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Peek in the Stacks

Rose Parade Queen, Brenda English, 1963. Charles Williams Collection

Beauty pageants are common throughout the world. Historically, these contests have focused on cisgender women, but there have been exceptions. Judging criteria for pageants is largely based on a combination of intelligence, talent, and poise, yet the core point of comparison is physical attractiveness. Young women participating in beauty pageants often look to the previous year’s winners for images of how...

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Pacoima Farmers' Market banner, 1978-1981

In 1978, Los Angeles Councilmember Bob Ronka founded the Pacoima Revitalization, Inc. (PRI), funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Department of the City of Los Angeles. PRI's Board of Directors was made up of community members appointed by Councilman Ronka. The primary purpose of the organization was to revitalize the Pacoima, Arleta, and Lakeview Terrace areas...

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President James Cleary and Chinese Delegation Sign Educational Exchange Agreement, 1981. Photograph by Rick Childs

In 1978, CSUN President James W. Cleary began working on a plan to improve the campus’ international reputation. Step one; initiate an international student and teacher exchange program. As one might expect, it took several years for such a program to become firmly established. In November 1983, Cleary’s administrative assistant Kay Kellogg said, “… the program is just now becoming operational.” By this time, exchanges with China, Brazil, and Poland had occurred, and an estimated dozen students and a dozen teachers had already participated in exchanges with China...

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Cover, Popular Classics for Spanish Guitar

Legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream passed away at the age of 87 on August 14, 2020. Bream was a lover of all music, and he surrounded himself within the sonic landscapes of every musical era, going back as far as the music of 15-century lutenists. The IGRA Guitar Research Archives Discography Collection contains an immense collection of phonograph recordings. These recordings are a valuable resource for any music researcher, performer, teacher or student looking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of performed music...

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