Images of marathon dancing, state society picnics, silent films and junk car races re-create that celebrated decade which secured California's reputation as a social trendsetter. Important, too, are the photographs of daredevil young pilots, industrial and manufacturing workers, dock hands and small businessmen.
These images were drawn from about 225,000 historical photographs of Southern California that were given to the Los Angeles Public Library by the Security Pacific National Bank in honor of the Los Angeles Bicentennial. Prior to the bank's gift, the LAPL housed approximately 13,000 images - many done as a Work Projects Administration (WPA) project, others donated by citizens and communities. The Bank's collection added thousands of image from the 20s and 30s, including Chamber of Commerce photographs that seemed to capture every bathing beauty under a palm tree on a sunny day.
This Collection has created a great resource for researchers of every kind, including students, writers, historians, film and television directors, designers, preservationists, and genealogists.