When the team was new to Los Angeles, fans had only to wait one year; the Dodgers won the National League pennant in 1959, only their second season in California, and from October 1-8 battled the Chicago White Sox for the world championship. As the photographs here – from the USC Libraries' regional history collections – show, things have changed. Fashions both on and off the field were different, temperatures were in the double-digits, and the Dodgers then called the cavernous Coliseum home, which welcomed sell-out crowds of more than 92,000 in games three, four, and five. The Dodgers then flew to Chicago for game six, which they won, 9-3, clinching the series four games to two and securing the first of many world championships for the City of Angels.
The Dodgers and White Sox line up for the national anthem before game 3 of the 1959 World Series.
More than 92,000 filled the cavernous Coliseum for games 3-5 of the 1959 World Series.
A baseball diamond fit poorly within the confines of the Coliseum.
Binoculars and sunglasses were ubiquitous accessories at the 1959 World Series. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
Transistor radios were another popular accessory. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
Hats. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
A Dodger fan. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
A young Dodger fan. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
The Dodgers score in the 1959 World Series. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Examiner Collection, USC Libraries.
