Water, Power, and Technology: The Los Angeles Aqueduct, 1913-2013
Exhibit will run from September 9 through December 20, 2013
Honnold/Mudd Library, inside North Entrance
(909) 607-3977
In November 1913, the City of Los Angeles completed construction of the first Los Angeles Aqueduct. In commemoration of the centennial, Special Collections staff culled its vast Water Resources Collection for exhibit materials on this technological marvel and the controversies that surrounded its construction. Come see how the City of Los Angeles grew in the shadow of the desert; how a semi-arid landscape was transformed into lush gardens. See who envisioned such a feat and why they chose Owens Valley as the aqueduct's source - and what happened when they did. The photographs, schematics, and reports detailing the construction reveal the many challenges and debates that have continued since 1913. As the exhibit makes clear, this initial aqueduct project did not slake the city's thirst for water and led to the massive state-wide system in place today. Located in Special Collections gallery space, inside north entrance, exhibit is open during library's normal operating hours. Co-curated by Char Miller, W.M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis, Environmental Analysis Program, Pomona College and Lisa L. Crane, Western Americana Librarian, Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library.