Since I began leading docent tours eight years ago at the Los Angeles Central Library, some tour goers ask—is hidden Masonic symbolism contained in the art that decorates the library? Unwilling to get…
"Clothes make the man", wrote Mark Twain. Whether they be politicians, corporate executives, movie stars or even gangsters, one sure-fire way to impress is simply to dress. Custom made suits, shirts…
“A library card is the start of a lifelong adventure.”—Author Lilian Jackson Braun Did you nab one of the artist-designed library cards? Designed by street artist and library supporter Shepard Fairey…
In a city as a diverse as Los Angeles, there is one thing we almost all have in common—traffic. While stuck at intersections or on freeways, pondering the heritage of our fair city is probably not on…
Most visitors to the Central Library’s Maguire Gardens see Jud Fine's “Spine” installation and the unique collection of fountains that grace the gardens, but not everyone notices tucked away in the…
First, a number of greetings in the language of a few native peoples on this continent: Yaa'teeh – "It is good" in Dine/NavajoKwira Va – "We are one" in RaramuriGualli Tonalli – "Good day," in Nahuatl…
The doors of wisdom are never shut.—Benjamin FranklinThe classic icon of wisdom, the owl, is found in several places around the original Bertram Goodhue Library building. These owls are not hidden…
Los Angeles has been a multi-cultural, polyglot city from the earliest times. In 1781, the pobladores, a small group of racially diverse farmers from Sonora, Mexico, arrived near the banks of the…
I recently completed an online heraldry class conducted by the University of Strathclyde, and I learned a great deal that will be helpful to me as a genealogy librarian. Heraldry is the study of…
Did you know that when Central Library opened in 1926, the entrance at 530 South Hope Street was both the "front door" and mailing address? Patrons entered the gates at Hope Street and walked up a…
For decades, Los Angeles (and the rest of Southern California) loved to market itself as a place where you could improve your health in the optimal climate of the region. (Pay no attention to the smog…
“The point of fiction is to give the reader for a few hours the chance to be somebody else, to broaden and deepen his understanding of himself and the strangers among whom he has to pass his days. The…
In July of 1926, Angelenos eagerly awaited the opening of the Los Angeles Central Library's new building, the first permanent home for the fifty-year-old library! The library was dedicated on July 15…
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…
The 1984 Olympic Summer Games were a considerable success for the United States as both a host and competitor. A major contributor to the country's medal count that year was diver Greg Louganis who…
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…
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.Fire and library experts had been warning for years that…
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…
If you've taken one of our free library tours, we've probably pointed out the quotation over the Flower Street entrance from Lucretius: “Like runners they bear on the lamp of life." Seems like an old…
April 18th marks National Columnists’ Day, started in memory of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Ernie Pyle, who was killed in World War II. His eloquence in his subject matter, the lives of…
Who hasn’t received that notice in the mail—the one that commands you to report for jury duty at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center? As you moan and groan and prepare to wait a very…
Walk with the young, America;be young, again, America,among the defiant and awake,solid in their dreams.Be the revolution in the marrowwhere passions, ideals, fervors,purpose and courage,are not just…
The post-War era brought exponential growth to the San Fernando Valley, transforming the region into the quintessential suburbs. Much of this development was enabled by the aerospace industry and…
Insurance companies have long provided policies to cover losses of property but, before the end of the Civil War, this also included pay-outs for injury and death of the formerly enslaved. This…
