Product Description

$14.95 gatefold paper * 1-58685-229-9 * March

11 x 8-1/2 in, 96 pp, 40 Color Photographs, 40 Black & White Photographs,

Rights: W, Regional/History

Launching our new "Then & Now" series, Then & Now: San Fernando Valley showcases photographs of buildings and locales from decades past, contrasted with recent photographs of the same locations and today's inhabitants. Reminisce about the famous buildings that still stand, and visit the newer architectural and cultural contributions to California's beautiful San Fernando Valley in this visually rich documentation of memories and inevitable change.

Jake Klein is a writer, photographer, editor, and creative director who has contributed to Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, US Weekly, and British GQ. He was the West Coast contributing editor to Wallpaper Magazine, and is currently an editor with Wink Media, Wallpaper's marketing and branding arm. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #248696 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

About the Author
Jake Klein is a writer, photographer, editor, and creative director who has contributed to Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, US Weekly, and British GQ. He was the West Coast contributing editor to Wallpaper Magazine, and is currently an editor with Wink Media, Wallpaper’s marketing and branding arm. He lives in Los Angeles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction

Laid out like a refulgent jeweled box jealously guarded by the rolling San Gabriels on three sides like a recumbent giant, the night skyline of the San Fernando Valley glows like a beaded breastplate from some fantasy princess. Miles upon blocks upon rows of yellow sodium lamps and green-glowing flourescents vibrate and pulse with the wattage that courses through them. They light oceans of asphalt, an urban forest with a populace of foreign trees, and millions of perfect square plots upon which sit the dreams of countless American families, old and new.

There it lies, ever-looking over the shoulder of its big sister Los Angeles. Located just over the Hollywood Hills or the Santa Monica Mountains or through the Angeles National Forest depending on the direction from which you have traveled, the San Fernando Valley is a green carpet of urbanism during the day and a twinkling box of precious stones after the sun has set. TheValley is the much maligned and constantly debased stepchild of an equally maligned and debased parent city. Together, these two survivors tell an important tale.

Customer Reviews

Well-done Pictorial Report
During my last visit to Los Angeles in February last year, I came to ride in the San Fernando Valley through the Metro Orange Line. I did not have anything specific to do in the Valley, but I was curious enough to explore what was, for me, a yet undiscovered part of the City of Angels. I jumped out the bus in several stations along the way and took a walk around those neighborhoods I've been in (Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda, Winnetka and North Hollywood). It's amazing to see how different the Valley is from the rest of L.A., although most of its neighborhoods belong to Los Angeles proper. Mostly residential, there is a more peaceful and less pretentious atmosphere lying in the air there than in any other neighborhood south of Santa Monica Mountains. The perfect portrayal of a typical American suburb. By the way, Desperate Housewives is taped there (in Universal City Studios, if I am not wrong).

I bought this book as soon as I discovered it, and just when I received the package and opened the book, I instantly felt that "deja vu" thing...

As the title suggests, you will find old pictures of some of the most memorable spots in the Valley and how they look like today after years. Even if I am not really that intimate to the Valley like any resident is, I adored the book. Words from a guy that, unexplainably, fell in love with such singular, unusual to outsiders and quiet place within the world-class Los Angeles.

Fun But Shallow
If you're looking for detailed information on the history of the San Fernando Valley, this isn't the book. Most photos have just a sentence or two of explanation or description. I found one glaring error: the author refers to the 1992 Northridge earthquake, which actually occurred in 1994. Even so, I enjoyed looking through the book and comparing the way it used to be to the way it is now. In some cases the author has managed to include photos taken from the same viewpoint, which makes for a very interesting contrast.

A great book if you love "The Valley."
This book provides images from the past and present of areas in "The Valley". It's a great keepsake!