Writers Charles Erskine Scott Wood and Sara Bard Field advocated, and practiced, free love as one element of their commitment to anarchistic politics. Sherry Smith, professor of history at Southern Methodist University and the Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow for 2009-10, examines the interplay between what they preached and what they practiced in early 20th-century Oregon and California.

Conflict and conquest have long defined the history of the American West. But what of events shaped by concord? Stephen Aron explores episodes in which peoples put aside their differences and the lessons we might take from them.

Freeways have long embodied some of L.A.’s most powerful contradictions: a city moving ahead boldly into the future and a sprawling metropolis scarred by its dependence on the automobile. Such contradictions are not merely a matter of opinion but were built into the fabric of this complex public works enterprise. Matthew Roth, Ph.D., discusses the origins, engineering, and political back story of L.A.’s “concrete utopia.” He’s the historian for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Author and book collector Dennis Kruska gives a lecture based on his new book, "James Mason Hutchings of Yo-Semite: A Biography and Bibliography," published by the Book Club of California. Hutchings (1820–1902) was one of California’s most important 19th–century publishers and a tireless promoter of Yosemite, the Sierra, and the wonders of California.

In the spring of 1949, a three-year-old girl fell into an abandoned well shaft while playing near her home in San Marino. For more than 24 hours, local television stations KTTV and KTLA covered the unsuccessful rescue attempt, making it one of the first news events in the nation to be televised outside the station. At year’s end, The New York Times referred to the tragic death of Kathy Fiscus as the single most significant photographic event of 1949. Deverell explores the accident and aftermath, touching on the social and economic history of the region while also explaining how the tragedy revealed both the permanence and vulnerabilities of community. A Haynes Foundation Lecture.

During the 19th century, beach culture shifted from an emphasis on the therapeutic value of sea water to a growing interest in the recreational pleasures of a trip to the shore. Dr. Ritchie takes a closer look at the changing world of the beach, including concerns over appropriate fashions.