Los Angeles California

Far out look at Los Angeles from 1970.

Traffic, crime, smog, urban density, and other hazards of 1970 Los Angeles are completely absent from this groovy view illustrated by Randy Akers for local firm Postermap, Inc. In their place, oversized illustrations of local attractions are crammed between bright labels and cartoonish depictions of tourists, landmarks, attractions, and geographic features.

The entire image functions as one large caricature, from the Navy officer piloting a craft powered by a hand mixer to the ‘pitched tent’ west of Mt. Wilson. Though the labeled freeways are notably absent of congestion, the tongue-in-cheek depiction of major interchanges reflects at least some level of contemporary confusion. Skyscrapers are also largely missing from the image – building height restrictions weren’t lifted until the second half of the 20th century and L.A.’s skyline was forever changed with the opening of the Aon Center in 1973.