Carved from the former Spanish land grant known as Rancho Los Feliz, Griffith Park, a rugged, 4,300-acre wilderness located in the heart of Los Angeles, has been the principal playground for Angelenos for over a century.

Co-author of Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America: Griffith Park” and Film Historian E.J. Stephens will give a talk on the History of Griffith Park before the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society at 2 pm on Saturday, May 19.

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The talk will be held at the Saugus Train Station at Heritage Junction within William S. Hart Park, a unit of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation System, 24101 Newhall Avenue, in Newhall. Following the lecture will be a book signing session with Stephens.

New from Arcadia Publishing, E.J. Stephens and his co-author Marc Wanamaker is “Griffith Park”. This pictorial history is one of the latest volumes in the popular “Images of America” series and affords readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community.

Since 1896, when the land was donated to the city by controversial philanthropist Col. Griffith J. Griffith, generations of week-enders have picnicked, camped, golfed, ridden horses, hiked, bicycled and played ball in the park. To this day, visitors still climb aboard its mini-train and merry-go-round and explore its zoo, museums, amphitheater and world-famous observatory. The park, which lies in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, has been a frequent filming site for legendary movies like “Back to the Future,” “Birth of a Nation” and “Rebel Without a Cause.”

Highlights of “Griffith Park” include:
• The Colonel’s Grand Gift
• Los Angeles at Play
• Hollywood’s Backlot

With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.

E.J. Stephens is a freelance writer and Hollywood historian who writes a daily blog on cultural history called Deadwrite’s Dailies. He lives with his family in Canyon Country, California. Film historian and consultant Marc Wanamaker is a founder of the Hollywood Heritage Museum. In 1973, he established Bison Archives, one of Southern California’s most notable repositories of entertainment heritage. Previously, they coauthored the “Images of America” title “Early Warner Bros. Studios”.

The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society is pleased to host E.J. Stephens at the Saugus Train Station. The general public is welcome. Admission will be free. For more information on this and other upcoming programs from the SCVHS, please call Alan Pollack at 661-254-1275 or email alan@scvhistory.com. Website: www.scvhs.org.