Tiffney Sanford

When Central Library opened in July 1926, the press spoke of lawns (east and west), a Grand Terrace, and Library Park. Today, we can see the beauty of the Maguire Gardens, but we no longer have a…

You no doubt know the names of the city's famous fictional private detectives—Philip Marlowe, Easy Rawlins, Jake Gittes—but let me introduce you to Mr. Samuel Wardlaw, Los Angeles Public Library's…

One of the Los Angeles Public Library's largest pieces of outdoor art can only be appreciated in photos now, after becoming a victim of Southern California's weather. Bison Hunt, a 50-foot-by-26-foot…

The first several decades of the Los Angeles Public Library's existence involved frequent moves into various rented spaces downtown. These locations included the Downey Block (1872-1889), City Hall…

W. Elmo Reavis was a man who wore many hats, including bookbinder, instructor, inventor, manufacturer, editor, and advocate. He established the Pacific Library Binding Company in Los Angeles in 1912…

The Vernon - Leon H. Washington Jr. Memorial Branch, located on Central Avenue at 45th Street, is one of the oldest branches in the Los Angeles Public Library system. There is an incredible amount of…

When Gertrude Darlow joined the Los Angeles Public Library in October 1893, there were less than twenty employees. During her thirty-plus years with the library, she worked under seven City Librarians…

Have you ever visited a library in the middle of a department store? If you lived in Los Angeles in the early twentieth century, you could have done just that. The Hamburger Building, designed by…

The growth of the Hollywood branch of the Los Angeles Public Library mirrors the development of Hollywood as a place. From sleepy beginnings, it grew quicker than expected, with highs and lows…

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts that looks at history near a Los Angeles Public Library branch. Library resources, including books, local newspapers, maps, city directories, vertical files…