episode features an interview with D.J. Waldie regarding his new book, "Elements of Los Angeles: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire."
This episode features an interview with William Deverell about the new podcast series from the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West called "Hidden Pasadena."
This episode features an interview with Claire Kennedy, Yuri Shimoda, Abraham Ferrer, and Victoria Bernal about the 19th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on October 19, 2024 at the Doheny Library and USC.
This episode features an interview with Paul Haddad abour his new book "Inventing Paradise: The Power Brokers Who Created the Dream of Los Angeles."
This episode features an interview with Danny Jensen about his book "LA Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Los Angeles's Hidden Treasures."
This episode tells the story of Guy McAfee, an LAPD police officer turned crime boss turned casino mogul, who played an important role in the development of Las Vegas.
This episode features an interview with Azalea Camacho, Liza Posas, Jessica Gambling, and Victoria Bernal about the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on October 28, 2023 at the Doheny LIbrary at USC.
This episode tells the remarkable and strange story of Jack Parsons, one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This episode features an interview with Nelson Johnson about his book "Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer."
In 1910, the famed attorney Clarence Darrow represented two brothers accused of bombing the L.A. Times building before Darrow himself was put on trial for allegedly bribing a juror.
Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." has become the city's unofficial anthem. But, does Randy Newman really love L.A.?
This episode features an interview with Nathan Masters about his new book, "Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal."
This episode features an interview with Teena Apeles about her new book, "52 Things To Do In Los Angeles."
This episode is about the Grammy Award winning Los Angeles musical group Ozomatli and features an interview with Ulises Bella.
This episode is about the time the legendary jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker, spent in Los Angeles, which included epic jam sessions and recordings, but also drugs, debauchery, a stay at a mental institution, and a "naked" party.
My friend, Eyvin Hernandez, is being unlawfully detained in Venezuela. Listen to the episode to learn about Eyvin and what we can do to bring him home. Sign the online petition: https://www.change.org/p/bring-eyvin-hernandez-home. Make a donation: https://gofund.me/4117b3cb. Learn more: https://bringeyvinhome.org/.
This episode features an interview with Natalia Molina about her new book, "A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community."
This episode features an interview with Paul Haddad regarding his book, "Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles."
In this special crossover episode, I interview, and get interviewed by, Daniel Zafran and Greg Gonzalez from the L.A. Meekly podcast.
In this episode, guest host Leah Treidler tells the story behind the city's iconic palm trees.
This episode features an interview with Ken Bernstein about his book, "Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities."
This episode features an interview with historian William Deverell regarding his latest book, "Kathy Fiscus: A Tragedy That Transfixed The Nation."
Dootsie Williams was a trailblazing black music executive and entrepreneur who left an impact on the music industry and his community.
This episode features an interview with Catherine Auman about her book "Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True."
This episode features an interview with Martha Gonzalez, lead singer of the L.A. band Quetzal, about her book "Chicana Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Tactics in East Los Angeles."
This episode features an interview with Andrea Richards and Teena Apeles about their book "We Heart L.A. Parks," a coloring and activity book for all ages.
This episode features an interview with Jason Horton about his book "Abandoned and Historic Los Angeles: Neon and Beyond."
This episode features an interview with historian Nathan Marsak regarding his new book "Bunker Hill Los Angeles."
With a short trip into the mountains near Los Angeles, in Big Santa Anita Canyon, you can step back in time to the Great Hiking Era of the early 20th century. This episode also features an interview with Maggie Moran, owner of Adams Pack Station, regarding the current situation in the canyon after the Bobcat Fire.
This episode explores the history behind one of L.A.'s most famous streets, Rodeo Drive.
This episode features an interview with D.J. Waldie about his new book "Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and a Sense of Place.
This episode explores the time Malcolm X spent in Los Angeles, which included a high speed car chase on the freeway, an assassination attempt, and an L.A.P.D. shooting.
This episode features an interview with Jon Wiener regarding his new book, Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties, which he co-authored with Mike Davis. The book provides a comprehensive history of the civil rights movement in Los Angeles during the 1960s.
This episode features an interview with Casey Schreiner regarding his new book "Discovering Griffith Park: A Local's Guide."
Carol Kaye is a Los Angeles musician you have definitely heard, but likely haven't heard of.
This episode features an interview with Susan Phillips about her book The City Beneath: A Century of Los Angeles Graffiti.
This episode examines Disney history in Los Angeles and features an interview with Chris Nichols about his book Walt Disney's Disneyland.
What can a country song about driving on Los Angeles freeways tell us about our city? This episode examines Guy Clark's song L.A. Freeway and the city's connection to country music.
The episode features an interview with Josh Kun about his latest book, The Autograph Book of L.A.
Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She’s the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs -- as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman’s body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/TrappHidden
The fourth season of KCET's Emmy winning documentary series Lost LA premieres October 15 so I sat down with the show's host, writer and L.A. historian Nathan Masters, to talk about the show and upcoming season.
On Mills Place in Old Town Pasadena there is a historical plaque which doesn't tell the whole story.
From the partnership that brought you Dirty John, comes Man in the Window. Pulitzer prize winning reporter Paige St. John investigates The Golden State Killer, and traces his path of devastation through the eyes of his victims. Listen now at wondery.fm/hiddenhistory
This episode explores the lesser-known Los Angeles movies and features an interview with Phoef Sutton and Mark Jordan Legan of the podcast Film Freaks Forever.
There are thousands of miles of freeway soundwalls across the United States, but their origin can be traced to Los Angeles.
Eric Dolphy was a multi-instrumentalist jazz virtuoso who played with the likes of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. And he grew up in Los Angeles.
An interview with David Kipen about his book Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018.
This episode tells the story of three laws that shaped the downtown Los Angeles skyline.
This episode looks into why there are so many Craftsman houses in Pasadena and features an interview with Brian Baker from Pasadena Heritage about their upcoming Craftsman Weekend event.
John Cage was one of the most influential and notorious avant garde music composers of the 20th Century. And he grew up in Los Angeles.
This episode introduces a new segment of the podcast called, "L.A. Sounds," which will feature lesser known figures from the city's musical history.
The episode features an interview with Gary Krist about his new book The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles.
What is the proper way to pronounce "Los Angeles?" The episode examines the history of pronouncing the city's name.
Charlotta Bass was a trailblazing journalist and fierce advocate for civil rights, but few Angelenos have heard of her name. This episode tells the story.
On a mountain above Los Angeles, a group of astronomers at the Mount Wilson Observatory forever changed our understanding of the Universe.
When was the first time a car rode the streets of Los Angeles? This episode tells the story.
On the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Holliston Street in Pasadena stands a concrete tablet that looks like a tombstone. Even though it looks out of place, it is probably the oldest thing on that street corner - a long-lost ancestor of the navigation system on your phone. This episode tells the story.
With its concrete walls and customary meager flow of water, the L.A. River has often been derided as being ugly. So how did this river, which at one point served as the lifeblood of this community, become a glorified storm drain? Find out in the latest episode of Q&A L.A.
How does a well established Los Angeles neighborhood name disappear? This episode tells the story of Pico Heights.
A quick announcement about the upcoming Discovery Project show at the Blue Whale on January 27 and 28, 2017.
What is the oldest building that is still standing in the City of Los Angeles? The answer is not as simple as you may think.
This episode tells the story of Angels Flight, L.A.'s beloved funicular, and the effort to get it re-opened, including an interview with local historian Richard Schave.
Why are there huge holes in the ground off the 210 and 605 freeways in Irwindale? This episode answers the question while also exploring the history of Irwindale and how these holes are connected to the greater Los Angeles area.
In anticipation of his July 16, 2016 performance at Boston Court in Pasadena with his Discovery Project, a multimedia project which explores the past, present and future of Los Angeles, Robert interviews the piano player and composer Josh Nelson about the show and writing music about Los Angeles.
Why are there peacocks in Arcadia? To answer the question, we must go back over a hundred years and learn about the founding of the City of Arcadia.
This episode tells the story of Mack Robinson, a silver medalist who came in second to Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, as well as his relationship to his hometown of Pasadena.
Why does the 2 freeway end abruptly in Echo Park? To answer the question, we must delve into the history of freeway development in Los Angeles and the world of L.A.'s never built freeways.
The Triforium is a six-story, 60-ton public sculpture on the corner of Temple and Main Streets in downtown that was supposed to be a symbol of L.A.'s future. Unfortunately, technical problems plagued the project from the beginning and made it the subject of much ridicule. Now a group of L.A. enthusiasts want to restore the piece and realize the project's ambitious vision. This episode discusses the history of the Triforium and includes an interview with Tom Carroll, the creator and host of the web series "Tom Explores Los Angeles," who is involved in the restoration effort.
This episode tells the story of California's first Attorney General and L.A.'s seventh District Attorney, Edward Kewen.
This episode tells the story of Tiburcio Vasquez, a bandit who was active throughout California during the mid-nineteenth century.
This episode tells the story behind L.A.'s first subway which operated between 1925 and 1955.
Today, terrorism is a major concern in Los Angeles. But many Angelenos would likely be surprised to learn that L.A. has, in decades past, been the target of multiple terrorist attacks.
This episode explores the story behind the namesake for Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith.
This episode discusses the oldest and newest freeway in Los Angeles and what they tell us about the city.
This episode discusses an incident in 1855, when Los Angeles Mayor Stephen C. Foster took the law into his own hands.
During the 1930s, a cafeteria owner named Clifford Clinton began an unlikely crusade against corruption in Los Angeles. This episode tells the story of Clifford Clinton.
In 1785, a group of Native Americans revolted against the Spanish at Mission San Gabriel. This episode tells the story of one of the members of the rebellion named Toypurina.
This episode explores two stories of the California Dream - a murder mystery and a mythical tale.
This episode tells the story behind a bizarre auction that occurred in downtown Los Angeles during the 1850s.
In 1870, L.A.'s City Marshall, William Warren, was shot and killed, making him the first regularly employed L.A.P.D. officer to be killed in the line of duty. But Warren wasn't killed tryng to stop a crime. Instead, he was killed by another L.A.P.D. officer in connection with a dispute over a reward for recovering a runaway Chinese prostitute. This podcast tells the story of the shooting of William Warren.
Echo Park is the name of a park and lake as well as the neighborhood which surrounds it just north of downtown Los Angeles. This edpisode looks into the origin of the name "Echo Park."
Everyone has heard the story of Los Angeles stealing water. But what is lesser known is that a dam that was built to store water from the Owens Valley collapsed in 1928 resulting in the death of at least 600 people.
Everybody knows that the name Los Angeles is Spanish in origin. But what is lessor known is that there is no agreement as to what the original name given to Los Angeles by its founders was back in 1781. This episode explores the debate over LA's original name.
In 1871, approximately 500 Los Angeles residents, almost one tenth of the city's population, laid siege to L.A.'s original Chinatown and lynched 18 Chinese immigrants, making it the largest incident of mass lynching in American history.
Pentacostalism is a movement within Christianity which today has hundreds of millions of followers around the globe. But what is lessor known is that the modern day Pentacostal movement traces its origins back to a street in the Little Tokyo section of Downtown Los Angeles.