The Library's Garden Level (Lower Level) is currently closed due to storm flooding. More about garden-level closure. (Posted on: 03/08/2024 03:24pm)
In Special Collections and Archives there are many books, images, and archival material that date prior to the 1900s, including some scrapbooks that have beautiful images and newspaper clippings telling important stories from the past. Scrapbooks are a fascinating way to view history, functioning as a lens through which we can now ...
Peggy Gilbert was a jazz saxophonist who, beginning in the 1930’s, formed several all-female bands, and through her work represented women in the world of jazz performance. Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, Gilbert was an active member of the Los Angeles Musicians Union, local 47, remaining a trustee after retiring from her performing career. She formed her most successful group, the Dixie Belles, at the age of 69. The Dixie Belles toured throughout the U.S from...
Handmade and personalized birthday and holiday cards often have an endearing quality. They can capture the spirit, interests, and aesthetics of the recipient and the maker, while opening windows to the past. The L. Clarice Davis Collection does this; Davis bought and sold art books and the collection includes photographs of cards made by comic artists from King Features Syndicate for its owner, William Randolph Hearst that were...
Among its many treasures, Special Collections and Archives holds a wide selection of narratives, pictorials, and other publications related to the history of the greater Los Angeles area. Many of these works are authored or compiled by local historians or civic leaders whose perspectives may offer...
"Once upon a time" is the well-worn opening to several traditional fairy tales, but where did the phrase originate? What is a fairy tale? Scholars generally agree that a fairy tale does not need to include actual fairies, but they agree on little else. Some basic themes in fairy tales are the presence of magic, some form of transformation (of a character or an idea), and the inclusion of the extraordinary ....
In honor of Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16th every year, this blog post showcases some sources on Mexican Independence in Special Collections and Archives. As neighbors, most in the United States are aware of certain cultural aspects of Mexico, but often don’t reflect on...
Puck was an American humor and satire magazine published from 1871-1918. Published in both English and German language editions, the magazine was founded in St. Louis and moved to New York City within 5 years. Most issues were 32 pages in length. They included colorized cartoons on the front page, and a large, colorized political cartoon on the centerfold. Many well-known....
The Vern and Bonnie Bullough Collection on Sex and Gender contains a variety of books that focus on the intersection of religion and human sexuality. While some faiths might view sexuality as a taboo subject, or even as an abomination, other religions embrace and revere the human capacity for sexual expression. Most religious views on human sexuality are guided by sacred texts, which contain diverse ideas, and sometimes rules, about the role sexuality plays in our world. People have many different perspectives regarding the religious aspects of human sexuality, including sex worship, sex deities, and some ancient fertility myths...
Before Johannes Gutenberg developed the printing press and moveable type in the 1440s, books in Western Europe were handwritten, copied, and illustrated one at a time by scribes. This made books extremely expensive to produce and relatively rare to own. However, with the advent of the printing press and moveable type...
This summer, Special Collections and Archives is beginning a two phase renovation project. We'll be posting monthly updates here about the the project throughout the summer. When both phases are complete, Special Collections and Archives will have a new, environmentally controlled and secure closed stacks area for our rare books, artifacts, and archival collections...
