"L.A. in Focus" is a series of lectures presented by Photo Friends and the Photo Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library, spotlighting images from the library's collection and unique stories of L.A. history.
Rick Prelinger Presents Lost Landscapes: Los Angeles
Rick Prelinger of the Prelinger Library and the Internet Archive takes the audience on a journey through Los Angeles that few could remember or perhaps even recognize.
Pre-Code vs. Pro-Code: New Stories and New Stances on the Era Before Censorship
In this illustrated presentation, Mark Vieira and Tiffany Brannanl offer two viewpoints on the “pre-Code” era (1930 to 1934), when Hollywood ignored the lax Production Code, releasing films that dealt with adult themes.
Federico Fellini faces by Ivan Cerullo
Portraits of 35 actors featured in the films of Federico Fellini by Milan-based photographer Ivan Cerullo. In Italian with English translation.
Cora Sue Collins: You May Not Know Her Name, but You Know the Stars She Portrayed
From Greta Garbo to Loretta Young to Norma Shearer, Cora Sue Collins was called on during the Golden age of cinema to portray these legends onscreen as children. Here, she discusses her Hollywood career with entertainment agent Darin Barnes.
The Night Stalker Case Revisited: Insights From the Lead Investigator
Gil Carrillo, now a retired Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Lieutenant, in conversation with retired LAPD officer Glynn Martin, discussed his key role in the solution of the Night Stalker crimes while sharing his observations regarding the impact of the series of crimes that plagued Southern California in the summer of 1985.
Haunted by History
Craig Owens discusses his book, “Haunted by History,” and his experiences during his research and photo shoots, including local legends, stories of unusual deaths on the properties, and whether or not he and his crew experienced any paranormal phenomena.
Tarzan on Screen and Page: Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Literary Legacy
Scott Tracy Griffin, one of the foremost authorities on novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs and his literary legacy, discussed 100 years of Tarzan on film.
Tracey Goessel Presents The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks
Tracey Goessel, the author of The First King of Hollywood, discusses the life and career of Douglas Fairbanks, one of Hollywood's first superstars.
GALECA Presents: LGBTQs and Television from the 1950s to Now
Entertainment journalists informally discuss the surprising history of LGBTQ representation on TV, and have fun presenting rarely-seen television clips and sharing about the shows that shaped, shocked and inspired them.
The Television Academy Foundation Presents: The Interviews
Adrienne Faillace and Jenni Matz, producers of The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, a program of the Television Academy Foundation, will be show clips from their video collection of oral history interviews, over twenty years in the making, with television personalities and professionals.
Leading Ladies of Animation
Mindy Johnson, historian & author of Ink & Paint - The Women of Walt Disney's Animation, pulls back the celluloid curtain on the rich history of women who animate and leads a discussion with today's trailblazing women whose leading talents brought landmark animated stories to life.
Paint, Pencils & Pixels - How Women Transformed Walt Disney’s Animation
Mindy Johnson, author of Ink & Paint – The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation, discusses the many contributions of women employed at the Disney Animation Studio.
More Stars than there are in Heaven - Alicia Mayer in conversation with Danny Miller
Alicia Mayer (great-grandniece of Louis B. Mayer) in conversation with Danny Miller (Cinephiled) shares never before seen photos, memorabilia and insights into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and one of Hollywood's first families.
The Wilshire Slides 1978-79, a Mother & Daughter Kodachrome Adventure
Annie Laskey, Erix Lynxwiler, and Shannon Simonds present a selection of images of Wilshire Boulevard, taken in the late 1970s when Annie and her mom, Marlene, photographed the street from Downtown to the ocean.
Riot on the Sunset Strip
Author and Los Angeles historian Domenic Priore discusses his book Riot on the Sunset Strip, a chronicle of L.A.'s swinging sixties scene, when thousands of teenagers from all over the county migrated to the Boulevard, paraded along the jammed sidewalks, and danced to the hippest bands in the most popular clubs in the country.
Neil Zlozower: Legendary Rock Photographer
With his photographs featured in thousands of music magazines, album covers, posters, and books, renowned rock photographer Neil Zlozower has documented the Los Angeles rock scene like no other, capturing bands like Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, and Guns N' Roses early on. Here, music historian Jeff Schwartz interviews "Zloz" for an inside look into his impressive career.
Edward Colver & the Birth of Hardcore Punk from its Inception
A special presentation of punk rock photography from Ed Colver, the photographer who defined the style.
Robert Crane on "Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder"
Authors Robert Crane (Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder) and Andrew A. Erish (Col. William N. Selig, the Man Who Invented Hollywood) discuss Crane's personal tales of growing up in Los Angeles as the child of a celebrity and his struggles to reconcile the good and sordid sides of his father, actor Bob Crane (Hogan's Heroes).
Gary Leonard Makes the Music Go Bang
Photographer Gary Leonard presents his favorite music photos, many of which were featured in his book Make the Music Go Bang! : the Early L.A. Punk Scene.
Jenny Lens: Punk Pioneer
Jenny Lens, MFA, L.A. native and one of the first photographers to chronicle the early punk rock scene of New York, L.A. and London, presents her most beloved and popular photos from her book “Punk Pioneers” and discusses being a woman in the male-dominated field of rock photography.
Out of the Shadows and Into the Spotlight: Resurrecting Hollywood's Stories
Film writer Richard Harland Smith (Turner Classic Movies) leads a discussion about the challenges of resurrecting Hollywood's lesser know stories with biographers Alan K. Rode (Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy), Tom Zimmerman (forthcoming Maria Montez: Queen of Technicolor), Andrew A. Erish (Col. William N. Selig, the Man Who Invented Hollywood), and Christina Rice (Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel).
Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972
Harvey Kubernik, an L.A .native and longtime music journalist digs deep to uncover the studio musicians, background vocalists, songwriters, producers, and engineers who helped propel the Los Angeles rock and pop music scene.
Lost and Found: The Los Angeles Photographs of Herman Schultheis
John Canemaker, author of The Lost Notebook: Herman Schultheis and the Secrets of Walt Disney’s Movie Magic, and Christina Rice, Senior Librarian of the LAPL Photo Collection engage in conversation about the work of one-time Disney effects engineer Herman Schultheis.
Gary Leonard in Conversation with LA Observed's Kevin Roderick
Kevin Roderick of LAObserved.com and local photographer Gary Leonard presents images from Gary's prolific career, including shots from L.A.’s punk rock scene and favorites from his photo-column, Take My Picture Gary Leonard.
Rock and Roll Seen
Jeff Schwartz shares photos from the Chuck Boyd Collection, discusses "rock & roll archaeology," and talks about Chuck's life along with the challenges of directing an image archive.
Drive the California Dream, Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles County
Ride Pacific Coast Highway with author Carina Monica Montoya via vintage images from the California Department of Transportation and new photos by John Moss through this remarkable road’s history and the picturesque coastal communities it serves.
"The Corner" - Ground Zero of Hollywood's Golden Age
Join Los Angeles historian Marc Chevalier for a slideshow presentation on "the Corner", the social nexus of Hollywood's movie industry throughout its golden age.
The Orange and the Dream of California
Author David Boule presents an illustrated history of the orange, which became a symbol of everything California promised, and how California became the center of the Orange Empire.
Iconic Vision
Stephen Gee, author of "Iconic Vision: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles", discusses the life and work of this prolific architect.
Shades of L.A. Revisited
Kathy Kobayashi, co-architect of Shades of L.A. takes a look back at the landmark project, which was launched in 1991 and resulted in a compelling image archive from diverse Southern California families, copied by Photo Friends from family albums for the LAPL Photo Collection.
Artful Lives: Edward Weston, Margrethe Mather, and the Bohemians of Los Angeles
Beth Gates Warren, author of "Artful Lives: Edward Weston, Margrethe Mather, and the Bohemians of Los Angeles" (J. P. Getty Museum, 2011) discusses the personal and profession relationship between the two photographers early on in Weston's career.
Harlow in Hollywood
Jean Harlow historian Darrell Rooney, co-author of "Harlow In Hollywood," discusses and presents images on the behind the scenes life of Jean Harlow and the city that helped mold her.
Making Waves: Modernist Photographs by Japanese Americans, Los Angeles, 1920-1940
Dennis Reed, Emeritus Professor of Art at Los Angeles Valley College, discusses the modernist works of Japanese American photographers in Los Angeles, much of which was destroyed or lost during the relocation in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor bombing.
Sleeping Beauties; Deranged L.A. Crimes from the Notebook of Aggie Underwood
Writer and social historian Joan Renner explores the dark side of Southern California with material drawn from two fascinating stories covered by legendary Los Angeles newswoman, Agness “Aggie” Underwood.
Turnabout Puppet Theatre
Historian J. Eric Lynxwiler presents the history of the Yale Puppeteers and Turnabout Theater, a Los Angeles tale unlike any other.
Tales of the Herald Examiner
Former photographers of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner share photos and stories from their time at the legendary newspaper that folded in 1989.
