LAPL Photo Friends – Page 7 – Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library

The Small Town in a Big City – Life at Rodger Young Village

January 18, 2017 by Annie Murphy

During WWII, thousands of men and women left Southern California to serve their country wherever they were needed. Thousands more men and women came to Southern California to work in factories supporting the war effort. As raw materials were needed for weapons, aircraft, and other related goods, construction of new housing ceased during the war. This created a housing shortage for veterans returning to the area after the end of WWII. This housing shortage spurred a housing boom, but veterans needed housing immediately. The Los Angeles City Housing Authority responded by building housing projects that offered affordable yet temporary housing for veterans and their families.

Rodger Young Village (also referred to as “RYV”) was one such public housing project. Built in Griffith Park and dedicated on April 27, 1946, RYV was named for Rodger Wilton Young, an infantryman in the U.S. Army killed during World War II. Rodger Young Village consisted of 750 Quonset huts, with most residents being young couples with children. RYV boasted a market, drug store, and theater plus delivery service for milk, diapers, and baked goods. Telephones were located outside throughout the village; a ringing phone would be answered by the nearest bystander who would then fetch (or get a kid to fetch) the intended recipient of the call. Churches came to conduct services in the theater (with the Catholics bringing their own kneelers), the Fuller Brush man made rounds throughout the compound, RYV had its own firefighters. Perched inside a park, it offered children plenty of space to play and explore.

Open to veterans of all races and branches of the military, Rodger Young Village was one of the most diverse communities in Southern California at the time. Adults and children befriended their neighbors with little regard to their ethnic background, educational levels, or personal beliefs. (One exception was the couple of Sidney and Libby Burke. There were evicted as it was determined that Sidney did not hold the proper veteran status but also because Libby had distributed supposedly communist literature.) Such acceptance of diversity helped end the practice of racial segregation in many local restaurants. (RYV residents often went to nearby eateries to dine with their neighbors. If a restaurant refused to serve someone in their party, the entire group would leave and often never return. Restaurants, faced with losing business, dropped discriminatory policies.)

As veterans bought homes or found housing elsewhere, the Rodger Young Village began to lose residents. RYV was demolished in the early 1950s. The parking lot for the Los Angeles Zoo and part of the Autry Museum now occupy the site where returning WWII vets and their families lived while waiting to move into their dream home. No physical trace of this housing project exists on the grounds today, but the photo archives of the Los Angeles Public Library can help you see how life was in this small town inside a big city.

With housing scarce and veterans returning en masse to the Los Angeles area, construction (conducted by William Radkovich Company and Zoss Construction Company) of Rodger Young Village was made a top priority by the Housing Authority.

The building of a Quonset hut is seen here.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Edwin Eichelberger on April 22, 1946.

While no huts had individual telephone service, all homes in Rodger Young Village had electricity. Here we see an electrician connecting wires to the Quonset hut homes.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Louis Clyde Stoumen (no date given).

The main entrance for Rodger Young Village was on Riverside Drive, with the Santa Monica Mountains providing a dramatic backdrop for the housing project.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Edwin Eichelberger on April 22, 1946.

An aerial view of Rodger Young Village shows its size and layout.

Shades of L.A.: Mexican American Community, photo taken by
White’s Studio circa 1940.

The dedication ceremonies for Rodger Young Village were held on April 27, 1946. Here we see a map showing how to get to the festivities.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection (photographer and
date of photograph unknown).

Many new and prospective residents attended the dedication festivities.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Louis Clyde Stoumen
on April 26, 1946.

Mrs. Nicholas Young, the mother of Rodger Young (the war hero for whom the housing project was named) attended the Village’s dedication ceremony as well as then-Mayor Fletcher Bowron.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photographed on April 26, 1946.

Each family would occupy one-half (front or back) of a Quonset hut, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen in their living space. Single veterans or childless couples would share a Quonset hut with each having their own bedroom but sharing the rest of the hut.

A family lounges in a model unit of the newly-built Quonset huts to see if it meets their needs.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photographed by Howard Ballew on April 26, 1946.

A model unit also showcases a child’s bedroom in a housing unit in Rodger Young Village.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Otto Rothschild on February 21, 1950.

While RYV was designed as temporary housing, residents took pride in their surroundings, planting gardens to add a homey touch.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Leonard Nadel on July 19, 1950.

John Barnes and his family pose outside their home (Unit 606) in Rodger Young Village.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Leonard Nadel on February 4, 1952.

Mrs. Lourdes Benigno and her children gather by the garden at their home (Unit 1147) in Rodger Young Village.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Leonard Nadel on February 4, 1952.

Mrs. John Breslin, a German war bride, helps her children dress for the day in their home at Unit 1279.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Leonard Nadel in 1952.

As most residents of Rodger Young Village were young families, children were everywhere – playing by their homes, in the park, at the zoo, and at events organized for them. Here we see kids playing outside their homes, having fun and making friends in their temporary neighborhood.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Leonard Nadel on November 16, 1951.

Children always enjoy dressing up for Halloween, and the kids at Rodger Young Village were no different.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed in October of 1947
(photographer unknown).

Santa Claus knew there were plenty of children in RYV, so he flew (via helicopter!) to visit them and their parents.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Louis Clyde Stoumen
on December 21, 1948.

Adults also had plenty of activities to attend at Rodger Young Village. Here, Bette Davis confers with Rodger Young’s mother during a luncheon at RYV.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, photographed by
Floyd McCarty (date unknown).

People mingle and look at exhibits during a Negro Week program held in RYV.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Louis Clyde Stoumen (date unknown).

Negro Week (also referred to as Negro History Week) at Rodger Young Village also included a firefighters’ parade that featured a marching band.

Housing Authority Collection, photographed by Louis Clyde Stoumen (date unknown).

The arrow in this photo points to Rodger Wilton Young, the war hero for whom Rodger Young Village was named. This is the last photo taken of him before he died on July 31, 1943, in the Solomon Islands. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photograph dated 1946 but
taken in 1943 or earlier (photographer unknown).

Give the Gift of Los Angeles

December 12, 2016 by laplphotofriends

Looking for the perfect gift for the Los Angeles history fan in your life? Photo Friends has you covered!

Here’s a snapshot of the eight books we’ve published, all highlighting images from the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection! All are available for purchase on Amazon or at the Library Store and proceeds benefit Photo Friends and the Photo Collection.

Service Society and Social Change, by Christine Adolph

The post-War San Fernando Valley was the quintessential American suburb. With the availability of affordable housing and jobs from the thriving aerospace, aircraft, and manufacturing industries, the Valley’s population boomed. The promise of prosperity inspired new opportunities for leisure time, family life and civic engagement. Membership in social and service clubs soared. Whether people united through shared identities or shared interests in hobbies, civics or philanthropy, the prevalence of club life defined the Valley’s growing community. The Valley Times newspaper, published from 1946 to 1970, documented the changes to the Valley’s physical landscape through suburban development, but also revealed how social networks impacted society. This latest entry from Photo Friends Publications accompanies the exhibit “Service, Society and Social Change: Post- War Clubs from the Valley Times Newspaper” (July 7, 2016 – January 15, 2017) and presents a sampling of images from the Valley Times photo archive, now held at the Los Angeles Public Library. Through the lens of the Valley Times photographers, we are presented with a unique visual history of the ways people connect to build a community.

One Golden Moment: The 1984 Olympics Through the Photographic Lens of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner – by David Davis

In the late 1970s, the Olympic Movement was in deep trouble. When the International Olympic Committee called for candidates to host the 1984 Summer Olympics, only two cities expressed interest: Tehran and Los Angeles. And, after Tehran dropped out of the bidding process, L.A. was left to carry the flickering Olympic torch. Naysayers predicted disaster: the traffic would be snarled and the smog suffocating; the Games would bankrupt the city of L.A. and terrorists would harm innocent people. But L.A. proved everyone wrong. The weather cooperated, and the traffic was smooth sailing. An ambitious Arts Festival drew appreciative crowds, and pin trading became an unofficial Olympic event. And, who could not be thrilled by the record-setting performances of Carl Lewis, Evelyn Ashford, Edwin Moses, Joan Benoit, Daley Thompson, Mary Lou Retton, Greg Louganis, and Cheryl Miller? This book chronicles the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through the extraordinary photographs taken by the staff at the Herald Examiner newspaper, a collection now held at the Los Angeles Central Library: from the preparations before the Games to the Opening Ceremony to the wondrous athletic performances to the Closing Ceremony. The 1984 Olympics were a golden moment in these photographers’ careers as well as for the city of Los Angeles.

Firsts, Seconds and Thirds: African American Leaders in Los Angeles from the 1960s and ’70s from the Rolland J. Curtis Collection – by Kristine Protacio

Civil Rights took shape in 1960s Los Angeles as African Americans broke color barriers and began to occupy positions in government. Progress during this time extended past politics, to the realm of entertainment, commerce, public service and activism. It is in the midst of this exciting time that Rolland J. Curtis (right) took thousands of photographs while serving as a Field Deputy for Council Members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. Curtis’ images provide a unique view of the African American experience in South Los Angeles during this time. This book presents a sampling of Curtis’ photographic archive, now housed at the Los Angeles Public Library, as well as a glimpse at some of the city’s black leaders of the period. Some famous, some forgotten, these individuals were true trailblazers: the first, second, or third African Americans in the history of Los Angeles to accomplish their feats.

From Pop to the Pit: LAPL Photo Collection Celebrates the Los Angeles Music Scene, 1978-1989 – by Wendy Horowitz

Los Angeles has always enjoyed a tremendous amount of diversity, both culturally and geographically. In the 1980s, these varied ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds combined with the environmental influences of the beach, suburbs, or inner-city created an astoundingly unique and memorable period for popular music with L.A. at the epicenter. Culled from the Los Angeles Public Library’s Herald Examiner photo archive and the Gary Leonard Collection, LAPL and Photo Friends present a glimpse into a decade that produced scores of hit singles, showcased strikingly diverse genres and generated tremendous excitement. The exhibit From Pop to the Pit: LAPL Photo Collection Celebrates the Los Angeles Music Scene, 1978-1989 and companion catalog relive an extraordinary time in music history with rarely seen images of the bands that helped define the era.

Bunker Hill in the Rearview Mirror: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of an Urban Neighborhood – Edited by Christina Rice

During its history, the area of Downtown Los Angeles known as Bunker Hill has been viewed in many different ways; inaccessible, upscale, run-down, blighted, erased, renewed. These perceptions over the decades have always been open to interpretation and either agreed with or challenged. An area that has been subject to more change than any other place in the city, it has arguably invoked more passion and reverence than any other Los Angeles neighborhood, while inspiring equal amounts of disdain.

Bunker Hill in the Rear-View Mirror: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of an Urban Neighborhood, an exhibit at the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library on display from April 2015 – April 2016, uses photographs, news articles, recollections and unique ephemera from LAPL Special Collections to illustrate the complex story of Bunker Hill, from its heyday in the 1880’s to its redevelopment in the 1960’s and 70’s. Curated by librarians Christina Rice, Photo Collection, and Emma Roberts, Art & Music/Rare Books, the exhibit is enhanced by this companion catalog with contributing essays by Adrian Scott Fine, Nathan Marsak, Merry Ovnick, Meredith Drake Reitan, and Donald R. Spivack.

The First with the Latest!: Aggie Underwood, the Los Angeles Herald, and the Sordid Crimes of a City – by Joan Renner

Agness “Aggie” Underwood never intended to become a reporter—all she really wanted was a pair of silk stockings. When her husband told her they couldn’t afford them, she threatened to get a job and buy them herself. Those silk stockings launched a career that started with Aggie at the switchboard of the Los Angeles Record newspaper in 1926, and ended more than four decades later when she retired as City Editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. As a reporter for the Los Angeles Evening Herald and Express (later, Herald Examiner), Aggie not only reported on crimes throughout the city, but sometimes helped solve them. Using quick wit and intuition, Aggie helped her newspaper live up to its motto “The First with the Latest.” Through the Los Angeles Herald Examiner’s photo archive, now held by the Los Angeles Public Library, the cases Aggie covered are more than just faded headlines, but come to life in light and shadow. This catalog of nearly 100 images, which compliments an exhibit at the Los Angeles Public Library’s Central Library gives a brief overview of Agness Underwood and some of the cases she covered.

Defining Their Identity: The Changing Roles of Women in the Post-War Era as Documented by the Valley Times Newspaper – by Christina Rice

The popular view of women in the years following World War II has come to be of homemakers like television’s Donna Reed and June Cleaver who maintained picture perfect households in suburban settings. In many cases this was indeed the primary role assumed by women of the era, but it wasn’t the only one. Women pursued advanced degrees, became professionals, held office, excelled in sports, fought for equal rights, and became civically involved, and often while running those households. The San Fernando Valley has come to exemplify the post-War suburban growth that took place throughout the country and the Valley Times newspaper was there to document this expansion along with the Valley’s dynamic women in their various roles. Now, the exhibit and companion catalog, Defining Their Identity: The Changing Roles of Women in the Post-War Era, explores the changing roles of women through the lens of the Los Angeles Public Library’s Valley Times’ image archive.

How We Worked, How We Played: Herman Schultheis and Los Angeles in the 1930s – by Christina Rice

Herman Schultheis may have been an engineer by trade, but was a photographer at heart who never seemed to go anywhere without his camera. After relocating to Los Angeles from the East Coast in 1937, Herman and his wife Ethel explored their newly adopted home, far and wide. By the end of the decade, he had snapped well over 5,000 photos. How We Worked, How We Played: Herman Schultheis and Los Angeles in the 1930s, presents a small sampling of this amazing collection which was donated to the Los Angeles Public Library following Ethel’s death in the early 1990s. The images present an overview of a rapidly expanding city in the midst of the Great Depression and on the verge of World War II, along with the simple story of two people in love with each other–and Los Angeles.

Spend this Saturday with Photo Friends and the LAPL Photo Collection!

December 8, 2016 by laplphotofriends

This Saturday (December 10th) is all about the LAPL Photo Collection and Photo Friends.

on-the-go_vp

At 2pm the Photo Collection is teaming up with the UCLA Film & Television Archive for a special presentation. Before Huell Howser, Jack Linkletter sought out the human interest side of Los Angeles through his short-lived television program On the Go. Join us as Dan Einstein and Mark Quigley of UCLA Film & Television Archive will present an overview of the Archive as a research resource as well as screen clips from recently preserved episodes of the locally-produced, On The Go (KNXT, 1959–60), featuring Vincent Price with William Castle, Hollywood Studio Club and Marineland. Footage courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.

Full details are available on the LAPL website.

sale

In the evening, have fun while knocking out some holiday shopping as Photo Friends presents its first ever rummage sale! We’ll have lots of old exhibit prints available at dirt cheap prices. Perfect for the Los Angeles history buff in your life.

FUTURE STUDIO GALLERY
5558 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles 90042
Sat. Dec. 10, 2016 (7-10pm)
Also open Sun. Dec. 11 (2-5pm)
Sat. Dec. 17 (2-6pm)
Sun. Dec. 18 (2-5pm)
and by appointment 323-254-4565
futurestudio@sbcglobal.net

An End to the Dry Spell

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 by Annie Murphy

In 1919, the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. One year later, prohibition began. The production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was now illegal. America went dry – or so it was thought.

Supporters of prohibition believed that getting rid of booze would get rid of America’s social ills – alcoholism, public intoxication, petty crime, poverty, mental illness, venereal disease. Prohibition would also reduce taxes as there would be less need for courts, jails, hospitals, asylums, and other institutions supported by tax dollars. The country would be richer and safer if it were sober.

Unfortunately, as journalist H. L. Mencken noted in 1925:

“Five years of Prohibition have had, at least, this one benign effect: they have completely disposed of all the favorite arguments of the Prohibitionists. … Not only are crime, poverty and disease undiminished, but drunkenness itself, if the police statistics are to be believed, has greatly increased. The land rocks with the scandal. Prohibition has made the use of alcohol devilish and even fashionable, and so vastly augmented the number of users.”

On December 5, 1933, prohibition was repealed, with President Franklin D. Roosevelt declaring, “What America needs now is a drink!” People across the U.S. celebrated and Los Angeles, never a city to miss a party, joined in. The online photo archives of the Los Angeles Public Library show that while certain public officials in L.A. took prohibition very seriously, most of the public took its repeal even more seriously.

Members of the Coast Guard unload 1,200 cases of illegal whiskey found on a fishing boat in San Pedro.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated March 25, 1932.

An officer takes inventory of liquor that was seized in a raid on a warehouse in Long Beach, California. Police believed the warehouse was being used as a distribution center by bootlegger Tony Carnero (a/k/a The Admiral and Tony the Hat). The liquor was valued at $62,000 — $910,781 in today’s currency.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo taken in 1931.

John L. McDonnell of the District Attorney’s enforcement squad and Pearl Stephenson, secretary to Chief Investigator Lucien Wheeler, dump $45,000 worth of bootleg liquor used as evidence in liquor arrest cases. (Incidentally, that would be the equivalent of $635,000 worth of booze today.)

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated February 16, 1929.

Members of the Sheriff’s office dump wine, whiskey, imported champagne, and various liquors they had confiscated. The alcohol – most of it high-end and meant for Christmas, New Year’s, and other holiday parties – was valued at $150,000 at the time. Today, this contraband booze would be worth roughly $2,004,500.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated January 17, 1927.

Unable to buy a drink legally, many people resorted to partaking of Jamaica Ginger – also known as Jake – in place of a cocktail. Sold as a medicine, this concoction included an additive that affected the nerve cells that control movement, leading to paralysis for some unlucky imbibers. The Herald-Examiner alerted Southern Californians as to the dangers of drinking Jake.

Herald-Examiner Collection, drawings photographed in 1931.

As grapes were no longer becoming wine (with the exception of a select crop used for sacramental wine), the California Vinyardists’ Association created National Grape Week in an effort to dispose of a bumper crop of grapes during Prohibition.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, photo dated September 14, 1928.

In spite of the law, Los Angelenos (like folks everywhere) still liked to discuss business, meet friends, and relax over drinks. This elegant home at 4412 Wilshire Boulevard served as a speakeasy during Prohibition.

Los Angeles Photographers Collection, Marlene Laskey/Wilshire Boulevard Collection,
photographed by Annie Laskey in 1978.

While the complete repeal of Prohibition occurred on December 5, 1933, the Beer and Wine Revenue Act (commonly referred to as the Beer Bill) was put into effect on April 7, 1933. It gave states the right to sell beer and wine. In this photo, crowds wait to enjoy a beer at the Belmont Grill in downtown Los Angeles.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated April 7, 1933.

Here is the scene inside the Belmont Grill that same day.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated April 7, 1933.

When the Beer Bill came into effect, Eastside Brewery in Lincoln Heights wasted no time getting back into business. The first truckload of beer rolled away as movie star Jean Harlow christened it with a bottle of (what else?) beer.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated April 7, 1933.

People couldn’t wait until prohibition was repealed to celebrate its repeal! Here, revelers at Club Airport Gardens celebrate the repeal of prohibition on November 8, 1933, with a skeleton of the 18th amendment.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photo dated November 8, 1933.

With prohibition repealed, the quaint Malamute Saloon, designed to resemble a cozy log cabin, reopened after 13 years. Los Angeles residents and visitors could imbibe while enjoying a somewhat rustic experiment.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, photo dated 1933.

A group of Mexican-Americans celebrates the end of Prohibition and the freedom to enjoy a drink with family and friends.

Shades of L.A.: Mexican-American Community, photo taken by Harvey
(see lower right corner) in 1934.

Disaster Response: The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake

November 28, 2016 by Eleanor Boba

On Friday, March 10, 1933, in the depth of the Great Depression, the Southland experienced a major earthquake, centered off of Long Beach. While named for that city, the event, and the many aftershocks, affected the entire Los Angeles basin and was felt as far south as Tijuana. Some 120 persons were killed (the exact number is disputed*): about half in Long Beach proper and the rest in communities including Compton, Cerritos, and Huntington Beach. Serious property damage occurred throughout the region, including in Los Angeles City itself.

A young seismologist named Charles F. Richter counted seven aftershocks of “marked intensity.” Richter went on to tell the United Press: “Thereafter a series of continuous quakes began. They were too frequent to be correctly tabulated. I should estimate them at from 100 to 200 up to noon Saturday.” (Quoted in Seattle Times, “12Towns….”) Two years following the event, Richter developed his famous scale which rated the initial 1933 earthquake at 6.4.

Residents and newspapers photographers documented the devastation and the recovery efforts. In this photo essay, we will focus on immediate aid efforts and the resilience of the citizenry.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Image #00058879

The earthquake caused widespread devastation, collapsing many buildings, including 70 schools and public buildings such as the Lynwood Theater. Another 50 schools and many other buildings sustained serious damage. Fortunately, the quake occurred at the dinner hour, after school had recessed for the day. Had it happened earlier, the death toll would have been much higher and much younger!

Herald Examiner Collection, #00047523

Rescuers pause to listen for victims who may be trapped in the wreckage of the Stockwell Building in Compton, March 11, 1933. Compton suffered extensive destruction in its core commercial district.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, #00058878

Medical personnel, including Catholic sisters and staff from U.S. Navy ships at San Pedro were called in to help with the wounded. With hospitals damaged, the wounded were brought to churches, parking lots, and other locations. Another photo, not shown here, shows covered bodies on mattresses behind Seaside Hospital (Herald-Examiner Collection, Image #00057404).

Many were injured or killed by falling bricks in the streets.

Making Shift

Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00057405

In the days following the quake, and with after-shocks coming thick and fast, most families in the quake zone chose to camp outdoors, either in parks or in their own yards. The Long Beach area was dotted with small fires such as this one. The caption accompanying this photo in the Herald Examiner read: “Through the night of the March 10 earthquake, thousands of men, women and children sat up beside bonfires in vacant lots and yards as they feared to enter their homes lest there be further temblors.”

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Image #00020435

This family in Compton has set up a makeshift camp stove in their yard. The quake took out electric power and officials shut off gas, likely preventing further disasters.

Security Pacific National Bank Collection, Image #00020448

There’s a lot going on in this photo, including several makeshift stoves with fuel at the ready. The men in charge may be running a pop-up business, catering to those without means to heat food.

Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00084131

The Community Pulls Together

It takes a community to recover from a disaster. The Herald-Examiner’s caption for the above photo, dated March 14, 1933, read “All Southern California opened its heart and sent food and medicine to the homeless and injured. Volunteer workers are shown carrying boxes of supplies prepared by sympathetic Angelenos.”

Photo by “Crory,” Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00057407

Residents line up for food and other assistance at Lincoln Park, close by Long Beach City Hall, March 12, 1933, two days after the quake. The Red Cross and Salvation Army set up first aid tents and feeding stations. Long Beach city officials trucked in fresh water. Some restaurants offered what they had on hand at no charge.

Herald-Examiner Collection, Image #00047510

Commerce must go on. With most stores and businesses at least temporarily uninhabitable, merchants took to the streets to sell their wares. In Compton they were allowed to set up within an undamaged structure — the Oil Exposition building — where they arranged themselves in the same order as their main street shops.

Frank Bentley, photographer, Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00057399

With power and telephone poles down throughout the region, communication with the outside world was difficult. Ham radio stations were credited with offering the only reliable communication for the first week following the cataclysm. According to some, the first word of the disaster came from a boy’s ham radio station ten minutes after the initial quake. Here, amateur radio enthusiasts, assisted by the Boy Scouts, offer the services of their short-wave radio station. Survivors were able to send messages to anxious loved ones via wireless technology. Press services also availed themselves of on-the-ground reports transmitted via short-wave. With the region under virtual martial law for a number of days, reporters had a difficult time gaining access to the quake zone.

Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00034804

Military personnel called out to assist with the recovery efforts take advantage of coffee and donuts provided by the Salvation Army in Compton. The soldier at right is reading an “EXTRA” addition of the paper with the headline “120 Killed in Quake.” Curiously, the number is fairly accurate.

If not for the newspaper, one might be led to believe this was a photo from World War I. The sailors, referred to in the press as “bluejackets,” carried bayonets while patrolling disaster-stricken streets.

Some of the men pictured appear to be members of the American Legion. The Disaster Relief Committee of the American Legion stepped up to the challenge , distributing supplies and patrolling streets. An interesting press item, copied from a March 16 letter of the American Legion post in Long Beach to his fellow commanders, offers a glimpse at the state of things five days following the quake:

Dear Comrade Commander:

Pay no attention to radio broadcasts, either commercial or amateur, requests for food until broadcast by Colonel A. C. Wyman or Ole Olson. Clothing of all kinds needed, especially men’s shoes. Send to Compton or Long Beach American Legion. Fraternally yours, L.F. Olson, acting disaster relief chairman, The American Legion, Department of California (Coronado Eagle and Journal, March 21, 1933)

American Legion relief station adjacent to the ruins of Compton City Hall, March 13, 1933. Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00047508

Herald Examiner Collection, Image #00084132

Four days after the quake, with most folks still camped out in parks and on golf courses, boredom became an issue. These young women attempt to alleviate the problem with the aid of the old upright at Long Beach’s Bixby Park.

Finding Fault?

Thanks to its location within a major metropolitan area, and with access to trained emergency response and federal assistance, recovery from the Long Beach earthquake was relatively rapid. Within two weeks most families were able to return to their homes. Lessons were learned. Many who had believed Southern California immune from big earthquakes found out otherwise. The need for construction standards and the risks of building on landfill became apparent. A month following the disaster, the state legislature passed the Field Act, mandating state-approved standards for school-building.

At this writing, fall of 2016, a new geological report suggests that the 1933 earthquake and others of the same era and location may have been caused by indiscriminate oil drilling in Huntington Beach and the resulting effects on soil and fault lines. The past never stays dead and buried.

*Early on, the United Press reported that 151 persons had died in the immediate aftermath of the quake.

Selected sources:

“12 Towns Take Stock of Damage Done by Quakes,” Seattle Times, March 12, 1933. Several pages of the Seattle paper are devoted to articles and pictures of the disaster, with information taken from wire services and short-wave radio stations.

“1933 Long Beach Earthquake,” California Department of Conservation website accessed November 11, 2016 (http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/News/pages/longbeach.aspx).

Tim Grobaty, Long Beach Chronicles: From Pioneers to the 1933 Earthquake (Charleston: The History Press, 2012), 148-158.

Clinton B. DeSoto, “Southern California Amateurs Rise to Earthquake Emergency,” QST, May 1933. Reprinted in EverythingRF, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 (http://www.rfcafe.com/references/qst/california-amateurs-earthquake-emergency-qst-may-1933.htm).

Ron-Gong Lin II, “Southern California’s deadliest quake may have been caused by oil drilling, study says,” Los Angeles Times online, October 31, 2016, accessed November 6, 2016 (http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-ln-oil-drilling-earthquake-20161031-story.html).

Native American Heritage Month

December 4, 2019November 9, 2016 by Annie Murphy

November is Native American Heritage Month. The land that now constitutes California once housed the most diverse population of indigenous people in the Western hemisphere, with 150 different Native American tribes inhabiting the area. While the population of these native people decreased significantly in the 19^th century largely due to genocidal policies implemented by the United States government, there are still over one hundred federally recognized Native American tribes in California. The Photo Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library offers a glimpse of Native Americans celebrating holidays, remembering their heritage, and living their lives in Southern California.

Members of the Golden State Gourd Society (which originated in Maywood, California, in 1971) gather at the first annual Kateri Circle pow wow.

Shades of L.A., Native American Community; photograph taken in 1990.

Astronaut Robert Crippen (center), who flew on four space shuttle missions (three as commander), is of Cherokee heritage. Here he is photographed with Native American employees of Rockwell International in Thousand Oaks, California. These employees are of Wichita, Comanche, Choctaw, Cheyenne, and Oto tribe heritage.

Shades of L.A., Native American Community, Comanche Community,
Wichita Community, Cherokee Community, Oto Community,
Cheyenne Community, Choctaw Community; photograph taken in 1981.

Margo, a Native American of Comanche and Wichita heritage, attends a pow wow at the Orange County Indian Center in Stanton, California.

Shades of L.A., Native American Community, Comanche Community,
Wichita Community; photograph taken in 1980.

Two Navajo girls reenact the age-old practice of grinding corn at the South East Indian Center in Huntington Park, California. The ceremony included singers, feather dancers, and gourd music.

Herald-Examiner Collection; photographed by Myron Dubee on May 21, 1974.

Father Paul Ojibway, a Catholic priest and member of the Fond du Luc Band of Lake Superior Chippewa of Minnesota, sought to build bridges between Native American Catholics and the wider Catholic community. He served in Native American ministries in California for over twenty years, becoming Director of American Indian Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and also serving as Director of Native American ministries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Here he is seen serving Mass at a pow wow at St. Francis High School in La Canada.

Shades of L.A., Native American Community, photograph taken in 1991.

Navajo artist Kin-ya-onny-beyeh (also known as Carl Nelson Gorman or Carl Gorman) exhibits his artwork in a gallery in Woodland Hills, California.

Valley Times Collection; photographed by George Brich on June 20, 1963.

Youngster John Nolan from the Pima Pagago Reservation in Phoenix, Arizona, participates in a Drum and Feather War Dance held at the Burbank recreation hall while Mrs. Fred Gabourie, a Cherokee dancing champion from Burbank, watches.

Valley Times Collection, photographed by Bob Martin on December 7, 1964.

Carl Fisher, an African American with Choctaw heritage, became an Auxiliary Bishop for the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1987. He was the first African American Catholic bishop on the West Coast and supervised 70 parishes, 53 elementary schools, and 10 high schools in the San Pedro Pastoral Region. Here he poses with Native Americans at his first mass in the Los Angeles area.

Shades of L.A.: Native American Community; photograph taken in 1987.

Mary Robinson, a young woman of Choctaw heritage, is photographed at 13 years of age practicing her ballet steps. Mary later moved from Salinas, California, to Los Angeles and became a professional dancer and actress.

Shades of L.A.: Native American Community, photograph taken in 1927.

A dancer from the Tony Purley Tribal Dancers performs at the sixth annual American Indian Artistry program at the County Museum of Natural History in Exposition Park.

Herald-Examiner Collection; photograph undated.

Navajo students at Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, California, don native dress and ride on the hood of a car displaying Navajo blankets and a Navajo rug during the school’s Indian Day parade.

Shades of L.A.: Native American Community; photograph taken in 1970.

Filipino American History Month

October 20, 2016 by Annie Murphy

October is Filipino American History Month (also known as Filipino American Heritage Month). The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has been observing October as Filipino American History Month since 1991, with California officially recognizing the month in 2006 when the California Department of Education placed it on its celebrations calendar. Filipino American History Month was established to commemorate the first documented landing (over 425 years ago) of Filipinos in what is now the continental United States. The photo archive of the Los Angeles Public Library has an extensive collection of images documenting the rich history and influence of Filipino Americans in Los Angeles.

Members and friends of Kilusan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Organization of Progressive Youth) attend the East-West Community Partnership Forum held at Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community,
photograph taken in September, 1996.

Monty Manibog was the first Filipino American attorney to pass the bar and practice law in Southern California. He was also the first Filipino American to serve as councilman and mayor of Monterey Park, holding office from 1976 to 1988.

Herald-Examiner Collection, photographed by Paul Chinn, May 22, 1988.

Barbara Gaerlan (Assistant Director of UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies, pictured at right) interviews Dr. Virginia Agbayani (Professor Emeritus, Department of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines) at an event held at the Filipino American Library of Los Angeles.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photograph taken in 1996.

Members of the Philippine American Annak Ti Batac of Southern California enjoy their annual picnic at the Long Beach Naval Station. Annak Ti Batac translates as “Children of Batac”, Batac being a city (the hometown of former President Ferdinand Marcos) in Ilocos Norte, a province in the northern tip of the Ilocos Region in Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photograph taken in 1994.

Filipino American Roman Gabriel (Number 18) was the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams for eleven seasons beginning in the mid-1960s. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1969 by the AP (Associated Press) and NEA (National Education Association) and also 1969 Player of the Year by the UPI (United Press International).

Herald-Examiner Collection, photographed by James Roark in 1969.

Joseph Batugos and other prominent members of the Filipino American community in Los Angeles hold a reception for Earl Carroll, president and cofounder of the Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life). Interned in Santo Tomas Prison Camp in Manila from 1942-1945, Carroll was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom for services rendered to American and allied nationals during World War II. He resided in the Philippines for 33 years.

Valley Times Collection, photographed by George Brich on January 20, 1964.

A Christmas play is held at a Filipino Christian Church in Los Angeles.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed in 1955.

Campers gather around picnic tables at Camp Throne, a summer camp (located in San Dimas) of the Filipino Christian Church.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed in 1955.

Delegates attend the 23rd Annual National Convention of the Filipino Federation of America Inc. at the Moncado Mansion in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. The banner in the background partially reads “Welcome General Moncado, Guest of Honor.” Hilario Camino Moncada, a political activist and mystic, founded the Filipino Federation of America on December 27, 1925, and remained its President until his death in 1956.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed on December 28, 1948.

The first annual banquet of the Caballeros de Dimas-Alang, Inc. in Southern California was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The Caballeros de Dimas-Alang is a Filipino American fraternal organization which began in San Francisco in 1921.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed on January 15, 1951.

Philippine National Day, also known as Independence Day or Day of Freedom, commemorates the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. In this photo, a group of people stand behind a table covered with Filipino food during a National Day celebration held at CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, California.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed on June 12
(year unknown).

Friends head out for a dip in the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach, California.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed in 1945.

A group of first generation Filipino immigrants, all born and raised in the Philippines, pose for a photo in the Los Angeles Harbor area. One of the men, Romy Madrigal (top row, second from right) became President of the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles. All the men spoke the same common dialect of Cebu and worked in fish canneries located on Terminal Island.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed in 1935.

Reverend Casiano Coloma (seated on the far right), minister of the Filipino Christian Church, poses with friends on a bench outside the Los Angeles Public Library.

Shades of L.A.: Filipino American Community, photographed in 1930.

Photographer’s Eye: “Seeing” Downtown with David K. Thompson

October 14, 2016 by laplphotofriends

Wednesday, October 19, 2016
12:15pm to 1:00pm
Central Library, Meeting Room A

seeing-downton

Reservations not required. Doors open approximately 15 minutes before the start of the program.

“In a series of photographs inspired by the Japanese woodblock printer Hiroshige, local photographer and silkscreen artist David Thompson takes a fresh look at the urban environment of downtown Los Angeles. As much of the downtown skyline changes, and with it the nature of life of the city, Mr. Thompson focuses on specific ways of truly “looking” at the city’s built environment and architectural legacy. He explores the value of elevation, projection and compression as conscious ways of seeing the city the lies before us. He also takes a closer look at downtown streetscapes, the role of “text” in the life of the city and even that most notorious eyesore of urban life: the parking lot.”

“David K. Thompson was born in New York and raised in Florida, Japan, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Puerto Rico He has worked — as an editor, diplomat and transactional lawyer — in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Paris and Los Angeles. But the longest constant in his working life has been a dedication to silkscreen printing, based, for the most part, on his own photography. His most recent artwork focuses on city streetscapes, architecture and infrastructure, with a heavy emphasis on Los Angeles. Based in Pasadena, he actively explores virtually every corner of Los Angeles with his camera. He has also begun to treat his urban photographic work as an end in itself, often combining it with historic and architectural commentary, drawing in particular on the rich heritage of contemporary newspaper accounts — including especially advertisements — of the city and its occupations.

Sponsored by Photo Friends. Presented by the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection.

Additional details available on the LAPL website.

Style and Strength — Historic Los Angeles Architecture

September 29, 2016September 27, 2016 by Annie Murphy

The photo collection of the Los Angeles Public Library contains many photos taken for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the nation’s first federal preservation project. HABS created an archive of drawings and historical reports plus black and white photos documenting the country’s buildings and built environments. The following photos (with captions below each photo) display examples of the unique architecture to be found here in Los Angeles.

KEHE/KFI Radio Broad Studio

The KEHE/KFI studio was built in 1936 and designed in the Streamline Moderne (also referred to as Art Moderne) architectural style, utilizing long lines and aerodynamic curves to create a streamlined and modern look. The KEHE studio was originally constructed for Hearst Radio, Inc. but was sold in 1939 to Earle C. Anthony who took KEHE off the air and ran station KFI in the studio until 1975. The building served various purposes for the local Koreatown community before it was demolished in 2003. (Note: The scrolled grilles over the windows and doors were not an original part of the building but were added in later years for security purposes.) All photos of the radio station were taken in 2004 by photographer and Photo Friends Board Member Tom Zimmerman for the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Southeast corner of KEHE/KFI radio broadcast studio on North Vermont Avenue

Main entrance and tower of KEHE/KFI facing northwest

Southern side entrance of KEHE/KFI studio facing westward

OLIVE SWITCHING STATION

Located on San Fernando Road, the two-story Olive Switching Station was built between 1916 and 1917 at the mid-point of the electric transmission line that ran from San Francisquito power plant No. 1 to the central receiving station in Los Angeles. This facility of the LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) made it possible to repair single circuits without disrupting or diminishing electric service, thus providing reliable utility service to the greater Los Angeles area. The original station has been demolished. All photos of the Olive Switching Station shown below were photographed in 1994 by photographer Bill Agee for the Historic American Buildings Survey.

View of the northeast side of the Olive Switching Station
from the north side of San Fernando Road facing southwest

View of the east corner of the Olive Switching Station
from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power lot

View of first room on the first floor and main control panel
of the Olive Switching Station

Swan Hall, Occidental College

Architects Myron Hunt and H.C. Chambers laid out the original master plan for Occidental College in 1914, with an emphasis on healthy and comfortable living. The campus featured many open air spaces, verandas, fireplaces, and assorted greenery. (It was said that Hunt would walk around the campus dropping eucalyptus seeds as he walked.) Swan Hall was designed and built as a men’s dormitory. In 1960, Swan Hall was remodeled and converted from living quarters into administrative offices. In 2011, Swan Hall underwent an expansion that more than doubled its size. The photos below were all taken in 2011 by photographer and Photo Friends Board Member Tom Zimmerman for the Historic American Buildings Survey.

East facade of Swan Hall (with fence surrounding building
during maintenance) as viewed from the northeast

North entrance on Swan Hall‘s east facade

This is the third part of a three-part feature on the photos of the Historic American Buildings Survey.

All Hail the King – Or, More Accurately, The Ambassador

August 31, 2016August 22, 2016 by Annie Murphy

It is no small surprise that the Ambassador Hotel was a prominent subject of the Historic American Buildings Survey. The hotel was a part of both Los Angeles and world history. The Los Angeles Public Library photo archive has a number of photos of the hotel.

But first, some history:

Designed by renowned architect Myron Hunt (whose architectural masterpieces include the Rose Bowl Stadium, Occidental College, and Caltech), the hotel opened in 1921 boasting 500 rooms and occupying 23.7 acres at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard. While it eventually sat empty (except for occasional filming) for 15-plus years before its demolition in 2005, it had a glorious heyday. The Ambassador Hotel saw every form of celebrity, from film stars to foreign dignitaries. Bob Hope hosted the 1939 Academy Awards ceremony in its glamorous nightclub, the Cocoanut Grove. Carole Lombard and Joan Crawford competed in the Grove’s Friday night Charleston contests. Nikita Khrushchev stayed at the hotel during his time in America in 1959. Jean Harlow had a residence there for a time, as did Howard Hughes. A young model posed by the pool, she would later become Marilyn Monroe. Bing Crosby started a singing career there, and Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra performed in the Cocoanut Grove often. Seven presidents including Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, and Richard Nixon stayed there. Haile Selassie, then Emperor of Ethiopia, ate lunch there in 1954. The hotel housed the jury for Charles Manson’s murder trial for nine months in 1971. Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the hotel’s kitchen in 1968 after delivering a speech. (He would die the next day in Good Samaritan Hospital.)

Even if you’ve never been to Los Angeles, you have probably seen the Ambassador Hotel. It has been photographed extensively and used in many television shows and films. It appeared in episodes of Beverly Hills 90210, Mod Squad, Starsky and Hutch, Dragnet, and Murder She Wrote. Musicians including Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, Tom Waits, and Beyonce filmed videos there. Its impressive movie portfolio includes Nightmare on Elm Street, Foxy Brown, Lady Killer (with James Cagney), Scream 2, and Forrest Gump. Arnold Schwarzenegger rode a horse through its lobby in True Lies. Richard Gere played a piano in its main ballroom in Pretty Woman. The high school reunion in Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion occurred at The Ambassador. And most famously (or infamously), The Graduate’s Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) and Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) conducted their affair in a suite at The Ambassador. (Cue Simon and Garfunkel.)

All of the photographs below (except for the menus shown in separate end section) were taken between January and March 2005 by photographer and Photo Friends Board Member Tom Zimmerman for the Historic American Buildings Survey. Captions are beneath the image.

Ambassador Hotel, Embassy Ballroom.

Ambassador Hotel, main lobby.

Ambassador Hotel, honeymoon cottage interior

Ambassador Hotel, interior of hotel bar (Note: This is not the Cocoanut Grove.)

Ambassador Hotel shop interior, casino level

Ambassador Hotel and the Cocoanut Grove

Ambassador Hotel and fountain

Ambassador Hotel cabana

Ambassador Hotel southern entrance

Would you care to see a menu?

Interested as to what you might have eaten for lunch, dinner, or at a banquet at the Ambassador Hotel? Visit the Menu Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. For a preview, look below:

Menu showing what was served at banquet honoring Secretary of War and various governors; banquet was held at Ambassador Hotel circa 1933.

A La Carte Menu at Ambassador Hotel

Front cover of menu for Cocoanut Grove, autographed by Fred Martin (date unknown; Fred Martin and his orchestra played the Cocoanut Grove numerous times from the 1930s to the 1970s.)

Menu for Cocoanut Grove (menu dated December 16, 1944)

Note: This is the second part of a three-part series on the Historic American Buildings Survey.