@LAhistory

What a beautiful way to imagine their final resting place Kenny! 💕🥹

The resting place of Ritchie Valens is at the same cemetery as my paternal grandparents, the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles. 🙏🏽

Sometimes I like to imagine Ritchie Valens giving a heavenly concert, with my grandparents in the audience. 🥹🎶🎸

Created by artist Levi Ponce, this mural in Pacoima features Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper and the pilot Roger Peterson situated in front of an Iowa cornfield.

Feb 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died. Buddy Holly, #RitchieValens, the Big Bopper and pilot Roger Peterson died in plane crash 67 years ago in Iowa. Created by artist Levi Ponce, this #Pacoima mural (located here -> maps.app.goo.gl/dgxvNXF8Ky8P...) pays tribute to these artists & #thedaythemusicdied.

Sat & Sun: “Afro-Latinidad Presence in Early California” exhibit at the #PioPico State Historic Park. “This exhibition highlights the descendants who helped shape the state, from founding towns and ranches to influencing political and social life.” www.instagram.com/p/DT_dZtxEsJ... #WhittierCA

This series documents and reinterprets the historical relevance of locations in Los Angeles that were featured in the Green Book, a guide published during segregation that listed safe locations that Black people could visit while traveling.

Black History Month 2026
“L.A. Green Book Collages”

This series documents and reinterprets the historical relevance of locations in Los Angeles that were featured in the Green Book, a guide published during segregation that listed safe locations that Black people could visit while traveling.

Text from the California Eagle reads: OPEN LETTER January 22, 1923 Mrs. C.A. Bass, Editor The Eagle 824 Central AVe. Los Angeles, Cal. My dear Mrs. Bass: I feel that you will be interested in letting the public have a brief resume of the achievements of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History during the past year. I am, therefore, sending you today an extract setting forth the most important facts in the annual report of the Director. Anything which you may do to give this publicity will be greatly appreciated by the undersigned. Very truly yours, C. G. WOODSON, Director

Carter G. Woodson ended his 1923 open letter with the following paragraph: "The interest manifested in the study of Negro History in clubs and schools has been very encouraging. Most of the advanced institutions of learning of both North and South make use of The Journal of Negro History in teach social sciences. The Director's two recent works, The History of the Negro Church and The Negro in Our History are being extensively used as textbooks in classes studying Sociology and History. The enthusiasm of some of these groups has developed to the extent that they now request authority to organize under the direction of the Association local bodies to be known as State Associations for the Study of Negro Life and History. Respectfully submitted, C.G. WOODSON, Director."

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of #BlackHistoryMonth, was the co-founder & director of ASALH. He sent this open letter to newspaper editor #CharlottaBass to inform Angelenos about the work of #ASALH. She published his letter in the California Eagle (Feb 1923): archive.org/details/la_c... #BHM100

Article from the California Eagle with the headline "Negro History Week a Popular Idea" (January 22, 1926). The text reads: "The call of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History for the celebration of NEGRO HISTORY WEEK has met with a most favorable response throughout the country. It seems that the public has been awaiting such an idea. Citizens in all States new rise with loud acclaim in offering their assistance in making the celebration a success. Among the persons interested are the teachers in the public schools, heads of the various systems, presidents of colleges; churchmen, and outstanding men of achievement in other important lines."

In honor of the 100th anniversary of #BlackHistoryMonth (which began as Negro History Week), here is a 1926 article announcing this annual event as published in the Los Angeles-based California Eagle. #BHM100

📰 California Eagle (Jan 22, 1926) via the #InternetArchive: archive.org/details/la_c...

A photo of two opened time capsules. In 1925, the smaller copper time capsule (full of 1881 items compiled by the California Branch of the State Normal School) was placed inside the larger time capsule featuring items from the Los Angeles Public Library.

These Los Angeles newspapers are in pretty good condition considering they were placed inside the Los Angeles Public Library's time capsule over 100 years ago.

More items from the two time capsules - a combination of LA history from 1881 and 1925.

These two Los Angeles Fire Department pamphlets were placed in the State Normal School time capsule in 1881.

One of the highlights of today’s event was the unveiling of the Central Library’s time capsule set in place in 1925.

Inside this #timecapsule was a smaller one created by the State Normal School in 1881. This school for teachers (predecessor to UCLA) operated on this site from 1882 to 1914.

A new library card has been issued as part of the 100th anniversary of LAPL's Central Library.

City Librarian John Szabo speaking at a podium in the Central Library's Mark Taper Auditorium. “Dedicated in July of 1926, the Central Library became a major hit, an instant architectural icon," John Szabo.

Standing at the Mark Taper Auditorium, librarians Christina Rice and Madeline Peña announced some of the upcoming events for the centennial, including the Central Library Centennial Festival on July 11, 2026.

A photo of one of several exhibits celebrating the centennial of the Central Library. This image features the exhibit "Celebrating a Century of the Light of Learning" in the Getty Gallery on the 2nd Floor.

Today, the @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social kicked off the centennial for its beautiful downtown Central Library! If you missed today's event, you can watch it online -> www.youtube.com/live/Om4NMW4...

📆 Save the date: Central Library Centennial Festival on July 11, 2026. #LibrarySky #LosAngeles

Rest in Power, Shirley “Ms. Shirley” Raines, along with a photo

beauty2thestreetz Statement from Beauty 2 The Streetz It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that Beauty 2 The Streetz announces the passing of our beloved CEO and founder, Shirley Raines, affectionately known to so many as Ms. Shirley. Ms. Shirley dedicated her life to serving others and made an immeasurable impact on homeless communities throughout Los Angeles and Nevada. Through her tireless advocacy, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment, she used her powerful media platform to amplify the voices of those in need and to bring dignity, resources, and hope to some of the most underserved populations. This loss is devastating to the entire Beauty 2 The Streetz team, the communities we serve, and the countless individuals whose lives were forever changed by Ms. Shirley's love, generosity, and selfless service. Her legacy will continue to live on through the work she started and the hearts she touched. We humbly ask that you keep Ms. Shirley's family, loved ones, and the Beauty 2 The Streetz family in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time. Further information will be shared as it becomes available.

A photo of Ms Shirley and a person sitting down

Shirley Raines, founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz and known for her volunteer work serving homeless communities in Los Angeles and Nevada, has died

A screen capture of the blue and gold graphic created for LAPL's 100th features the mosaic pyramid atop the library. The text reads: "Celebrating a Century of the Light of Learning / 1926 - 2026."

LAPL caption of this photo reads: "The Central Library cornerstone is shown being laid on 5th Street, along with a time capsule. Pictured here are City Librarian Everett Perry with Board of Library Commissioners Frank H. Pettingell, Katherine G. Smith, and Frances M. Harmon-Zahn. Los Angeles Public Library Institutional Collection."

Thur @ 11am: The Los Angeles Public Library is kicking off its 100th anniversary. Tomorrow's event includes the unveiling of the time capsule that was placed on this site in 1925. @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social: www.lapl.org/whats-on/eve... #LibrarySky #LAPL

This plaque honors the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger and features those lost in the disaster: Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe.

A model of a space shuttle that stands outside the Portal of Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the #SpaceShuttleChallenger disaster. Remembering the Challenger crew with the memorial at North Hollywood's Valhalla Memorial Park:

▪️ Francis R. Scobee
▪️ Michael J. Smith
▪️ Ronald McNair
▪️ Ellison Onizuka
▪️ Judith Resnik
▪️ Gregory Jarvis
▪️ Christa McAuliffe

The Woman Who Became the Black Dahlia Before her murder made her a true-crime obsession, Elizabeth Short was a real person. A new book tries to separate truth from myth in the infamous case.

Before the Black Dahlia murder made her a true-crime obsession, Elizabeth Short was a real person. A new book tries to separate truth from myth, but can't help fixating on the killer, Sarah Weinman writes:

A tornado in that area is rare enough, but to have a picture of one from all the way back in 1918? I had no idea this existed.

#SoCalWx

Yes, it is.

Taix Restaurant in Echo Park announces upcoming closure Echo Park—Taix Restaurant, one of L.A.'s oldest eateries serving up classic French cuisine, will be closing at the end of March, one year shy of its centennial, as a developer

ICYMI: "Taix Restaurant, one of LA's oldest eateries serving up classic French cuisine, will be closing at the end of March, one year shy of its centennial, as a developer prepares to begin construction..." @theeastsiderla.bsky.social: www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood... #EchoPark

Quote from George Sanchez's book about Boyle Heights: "At a local level in Los Angeles, the involvement of law enforcement in immigration enforcement was probably the most contentious issue, resurrecting concerns regarding a long history of police brutality toward minority youth dating back to the Zoot Suit Riots during World War II. Chief of Police Ed Davis remembered that in 1969 almost 25 percent of the felony arrests had been for illegal entry, but because of community pushback in the 1970s the LAPD gradually stopped assisting federal agents in making such arrests. A report prepared by the Community Relations section of the LAPD for Chief Davis in January 1975 claimed that up to 100,000 undocumented 'aliens' lived in the Hollenbeck Division..."

Image of George J. Sanchez's book "Boyle Heights: How a Los Angeles Neighborhood Became the Future of American Democracy."

"Chief of Police Ed Davis remembered that in 1969 almost 25% of the felony arrests had been for illegal entry, but because of community pushback in the 1970s the LAPD gradually stopped assisting federal agents in making such arrests," George Sanchez. www.google.com/books/editio...

USC Professor George Sanchez explained how Boyle Heights was redlined as he pointed to this redlining map of Los Angeles, created by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in the late 1930s.

A photo of George Sanchez's book about Boyle Heights in front of the Homestead Museum in the City of Industry.

An image of this event flyer projected on the screen of the Homestead Museum.

As part of his #BoyleHeights history talk at the Homestead Museum on Sunday, USC's George Sanchez spoke about Homeboy Industries and the Mothers of East LA and explained how undocumented residents were incorporated into their community work. #historysky

Food and Family: African American and Intercultural Traditions in Santa Monica – Santa Monica History Museum Explore the evolution of African American and intercultural food traditions in Southern California. Through the lens of shared meals, recipes and community gatherings, the exhibition examines how food...

Sat @ 2pm: The #SantaMonica History Museum is hosting a reception for its new exhibit about African American #foodways. "Food & Family traces the impact of the Great Migration and global immigration on Santa Monica’s culinary landscape." -> santamonicahistory.org/exhibition/f...

A good old fashioned ice melting contest — Paleofuture January 15, 1952 ice melting contest at the Los Angeles airport (USC Libraries) This morning I found these photos of two people participating in what the USC Libraries describes as an "ice meltin...

Los Angeles set its 2100 pounds of #iceout at LAX that morning but the city was disqualified because rain melted the ice (to 150lbs) & not sunshine. El Paso was dubbed the winner, tho there was some debate … and even a challenge to a duel. @paleofuture.bsky.social: paleofuture.com/nofuture/201...

LA Times article reads: “Southland Sun Will Get Melting Test Tuesday / Los Angeles Climate's Reputation at Stake as Four States Vie in Ice-to-Water Competition”

On Jan 15, 1952, a handful of cities put out seven 300-pound blocks of ice. The first city to have 2100 pounds of ice melt down to 100 pounds would be designated the winner of this 'Sunshine City Derby.'

Actress Corinne Calvet and weatherman A.K. Showalter at LAX during the Ice Melting Competition of 1952. Photo courtesy of USC Libraries: https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/Share/6fkjttc2luoo2ds1y46x4hofp4i8h4t1

In January 1952, Southern California competed against New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to see which state’s winter sunshine could melt a ton of ice the fastest. #ICEout
📸: USC Libraries

A b/w photo of the Shrine Auditorium from the 1926 publication of Architect & Engineer.

A b/w photo of the Shrine Auditorium interior from the 1926 publication of Architect & Engineer.

This caricature of architect John C. Austin holding a sketch of the Shrine Auditorium was published in the Los Angeles Times in January 1926. The text reads: "John C. Austin, Architect. This is the architect known far and wide. The Southland's best buildings he looks at with pride and especially the house the Shriners built. For the opening of the Shrine, the LA Times published 14 caricatures of those who helped construct this landmark, but there is no mention of the other two architects on the team -- Abram Edelman and G. Albert Lansburgh.

Architects for the Shrine Auditorium were John C. Austin and Abram M. Edelman, both Shriners. #Architect G. Albert Lansburgh was also part of the team. In this Architect & Engineer article (1926), Austin acknowledges Lansburgh was only "of some assistance." www.google.com/books/editio...

In a boom era for big music venues, the Shrine gets a facelift for its 100th anniversary On a recent Friday night, the French disco band L’Impératrice took the stage at the Shrine Expo Hall, framed in a spray of huge LED panels.

The Shrine Auditorium "has hosted many incarnations of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. Ray Charles and the Grateful Dead recorded live albums there. The debut of the shackled ape in King Kong' and scenes from two 'A Star Is Born' films were shot inside." www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

A b/w photo of Al Malaikah Temple (1930), now known as the Shrine Auditorium, courtesy of the California State Library. https://csl.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma990013856530205115&context=L&vid=01CSL_INST:CSL

This b/w photo the Shrine Auditorium’s opening night on January 23, 1926 shows a crowd of people lined up outside the new theatre, courtesy of UCLA Library’s Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection. https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog/ark:/21198/zz002cmm92

A screen capture of a page from the Los Angeles Times devoted to the opening of the Shrine Auditorium on January 23, 1926. Headlines include "Al Malaikah Temple Architectural Triumph," "Shrine Temple Ready for Inspection by Thousands,” “Auditorium to Fill City Need,” and "Hundred Miles of Wire Used."

Jan 23, 1926: The Shrine Auditorium was dedicated 100 years ago.

“The public dedication…will be one of the most colorful spectacles in the city’s history,” Los Angeles Times (Jan 20, 1926). Photos via @uclalibrary.bsky.social and @castatelibrary.bsky.social:

The Original Saugus Cafe reopens just two weeks after it shut its doors L.A. County's oldest restaurant returns amid ongoing legal dispute.

"The Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant, closed at the beginning of the year, causing unhappiness among its devoted customers. But this week, it's reopened under new management amid a legal battle over the business." @laist.com: laist.com/news/the-ori...

An excerpt from the 2021 article titled "California's Early Battle with Birtherism" reads: "A Near Stillbirth at the Hands of the NAACP: The world premiere of Birth of a Nation almost didn’t happen. Only a court injunction allowed it to proceed. That’s because the L.A. City Council banned the film as racist. The opposition was spearheaded by the newly formed L.A. chapter of the NAACP, which first met in the home of John and Vada Somerville. John Somerville was the first Black graduate of USC’s dental school, finishing at the top of his class. His wife Vada was also a USC dental school alumna and a practicing dentist. The Somervilles were allied with E. Burton Ceruti, a young Black attorney, who recognized the need to organize against “problems and grievances” that demanded 'attention and action . . . on behalf of the race.'"

Cover of the California Supreme Court Historical Society's journal (2021) featuring the article "California's Early Battle with 'Birtherism.'"

D.W. Griffith's film "The #BirthofaNation" premiered as "The Clansman" at Clune's Auditorium on Feb 8, 1915. The NAACP's Los Angeles branch led fight to ban the racist film. LA City Council stopped afternoon showing but court allowed film to premiere that night & after. www.cschs.org/wp-content/u...

Sat @ 2pm: "Film historian Jacqueline Stewart & Stan Douglas, exhibiting artist in MONUMENTS, discuss his work 'Birth of a Nation,' 2025—in particular, how the film it is based on, #DWGriffith 's 1915 film 'The #BirthofaNation,' served as a quasi-monument." www.moca.org/program/stan... #FilmHistory

Boyle Heights as the Future of U.S. Democracy | Homestead Museum Join us for a conversation about the last 50 years of life in Boyle Heights and what it can teach us about democracy at the neighborhood level.

Sunday @ 2pm: "USC professor George J. Sánchez will reflect on the context of anti-immigrant sentiment & violent attacks on the recent Latino population of #BoyleHeights as being part of the larger evolution of the Eastside community in the 20th century." www.homesteadmuseum.org/event-detail...

The Marion Davies Guest House was part of the larger estate designed by California architect Julia Morgan. smconservancy.org/property/mar...

Born on January 20, 1872, #JuliaMorgan became California’s first licensed female architect in 1904.