Documenting my pocket of Los Angeles
In honor of International Women's Day, here is Judy Baca's mural "Hitting the Wall" painted, whitewashed and then re-painted on the 101 Freeway: I photographed this framed version of Baca's mural at the MOLAA's Judy Baca: Memorias de Nuestra Tierra, a Retrospective which has been extended. The exhibit will now close on March 27. In... Continue Reading →
In honor of the retirement of my favorite botanical librarian, I compiled some favorite historical topics related to the Arboretum Library. The library has been a part of the Arboretum since the California Arboretum Foundation Board outlined the objectives for the botanical garden in 1948. Since then the Arboretum staff has amassed an impressive collection... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year All! This is a bit late but here are some of my Los Angeles highlights from 2021. I may always be knee-deep in the past but it's still so easy to forget what happened just a few months ago. One disclaimer: Despite the optics of enjoying moments out and about, this year... Continue Reading →
In mid-July, I was visiting my aunt and uncle in Minnesota when my uncle passed away unexpectedly. A trip that should have been a joyous post-vaccine reunion turned tragic the day after I arrived. He was 90 and lived a long full life but his passing was still a heartbreaking moment for our family. My... Continue Reading →
As mentioned in a previous post, I helped Los Angeles Walks organize a series of four walks that navigated around Los Angeles' original border as it was in 1850. For the organization's Spring 2021 fundraiser, I created four short videos about our #LA4Corners series. Well, actually, these videos are more like audio slideshows, as I... Continue Reading →
Recently the Los Angeles Times published a fun story about the amazing 1939 battle between gambling ship owner Tony Cornero and future Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. It's such a great story that could/should be a movie. I stumbled upon the story in eleven years ago and couldn't believe there wasn't more about it... Continue Reading →
Just by happenstance, I had two projects on the same topic — the series of walks dubbed #LA4Corners — culminate over these past two weeks. First a little backstory. Between 2019 and 2020, I helped organize a series of walks hosted by Los Angeles Walks that retracted the original four borders of Los Angeles. We... Continue Reading →
On this April morning, my research rabbit hole pulled me down into Los Angeles’ millinery world. The US National Archives hosted a monthly #ArchivesHashtagParty on Twitter and chose the theme #ArchivesTipoftheHat. In researching some of the backstories to several images in local archives, I came across Harriett L. Wadley. Millinery work was a popular and... Continue Reading →
My parents were married a few years after the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriages (Loving v. Virginia)…though fortunately it was made legal in California in 1948 (Perez v. Sharp). Mom was always open with me about the racism she encountered for marrying my Mexican American dad. I only wish my dad could’ve shared his experience... Continue Reading →
Sea chanties have been in the media spotlight for the past few weeks, a cheery respite from the grim news cycle of January 2021. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of joining Pomona College professor Gibb Schreffler and his Maritime Music class on a sailboat as students practiced singing sea chanties while hoisting... Continue Reading →
Victoria Bernal 