Once again USC will host the Archives Bazaar, a daylong event that offers Los Angeles history buffs, Californiana enthusiasts, and academics the opportunity to learn about new information sources and research methods, exchange ideas, share new findings, and celebrate their passion for the city’s local history. The event is presented by LA as Subject, an association “dedicated to preserving and improving access to archives and collections that document the history of Los Angeles’ diverse peoples, languages, cultures, and geography.”
This year, participants will find more than 80 exhibitors at the Archives Bazaar, ranging from large institutions to lesser-known, private collections. Examples include the Boyle Heights Historical Society, the Los Angeles City Archives, the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archive, LA84 Foundation Sports Library and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Film Archive. In addition to these organizations, the event will feature documentary film screenings, panel discussions, workshops, and other public programs.
Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne is scheduled to deliver the Bazaar’s keynote address. According to LA as Subject, he’ll “discuss classic books about Los Angeles architecture and urbanism that were written between 1927 and 2007 by authors such as Reyner Banham, Mike Davis, and D.J. Waldie. He will also share his perspective as to whether these authors’ ideas hold relevance in such a quick-changing city.”
This is by far one of my favorite history related happenings of the year and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to better understand the city and surrounding region. When I attended last year, it was exciting to discover collections I was unfamiliar with and learn some very practical research strategies that I subsequently put to good use when producing this site.
The best part of the day, though, was meeting the people behind the archives. They are the ones who collect, preserve and catalog the materials that make up their collections and they’re invaluable resources for anyone seeking information about any number of subjects related to the region’s rich history.
Sound enticing? If so, come on out and spend this Saturday at USC. You won’t be disappointed.
DETAILS
When: Saturday, October 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University of Southern California
Cost: The event is free and open to the public.
More Information:
Contact Tyson Gaskill at 213-740-2070 or gaskill@usc.edu.
To learn more about L.A. as Subject, visit laassubject.org.
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