Unbeknownst to many, Los Angeles has served as one of the most important oil provinces on the planet. From the initial discoveries near the turn of the 20th century, through the roaring 1920s, and into the present, oil has often guided and defined the development of the city. What's interesting, however, is that this fact is so often eclipsed by Los Angeles' well-documented histories as a center of film, entertainment, boosterism and agriculture. Forgetting Oildorado excavates the city's rich oil history, examines the slow decline of the local industry, and uncovers many of the active oil fields that lie hidden in plain sight, in the very midst of this teeming city. This book explores the relationship between the erasure of Los Angeles' oil from the physical landscape, and its resultant erasure from the mental landscape.

This 120-page book includes text based upon Frank Ruchala Jr.'s monumental examination of Los Angeles' oil history, oiLA, with historical imagery sourced from Early California Oil by Kenny Franks and Paul Lambert. All other photography was shot by me, using a combination of Digital SLR, 35mm SLR, Medium Format Holga, and 35mm Lomo cameras.