#TBT South LA: The Shrine Auditorium

October 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment


The Shrine Auditorium in the 1920s | LA Public Library

The Shrine Auditorium in the 1920s | LA Public Library

Even as University of Southern California students bike past the Shrine Auditorium and Angelenos attend the venue for its frequent raves and award shows, many are not aware of the long history of this distinctive building.

The Shrine Auditorium was first built in its location off of Jefferson and Figueroa in 1906 as a civic center. The Al Malaikah Shriners, a fraternal organization founded in 1871 that contributes to the community with hospitals and other charities, intended the auditorium to be used as a temple and meeting place for the organization. [Read more…]

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#TBT South LA: Church mothers, circa 1960

October 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment


"Church Mothers" stand outside the First AME Church in South LA, circa 1960. | USC Digital Library

“Church Mothers” stand outside the First AME Church in South LA, circa 1960. | USC Digital Library

For many generations, churches have been integral to the character of South Los Angeles. The First African Methodist Episcopal stands as an example.

Dressed in “Sunday best” attire, the 16 women are pictured standing in front of the First AME, or simply “FAME.” The photograph is from the 1960s.

Founded in 1872, FAME is the city’s oldest African-American church. Before the 1970s, the church had a population of 250 congregants. It now boasts a congregation of about 19,000 members and is considered a mega-church with task forces for health, substance abuse and homelessness issues. [Read more…]

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#TBT South LA: Vernon Library, 1950

September 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment


vernon library

The Vernon Library, courtesy USC Libraries.

“Open to all” reads a grand inscription above the doorway to the Vernon Public Library in South L.A., circa 1950. Two women stand in front, dwarfed by tall Greek columns.

The library’s grandeur has since faded. But the building still stands in its original location, possibly dating back to 1920 when Central Avenue was the city’s hot corridor for jazz music.

library

The front facade of the Vernon Library in a photo from sometime between 1920 and 1950.

 


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