@laexplained: This was LA on October 9, 1936—90 years ago tonight. And yes, those crowds are REAL. 🌴🎞️ If you love old Los Angeles photos, California history, historic architecture or seeing what DTLA looked like before today’s skyline, keep swiping. This is a night in LA history worth knowing. Power from Hoover Dam had reached Los Angeles for the first time, and the city turned the occasion into a massive nighttime celebration called “Light on Parade.” Think illuminated floats, searchlights sweeping the sky + Broadway absolutely packed with people. Look closely at the historic buildings, theater marquees, street signs + crowds in these archival photographs. There’s so much to notice beyond the lights. 👀 HERE’S WHAT WAS HAPPENING: At 7:36 p.m., Elizabeth Scattergood pressed the ceremonial key marking the arrival of electricity from the Colorado River, 266 miles away. Her father, Ezra Scattergood, was LA’s power chief and helped bring Hoover Dam electricity to the city. His daughter got to mark the moment with a very memorable assignment. ⚡️ Los Angeles City Hall blazed with light. Broadway became a glowing parade route. An estimated ONE MILLION people filled downtown streets to celebrate. These vintage Los Angeles photos bring the scale of that celebration into focus: crowds filling the streets around City Hall, beams cutting through the night + illuminated floats passing downtown storefronts. BUT HOW DID THE POWER GET HERE? Behind the party was an enormous engineering effort. The Bureau of Power and Light, now part of LADWP—the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power—designed and built the high-voltage transmission lines that carried hydroelectric power across deserts + mountains to a rapidly growing Los Angeles. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated using moving water. At Hoover Dam, water from the Colorado River drives turbines connected to generators. Transmission lines then carry that energy to the places that use it. The gallery takes you from the celebration to the infrastructure behind it: Hoover Dam, transmission towers, massive electrical transformers + the preserved ceremonial key. LA already had electricity before 1936. This was the arrival of a major new source of power to help support the city’s growth—and apparently deserved the party of the decade. 😂⚡️ That’s what makes these historical photographs so fascinating. They connect the LA landmarks we recognize with the public infrastructure that helped the city grow. NEXT TIME YOU’RE WALKING THROUGH DTLA… Look up at Los Angeles City Hall. Take another look at Broadway’s historic buildings. Picture these streets filled with people celebrating power arriving from 266 miles away. Exploring Los Angeles on foot gives you time to notice those details: an old sign, a building façade, a familiar corner that looks completely different in a 1930s photograph. Save this for your next Downtown LA walk + send it to someone who loves discovering old LA. Which photo would you want to step inside for five minutes? 👇 Looking for things to do in Los Angeles? Join an LA Explained walking tour to explore LA history, historic architecture + the stories behind the landmarks. Dates and tickets at the link in bio! 🚶🌴 📸 Gallery includes photographs of the October 9, 1936 celebration, related infrastructure + the preserved ceremonial key. Group photo includes: U.S. Senator Hiram Johnson, Elizabeth Scattergood, maid of honor Louise Hepburn, & LADWP Board President Dr. John R. Haynes. Photos courtesy of @lapubliclibrary TESSA, offering instant access to rare and historical collections from Los Angeles. Additional 📸: Los Angeles Times, including photographers Jack Herod + Paul Calvert; California State Library; UCLA Library; Water and Power Associates. #LosAngeles #OldLosAngeles #LAHistory #DowntownLA #HooverDam

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