Los Angeles Maritime Museum Research Library

The Research Library is a special collection of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. Originally acquired by donations from local and California coastal shipbuilding companies, shipbuilders and industries, selections from the Library’s collection of manuscripts, architectural drawings, maps and charts are available for viewing by researchers. The collection of manuscripts has value for research in the maritime history of San Pedro and Los Angeles Harbor and its people. Highlights from present cataloged holdings include: personal and official correspondence and documents of career servicemen and women in World War II; documents pertaining to vessels such as World War II cruisers, an American President Lines vessel, schooners engaged in the Pacific trade from San Francisco; records of a tugboat built for transport in WW II ; mid-20th century office records of shipbuilders; Los Angeles Harbor marine survey service from 1926 to 1958; ship’s logs, drydock and repair records; logbooks of a glass-bottom paddlewheel ferryboat ; account ledgers of ships’ chandlery from 1917-1930 ; boatbuilding records from 1906 to 1940; official documents of a machinist mate, a ship’s engineer; adventures of a circumnavigator, photographer and film director between 1930 and 1959 ; book covers decorated by an illustrator known for his portrayal of Navy life and customs; mid-20th century Los Angeles Harbor maps and charts of the harbor channels.