Charles W. Cushman's documentary-style photographs have "developed a near cult-like following" since being digitized by Indiana University in 2003. The Chicago businessman took 14,500 images between 1938 and 1969, capturing a vanishing America in vivid Kodachrome color slides. What made the amateur photographer's work particularly noteworthy was his early adoption of color film. When Cushman started shooting on Kodachrome in 1938, the film had only been available in 35mm format for two years, and use of it wouldn't be widespread until after World War II.
The prolific amateur photographer traveled across the country on many road trips, including a 1952 sojourn west to California. He spent almost the entire month of February in Southern California, capturing the coast, mountains and downtown Los Angeles in glorious Kodachrome. Cushman clearly had a great fondness for the state, and returned a number of times throughout the 1950s. His gorgeous slides showcase not just a bygone Los Angeles, but also the nature of the surrounding region in dazzling Kodachrome hues.
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