Pioneers and Entrepreneurs
French Immigrants in the Making of L.A. 1827-1927
Pico House, Downtown Los Angeles
Until the Pioneers and Entrepreneurs exhibit, no thorough study had been completed on the presence of the French immigrants in Southern California. Their influence had been completely neglected by historians and thus forgotten.
Sci-Arc created a unique design for this exhibition, using the high technology printing techniques of ICP-West.
Through approximately sixty historical photographs and documents covering one hundred years (1827-1927), this exhibit shows how the French pioneers contributed to the development of Los Angeles from the early days of the city’s history. It portrays this French Colony, a true microscom in the center of the city, with its stores, hotels, businesses, newspapers and French organizations.
From 1827 this active community was integrated into the heart of the urban structure until the 1920’s when it starts to scatter geographically amidst the ever growing city and its flock of newcomers. By 1927, a new City Hall is built and Los Angeles enters a new era with the film industry and the development of the aerospace industry.
Southern Californians are experiencing a renewed interest for their inheritage and, in particular, for the history of the communities and ethnicities which contributed to its growth. It is finally time to give back to the French their well-deserved place of importance!
