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It's as true about archivists and archives as it is about activists—their influence often exceeds their fame. Southern California activists have profoundly shaped regional—and national—history through their advocacy. Of course we see the legacy of activists partly in improved social conditions, greater equality, and the…
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It was easy to be alarmed by the U.S. Geological Survey's recent prediction that a catastrophic winter storm—statistically improbable yet inevitable—would pummel the Golden State with a month of hurricane-force winds and up to 10 feet of accumulated rainfall. (See "5 Things You Need to Know About the ARkStorm,…
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Helen Agcaoili Summers Brown, founder of the Filipino American Library (FAL) and an icon of the Filipino-American community, died January 25, 2011. She was 95.
Brown was born in Manila, Philippines in May 16, 1915 to Trinidad Agcalli and Geroge Summers. After graduating from Manila Central High School, Helen moved with…
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With the 2011 Old Spanish Trail Association annual conference coming to Pomona this June 2-5, L.A. as Subject's latest contribution to KCET's SoCal Focus blog looks at the trail's historical significance to Southern California:
Although Southern California today is a region teeming with millions, for much of its history…
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L.A. as Subject's latest post on the KCET website features photographs and documents related to Charles Fletcher Lummis, the larger-than-life Angeleno who was one of the Southern California's greatest boosters and one of the most prominent promoters of our regional heritage:
Among the film-industry legends and titans of…
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L.A. as Subject's latest contribution to KCET's SoCal Focus website looks at the historical routes that have connected Los Angeles to the rest of the North American continent:
Rugged mountains to the north, the vast Pacific Ocean to the west, and inhospitable desert to the east—natural barriers isolate Los Angeles from…
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L.A. as Subject's latest contribution to KCET's SoCal Focus blog features over a dozen archival photographs and documents related to Southern California's smoggy past:
Char Miller recently wrote of Southern California's historical struggle with smog. On some days, the air was so polluted that "parents kept their kids…
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Chinatown and China City in Los Angeles by Jenny Cho and Chinese Historical Society of Southern California (CHSSC)
This book chronicles the representations of Chinatown and China City in Los Angeles in historic postcards.
In the early twentieth century, postcards were an inexpensive means of keeping in touch. …
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L.A. as Subject's latest post contribution to KCET's SoCal Focus blog features photographs and documents from the history of Union Station, the Los Angeles passenger terminal that is sometimes affectionately referred to as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations":
Built in the final days before the era of long-distance…
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The first product of a new collaboration between L.A. as Subject and public television station KCET is now live. L.A. as Subject's first post on KCET's SoCal Focus blog illustrates how the archives of Southern California's cultural institutions and private collectors inform the story of regional boosters.
Beginning in…
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One of the ironies of Los Angeles history is that a city synonymous with freeway and automobile traffic once transported its residents over the largest regional rail transit system in the world.
Today, Los Angeles is redefining itself yet again by aggressively building a new rail transit system. As Southern California…
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Although young for a city, Los Angeles possesses an intriguing and diverse history, which over the years has been deposited in archives across Southern California.
L.A. as Subject is a research alliance dedicated to preserving and improving access to that raw material of Los Angeles history. Much of the city’s history…
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Los Angeles history comes alive on October 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar. More than 70 collections related to Los Angeles history assemble in one place, offering a glimpse into the history of Southern California through rare and unique archived materials.
Organized by L.A. as…
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On October 8, L.A. as Subject will hold a joint meeting with SurveyLA, a citywide effort to identify historically significant structures, neighborhoods, and places.
Landmarks and other historically-significant structures are not only reminders of the city’s past, but also provide a context for understanding the human…
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The USC Libraries announced on Thursday, October 7 that they are now home to the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives research collection. The collection is the largest in the world on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history and culture.
The ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives is an L.A. as Subject…
