The Topanga Historical Society (THS) was organized in 1974 by a group of dedicated community leaders who recognized the urgent need to collect and preserve records of Topanga’s unique history and to make them available to future generations. The Society maintains an Archive Center and presents quarterly local history programs.

UCSB professor David Gebhard (1927-1996) founded the Architecture and Design Collection in 1963. Today it is one of the largest architectural archives in North America with more than 1,000,000 drawings, as well as papers, photographs, scrapbooks, models, decorative objects, and furniture. The focus of the collection is the design and architecture of southern California from the late 19th through…

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…

Since 1912, Western Costume Company has supplied costumes for film, television, stage, and school productions. In 1915, this costume house established the first production research library. Today the library’s holdings document what people around the world have worn throughout the ages. The library’s archival holdings consist of costume sketches, historic costumes, and the Twentieth Century Fox…

The focus of the archival collection is on Wilmington from the early 1900s through the early 2000s. This includes Wilmington’s role in World War I and World War II, its institutions and businesses, the formation of the City, as well as the people and events of its more recent past. Because of the extensive acreage of the original town of Wilmington, materials on the early history of neighboring…

The Zoellner (FamilyString) Quartet and the Zoellner Conservatory of Music at 3839 Wilshire Boulevard was famous in America and in Los Angeles in particular. Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, and musical luminaries all knew Joseph Zoellner, Sr. and his 3 children, who all at one time taught at Carleton, Pepperdine, Occidental, and Ponoma Colleges. Amandus, my grandfather Joseph…