Explore the Era

Delve into the postwar Los Angeles art world in this online archive, which provides additional material related to the exhibitions on view at the Getty Center. Learn about hipsters and happenings, and the venues across the city where all the action took place through images from the archives and first-hand accounts with the artists.

From the Archive

Video: the postwar L.A. gallery scene » Pacific Standard Time at the Getty
Loading the player...

Video: Making the Scene—find out about the L.A. gallery scene during the postwar years

Historic Map Locations

Explore the Archive

  • Announcement for Grup Shrow at Mizuno Gallery

    Announcement for the exhibition Grup Shrow at Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, 1972. © Riko Mizuno. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Riko Mizuno, 2010.M.84.3

  • Announcement, Tom Wudl exhibition at Mizuno Gallery

    Announcement for Tom Wudl exhibition at Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, 1974. © Tom Wudl. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Riko Mizuno, 2010.M.84.2

  • Poster for Richard Pettibone exhibition

    Poster for Richard Pettibone exhibition Wanted: $2000 Reward at Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1966. Courtesy of the artist. Offset lithograph mounted on board. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Irving Blum, 2009.M.37.2

  • Poster for Craig Kauffman exhibition

    Poster for Craig Kauffman exhibition at Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962. © The Estate of Craig Kauffman. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.16. Courtesy Frank Lloyd Gallery, Santa Monica, California

  • Judy Chicago and Sunset Squares installation

    Judy Gerowitz, also known as Judy Chicago, with her Sunset Squares installation at Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles, 1966. © 2011 Judy Chicago / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Rolf G. Nelson, 2010.M.38. Image courtesy of Jerry McMillan and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica. © Jerry McMillan

  • Poster for Ed Moses exhibition

    Poster for Ed Moses exhibition at Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, 1969. Courtesy Mizuno Gallery. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher , 2009.M.30

  • Announcement, George Herms "Nativity '63"

    Announcement for George Herms exhibition Nativity '63 at Rolf Nelson gallery in Los Angeles, 1963. © George Herms. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.9

  • Announcement, Doug Wheeler at Ace Gallery

    Announcement for Doug Wheeler exhibition at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles , 1970. Printed plastic. © Doug Wheeler. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20.6

  • Announcement, "Recent Works by Masami Teraoka"

    Announcement for the inaugural exhibition Recent Work by Masami Teraoka at Space Gallery in Los Angeles, 1975–76. © Masami Teraoka. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20.5

  • Announcement, ASCO and Los Four

    Announcement for ASCO and Los Four exhibition at Point Gallery in Santa Monica, California, 1975. Offset lithograph. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20.4. Courtesy of ASCO and Los Four

  • Announcement, George Herms at Aura Gallery

    Announcement for George Herms exhibition at Aura Gallery in Pasadena, California, 1963. Designed by Wallace Berman. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20.3. Courtesy of the Estate of Wallace Berman and Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles

  • Announcement, "Field Piece" at Cirrus

    Announcement for Field Piece, a Barbara T. Smith exhibition at Cirrus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1971. Computer daisy-wheel print. © Barbara T. Smith. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Hal Glicksman, 2009.M.5.4

  • Announcement, "The Violent Tapes of 1975"

    Announcement for The Violent Tapes of 1975, a David Lamelas exhibition at Claire Copley Gallery, in Los Angeles, 1976. © David Lamelas. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Hal Glicksman, 2009.M.5.3

  • Poster for Joe Goode exhibition

    Poster for Joe Goode exhibition at Dilexi Gallery in Los Angeles, 1963. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.15. Image courtesy of Jerry McMillan and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica. © Jerry McMillan

  • Announcement, "Action 2"

    Exhibition announcement for Action2: Works by West Coast Painters, at the NOW Gallery inside the Turnabout Theatre in Los Angeles, September 5–25, 1956. Robert Alexander, designer. Letterpress on paper mounted on cardboard. The Getty Research Institute, Charles Brittin papers, 2005.M.11.15. Courtesy of the Temple of Man, Inc.

  • Poster for Vija Celmins exhibition

    Poster for Vija Celmins exhibition at David Stuart Galleries in Los Angeles, February 28-March 26, 1966. © Vija Celmins. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.13

  • Announcement, Chris Burden at Mizuno Gallery

    Announcement for Dead Man performance by Chris Burden at the Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, November 12, 1972. © Chris Burden. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Riko Mizuno, 2010.M.84.4

  • Announcement, Jack Goldstein at Mizuno Gallery

    Announcement for Jack Goldstein exhibition at the Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, November 1972. © Jack Goldstein Estate. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Riko Mizuno, 2010.M.84.1

  • Announcement, Come and See exhibition

    Announcement for the exhibition Come and See at the Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles, June 14–July 23, 1965. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Rolf G. Nelson, 2010.M.38.1

  • Hard Edge group exhibition

    Hard Edge group exhibition with works by Ronald Davis and Judy Chicago at Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles, May 1964. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Rolf G. Nelson, 2010.M.38.2

  • Arthur Richer and Wallace Berman

    Arthur Richer and Wallace Berman at Syndell Studio in Los Angeles, 1957. Richer’s art is in the background. The Getty Research Institute, Charles Brittin papers, 2005.M.11.16. © J. Paul Getty Trust. Image courtesy of Lauri Richer. Photo by Charles Brittin

  • ASCO and Los Four opening reception at the Point Gallery

    ASCO and Los Four opening reception at the Point Gallery in Los Angeles, 1975. ©1975, Harry Gamboa, Jr.

  • Thomas Leavitt, Llyn Foulkes, and Walter Hopps

    Thomas Leavitt, Llyn Foulkes, and Walter Hopps at the opening of Foulkes's exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum, September 18, 1962. Image courtesy of and © Llyn Foulkes

  • Nicholas Wilder Gallery, Ron Davis exhibition

    Exterior view of Nicholas Wilder Gallery at the time of Ronald Davis's first solo exhibition in 1965. Image courtesy of Ronald Davis

  • Poster for The Studs group exhibition

    Poster for The Studs group exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1964. Image courtesy of Hal Glicksman

  • Felix Landau in his gallery on La Cienega

    Felix Landau in his gallery on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. Photo by Frank J. Thomas. Courtesy of the Frank J. Thomas Archives

  • John Baldessari at Molly Barnes Gallery

    John Baldessari at the opening of his exhibition at the Molly Barnes Gallery in Los Angeles, 1968. Photo by Phillip T. Jones and courtesy of John Baldessari. © Phillip T. Jones

  • John Baldessari exhibition at Molly Barnes Gallery

    John Baldessari (left) at the opening of his exhibition at the Molly Barnes Gallery in Los Angeles, 1968. Photo by Phillip T. Jones and courtesy of John Baldessari. © Phillip T. Jones

  • Ed Moses with his installation at Mizuno Gallery

    Ed Moses with his installation at Mizuno Gallery, 1970. Image courtesy of and © Billy Al Bengston

  • Announcement, Frederick Eversley exhibition

    Announcement for Frederick Eversley exhibition Colored Parabolic Space at the Quay Gallery in San Francisco, 1971. © Frederick Eversley. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20

  • Poster for Karl Benjamin exhibition

    Poster for Karl Benjamin exhibition at the Esther-Robles Gallery in Los Angeles, 1964. © Karl Benjamin. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.12

  • Irving Blum with Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans

    Irving Blum with Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962. Photo by William Claxton. Courtesy Demont Photo Management, LLC.

  • Artists outside the Ferus Gallery

    Artists outside the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1959. Clockwise from top: Billy Al Bengston, Irving Blum, Ed Moses, and John Altoon. Photo by William Claxton. Courtesy Demont Photo Management, LLC.

  • Announcement, "Broxton Sequences"

    Exhibition announcement for Broxton Sequences: Sequential Imagery in Photography, at Broxton Gallery, 1976. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Hal Glicksman, 2009.M.5.5. Courtesy of Gagosian Gallery

  • Poster for John Baldessari exhibition

    Poster for John Baldessari exhibition Pure Beauty at Molly Barnes Gallery in Los Angeles, 1968. © John Baldessari. The Getty Research Institute, 890164.87