Category Archives: Libraries

#architecture, #art, #black dahlia, #history, #religion, 8|9|2011

Posted on August 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: 130 W. 30th, via Google maps’ street view. SPOTLIGHT David W. Dunlap, writing in the New York Times’ City Room, tells the story of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, sometimes called the “gay synagogue,” which is moving into a building … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Genealogy, Libraries, Music, New York, Religion, Stage | Tagged #Marilyn Manson, #Million Dollar Theatre, Architecture, art, Black Dahlia | 1 Comment

‘Zoot Suit’ and History – Part 6

Posted on August 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

Image: Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats Program for “Zoot Suit” Credit: Jose Legaspi In Part 5, we looked at the story of Joe Dacy Coleman, “patient zero” in the Zoot Suit Riots, which led to a report at the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, African Americans, Black Dahlia, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Latinos, Libraries, Stage, Streetcars, Zoot Suit | Tagged #1943, #LAPD, #zoot suits | 4 Comments

#history, #magazines, #museums, 8|1|2011

Posted on August 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Letter allegedly by Lord Byron that was revealed as a fake. Morristown, N.J., National Historical Park SPOTLIGHT Cara Buckley of the New York Times writes about the closing of New York’s famed Chelsea Hotel. Bruce Japsen of the Chicago … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Crime and Courts, History, Libraries, New York | Tagged #Chelsea Hotel, #history, #JAMA, Museums | Comments Off

#art, #history, #libraries, #museums 7|30|2011

Posted on July 30, 2011 by lmharnisch

Jean Fouquet, Le Passage du Rubicon (détail), département des Arts graphiques, musée du Louvre MUSEUMS Souren Melikian of the New York Times reviews “Enluminures: Moyen Âge et Renaissance,” at the Louvre through Oct. 10. The basic idea was to reveal … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Crime and Courts, Libraries, Museums, New York, Washington | Tagged #libraries, art, banksy, Museums | Comments Off

#history, #libraries, #museums 7|28|2011

Posted on July 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Image: Battle of Manila Bay. Credit: Wikipedia NEWS Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post’s Buzz, writes that the Patsy Cline Historic House is opening in Winchester, Va., on Aug. 2. The Independence Seaport Museum has made an emergency patch on … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, History, Libraries, Museums, Music, Preservation, Retro, Transportation | Tagged #history, #libraries, art, Museums | 3 Comments

#art, #authors, #genealogy, #history, #museums 7|27|2011

Posted on July 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster. Credit: RM Auctions via the New York Times. SPOTLIGHT The University of Virginia has posted audio clips of William Faulkner recorded in 1957-58. The home page is here. If you have never heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Genealogy, Libraries, Museums, Nightclubs, Pasadena, Preservation, Television | Tagged #genealogy, art, books, Museums | Comments Off

‘Zoot Suit’ and History — Part 5

Posted on July 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

Cartoon: A troubling moment in “Mary Worth’s Family,” June 1, 1943. Credit: Los Angeles Times June 1, 1943: It is impossible to accurately determine, so long after the fact, why a May 31, 1943, brawl between zoot-suiters and sailors wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Books and Authors, Fashion, LAPD, Latinos, Libraries, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged #1943, #la, #LAPD, #zoot suits | Comments Off

Nixon Library Releases New Recordings

Posted on July 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Associated Press has filed a story on the Nixon Library and Museum’s release of more Nixon recordings. Of course, that’s not good enough for the Daily Mirror, so we tracked them down ourselves. The library has released digital recordings … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Politics, Richard Nixon | Tagged #libraries, #Nixon | Comments Off

Slash and Burn History: Mike Davis on Gen. Otis

Posted on July 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Times President Gen. Harrison Gray Otis. Credit: Press Reference Library, 1912 Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, the favorite pinata of Los Angeles historians, is the subject of a new biography by Mike “City of Quartz” Davis, now being serialized in … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Downtown, History, Libraries | Tagged #la, #Times, books | 3 Comments

7|14|2011 #LA, #history, #museums

Posted on July 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Los Angeles Public Library. Credit: LAPL FEATUREDA celebration will be held at the downtown library on Monday at 9:30 a.m. as the L.A. library system restores Monday service at all branches. Sunday closures are continuing, however. Saturday will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books and Authors, Coming Attractions, Crime and Courts, Film, History, Libraries, Museums, Preservation | Tagged #history, #la, #libraries, architecture, Museums | Comments Off

Coming Attractions: Genealogy Research at the L.A. Public Library

Posted on July 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Public Library will present a program on getting started in genealogical research. The free presentation will be from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, 2011. Folks should gather at the reference desk in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Coming Attractions, Immigration, Libraries | Comments Off

The FBI Thins Its Files

Posted on July 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

I had the strangest experience Saturday when I was going through Ernest Hemingway’s FBI file. I was sure the buro had posted Louis Armstrong’s dossier — it’s brief and not terribly interesting except for the fact that it exists. Or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Homicide, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged #FBI, 1947, archives, black dahlia, cold cases, lapd | Comments Off

More Letters From J.D. Salinger

Posted on July 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

The New York Times’ City Room has a story about a group of letters between author/recluse J.D. Salinger and E. Michael Mitchell, the artist who illustrated the original cover of “Catcher in the Rye.” Mitchell put the letters up for … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Libraries, Museums | Tagged #libraries, #museums, authors | Comments Off

A Kindred Spirit: The New York Wanderer

Posted on July 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

Retired real estate investor Benjamin P. Feldman picked up an old change purse at a flea market and was intrigued by the name stamped on it: Compliments of Sol Goldberg’s Cafe. So he began to investigate. Feldman told the New … Continue reading →

Posted in From the Reference Desk, Libraries | Tagged #libraries, #New York, #research | 2 Comments

Hemingway’s FBI File!

Posted on July 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

The 50th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s death has prompted a variety of articles, including an op-ed piece in the New York Times by A.E. Hotchner, who portrays the famous novelist as being obsessed about FBI surveillance. He told Hotchner: “It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Libraries, Suicide | Tagged #1961, #FBI, #Hemingway, authors | 10 Comments

Pioneering African American Attorney Walter L. Gordon Jr. Honored

Posted on June 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

Walter L. Gordon Jr., left, and Judge William C. Beverly Jr. This week, the UCLA library honored the 103rd birthday Walter L. Gordon Jr., one of the pioneering African American attorneys in Los Angeles. Judge William C. Beverly Jr. was … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Architecture, Crime and Courts, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Libraries, Museums, Nightclubs, Photography | Tagged #1940s, #courts, #gays and lesbians, #libraries, #nightclubs, #photography, architecture | Comments Off

Charlie Chaplin’s Big Moment in Venice

Posted on June 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

I was intrigued by Sunday’s Then and Now piece by Anthony Mostrom on Charlie Chaplin’s “Kid Auto Races at Venice” and I thought I’d do a little digging. Here’s what I found. The film includes footage of two races. One … Continue reading →

Posted in 1914, Film, Hollywood, Libraries, Photography, Transportation | Tagged #1914, #Charlie Chaplin, #Dogs, #film, #hollywood, #Motorsports, #Sports, #Venice, Animals, Auto Racing | 7 Comments

From the Reference Desk: Movie Star’s Mother Dies in Car Crash

Posted on June 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s a lesson in what to do if you don’t have access to ProQuest. Stacia of She Blogged by Night had a question the other day about car a accident involving Vera Steadman, Al Christie and Marie Prevost’s Mother, Mrs. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1926, Film, From the Reference Desk, Hollywood, Libraries, Obituaries, Transportation | Tagged #car accidents, #film, #hollywood, #movie stars, #obituaries | 4 Comments

Los Angeles Tattoo Shops, 1943

Posted on June 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

This is one of my favorite discoveries from the city archives, a description of tattoo shops in Los Angeles by an anonymous citizen. Los Angeles City Council File 15670 September 2, 1943 Dear Sir, I recently made an investigation of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Art & Artists, City Hall, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Libraries, Photography, World War II | 5 Comments

Coming Attractions — Genealogy Research at the L.A. Public Library

Posted on June 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Public Library will present a program on getting started in genealogical research. The free presentation will be from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2011. Folks should gather at the reference desk in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Coming Attractions, Libraries | Comments Off