You’ve Never Seen Hollywood Like This Before

For three years, between 1969 and 1972, Los Angeles-born and -bred photographer Dennis Feldman walked up and down Hollywood Boulevard, snapping shots of the motley crew that peopled Tinseltown east of Highland. Of course, the Walk of Fame is now overrun with tourists hunting for their favorite celebrity's star, but 45 years ago, it was a whole different world. 

Using a Rolleiflex camera, or occasionally a 4-by-5 Large Format camera, Feldman captured on film the daily lives of prostitutes, biker gangs, hippies, and everyone in between. Until recently, these photos lived in his vaults. Now, they've been collected in glossy black-and-white in his newly released photography book, Hollywood Boulevard 1969-1972, which invites us to take a fascinating look back at a much grittier time.

After thumbing through our own copy of the book, we had to know more. So, we tapped Feldman to narrate the backstories of a few of his favorite photos. Eager to get your hands on a copy? Feldman implores you to head to a local haunt like Book Soup or Arcana Books (or, you can order it online, if you prefer). Ahead, get a sneak peek at photos that will completely transform the way you look at Hollywood.