Watch the recorded presentation with Christina Rice, Senior Librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection.

Watch the recorded presentation with Los Angeles City Historical Society board member Geraldine Knatz: A Century of Marine Science at the Port of Los Angeles.

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

After construction of the San Pedro breakwater was completed in 1912, Los Angeles outer harbor  was used to support U.S. naval operations.  As early as 1913, submarines would berth along the San Pedro waterfront. But it was not until 1914 that the Harbor Commission allowed the Navy the use of City Dock No. 1 and part of its transit sheds as a temporary base for submarines.   Once the Navy got onsite, however,  they expanded to take over much of the pier, transit sheds, including space inside Warehouse No. 1.   In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise.  

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

Collecting tags and medals to continue this series of blogs on Los Angeles history, I was thrilled to find a brass tag with the words “Banning Co.” on it along with the words “time check” and the number 679.  I knew it had to be associated with the Banning family of Wilmington, California.  But I was stumped on what the tag was used for.  

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

In WWI soldiers were forbidden to carry personal information with them into battle, particularly photos or letters that might have addresses on them.  But an enterprising Los Angeles business figured out a way to satisfy a soldier’s longing to be near to his loved ones and not get in trouble with the military –using specially designed buttons made by the Liberty Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles.  

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

Long before the term “Bridge to Nowhere” became an object of national ridicule in the early twenty-first century’s fight over congressional earmarking for impractical and unnecessary infrastructure projects,  Los Angeles’ own Vincent Thomas Bridge was at one time dubbed a “bridge to nowhere.” 

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

Los Angeles was not much more than a pueblo when J. C. Dotter arrived in 1859 from Kansas, via Salt Lake City.   He started a furniture business in the 1860’s just off the old plaza on Commercial Street.  He and his early partners would supply furniture to the surrounding haciendas, their stock coming by ship to San Francisco and then by wagon down to Los Angeles. 

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

In September, 1923, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce declared that the City of Los Angeles had surpassed the 1 million mark in population.  Having a million residents had actually been foretold before this auspicious announcement as evidenced by the 1920 Los Angeles brass watch fob commemorating Los Angeles’ stride toward a population of one million.

by Geraldine Knatz, LACHS Board Member

These days when you leave a conference or convention, the first thing you discard is your name badge.  Who wants to be caught with a lariat around their neck or a big card pinned to their chest displaying their name?  Not so, 100 years ago.

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.”