March 10, 2012
Azusa Pacific University

Local Resources to Conduct Research

Local Archival Photos Online

USC Photo Archives

Among the collections: Automobile Club of Southern California collection, 1892-1963, California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California Collection, 1880-1933, Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive, Korean American Digital Archive and more.

Santa Monica Public Library Image Archives

The Image Archives illustrate the history of Santa Monica area from 1875 to the present day. The Archives consist of historical photograph collections, slides and postcards. The emphasis of the Archives is the City and its landscape, including views of Palisades Park, the beaches, piers, historic buildings, hotels, bathhouses, Douglas Aircraft, streets, Venice, Malibu, Topanga, the Southern Pacific Railroad and more.

Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection

The Los Angeles Public Library's History and Genealogy Department's Photo Collection emphasizes the history of Los Angeles, Southern California, and California. This Internet-accessible collection is one of the treasures of the Central Library and the Library continues to add from the archive. These images are from various collections described in the Photo Collection Overview. For details on ordering and processes, please check the FAQs and links below.

National Archives on the Internet

National Archives

Genealogy charts, presidential documents, federal records, government documents etc., Iraq war videos, Pre-TV era newsreels

Archive.org

Movie image archives, audio (including live music) and texts. Among the collection are 9/11 TV Archives, 2008 election speeches.

Old Time Radio

Free old time radio clips including Abbot and Costello, Amos and Andy, the Mel Blanc Show, Milton Berle Show, My Favorite Husband (precursor to "I Love Lucy"), You Bet Your Life, Ozzie and Harriet and others.

Old Time Radio Catalog

Old time radio clips for a fee (about $5) including Winston Churchill recordings, FDR Fireside chats and speeches, Hitler recordings, former slave interviews, Nixon recordings etc. Historical Recordings

Local History

L.A. AS SUBJECT Hosted by the USC Libraries, L.A. as Subject is an alliance of research archives, libraries, and collections dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Los Angeles region

Autry National Center: Museum of the American West and Southwest Museum of the American Indian
4700 Western Heritage Way (in Griffith Park adjacent to L.A. Zoo),
Los Angeles 90027
Contact: Marva Felchlin, Director of the Autry Library
(323) 667-2000 X 349
Topics: Native American Experience in California/Los Angeles, Donner Party, Pioneers and Mexican people losing lands to settlers
web: www.autrynationalcenter.org

California African American Museum
600 State Street (Exposition Park)
Los Angeles, CA 90037
(213) 744-7432
web: www.caam.ca.gov

California Citrus Industry
Contact: David Boule 310 224-4959 (daytime), 310 326-1894 (eve)
Private collection dboule@socal.rr.com
Collection Name: The Orange and the Myth of California California and the orange have influenced each other for almost five hundred years, with the orange becoming a symbol for the myth of California as a romantic, agrarian paradise.

Craft and Folk Art Museum
5814 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Contact: Holly Jerger, Education Director
(323) 937-4230 x 28
web: www.cafam.org

Filipino American Library (FAL)
135 N. Park View St.
Historic Filipinotown,
Los Angeles CA 90026-5215
Contact: Jonathan Lorenzo, Administrator
(213) 382-0488
(213) 382-0478 (FAX)
Email: filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net
Hours: MON-FRI 1-5pm & by appt.
web: www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org

Fowler Museum at UCLA
405 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Fowler Building, located just west of Royce Hall
Contact: Betsy Quick
(310) 825 -9341
web: www.fowler.ucla.edu

Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Garden
1151 Oxford Rd.
San Marino, CA 91108
Contact: Peter Blodgett, Curator of Western American Manuscripts
(626) 405-2207
E-mail: pblodgett@huntington.org
Topic: Gold Rush (contact for more ideas)
Contact: Sue Hodson, Curator of Literary Manuscripts
(626) 405-2205
E-mail, shodson@huntington.org
Topics: Civil Rights Movement in L.A., Langston Hughes, and First African-American Ballet Company
web: www.huntington.org

Japanese American National Museum
369 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact: Select the "Learn" link at the top of the web site to access the Hirasaki National Resource Center. To make an appointment to Reference inquiries pertaining to Japanese American history and culture and the holdings and exhibitions of the Japanese American National Museum e-mail
Email: hnrc@janm.org.
You may check up on the status of your request by calling (213) 830-5680.
Topics: Japanese Relocation Camps and WWII Japanese Veterans who fought for the United States.
web: www.janm.org

Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA)
628 Alamitos Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact: Cynthia MacMullin, Curator
(562) 437-1689 x109
Topic: Latin American Artists
web: www.molaa.com

The Museum of Neon Art (MONA)
501 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Contact: Kim Koga, Director
(213) 489-9918
Topic: Preservation of neon signs in Los Angeles and Nationally
web: www.neonmona.org

Olvera Street El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park
845 N. Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact: Sue Ellen Cheng, Head Curator of the History Department
(213) 485-8388
web: www.cityofla.org/elp

Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Contact: Gabriella Tsabag, Senior Educato
(310) 440–4655
E-mail, grtsabag@skirball.org
Topic: All aspects of Jewish history e.g. Sephardic Jews, exile from Egypt, Passover, Hanukah
web: www.skirball.org

Watts Towers Art Center, Noah Sylvester Purifoy Gallery
1727 E. 107th St.
Los Angles, CA 90002
Contact: Rogelio Acevedo, Education Coordinator
(213) 485-1796
Topic: The artist Simon Rodia's and his community's struggle against the city inspectors to build and keep the Watts Towers intact.
web: www.wattstowers.us/

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Los Angeles Unified School District Archives
  • Museum of Radio and Television

CALIFORNIA HISTORY

Organizations

Archives and Libraries

Historical Societies, Museums and Historic Sites