Search the Collection
The Los Angeles Public Library's Photograph Collection
consists of over three million images! Many of them are searchable
via any web browser--and more are being added every day.
The Photo Friends Gallery contains special mini
"exhibits" from the collection.
Photo Collection Overview
The Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library began collecting
photographs before World War II and had a collection of about
13,000 images by the late 1950s. In 1981, when Los Angeles celebrated
its 200th birthday, the Security Pacific National Bank (SPNB)
gave its noted collection of 250,000 historical photographs to
the people of Los Angeles, to be archived at the Central Library.
This gift featured the SPNB's collection
of more than 100,000 images of early Los Angeles, from 1880s to
the 1930s (including the Works Progress Administration photographs
of Depression-era Los Angeles), and the Hollywood Citizen News/Valley
Times Newspaper Archive of 30,000 images, documenting the growth
of the San Fernando Valley from the 1940s to the 1960s.
In 1990, The Hearst Corporation donated its acclaimed
Herald Examiner Newspaper Archive of 2.2 million photographs that
document Southern California, the nation and the world from the
1920s to 1989 to the Library. During the next seven years, Photo
Friends enhanced the Collection with its highly-regarded Shades
of L.A. project. The Collection also includes the Portrait
Collection, the Ralph Morris Archives, the Federal Writers Project,
and the William Reagh Collection. The Library Foundation is raising
funds to preserve and digitize the collection.
Today, with over three million images, the Photograph
Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library is a city treasure
and a world-renown resource for visual images. More than 65,000
images are digitized and available at www.lapl.org.
Digitization of the photo collection is supported by the Library
Foundation, lfla@lapl.org.
Here is a list of the Library's major collections:
Security Pacific National Bank (SPNB)
The 1981 Security Pacific National Bank donation of 250,000 historical
photographs consisted of three main sub-collections:
- Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Collection
60,000 images of business, industry, sports and agriculture
in Los Angeles during its greatest growth spurt, 1920-1939.
There are also thousands of publicity images, which depict a
light hearted view of Southern California and were intended
to entice east coast businesses and Midwestern farmers to relocate
to the "City With Promise."
- Turn of the century Los Angeles
Over 150,000 photographs documenting the growth of Los Angeles
and its many neighborhoods.
- Hollywood Citizen News/Valley Times
Newspaper Collection
A collection of 30,000 photographs from 1946 to 1968, which
includes San Fernando Valley local news, suburban life, sports,
radio and TV personalities.
Central Library's Historical California
Photographs
Pictures of general historic interest on California, the Missions
and Los Angeles. Approximately 3,000 of these photos were taken
by C.C. Pierce, a noted photographer who worked from the turn
of the century through the 1920s.
Portrait Collection
Portraits of prominent early Californians collected by Luther
Ingersoll, who compiled histories of Santa Monica, San Bernardino,
and other area communities.
Federal Writers Project
Several thousand photographs taken in the late 1930s documenting
Los Angeles for the federally funded "Guide Book" series.
These images include street scenes, agricultural views, the motion
picture industry and architecture.
Ralph Morris Archives
Approximately 25,000 photographs by commercial photographer Ralph
Morris, who worked in the Los Angeles area from 1939 to the late
1970s. His advertising and industrial clients included department
stores, restaurants, the automobile and petroleum industries as
well as business executives. Also included are Lucketts Studio
photographs of architecture, fashion, the movie industry, sports
and street scenes of the 1930s.
William Reagh Collection
800 images of Los Angeles by photographer William Reagh. Chosen
from an archive of 40,000, these photographs represent the growth
and diversity of post-war Los Angeles to 1991, including buildings,
streets, neighborhoods and people.
Shades of L.A.
An archive of 10,000 photographs representing the contemporary
and historic diversity of families in Los Angeles. Images were
chosen from family albums and copied in a project sponsored by
Photo Friends. They include daily life, social organizations,
work, personal and holiday celebrations, and migration and immigration
activities.
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photograph
Collection
Newspaper morgue of 2.2 million photographs that document Southern
California, the nation and the world from the 1920s to 1989. As
one of the major newspapers on the West Coast, the Herald Examiner
was known for its coverage of the entertainment industry, politics,
sports, and public issues. |
