Glendale History Drive 2011!

The Glendale Public Library is pleased to announce the launch of History Drive 2011!

In the Library's first History Drive in 2009, when we invited folks to share images from their collection with the Library, we collected over 100 images documenting the history and culture of the Glendale and the surrounding area.

One set of photographs, donated by former Mayor John Drayman as a part of the History Drive Kick Off event in March 2009, fetures the work of local professional photographer Glenn B. Ward. Ward's images, taken primarily in the 1950s, provide a rich history of a specific time in Glendale and the nearby areas of Montrose and La Crescenta.

For History Drive 2011, we're asking for information about these pictures!

Flickr users can leave comments and tags that will help tell each picture's story: who, what where, when, anything that describes the image and its context. Those without a Flickr account can still view the images on Flickr and participate by emailing their comments to the library at centlibref@ci.glendale.ca.us.

Click here to get started!

For more information on the History Drive, please visit the Glendale Public Library website.

New KCET/LA as Subject Blog: SoCal Focus

A photograph from the Special Collections Room of the Glendale Public Library was featured in a post last week on SoCal Focus, a new blog on the KCET website.

The blog, a collaboration between KCET and LA as Subject, incorporates local history materials from archives, museums, libraries, and other institutions across Southern California and will cover myriad topics related to the culture and history of the region's past (as well as an occasional glimpse into its future).

Only a month old, the blog has already posted some great stories (and some really wonderful images), so be sure to check back regularly!

Glendale History: Thanksgiving Friday Shopping on Brand Boulevard?

While the picture on the postcard above probably wasn't taken the day after Thanksgiving, it's certainly a good representation of how the scene might have looked on Brand Boulevard at the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, circa 1958.

In observance of this year's Thanksgiving holiday, the Glendale Public Library will be closed from 5 pm on Wednesday, November 24 through Sunday, November 28. Regular hours for the Central Library, the Brand Library & Arts Center, and all of the neighborhood branch libraries will resume next week.

This postcard is one of the thousands of images available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m. and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

LA as Subject Archives Bazaar Follow-Up

(Photo courtesy USC Libraries/ Marius Constantin)

The (new and improved!) LA as Subject website has posted a slideshow and feature article from last Sunday's Archives Bazaar, held at the beautiful Doheny Library on the USC campus.

Roughly 80 exhibitors, including the Glendale Public Library's Special Collections, filled the library's two first-floor reading rooms, while panel discussions and film screenings took place throughout the day a floor above.

It was our second year in a row taking part in the Bazaar, and once again we had a great time sharing our collection with researchers, students, and local history buffs (with their own Glendale stories to share in return). Plus, we visited with plenty of wonderful museum, archive, and library folk with great Los Angeles-themed collections of their own.

We're already looking forward to the 6th Annual Bazaar next year--see you there!

Glendale Noir Films at Brand Park!

Sunday, June 27th marks the beginning of Glendale Noir Films series in Brand Park, presented by The Glendale Historical Society and the Community Services and Parks Department.

As the series title suggests, each film in the series features scenes shot in Glendale, so keep a lookout for Jewel City landmarks!

The first film in the series, Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford, will begin at 7:30. As all screenings will take place under the stars, attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, a picnic, and a flashlight.

The series continues with Double Indemnity (July 25th) and concludes with Gun Crazy (August 22nd). Additional information is available on the Society's calendar of events page. Or click here for the flyer.

All three showings are free admission (and free parking) and will begin at 7:30 pm.

Glendale History: March Madness, 1909 Style

(click on the photograph to view a larger version in a new window)

With men's and women's NCAA Tournaments beginning this week, it seems apropos to share this picture of the 1909 Glendale High School girls basketball team. (Unfortunately, no information on how far they advanced in their bracket is provided on the back of the photo.)

This photograph is one of the thousands available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room also contains news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m. and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

Glendale History: Albert Einstein at the 1932 Rose Parade

The City of Glendale has a long, rich history of participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade, dating back to 1911. The photograph above, taken after the 1932 Parade, features Albert Einstein greeting Glendale float designer Georgia Chobe and rider Esther Muhlman Garate.

Katherine Yamada's January 5, 2002, article in the Glendale News-Press provides additional information about Georgia Chobe and her contributions to Glendale's successful Rose Parade legacy.

As for this year's parade, while the Glendale entry in the 2010 Tournament of Roses did not win an award (snapping a 4-year winning streak), the City can take pride in knowing the 33-foot float, featuring a soaring bald eagle, was selected by Tournament of Roses officials for the Parade's patriotic finale. See the Glendale News-Press article for a full recap of the parade and photographs of Glendale's beautiful entry.

The photograph above is one of the thousands available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m. and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

Glendale History: Snow Golf, 1949

1949 started with a pleasant surprise in mid-January: snow blanketing the area for three straight days. The duo above embraced the winter wonderland for a round of golf (at the very least they took the time to run out onto the course to snap a photograph).

This photograph is one of the thousands available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room also contains news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m. and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

Big Read 2009: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry

The Glendale Public Library is proud to be a part of Big Read 2009: Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry, hosted by Occidental College. This year's program celebrates the life of California poet Robinson Jeffers, widely regarded as one of the founders of the modern environmental movement in America.

Jeffers learned stone masonry and built his home, Tor House and Hawk Tower, in Northern California's Big Sur. He often used rocks and stones in his poems as symbols of "dark peace."

The Library's participation in this year's Big Read includes an online update of a brochure created by the Glendale Historical Society some years ago that highlights stone castles and buildings in and around the Tujunga/Sunland area. The updated version uses Google Maps and Flickr to share images of and information about these unique structures.

Additionally, representatives from the Wildlife Waystation, a nonprofit wild animal refuge in the Angeles National Forest, will give a presentation on their organization and mission. The event will take place at the Central Library Auditorium at 2 pm on Saturday, October 17th, and will feature a live great horned owl!

Visit the Library's Big Read 2009 page for additional information on the Robinson Jeffers and the Ecologies of Poetry.

Glendale History: Glendale Fire Department Orchestra, St. Patrick's Day, 1924

(click on the photograph to view a larger version in a new window)

For many years, the Glendale Fire Department featured its own orchestra, playing dances and other social functions around the city. This photograph, taken in 1924, seems to have been snapped some time around March 17th at a St. Patrick's Day celebration.

As Glendale: A Pictorial History notes, the presence of a banjo and and tuba suggest the Glendale Fire Department Orchestra "performed popular, rather than symphonic, selections."

This photograph is one of the thousands available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room also contains news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m. and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

And please note that everyone is encouraged to take part in the Glendale Public Library History Drive, continuing through June.

Take Part in the Kick Off Event for Glendale's History Drive at the Glendale Central Library, March 14th!

(click here for more information on this photo)

Be a part of Glendale’s history at the Kick Off of the Glendale History Drive. Help us add chapters to Glendale’s past by sharing or donating your photos and documents.

The Glendale Public Library is interested in collecting and/or scanning items to add to its collection of:

• photos and documents relating to Glendale’s cultural and civic events,
• images of landmark family celebrations in Glendale, and
• photos and documents pertaining to buildings, houses and places of interest in Glendale.

Selected items will be scanned at the Kick Off event or at a later date. Walk ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged.

The Glendale History Drive will continue by appointment through the end of June.

The Glendale History Drive is in partnership with The Glendale Historical Society and the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley. For more information or to make an appointment call (818) 548-3752, go to the Glendale History Drive website, or download a copy of the History Drive flyer.

Participants will receive a 2009 Historic Glendale calendar courtesy of Glendale Printing Center.

Glendale History: Back to School Edition!

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This postcard, one of many documenting the history of Glendale's area schools in the Glendale Public Library's Special Collections Room, features one of Glendale's earliest school buildings, Union High School. Built in 1908, the school occupied the land bounded by Colorado Street, Louise Street, Maryland Avenue, and Harvard Street (although the street names were different at the time).

After operating as a high school until 1923, the building would serve as the site of Glendale Junior College (now known as Glendale Community College) from 1929 until the building was damaged by the Long Beach earthquake of 1933. Following the earthquake, the College continued to hold classes on the same Harvard Street campus, using tents and bungalows in lieu of the actual school building, until it moved to the current location in 1937.

Today, the Glendale Central Library now stands on the land where the Union High School building once stood.

The Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library contains news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m., and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

Glendale History: Verdugo Swim Stadium

(click on the photograph to view a larger version in a new window)

With the official start of summer just days away (and the summer heat already here), thoughts turn to finding outdoor activities and ways to keep cool.

From the 1938 until the mid-1980s, the Verdugo Swim Stadium provided both for residents throughout Glendale. This picture, taken by a Glendale News Press photographer, suggests that the pool was quite a hit with the kids and teens of Glendale in the 1940s.

The Verdugo Swim Stadium, which was located next to the Civic Auditorium on Verdugo Road, was finally demolished in 1988. This photograph is one of the thousands available to library patrons and researchers at the Special Collections Room in the Glendale Central Library.

The Special Collections Room also contains news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m., Saturdays from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.

Glendale History: Before the Americana at Brand

(click on the photograph to view a larger version in a new window)

As the Americana at Brand prepares to open its doors to the public just a block west of the Glendale Central Library, it seems fitting to take a look back at the neighborhood where the Americana will reside. This photograph (courtesy of the Special Collections Room of the Glendale Public Library) shows Brand Boulevard looking north, dating from around 1936. Harvard Street, which will act as the eastern entrance into the Americana, crosses Brand Boulevard here behind the Western Auto Supply Co. sign on the left and in front of the Famous Department Store building on the right.

Other notable businesses in this image that operated in the area now covered by the Americana include a Pep Boys Auto Supplies store and the Capital Theatre. The tall building in the top center of the photograph is the Bank of America Building, which would be torn down in 1982 to make room for the Galleria II project.

The Special Collections Room in the Central Library contains thousands of photographs, news clippings, books, maps, and other materials that cover the history of Glendale, neighboring cities, and California in general. The collection is particularly useful for local history and genealogy research projects. Special Collections also houses the Cat Collection, one of the largest collections of feline-related materials in the world.

The Special Collections Room is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 to 3 p.m., Saturdays from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and by appointment. Please call (818) 548-2037 for additional information.