Historical Collections

The HSLB has been collecting historical materials since 1962. The archive contains more than 100,000 items including documents, maps, photographs, books, scrapbooks, yearbooks, architectural pieces, textiles, uniforms, advertising, menus, postcards, blueprints, publications, phone and address directories, historical inventories, biographies and objects from local amusements such as the Pike and the Shady Acres Miniature Golf Course. Newer collections include the Cambodian Community History and Archive Project (CamCHAP) which will not be publicly accessible until 2012.

Following are descriptions of some of the items in our archives.

Photographic Collection
The photographic collection includes snapshots from individuals, partial collections from local commercial photographers including the Winstead Brothers, Lawrence Inman, and A. C. Brown, slides of the Grand Prix and downtown from the 1970s and 1980s, prints from professionals working for the Miss Universe pageant, progress shots of construction of the Naval shipyard, aerial shots of the city and harbor, majestic panorama images, early surfing contests, the Pike and much, much more. In all, the collection includes more than 30,000 images of Long Beach beginning in the late 1800s and continuing to the present.

Maps, Books & Directories
The collection spans the ordinary to the extraordinary. Among the oldest documents in the collection is a map dating to 1888. We have yearbooks from all of the city’s oldest high schools and Long Beach City College. In our collection of city directories, visitors can learn about businesses, research their homes, or locate family members. Books include early city history as chronicled by Walter Case and commemorative publications from schools and local corporations. Among the more extraordinary items in the collection is an obscure and unique scrapbook kept by the Horkheimers who made silent films at Balboa Studios which was located near 7^th and Alamitos and was once the city’s largest employer.

City Manager Files
One of the most important sets of documents in the collection is the correspondence from the city manager’s office spanning the years from 1923 to 1953. During those years, many significant historical events took place including the discovery of oil on Signal Hill and in the harbor, the 1933 earthquake and the buildup of the Navy leading into World War II. All of these events had an impact on the city and their significance is reflected in the city managers’ files.

Postcards, Advertising and Ephemera
Our postcard collection numbers in the thousands and includes souvenir cards from many local businesses, the Pike, piers, Virginia hotel and photographs taken immediately following the 1933 earthquake that document some of the more dramatic destruction that occurred in the city. From ration books, menus, matchbooks and door hangers for ordering from the milk delivery truck, the HSLB collection of advertising and ephemera spans several decades. World War II materials include a “V for Victory” decal and a business card from a local establishment that promises to “be open during blackouts, but closed in the event of a direct strike.”

Three-Dimension Objects
The HSLB collection includes models of the city’s first school and the Pacific Coast Club. An architectural piece from the Pacific Coast Club is permanently installed in our gallery. Other popular objects include knock down dolls from the Pike, a light from the Fox West Coast Theater, signage from around the city and a street light globe from downtown.

You can view collection items on display in the gallery, or by conducting research which is free to members and $25 for those who are not yet members.

The collection has grown largely from donations by individuals. Often, when older family members pass on, the children and grandchildren are tasked with sorting through houses and apartments. We encourage you to consider donating items pertaining to Long Beach history. It is one way you can help keep your family’s memories alive for generations to come.