Title created by cataloger. Rolland Joseph 'Speedy' Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park. An unidentified young boy wearing a dashiki stands on top of a stool as a male customer (possibly the father or older brother) who sits in an adjacent barber chair, holds on to the stool. Several men, most likely customers, can be seen in the background along the left, and a mirror reflects the busy establishment. The walls are covered with photogaphs and miscellaneous items, and the workstation has several styling tools and hair products. The photograph was possibly taken during the 1969 mayoral campaign of Councilman Tom Bradley (not present). This establishment appears to be the Magnificent Brothers Barbershop and Salon #2, located at 1568 103rd Street East in Watts. Photograph circa 1969. See images 00128441 through 00128443, and 00143462 through 00143482 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 color negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
African American men Men African American boys Boys Barbers Barbershops Salons Hairdressing Hairstyles Afro (Hairstyle) Hair Tools Mirrors Reflections Photographs Clothing Posing Watts (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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