There is a particular kind of civic devotion that asks nothing in return—only the quiet conviction that a city’s story is worth preserving. In 1976, three men—a Marine-turned-historian, a Deputy Sheriff, and a dedicated friend—set out to ensure the multiethnic heart of Los Angeles was never forgotten. As the Los Angeles City Historical Society marks its 50th anniversary, we go back to the beginning to meet the 'Guardians of the Pueblo' who built a legacy that still shapes how the city understands itself today.
The Los Angeles Pride Parade and Festival, known as LA Pride, began on June 28, 1970, in Hollywood to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. Organized by the Christopher Street West Association (CSW)—founded by Rev. Bob Humphries, Rev. Troy Perry, and Morris Knight—it was one of the first Pride parades in the world and the first to receive a government permit after a legal battle with city officials.
Legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt visited Los Angeles in the middle of April, 1911 as part of a tour that included a four day engagement at the Mason Opera House, one of Downtown’s most majestic theaters. This was Sarah’s third visit to Los Angeles but only the second time she appeared Downtown and, at the time, was Bernhardt’s longest engagement in our city. Sarah’s first two visits to L.A. were shaped by time constraints and exterior stressors that were well beyond her control.
The Los Angeles City Historical Society invites you to watch a previously recorded webinar Britton Gustafson, UCLA History PhD student, who will discuss how the Los Angeles Pneumonic Plague Epidemic of 1924 served as the final urban plague outbreak in the U.S., and how a robust public health intervention prevented the outbreak from engulfing the entire city.
by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member
The Los Angeles City Historical Society held a lecture about the Italian immigrants to Los Angeles as part of the Marie Northrop Lecture series. Always on the lookout for Los Angeles historical memorabilia, I happened to find an advertising mirror that advertises the Tartaglia and Bros. Tailors with their motto, “Six Brothers, Six Reasons.”
by John E. Fisher, LACHS Board Member
Since the beginning of history, the human race has depended on animals — horses, mules, camels and oxen — for long distance transportation across land. Such was the case in Southern California. Los Angeles and other settlements along El Camino Real were accessible only by horseback and stagecoach. That would begin to change with the efforts of a person who would become known as the “King of Transportation,” Phineas T. Banning.
