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Look Back on the History of the Sunset Strip in 21 Photos

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Yesterday, WEHOville published a nice history of the famous and storied Troubadour, and it got us thinking about nightclubs and music in LA, and, of course, about the Sunset Strip. Located just outside the LA city limits (and outside the jurisdiction of the LAPD), the Strip became a popular nightlife district starting during Prohibition, thanks to the less robust policing efforts of the Sheriff's Department. Glitzy clubs like Ciro's and the Trocadero were popular with Hollywood types and gangsters alike until the 1960s, when things got a little more rock and roll. And as you can see in the photo evidence, it's been a popular spot for protests by curfew-hating teens and the anti-smut patrol alike. Sure, the Strip is less relevant to music today than it was when the Doors were the house band at the Whisky, or when the Roxy was home to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, or even during the Guns N' Roses years, but we can reminisce.

[Images via Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection]


· LA History 101 Archives [Curbed LA]