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Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas, Sheet 469, 1950.
Glen Creason, February 02, 2016

As a salute to African American Heritage Month we present a brief glance at the epicenter of Central Avenue in the once glamorous and glorious Dunbar Hotel.


Looking South On Hill Street, 1940
Deborah Savage, October 14, 2015

While many books by and about photographer Ansel Adams are in the Art Department, the History Department also holds many books he wrote and illustrated. Born in San Francisco a few years before the 1906 earthquake, Adams achieved fame for his beautiful black and white photographs of Yosemite Valley.


Pictorial Map of Mexico, Fischgrind Publishing, Cartographer Miguel Gomez Medina, 1931
Glen Creason, September 15, 2015

This masterpiece of pictorial mapping is an original from the earliest printings of the famed Fischgrind Publishing house and one of the mysterious Miguel Gomez Medina’s greatest works.


Entry from Bernice Kimball's "Streets of Los Angeles"
Kelly Wallace, August 04, 2015

What’s in a name?  The stories behind the names of the streets, avenues, roads, and boulevards of Los Angeles reveal much about the history of our city, from its beginning as a tiny pueblo to today's sprawling metropolis of 3.8 million.  A list of L.A.


Ana Beker
Deborah Savage, March 24, 2015

A colleague in the History Department recently came across an old book whose drab cover hides a fascinating adventure story.


3 Negro Motorist Green Books
Kelly Wallace, February 27, 2015

As African American Heritage Month draws to a close, I would like to bring your attention to a largely unknown chapter of American history.


Map of the USA
Glen Creason, February 03, 2015

To commemorate African American Heritage Month, Central Library offers two maps that exemplify the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans in this country. The first is “Americans of Negro Lineage” by the great Louise E.


Armed Serviced Editions
Kelly Wallace, January 11, 2015

One of the many special and unique items at Central Library is a collection of ASE books. Armed Services Editions, popularly known as ASEs, are pocket-sized books made for and distributed to American servicemen around the world during World War II.


Dr. Strangelove Meets Genealogy
Julie Huffman, January 01, 2015

To the bane of many genealogists, the eleventh census of the United States was heavily damaged by a fire at the Commerce Department in 1921. Less than one percent of it survived, which means we have census data (e.g., age, place of residence, family members, etc.) on only 6,160 Americans in 1890.


image
Christina Rice, December 30, 2014

Over at the LAPL Photo Collection, we were full steam ahead as always in 2014; processing collections, digitizing photos, acquiring new collections, mounting exhibits, coordinating programs, and assisting patrons with research and orders.


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