Color photographs of peaceful Los Angeles during and after World War II

Los Angeles in the early 1940s, despite the tense global situation due to World War II, remained a glamorous, vibrant, and sunny place. Shiny cars, neon lights, bright signs. These rare color photographs from the archives forever capture the city's atmosphere.

The United States entered the global conflict in December 1941, after Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor naval base, but it did not encounter Nazi Germany until late 1942. Nevertheless, the Americans were not fighting on their own soil, and life here went on as usual.

Hawaii Theatre in 1940.

View of Westwood Boulevard north from Wilshire, 1940.

Hollywood High School, 1941.

East side of 5th Street from Figueroa.

View of east Wilshire Boulevard from Detroit Street, 1941.

North of Westwood Boulevard, 1941.

The intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, 1941.

Hollywood Boulevard, 1941.

Oil rigs at Signal Hill, 1941.

View of Wilshire Boulevard from the Ambassador Hotel, 1942.

Greyhound bus station, 1943.

View of eastern Hollywood Boulevard from the Cahuenga Building, 1943.

Streets of Los Angeles in 1944.

Illumination on Wilshire Boulevard, 1945.

A streetcar in Los Angeles, 1946.

The Players Club on Sunset Boulevard, 1946.

View of north Broadway from 10th Street, 1947.

NBC World Headquarters on Sunset Boulevard, 1947.

Housing construction in the Park La Brea area, 1948.

View from the NBC Radio City building, 1948.

View of Vine Street from Sunset Boulevard, 1948.

West of Hope Street, 1948.

West Hollywood Boulevard from Vine Street, 1948.

View of Hollywood Boulevard west from Las Palmas, 1948.

Northwest Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, 1949.

Sunset Boulevard, 1949.

Ralphs supermarket, 1949.

View from Hollywood Boulevard to Cherokee Avenue, 1940s.

Hollywood Boulevard, 1940s.