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Richard J. Riordan Central Library
Central Docents, December 09, 2017

Architect Bertram G. Goodhue (1869-1924) was a gifted and multi-faceted artist. He began drawing as a young child, first with pen and pencil and later with watercolors.


children oohing at turkey coming out of the oven
Tina Lernø, November 21, 2017

Thanksgiving in Los Angeles 100 years ago was an interesting affair. World War I was over, but troops were still stationed overseas, and most institutions continued to support the effort either by rationing food, or sending supplies “Over There.”


James Barlow, left, also known as Jeri Ryan, and August Coy, also known as Irene Paston, at the city hall police station. Photograph dated November 27, 1944.
Christina Rice, June 12, 2017

Prior to the late 1970s, LGBTQIA coverage in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner (previously the Herald Express) was extremely limited. Any photos in our image archive from the newspaper focus exclusively on men being arrested for "masquerading" as women.


Detail of a map of Los Angeles, as it appeared in 1871, showing the site of the 1871 Chinese massacre
Kelly Wallace, May 19, 2017

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a month in which we celebrate the culture, traditions, accomplishments, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.


Downtown Los Angeles, George Coupland Thomas, Thomas Brothers Map Company, 1946.
Glen Creason, June 06, 2016

Previously, in writing about Pershing Square I neglected to describe the essential role the place had in the Gay history of Los Angeles. This post is an attempt to redress that lack of research and to recognize LGBT month at Los Angeles Public Library.


The intersection of Adams and San Pedro today
Kelly Wallace, May 20, 2016

If you drive through the neighborhood around the intersection of Adams and San Pedro Street today, you will see a strip mall and on the opposite corner a clothing store. Everywhere you look, there are businesses with signs in Spanish, reflecting the predominantly Latino population.


Aerial view of fire, April 29,1986
Central Docents, April 29, 2016

This year, 2016, marks the 30th anniversary of the most catastrophic fire of a library building in the U.S. It occurred at our Central Library.


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Christina Rice, April 28, 2016

On the morning of April 29, 1986, librarian Dan Dupill was answering telephone calls at the Literature Reference Desk at Central Library. The antiquated phone system was slow, and the volume of calls high in those pre-Internet days, so getting through to a Reference Librarian could be a challenge.


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Christina Rice, February 01, 2017

On January 25, 2017, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to give its final approval to the city’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.


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