Los Angeles Public Library, History and Genealogy Department

The History and Genealogy Department of the Los Angeles Public Library maintains a variety of resources related to the history of Los Angeles. The History Collection includes hundreds of books related to social, cultural and political aspects of Los Angeles’ storied history; the department also maintains both the California Subject and Biography Indexes, retrospective databases indexing selected citations from newspapers, magazines, and books about Los Angeles events, landmarks and historical players throughout the city’s past. The Map Collection features historic street guides of Los Angeles, historic maps of Los Angeles on aperture cards, Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of California cities, United States Geological Survey topographical maps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nautical charts.