Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license--http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/--Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Send requests to address or e-mail given USC Libraries Special Collections specol@usc.edu
Description
Photograph of an exterior view of the facade of Los Angeles Natural History Museum (formerly Los Angeles County Historical Art Museum?), ca.1920. A flight of concrete stairs leads to the large arches that form the portico entrance. Above the stone arches, the words "Los Angeles County Historical and Art Museum" can be seen etched into the facade. Several types of bricks and many different brick patterns form the walls of this three-story building. Above the entrance is a multicurved parapet decorated with fancy ornamental moldings and patterns. The sculpture of an eagle is perched at the tip of the gable. Two dome turrets flank the large dome roof in the center. Standing in front of the glass-door entryway, a man wearing a suit can be seen. "Exposition Park, originally named Agricultural Park, was developed in 1876 as a showground for agricultural and horticultural fairs. The property became state land in 1880, the same year USC was founded, but during the 1890s, it fell into private hands, victim of a corrupt state legislature in league with local opportunists. Its character swiftly deteriorated, and it became a favorite haunt of the city's riffraff. William M. Bowen, an attorney and adjunct professor of law at USC, was appalled at the gambling and debauchery he witnessed beyond the park's gate, and late in the decade he spearheaded a successful campaign to recover the tract on behalf of the people of California. With the support of fellow civic leaders such as USC President George Finley Bovard, Bowen garnered the commitments of city, state and county to develop the land as a public educational, cultural and recreational center. On November 6, 1913, the day after William Mulholland opened the Owens River aqueduct, Exposition Park was formally dedicated, home to a state Exposition Building and the county Museum of History, Science and Art, and slated to gain a National Guard Armory." -- unknown author.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph : glass photonegative, b&w 21 x 26 cm. glass plate negatives photographs
Los Angeles City--Architecture--Public Buildings--Museums Los Angeles County Historical and Art Museum Los Angeles (Los Angeles)--Architecture--Public--Buildings--General Museums Museum buildings
Time Period
circa 1920
Place
California Exposition Park Los Angeles USA
Source
1-63- [Microfiche number] 5698 [Accession number] CHS-5698 [Call number] California Historical Society [Contributing entity]
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
