Category Archives: books

From the Daily Mirror mailbox

Posted on September 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

The inbox, Williams and Walker My Sept. 7 piece in "Then and Now" on the black minstrel teams of McIntyre and Heath and Williams and Walker — based on this Daily Mirror post — drew a fair number of responses. … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Music, Stage | 2 Comments

Los Angeles history — smog

Posted on September 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

I stumbled across a blog devoted to air pollution called Smogtown, written by Chip Jacobs and William J. Kelly, authors of a forthcoming book by the same name. Overlook, their publisher, says: "Smogtown is the story of pollution, progress, and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Environment, Science, Transportation | Comments Off on Los Angeles history — smog

Comic artist Al Capp visits LA, House panel questions Red official, September 3, 1958

Posted on September 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

A panel from Al Capp’s "Li’l Abner," April 25, 1943. During a visit to Los Angeles, "Li’l Abner" cartoonist Al Capp says he once again has the freedom to satirize American institutions "lovingly and savagely," after being limited during what … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, @news, art and artists, books, Current Affairs, Film, Front Pages, Stage | 1 Comment

A higher plane

Posted on August 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

e at the Daily Mirror have been taken to task by an anonymous commenter (an SBC Global subscriber ISP 75.50.124.114) for focusing on "crap"  rather than more intellectually stimulating fare. Anon@yahoo.com (I tend to suspect this is a pseudonym, though … Continue reading →

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Author: Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Posted on August 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

Selected articles by author Alexander Solzhenitsyn from the Los Angeles Times.
Continue reading →

Posted in @news, books, Front Pages | 1 Comment

July 7, 1908

Posted on July 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

e have a bounty of news today. Above, Mexican troops put down an insurrection in the state of Coahuila. And turmoil in the Mideast. At left, Mayor Harper urges Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan to accept Capt. Eugene Merrick … Continue reading →

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June 24, 1938

Posted on June 24, 2008 by lmharnisch

uestro Pueblo is a new discovery for me, and a very happy one. The Times began the feature by writer Joe Seewerker and artist Charles Owens in June 1938, publishing installments Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The series ended in October … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Architecture, art and artists, books, City Hall, Downtown, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

George Carlin, RIP

Posted on June 23, 2008 by lmharnisch

aybe you remember him as Al Sleet, the "Hippy, Dippy Weatherman with the hippy, dippy weather … man" or as Rufus in "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure" or the author of an incredible number of jokes that are  eternally circulating … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, books, broadcasting, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Stage | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on George Carlin, RIP

Voices–James Ellroy

Posted on June 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 30, 1995 By Amy Wallace Times Staff Writer n his 1987 crime novel, "The Black Dahlia," James Ellroy had the audacity–what he would call the "righteous authorial authority"–to cook up a solution to Los Angeles’ most famous unsolved … Continue reading →

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Geneva Ellroy, RIP

Posted on June 22, 2008 by lmharnisch

Geneva Ellroy crime scene, Arroyo High School, El Monte, Calif., via Google maps street view. o much has already been written about the June 1958 murder of Geneva Hilliker Ellroy; there’s very little I can add to what my friend … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Front Pages, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

June 22, 1938

Posted on June 22, 2008 by lmharnisch
Posted in art and artists, books, Nuestro Pueblo | Comments Off on June 22, 1938

Found on EBay

Posted on June 21, 2008 by lmharnisch

Why if it isn’t another another envelope sent to our old friend Prof. A. Victor “How to Have Beautiful Hair,”  “How to Be Happy Though Married” Segno. Alas, the money that was in this envelope was spent long ago. The … Continue reading →

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Home of the week

Posted on June 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

June 7, 1908 Above, the home of J. de Barth Shorb (1842-1896) in San Marino, which Henry Huntington has torn down to make way for his cozy little cottage.  True confession: I have been a member of the Huntington for … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, art and artists, books, Front Pages, Real Estate | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Home of the week

June 4, 1968

Posted on June 4, 2008 by lmharnisch

        Literature: William Styron’s "The Confessions of Nat Turner" wins the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. At left, the late Times staff writer Richard Bergholz says that a large voter turnout will probably favor Sen. Eugene McCarthy … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Politics, RFK, Rock 'n' Roll | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on June 4, 1968

May 29, 1938

Posted on May 29, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, what Los Angeles was reading in 1938–and a shoutout to the Zombie Reading Program over at This Book Is for You…. "When there’s no more room in closed stacks, the out-of-print will rise up and walk the earth." At … Continue reading →

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May 1, 1938

Posted on May 1, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’ quartet for piano and strings receives its U.S. premiere. I once listened to a recording of a talk by Schoenberg and was surprised to hear him pronounce his name "Shane-berg" as in "Bei Mir … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, books, classical music, Front Pages, Music, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on May 1, 1938

April 29, 1908

Posted on April 29, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, make a fortune selling the works of Paul Laurence Dunbar! Below, The Times’ editorial on the poet’s death, published Feb. 11, 1906. Email me

Posted in books | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Just say no

Posted on April 23, 2008 by lmharnisch

A copy of this book has turned up on EBay for (get this) $500! Until a few years ago, it was possible to pick up "Thieves" for a few dollars, in fact I found an autographed copy at a Salvation … Continue reading →

Posted in books | Comments Off on Just say no

April 18, 1908

Posted on April 18, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, an update on the Doukhobors …   Below, the fleet is on its way! And so is Elinor Glyn! Quote of the Day: "To swear to love for life is an insult to God. Love is an emotion placed in … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, books, Current Affairs, Religion, Transportation | Comments Off on April 18, 1908

Jack Smith on Wry

Posted on April 1, 2008 by lmharnisch

  "Jack Smith on Wry," on display at the Huntington Library through May 12, 2008, focuses on the life and works of columnist Jack Smith, an institution at The Times from the 1950s to the 1990s. I asked his son … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, books, Jack Smith | Tagged , | 8 Comments