The Homer Halverson Collection – Documenting Los Angeles in Photographs

February 13, 2024

Recently the Homer Halverson Collection expanded with the addition of some materials donated by his children. The collection holds a treasure trove of local history including documentation of the development of Los Angeles's water infrastructure, the Halversons' donation of land to the City of Los Angeles that would eventually become the CSUN campus, construction of multiple freeways around Los Angeles, and the Halverson Family's move from Oklahoma to California in 1924. Below is a small sample of what this collection holds.

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 1926 Construction of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was completed in 1923. It was built as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I and is the home of the USC Trojans football team. The stadium has hosted a plethora of prestigious events over the years including two summer Olympics and an upcoming third. Homer Halverson photographed the stadium in 1926, just three years after it was completed. The first three photos combine to give you a panoramic view of the packed stadium; likely during a football game as there is a marching band on the field. The fourth photograph was taken in 1930 and is of Homer's wife, Millicent, seated in the stands. This photograph gives a view into what the benches were like nearly 100 years ago.

In 1928, the St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon north of Los Angeles catastrophically failed killing over 400 people. Halverson worked for the City of Los Angeles as an Engineer in the 1920s and much of this collection documents the water infrastructure in and around Los Angeles. This tragedy is well documented, but Halverson’s photographs offer a unique perspective because you can see people in the frame which helps to highlight the scale and devastation of the collapse. Los Angeles City Hall Dedication Parade, 1928 April 26 More documentation of this disaster can be found in the Catherine Mulholland Collection which houses many of her father, William Mulholland’s, materials. William Mulholland was Chief Engineer of the Bureau of Water Works and Supply at the time of the collapse.

Halverson also attended the dedication of the newly built Los Angeles City Hall in 1928. Dedication ceremonies were held on April 26, 27 and 28, 1928. These photographs were taken at the dedication parade on April 26th that was attended by more than 32,000 people. The parade featured 34 bands, extended 3 miles, and included multiple replicas of city hall. One of the very realistic replicas can be seen in the first photo atop one of the parade floats.

In addition to documenting the water infrastructure of Los Angeles, Halverson also captured numerous freeway improvement projects and freeway construction across Los Angeles. In 1961 he was able to capture a series of photographs that depict the completion of the interchange between the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) and the Glendale Freeway (SR 2). Forest Lawn memorial Park in Glendale is visible in the background of some shots. The buildings shown in the photographs still stand today along Riverside drive, although with different businesses occupying them (except for Wong’s Market which is now Won’s Market – perhaps this is the same establishment?).

Homer Halverson provided a portal into the development of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Come to the Special Collections & Archives reading room to explore further!