40 Photos Showing How Much LA Has Changed Over the Years

Cars look very different these days — and so does that view of Los Angeles. This scenic shot was snapped at Laurel Canyon in Hollywood. About 63 years earlier, California wasn't even considered one of the United States.

Universal Studios Hollywood first opened on March 15, 1915, when Carl Laemmle invited thousands to his 230-acre property. Shown here is the backlot of the now-famous production company.

The Hollywoodland sign was erected just two years before this photo was taken, as a means of encouraging people to live in the suburban housing development with that same name.

The cars, style, and traffic have evolved so, so much since 1925, and this photo is representative of that. Can you imagine getting through town this easily?!

From 1918 to 1928, you'd typically see a Pacific Electric car transporting hundreds of passengers down Hollywood Boulevard. You won't see those cables today, but you can imagine how much easier it was to get around.

This aerial view of Hollywood in November 1929 proves just how residential it was before more buildings started popping up all over the city.

Old Hollywood is a time we'll never forget, and it shows how much Los Angeles has changed over the years. In this photo, you'll see William C. DeMille holding one of the first Oscars at the inaugural Academy Awards. Winners that year included Hanns Kraly, Mary Pickford, and Warner Baxter (all pictured here).

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Walt Disney started his empire about a decade early, but we love this photo of him working with a penguin at his studios in Burbank.

It wasn't until 1949 that a lot went down with the sign — literally. The "H" fell and wasn't replaced for quite some time, but the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce ultimately decided to bring back the "H" and remove "Land."

Griffith Jenkins Griffin's dream was realized 16 years after his death in 1919. Today, the Griffith Observatory is one of the most visited (and yes, Instagrammed) sites in Los Angeles.

About 82 years ago, you would regularly see people walking to work on foot. Nowadays, the freeways don't exactly offer such a mode of transportation.

An Old Hollywood icon, entertainer Rita Hayworth cruised down the street near Warner Bros. Studio in LA. At the time, she was married to Edward C. Judson, but that was her first of five marriages.

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Your cookouts probably don't look like this one. Back in the 1940s, young people donned their retro swimsuits and cooked beachside in Los Angeles.

As the United States was in throes of World War II, there was trouble in Los Angeles too. The Zoot Suit Riots took place in June 1943, and involved U.S. servicemen and young Mexican-Americans.

In October 1945, film workers conducted a strike against Warner Bros. Studio, picketing and fighting with the Burbank police. This was just one of many labor strikes in the entertainment industry.

On a seemingly more peaceful day in 1945, you can see a palm tree along the side of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

This aerial view of Cahuenga Parkway in the Hollywood Hills is hardly visible, thanks to Los Angeles's serious smog problem (There's more where that came from in the following slides).

Is there anything more glamorous than Hollywood at night? In 1951, you could look toward Hollywood Boulevard and see the Pantages Theatre and the Broadway Hollywood Building, among other locales.

We can't think of anything more romantic than checking out the Los Angeles skyline in a retro car back in 1951.

The era of CinemaScope widescreen films began with the premiere of 1953's The Robe. Held at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre (now known as the TCL Chinese Theatre), it was a momentous occasion for the industry.