SPRING 2026
LACHS
Guardians of the Pueblo: The Founders of the ...

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.

Guardians of the Pueblo: The Founders of the Los Angeles City Historical Society and the Legacy They Built Los Angeles History
LACHS
FROM SETTLER TO CITIZEN
FROM SETTLER TO CITIZEN
LACHS
The History of LA Pride in Los Angeles

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.

The History of LA Pride in Los Angeles
LACHS
Napoleon, Cleopatra and the Magic Isle: Sarah ...

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.

Napoleon, Cleopatra and the Magic Isle: Sarah Bernhardt in Los Angeles, 1911
LACHS
Webinar - LA's Campaign Against the Plague ...

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.

Webinar - LA's Campaign Against the Plague Epidemic of 1924

Women’s History Month - Los Angeles Women Pioneers

Women’s History Month - Los Angeles Women Pioneers

by Pebbla Wallace, LACHS Board Member

Today’s women have made great strides in American History. But for years women were restricted from voting, signing legal documents, owning property, participating in contracts and lawsuits, retaining their salaries, or even inheriting independently from their husbands. In fact, until around 1850 most women’s legal rights were under the protection and authority of their husbands.

Clara Shortridge Foltz – Barrier Breaker

Clara Shortridge Foltz – Barrier Breaker

by Pebbla Wallace, LACHS Board Member

Many of you may have heard the name Clara Shortridge Foltz as the name of the Criminal Courthouse building located downtown on Temple and Spring. Or maybe you have heard her name as the first female lawyer in California. But many may not know her importance as a barrier breaker for women and her fight for Women’s Rights in California and the United States.

Biddy Mason – More than Just a Los Angeles Pioneer

Biddy Mason – More than Just a Los Angeles Pioneer

by Pebbla Wallace, LACHS Board Member

Although Biddy Mason may have died in 1891, many Angeleno’s may only recognize her name as one of the first African American pioneers to own land and real estate in downtown Los Angeles. Or they may only recognize the name as the founder of Los Angeles’ First African Methodist Episcopal Church (First A.M.E.), the oldest African American congregation in Los Angeles. But what many may not be aware of - is that none of this would have been possible if not for an important court case in 1856 in which Biddy set a legal precedent in California courts for future enslaved African Americans in California.

LACHS Webinar - LACHS 2021 Scholarship Presentations – Part 2

Watch the recorded presentations with two of our 2021 LACHS Scholarship recipients:

Calaveras in the Streets: Chicano Death, Art, and Día de los Muertos in Los Angeles, 1970-1980
Ariel Xochitl Hernandez, CSU Los Angeles

The Most Amazing Chapter in the Southland’s History: Mythmaking and Boosterism in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics
Chris Fennessy, CSU Los Angeles

LACHS Webinar - LACHS 2021 Scholarship Presentations – Part 1

Watch the recorded presentations with two of our 2021 LACHS Scholarship recipients:

Sorry Charlie: How a Cartoon Fish Became America’s most Enduring Icon of Counterculture Capitalism
Angela Romero, CSU Long Beach

The Formula for a Massacre: Growing Stereotypes and Rising Tensions Towards the Chinese Community in the Late 1800s
Valeria Martinez, CSU Long Beach

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