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SoCal Connected

Charles Phoenix's Massive Vintage Kodachrome Collection

Retro geek and pop culture connoisseur Charles Phoenix has a massive collection of Kodachrome slides hidden in his cozy apartment in Los Angeles. Now obsolete, Kodachromes are vibrant color film mediums that documented the stories of everyday American life in the '50s and '60s.

"SoCal Connected" host Val Zavala gets an exclusive look at Phoenix's vast library of vintage slides featuring bold, whimsical scenes from Olvera Street, Disneyland, and even the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre.

So far, Phoenix has collected approximately 200,000 colorful Kodachrome slides over the last 20 years.

"All I want to do is pay tribute to our culture and find the gems in it and find the humor in it and find the reason to enjoy it," says Phoenix.

So how did Phoenix get involved with his impressive Kodachrome collection?

After shopping at a thrift store, Phoenix says he came across a blue shoe box with the words "Trip Across the U.S. -- 1957." As he held up a few slides, he couldn't take his eyes off the colorful beauties.

Featuring Interviews With:

Charles Phoenix, slide collector

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