Guide to Collections on Los Angeles

Business and Real Estate

California Tourism and Promotional Literature Collection, 1880-1939.
Los Angeles County.
9 ms. boxes.

This part of the collection contains street and real estate tract maps, posters, folded brochures, pamphlets and other literature used to promote tourism and real estate development in the city and county. Hotel, resort and camp ground, park, theater, and restaurant literature is included. They are organized by geographical location - San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina, Northern Region (Antelope Valley area), and Southern Region (beach cities). Finding Guide for California Tourism and Promotional Literature Collection, 1880-1939. Los Angeles County.

Crime and Criminals

Early Los Angeles Court Transcripts, 1885-1904.
56 ms. boxes (14 linear ft.)
(KFX1638.E37)

Bound typed transcripts of criminal cases heard for the year 1885, 1887-1900, and 1903-1904. The collection is indexed.

Mortensen, E.B. Daily Report of Detective Officer, Los Angeles Police Dept., 1926, 1928-1929.
4 volumes
(HV7936.R53M57 1924)

Holograph ms. A report of cases assigned and daily activities submitted by Detective Mortensen.

Earthquakes

Collection of Photographs Taken of Buildings and Other Damage from the Earthquake in Los Angeles, California, February 9, 1971.
107 8 x 10 black & white Photographs.
(QE535.C6 1971)

These are the personal photographs of a building inspector for the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

Photographs of Olive View Hospital, 1971.
1 ms box (.5 linear ft.) [unprocessed]

These photographs show in detail the structual damage to the Olive View Hospital located close to the epicenter of the 1971 earthquake.

Health and Sanitation

Hiscock, Ira V. A Survey of Public Health Activities in Los Angeles County, California. Los Angeles, Bureau of Efficiency, 1928.
(RA448.L72H5)

The Los Angeles County Health Department submitted this report to the Bureau of Efficiency on September 5, 1928. The list of 59 recommendations was directed at increasing the effectiveness of the Department's activities and bringing their standards up to an acceptable level throughout the county.

Los Angeles. Bureau of Housing and Sanitation. Pictorial Representation of Some Poor Housing Conditions in the City of Los Angeles. 1938.
1 Photograph album.
(HV4046.L6A2)

Photographs taken by Bob Plunkett of the Health Dept. that supplement the City Health Dept. slum clearance report.

Los Angeles. Dept. of Health. Communicable Disease Bulletin, no. 1-76 (1934-1943).
2 volumes
(RA28.L7213)

Typescript (mimeographed) reports on various communicable diseases.

Slums and Fire Hazards.
6 (8 x 10) photographs.
(HV4046.L6S5)

The photographs were taken of fire hazards in slum neighborhoods of Los Angeles in 1940.

Venereal Disease Program, 1936-1941.
1 volume.
(RA644.V4V454 1936)

This scrapbook contains newsclippings from local newspapers, articles by George Parrish, health officer, and issues of the California State Department of Public Health's Weekly bulletin.

Los Angeles Personalities

Bristow, Gwen.
Papers.
4 bundles, 22 boxes (24 linear ft.) [unprocessed]

Gwen Bristow, a resident of North Hollywood, was famous for her historical novels about the South. "Calico Palace" was one of her books made into a film. We have a complete collection of every book she wrote, copies of all translations, her research notes, and handwritten journals.

Geiger, Milton.
Papers.
18 boxes (18 linear ft.) [unprocessed]

Milton Geiger (d. 1971) of Northridge was a radio and screenwriter. He began his career in radio before moving to television where he regularly wrote scripts for "Climax", "You Are There", "Eternal Light" and "Stoney Burke". He wrote the play "Edwin Boo th" which opened in New York with Jose Ferrer in 1958 (performed on campus in 1964). His papers include correspondence, notes for his projects, and scripts.

Klein, Violet Atkins.
Papers.
8 ms boxes (4 linear ft.)

Violet Atkins Klein wrote for radio, television, and the cinema. She began her career in New York, later moving to Los Angeles to work in the late 1940s. She wrote for radio in the 1940s and for television in the 1950s. Finding Guide for Violet Atkins Klein Papers

Prince, Virginia.
Papers.
11 boxes (11 linear ft.) [unprocessed]

Virginia Prince of West Hollywood was the editor of "Transvestia", a periodical for cross-dressers. Her papers include scrapbooks and the files of "Transvestia"

Organizations

Ku Klux Klan. Realm of California.
Records, 1922-1942.
1 ms. box (.5 linear ft)
(HS2330.K63A5)

This small collection contains correspondence, membership cards, and KKK literature. Most of the items relate to either Fresno or Los Angeles. Finding guide for Ku Klux Klan Records.

Automobile Club of Southern California.
Road Maps of California and Other States. ca 1923.
1 oversize box (G4361.P2 1923 A85)

These are route maps issued by the ACSC on card stock 4" x 10.5 " for easy reference by motorists. Some of the cards identify gas stations and rest stops alone the routes. There are 40 maps of Los Angeles. Finding guide for ACSC Road Maps of California and Other States.

Automobile Club of Southern California.
Road Maps of California, Other Western States and the United States. ca. 1937.
1 map folder.
(G4361.P2 1937 A87) Map Case

This collection of 22 folded sheet maps has 4 maps of Los Angeles. Finding guide for Road Maps of California, Other Western States and the United States.

Printers and Publishing

Kistler, Lynton.
The Lynton Kistler Collection.
5 oversize boxes and 2 map size folders [unprocessed]

Pamphlets and brochures designed and printed by Lynton Kistler in Los Angeles. Kistler printed many of Merle Armitage's publications (in our Armitage-Kistler Collection).

Women Fine Press Publishers in Los Angeles, 1904-1995.
75 books (8 linear ft.)

Books, broadsides, and other printed materials printed and published in limited editions by women fine press printers in Los Angeles. The collection displays the book design, printing, and binding skills of local presses such as the Scripps College Pres s, the Women's Graphic Center in the former Woman's Building, the Artemisia Bindery. There are 21 presses represented, 4 are located in the San Fernando Valley (Ninja Press, Orirana Press [closed], Adobe Press, Two Hands Press, and Windowpane Press [moved])

Fine Press Publishers in the San Fernando Valley.

The Library has publications of every fine press printer and publisher who worked in the San Fernando Valley. There are examples of artists books of Joe D'Ambrosio, and fine press printing of Adobe Press, the Santa Susana Press, Lord John Press, Orirana Press, and Ninja Press.

Compiled by Tony Gardner, Curator
Special Collections and Archives
California State University, Northridge Oviatt Library
April 9, 1996 (rev. 1/26/99)