Richard Bruland’s Bebop Records & Fine Art was a place of community for musicians, poets, and those interested in finding a small venue to watch artists up-close. Though the locale has been closed since 1990, some of the materials...
The Hollywood Burbank Airport was built in 1930 and initially served as Los Angeles' primary civil airport. On its opening day it was known as United Airport, but over the decades it went through a number of name changes before its most recent renaming in 2017 to better connect it to its geographic location. It has also been known as...
The Supreme Council of the Mexican American Movement (1945-1950) can trace its roots to the Mexican Youth Conference (MYC) sponsored by the Youth Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in the early to mid-1930s. Initially, the conference provided a platform for young Mexican American boys to socialize outside the barrios of Los Angeles. The group extolled the virtues of...
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...
In 1943, at the young age of 12, Brad Pye, Jr. paid a friend who transported cars to California $5.00 for a ride from his home in Plain Dealing, Louisiana to Los Angeles. Once in LA, Pye continued his education, completing both junior high and high school while working as a gas station attendant in the evenings. During World War II, housing accommodations were tight, and Pye rented space to sleep on an army cot in a freezing hallway. Nevertheless, he did not let his age or hardships deter him from pursuing his passion for journalism...
Spain established its first permanent settlement in the Philippines in 1565. Spanish colonial control of the Philippines continued until 1898, when the United States took possession of the islands as a territory after winning the Spanish-American War. The Philippine Revolution, a struggle for independence from...
While much of the western United States is besieged by raging forest fires and the noxious smoke they spew into the atmosphere, fires have long been a staple of life in Los Angeles. Forest fires in past decades were typically smaller, burned less intensely, and were more easily and rapidly....
Between 1769 and 1823, under the authority of King Charles III of Spain, Franciscan priests established twenty-one missions in California, to colonize the territory and convert its indigenous inhabitants to Christianity. San Fernando Rey de España (San Fernando Mission) was established at...
The Millie Moser Smith Papers contain materials related to the National Farm Workers Ministry and other organizations supporting farm workers. A portion of the collection was digitized as part of the Latina(o) Cultural Heritage Archives. Mildred “Millie” Alice Ross Moser Smith was born in Iowa on August 11, 1919, and relocated to California after graduating from the University of Iowa with a teaching certificate...
In our personal lives, important documents are often kept private and tucked away. When studying immigration and family life, it is helpful to move beyond the readily available rhetoric and look at primary sources. The Antonio and Luz Mendez Calvo family Collection, which has been digitized as part of the Latino Cultural Heritage Digital Archives, offers that opportunity...
