Monthly Archives: May 2026

May 30,1958: ‘Crisis in Morals’

Posted on May 30, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 30, 1958: The Times publishes a 12-part series titled “Crisis in Morals” by Howard Whitman. This installment reflects 1950s attitudes on gays, at least in the pages of the Los Angeles Times. Continue reading →

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May 30, 1908: Snake Stops Traffic

Posted on May 30, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 30, 1908: A large gopher snake causes a disturbance in downtown Los Angeles. Continue reading →

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May 30, 1907: Hop Chung, Chinese Laundryman, Presses Zoning Case in Court

Posted on May 30, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 30, 1907: Hop Chung is arrested for opening a laundry in an area designated residential, but because he isn’t a U.S. citizen, he takes the case to federal court claiming there is no such thing as what we now know as zoning. Continue reading →

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May 29, 1908: Concert Pianist Put on Chain Gang in Crackdown on Gays

Posted on May 29, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 28, 1908: Concert pianist Peje Storck is put on chain gang after being arrested in a room full of men, pleading guilty to a reduced charge of “vagrancy.” Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #gays and lesbians, 1908, classical music, LAPD, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

When a ‘Marilyn Monroe Letter’ Sells on EBay for $879.99

Posted on May 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

A letter supposedly regarding young Marilyn Monroe has sold on EBay for $879.99. But there are numerous red flags about its authenticity. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia – Elizabeth Short Letter Listed on EBay — Authentic or Not?

Posted on May 27, 2026 by lmharnisch

An EBay vendor has listed an undated letter, claiming that it is signed by Elizabeth Short. But is it authentic? Probably not. Continue reading →

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Reminder — My Next ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Black Dahlia Case Is June 2

Posted on May 26, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: I will be doing an Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case June 2, at 10 a.m. Pacific time on my YouTube channel: YouTube.com/LMHarnisch Continue reading →

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May 31, 1947: Los Angeles Marks First Memorial Day Without a Civil War Veteran at Ceremony

Posted on May 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 31, 1947: Memorial Day is marked for the first time without a single Civil War veteran at the VA facility. There were five Union Army veterans living in Los Angeles. CSA veteran Sampson Simmons died in 1942 and was buried in Inglewood, wrapped in a Confederate flag. Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on May 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

For Monday, we have a mysterious girl and Back of the Head Woman. Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

May 23, 1947: Lloyd Osbourne Dies; Inspired Stepfather Robert Louis Stevenson to Write ‘Treasure Island’

Posted on May 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 23, 1947, L.A. Times, Lloyd Osbourne, who as a boy inspired Robert Louis Stevenson to write “Treasure Island,” dies in Glendale. Continue reading →

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May 22, 1947: Art Club Calls LACMA Exhibit ‘Subversive Propaganda’

Posted on May 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 22, 1947: The California Art Club yesterday lambasted the current Los Angeles County Museum art exhibit—the museum’s eighth annual show—as favoring “radical art” and containing “subversive propaganda.” Continue reading →

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May 21, 1947: South Carolina Jury Acquits 28 in Lynching

Posted on May 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 21, 1947: A South Carolina jury acquits 28 people in the lynching of Willie Earle, who was suspected of killing a cabdriver. The Los Angeles Times editorializes that a federal anti-lynching law is unnecessary. Continue reading →

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May 21, 1907: J.G. Fleenor ‘Barefoot Burglar’ Talks!

Posted on May 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 21, 1907: In a jailhouse interview before he is taken to San Quentin, James G. Fleenor, the barefoot burglar, sets the record straight on his escapes, his relationship with a white woman and how he began a life of crime. Continue reading →

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May 20, 1939: Midnite Show at the Follies

Posted on May 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 20, 1939: Marion Morgan at the Follies Burlesque: “Political crises, European crises or stock market troubles mean nothing to our busy businessmen. They still heed the call of relaxation….” Continue reading →

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May 20, 1939: Flocks of Sheep Near City Hall

Posted on May 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 20, 1939: Bernard Folco grazes his flock of sheep on hillsides north of Alhambra Boulevard, two miles from City Hall. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club for May 2026

Posted on May 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this month’s Black Dahlia Book Club, I discuss Jack Webb’s 1958 book “The Badge” and its portrayal of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. Continue reading →

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May 19, 1939: Soldier Killed, Hundreds Hurt in Holy Land Riots

Posted on May 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 19, 1939: A British soldier is killed and at least 200 are injured by rioting in the Holy Land as Jews protest Britain’s plan for Palestine. Also a talking pelican with a machine gun. Continue reading →

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May 18, 1947: Friends Raise Money to Buy Prosthetic Legs for Boy Injured by Unexploded Bazooka Shell

Posted on May 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 18, 1947: Jackie Cooper and his friend Lee Seely are being treated after an April 26 blast that occurred when one of the boys dropped an unexploded bazooka shell that someone found at Seal Beach. Lee was hit in the abdomen with shrapnel and Jackie’s legs were amputated. Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on May 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

For Monday, we have a mysterious surgeon — yes, another one! Continue reading →

Posted in 1940, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

May 16, 1908: Wanted — Home for 1,000 Ostriches!

Posted on May 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

May 16, 1908: The Cawston Ostrich Farm of South Pasadena is seeking 250-500 acres, suitable for planting alfalfa, within 100 miles of Los Angeles to be a home for 1,000 ostriches. Continue reading →

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