Shades of L.A. is an archive of photographs representing the contemporary and historic diversity of families in Los Angeles. Images were chosen from family albums and include daily life, social organizations, work, personal and holiday celebrations, and migration and immigration activities. Made possible and accessible through the generous support of the Security Pacific National Bank, Sunlaw Cogeneration Partners, Photo Friends, California Council for the Humanities, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation.
Images available for reproduction and educational use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/orderinguse.html for additional information. The contents of this collection are restricted to personal, research, and non-commercial use. The Library cannot share the personal and/or contact information of the donors, their descendants, or associates who contributed photographs and oral histories to the collection.
Description
Melinda Blackway was born October 1, 1940 and lived in Monterey Park until the age of 4. Her father Hector (Bart), originally from Wisconsin, was a bugler in the Texas Cavalry. He traveled around Seattle, San Francisco, and Oakland before settling in Los Angeles, where he worked as a clerk for Mobil Oil. Melinda's mother was from Kansas and moved to LA at the age of 8 with her father, a chiropractor. Melinda had an older brother Robert, and two younger twin brothers. The family moved to Alhambra in 1949. In 1968, Melinda moved to Hawaii where she met her husband, who was in telephone communications. After having a daughter, the family moved back to LA because of the weather. The family purchased a house in San Gabriel, and Melinda's son was born a short time later. Melinda heard about the Shades of L.A. through her local library. Mary Dorff and second husband Hilary, grandparents, hold twin brothers, Lary and Gary, July 1950, taken under the fig tree in the backyard of their home in Pasadena. Hilary worked for a tool and dye company.
Grandparents--California--Pasadena Infants--California--Pasadena Twins--California--Pasadena Backyards--California--Pasadena Pasadena (Calif.) Group portraits Portrait photographs Shades of L.A. Canadian American photographs Shades of L.A. Collection photographs
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.
