The California Social Welfare Archives (CSWA) was organized in 1979 to collect materials that portray the development of social welfare in Southern California. Our goal is to ensure that pertinent knowledge, information and documents of historical significance are acquired, preserved, and made accessible for contemporary researchers and policy makers and for future generations. The CSWA also…

Collection Description: Virginia Robinson Gardens, built in 1911, was the first estate in Beverly Hills. Today, it is listed on the national registry of historic sites. Social doyenne, art collector and philanthropist Mrs. Virginia Robinson resided in the house for thirty years and, before her death in 1977, she gave it to Los Angeles County for the public to enjoy. This historic estate, which…

Collections of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee contain video interviews, documentaries, photographs, art, collectibles, and other ephemera. Subjects include deep information about So Cal oil history, rail porters, Watts area development, housing, transportation, homelessness, workforce development, activism, advocacy and policy. 100 year [paper] collection of Mirror/Times Mirror/Times…

The Wende Museum collects artworks, artifacts, and personal histories that record daily life, creative expression, and political developments in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the Cold War period. The collection comprises a variety of media including design objects, works on paper, ceramics, paintings, sculptures, posters, furniture, textiles, photographs, films, videos, sound…

The Whittier History Room is located on the mezzanine of the Central Library and is home to the Whittier Local History Collection. The purpose of this collection is to collect, preserve and make available to the public materials reflecting the development of the City of Whittier and surrounding areas. The main areas of collection are Whittier history, Whittier Hills and California history. The…