Downtown LA was filling with brand-new skyscrapers, Hollywood Boulevard still had a very different street life, freeways were expanding across Southern California, Westlake Village was barely recognizable, and the city’s notorious smog still hung over the basin. Swipe through these incredible photos from 1971–1974 and see how many places you can recognize before reading the captions. 👀 Pic 1: Sunset & Horn - 1972. Photo by Jacques Henri Lartigue. A wonderfully ordinary slice of the Sunset Strip in the early 70s — before decades of redevelopment transformed the surrounding streets. Pic 2: can anyone pinpoint this freeway junction? This aerial was taken by Georg Gerster in 1971 for a Swissair poster. Los Angeles freeway history in one image. If you know exactly where this is, drop it in the comments. 👇 Pic 3: ARCO Plaza (now City National Plaza) shortly after completion - 1972. Photo by Wayne Thom. The twin towers were among the most dramatic additions to the changing Downtown Los Angeles skyline of the era. Pic 4: outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre - 1972. Photo from the UCLA Archives. Hollywood Boulevard before the massive waves of redevelopment, restoration, tourism, and reinvention that would come later. Pic 5: 1972 aerial of DTLA by Robin Dunitz. Downtown Los Angeles was in the middle of a major transformation as the modern skyline began rising above the older city. Pic 6: the Security Pacific Plaza (now Bank of America Plaza) nearing completion - 1974. Photo from Reddit. Another piece of the 1970s skyscraper boom that permanently changed the look of Downtown LA. Pic 7: Westlake Village aerial - 1972. Photo by Larry Sharkey. One of the biggest transformations in this carousel. Large stretches of what became suburban Los Angeles and Ventura County were still remarkably open. Pic 8: testing signs on an unopened portion of the Foothill Freeway - 1972. Photo by Rick Browne. There’s something surreal about seeing an LA freeway with absolutely no traffic. Pic 9: the @farmersmarketla - 1972. Photo from the UCLA Archives. The Original Farmers Market was already a longtime Los Angeles institution by the early 70s — decades before The Grove appeared next door. Pic 10: a smoggy view back in 1972. Photo from the EPA. Perhaps the most unmistakably 1970s Los Angeles image of them all. What makes old Los Angeles photographs like these so fascinating is how much of the city is still recognizable — the same streets, landmarks, freeways, and neighborhoods — while everything surrounding them has changed. If you love vintage Los Angeles, 1970s LA, old Hollywood, Downtown LA history, historic freeways, Los Angeles architecture, classic California photography, and seeing how the city used to look, save this one. Which photo is the wildest to you? 👀🌴 🌴📍🔍Want to explore LA’s hidden history in real life? Join us on a historic walking tour! 👟⛓️‍💥👆🎟️ Tickets, tour dates, & more info at link in bio! #OldLosAngeles #LosAngelesHistory #VintageLosAngeles #1970sLosAngeles #HiddenLosAngeles - @laexplained