20 Vintage Photos of Los Angeles and Bevery Hills in the 1950s

The 1950s were a defining decade for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Postwar optimism, booming suburbs, and Hollywood glamour converged to create an era that continues to shape the world’s perception of Southern California today.

From palm-lined boulevards and classic cars to movie stars and mid-century architecture, these vintage photos of Los Angeles evoke a glamorous yet surprisingly laid-back atmosphere. Beverly Hills, in particular, was becoming a symbol of wealth, style, and old-school Hollywood elegance.

Here’s a look at 20 vintage photos that show what life in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills looked like in the 1950s.

1. Bank of America

A wide street in a city with vintage cars, old storefronts, and large signs, including Bank of America and Mullen Bluett. The scene appears to be from the mid-20th century, with clear skies and light traffic. — /via imgur

2. Rodeo Drive

A wide street lined with tall palm trees, featuring a white convertible driving past and a silver classic car parked along the curb. The scene appears calm and sunny, evoking a mid-20th century Southern California atmosphere. — /via imgur

3. Route 66 stop

A busy 1950s street scene features vintage cars, a Chevron gas station, U.S. Route 66 signage, and a billboard for Bert L. Friedman. American flags and a large building appear in the background under a clear sky. — /via imgur

4. Races in the desert

A black-and-white photo shows people gathered along the sloped sides of a wide concrete riverbed at night, watching a row of parked cars and blurred lights, possibly from a street race, under a bridge. — /via imgur

5. Parking lots full of the same cars

Black-and-white photo of a large parking lot filled with vintage cars. In the background, a round building is under construction, surrounded by other low-rise buildings, power lines, and signs. — /via imgur

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6. LA City center

A street scene from the 1950s shows vintage cars driving down a wide avenue lined with palm trees, pedestrians on sidewalks, and tall buildings with store signs in a sunny, urban setting. — /via imgur

7. Vintage Chevy ads

A black-and-white photo of a mid-20th-century boulevard with vintage cars, palm trees, and large advertising billboards for Chevy, Financial Indemnity Co., Arthur Murray, and Cadillac. — /via imgur

8. California bank

A busy street scene from 1955 shows vintage cars parked along palm-lined sidewalks with shops, restaurants, and a tall California Bank building in the background under a clear blue sky. — /via imgur

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9. This police car

A vintage Beverly Hills police car is parked on a palm tree-lined street as an officer, in uniform and cap, speaks to someone through the driver's side window in a classic black-and-white scene. — /via imgur

10. Broadway in 1955

A black-and-white nighttime photo of a city street lined with illuminated neon signs, including NBC, American Broadcasting Company, and various theaters. The street appears mostly empty, with buildings and streetlights visible. — /via imgur

11. Beverly Hills Hotel

A vintage photo of The Beverly Hills Hotel shows classic cars parked in front, tall palm trees, and the building’s iconic sign in cursive lettering on a green facade. The scene has a retro, mid-20th-century feel. — /via imgur

12. Melrose Avenue

Black-and-white photo of a 1940s freeway with vintage cars and a bus. A sign on the median reads, "MELROSE AVE. TURN OFF 1/4 MILE." Palm trees line the left side of the road. — /via imgur

13. Streetlights in 1957

A vintage traffic signal with a large red stop sign and circular lights stands in the middle of a street. Above is a white “GO” sign. Old buildings, cars, and power lines are visible in the background under a blue sky. — /via imgur

14. Restaurants in the city

Black-and-white photo of a city street in the 1950s, showing vintage cars parked in front of storefronts, including Chandler’s Shoe Store and Maison de Manner’s, with a tall office building in the background. — /via imgur

15. Beverly Hills ads

A vintage billboard for Robinson’s in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills features a woman in a red dress holding a card, with text advertising "Gerbe Sweaters" and "Rosenblum Skirts." Bushes and green grass are in the foreground. — /via imgur

16. Train lines in 1950

Black and white photo of a busy city street in the mid-20th century with cars, a trolley, pedestrians, and tall buildings with storefronts and marquee signs. — **/via imgur**

17. Warner Bros Studios

A busy 1950s city street lined with vintage cars, neon signs, and storefronts. People walk on sidewalks near shops and theaters. Two tall radio towers rise above the buildings under a blue sky. — /via imgur

18. Liquor stores in LA

19. Photo stores in LA

20. Old mansions in Beverly Hills

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These vintage photos of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills in the 1950s capture a moment when the city was reinventing itself. Hollywood was at its peak, the suburbs were spreading, and California was becoming a symbol of the American dream.

While much has changed, traces of that era still linger in the architecture, the car culture, and the enduring image of Los Angeles as a place where reinvention feels possible. If you loved this content, check out 20 wholesome humor moments to keep things light during the holidays, or 15 Wild Disguises Criminals Actually Tried to Use (1920s–1980s).