Brits and Los Angeles

The Brits have been prominent in Los Angeles for a century. William Mulholland, the man who (to quote a recent Los Angeles Times article) “made Los Angeles possible” by establishing the city’s water supply in the early 20th century, hailed from Belfast. Griffith Griffith, whose bequest built the eponymous Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory (two of the great treasures of the city), was a Welshman. Londoner Charlie Chaplin was a pivotal figure in the early development of Hollywood. The quintessential Los Angeles fiction writer Raymond Chandler was a Brit. So too is the artist whose paintings have become icons of modern Los Angeles: David Hockney. The Brits have not been mere visitors.They are part of the fabric of Los Angeles.

Clockwise from top left:
David Beckham, William Mulholland,
Charlie Chaplin, ‘The Big Sleep’ written by
Raymond Chandler, Giffith Griffith