Angel City Press

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Angel City Press

Angel City Press at the Los Angeles Public Library is dedicated to the publication of high-quality nonfiction books about SoCal and LA!

11/18/2025

The downtown Los Angeles we know now has gone through many changes over the years, and “Los Angeles Before the Freeways: Images of An Era 1850-1950” by Arnold Hylen with Nathan Marsak speaks to some of those different ears through a visual lens!

In 1888, Benjamin Cohen built the bay-windowed Cohen Block as the new home for his wallpaper and rug business. Cohen Block architect Harvey R. Leonard relocated his offices there after its completion. At left is the Willard Block (Carroll Herkimer Brown, 1893), a Romanesque Revival structure of rough-cut Lordsburg sandstone, built by WIllard Stimson. The Cohen and Willard blocks were demolished for a parking lot in early 1961.

A common theme that you will see in the loss of buildings for downtown Los Angeles is that many were torn down to make room for parking lots, as the city transitions to servicing automobile drivers and commuters coming into the downtown area.

11/17/2025

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House, located in East Hollywood, is a stunning example of the Mayan Revival style often considered related to the larger category of Art Deco architecture.

The house was designed for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, and the house and land surrounding it now bear her name as the publicly accessible Barnsdall Art Park.

Want more amazing photos of architectural feats? You can see many more Art Deco gems in “Art Deco Los Angeles” by Robert Landau.

Hollyhock House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1921) 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Photographed 2024 by Robert Landau.

11/15/2025

We will be tabling with a selection of our books during Indie-Pendent Voices at the downtown Central Library!

ACP Editorial Director, Terri Accomazzo, will participate on a panel for “The Past, Present and Future of Publishing: Perspectives from the Indie Scene” at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room B.

Please join us and celebrate Indie publishing!

Indie-Pendant Voices: A Celebration of Authors and Zines
Saturday, November 22 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
630 W 5th St. Los Angeles, CA 90071

11/14/2025

Film production has come forward in leaps and bounds in modern years, while still keeping many of the core tenets of the process the same. Seen here during the production of “Citizen Kane” Orson Welles catches a close up of Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane that brings a dramatic moment to the finished film. The use of light, focus, and framing keep this film in people’s minds as one of the best of all time!

The full story of Welles and his work on this exemplary film can be found in “Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey” by Harlan Lebo.

11/13/2025

Join us at Hollenbeck Palms for a closing reception for Art Deco Los Angeles; a show of photographer Robert Landau’s stunning visual tribute to the city’s most dazzling Art Deco masterpieces, both celebrated and forgotten. Our book, Art Deco Los Angeles, will be available for sale and Robert will be signing copies. A perfect holiday gift!

Space is limited and RSVP required.
Contact Evelyn to RSVP: [email protected]

Thursday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m.
573 South Boyle Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90033

11/10/2025

The Capitol Records building is an icon of the Hollywood skyline! “An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles” by David Gebhard, Robert Winter, and Robert Inman point out that, yes indeed, this reinforced concrete building has a Programmatic architectural twist since it resembles a stack of records.

A staple of the influence of the music industry on the shape of Los Angeles, the building still serves as the offices for the Capitol Music Group which has since become a part of Universal Music Group.

Grab a copy of the book, check out the building, and then go for a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

11/08/2025

The denizens of Terminal Island incorporated many Japanese arts and practices into daily life on the island. Dressed in kendo uniforms from Japan, these young Terminal Island martial artists beat a Japanese college team in a demonstration during the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

To find out more about daily life and the history of the Japanese community on Terminal Island, check out “Terminal Island: Lost Communities on America's Edge”, by Naomi Hirahara and Geraldine Knatz, with a foreword by William Deverell and an afterword by George Takei.

11/06/2025

Many classic restaurants had neon signs to draw people into their establishments! Many of these restaurants are no longer around, but some of their neon has been preserved thanks to the efforts of wonderful people and organizations who wish to keep these remarkable and beautiful pieces of history around.

This sign from The Brown Derby, is wonderfully preserved thanks to the efforts of the Museum of Neon Art. The sign is in their offsite storage and not currently on display at their museum in Glendale, but you should absolutely go and check out their exhibits to see some of the wonderfully preserved neon art.

You can see even more historic neon signs in “Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics and Glowing Neon” by Kathy Kikkert.

(photo credit: Kathy Kikkert)

11/04/2025

Now through November 7, you can get 50% off Angel City Press titles from Gibbs Smith!

Have you been itching to grab some books for yourself or friends and family?

Now’s your chance to get them at the biggest discount of the year through our friends at Gibbs Smith! We’ve got so many wonderful books to choose from, there’s no doubt that you can find something to brighten up your bookshelf.

Shop the sale at the link in our bio!

11/03/2025

Typography is a fantastic way to engage an audience when you have limited time to make an impression, like when someone is grabbing a quick drink at a bar. Bars and restaurants utilized cocktail napkins to make those quick impressions using eye-catching typefaces, such as the ones seen here on this napkin from Mike Lyman’s Grill & Cocktail Lounge.

Check out more in “Bar Keeps: A Collection of California's Best Cocktail Napkins” by Patrick Quinn for more napkins with beautiful themes!

11/01/2025

Join the Philosophical Research Society for a reading from Elements of Los Angeles!

As part of their mission to share stories of Los Angeles, PRS is proud to present a reading and presentation from acclaimed author D.J. Waldie.

Waldie will be sharing his thoughts on the essential elements of Los Angeles as seen through the lens of the four elements. Enjoy a contemplative and intimate reading that is not to be missed!

Tickets are limited, grab them at our link in bio!

Saturday, November 8 at 3 p.m.
3910 Los Feliz Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027

Address

Santa Monica, CA
90403

Telephone

(310)3959982

Website

http://www.angelcitypress.com/, https://linktr.ee/Angelcitypress

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