Actress Bahareh Rahnama in Hollywood

The Founding of Hollywood

Hollywood's origins can be traced back to the late 19th century when the area was little more than a rural outpost of Los Angeles. In the early 1900s, the burgeoning film industry on the East Coast began to face increasing pressure from patents held by Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company. Seeking to escape these restrictions, filmmakers started looking for a new location to set up shop. The mild climate and abundance of natural scenery in Southern California made it an attractive option, and before long, filmmakers began flocking to the area.