Long Beach History and Special Collections
The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) houses several unique special collections and archives relating to the history of Long Beach and its people. Whether you are doing historical or genealogy research, you are sure to find something interesting and useful in these collections.
Digital archives may be accessed from anywhere. Some physical collections are available by appointment only. The African American Resource Collection, the Khmer Collection, and the Ed Mascarenas Movie Collection are available without appointment.
The LBPL Digital Photo Archive features images depicting life in Long Beach, California. The collection contains over 100 years of Long Beach-related images, some of which have never been seen publicly before. The collection includes photos from the Winstead and Inman companies, the Shades of Long Beach project, photographers for the City of Long Beach, the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, and images from private citizens and organizations.
Images in the collection are for personal use only. Any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use, without prior written permission is prohibited. The exception to this rule is for students using images in classroom projects.
For usage fees, please see the City of Long Beach Fees and Charges.
To order photographs, please fill out the Photo Request Form (PDF).
The Long Beach City Directories Digital Archive contains searchable, digitized Polk city directories, covering most years from 1899 to 1969.
The Long Beach High School Yearbook Digital Collection features yearbooks from Long Beach Polytechnic, Woodrow Wilson, and David Starr Jordan high schools from the 1900s to 1950s. Fully-searchable by keywords.
Long Beach teens documented their quarantine experiences in written journals, illustrations, audio or video diaries, and zines. These journals are located in LBPL’s permanent local history collection as primary source research material for future generations.
Featured Writers
The Long Beach History Collection contains books, newspapers, clippings files, archives, photos, and artifacts that offer unique insight into Long Beach and the people who have lived here.
Please make an appointment to view materials by calling (562) 570-7500.
In-library use only at the Billie Jean King Main Library.
Search the Long Beach History Index to find citations from local newspapers, then find the articles on microfilm or in one of the resources in our Digital Library. Also indexed are selected magazine articles, pamphlets, and documents.
The Billie Jean King Main Library also has a selection of Long Beach newspapers, city directories, and high school yearbooks available on microfilm.
- Daily Telegram: December 26, 1904–March 6, 1923 (scattered holdings until 1905)
- Evening Tribune: December 1900–September 1, 1907 (scattered holdings until 1905)
- Independent: September 1, 1938–March 31, 1981
- Long Beach Press: January 22, 1901–September 9, 1924 (scattered holdings until 1905)
- Long Beach Press-Telegram: September 1, 1924–Present
- Sanborn Fire Insurance maps: 1888–1950
- Some Long Beach high school yearbooks
- Most Polk & City Directories
Information on approximately 600 buildings built in Long Beach before 1940. Presented in a series of field surveys of seven Long Beach neighborhoods, these publications are the product of the Long Beach Cultural Heritage Committee from the early 1980s. Each provides neighborhood context and history as well as information on selected buildings.
Keyword searchable.
Bixby Knolls (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: San Antonio Dr. (north), 37th St. (south), Long Beach Blvd (west), Atlantic (east)
California Heights (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: Bixby Rd. (north), Wardlow R. (south), Atlantic (west), Walnut (east)
Carroll Park (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: 4th St. (north), 3rd St. (south) Junipero Ave. (west), Carroll Park E (east)
Downtown/Bluff Park (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: Downtown: Anaheim St. (north), Ocean Blvd (south), Golden Ave. (west), Alamitos Ave. (east) + Bluff Park communities: 2nd St. (north), Ocean Blvd (south), Alamitos Ave. (west), Redondo Ave. (east)
Drake Park (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: Loma Vista Dr. (north, west, south), Maine Ave. (east)
Los Cerritos (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: San Antonio Dr. and Virginia Rd. (north), Country Club Dr. (north, west), Bixby Rd. (south), Long Beach Blvd (east)
Wrigley (PDF)
Neighborhood boundaries: Willow (north), PCH (south), LA River (west), Pacific (east)
A rich selection of fine arts volumes emphasizing Asian art, including beautifully illustrated works on Chinese painting, Japanese prints, Chinese and Japanese ceramics, and Korean art. There are also various books on selected American and European artists, as well as art history, architecture, photography.
In-library use only in the Miller Room at the Billie Jean King Main Library, Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Consists of rare texts dating back to the 15th century presented to LBPL by antiquarian Bertrand Smith, Sr., founder of Acres of Books bookstore in Long Beach. The collection includes first editions by 19th-century American authors, rare European texts, and a two-volume facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible.
Please make an appointment to view materials by calling (562) 570-7500.
In-library use only at the Billie Jean King Main Library.
Photographs, recordings, interviews, personal letters, and other items chronicling the life and career of Grammy award-winning opera singer, Marilyn Horne, a former Long Beach resident.
Please make an appointment to view materials by calling (562) 570-7500.
In-library use only at the Billie Jean King Main Library.
A large collection of early petroleum-related journals, magazines, books, maps, tool catalogs, photos, and rare panoramic black-and-white images. Donated to the Library in 1959 by the Petroleum Production Pioneers industry group.
Please make an appointment to view materials by calling (562) 570-7500.
In-library use only at the Billie Jean King Main Library.
This collection is located in the African American Resource Area in the Burnett Neighborhood Library. Curated by the African American Heritage Society of Long Beach beginning in 1997, the collection includes:
- the African Heritage Collection of Nonfiction
- Gifts of Heritage for Children Collection
- the Roots Genealogy Collection
- over 200 Black Heritage videos
- the Essie Tucker & Helene Hale Collection of Black Women's History
- an array of fiction by Black authors
- and other captivating resources
Available for browsing and checkout at the Burnett Neighborhood Library.
With over 5000 items, the Long Beach Public Library offers the largest collection of Khmer language materials in a public library in the United States. All materials are fully cataloged and searchable in both Khmer and English, thanks to funding from the California State Library between 2018 and 2022. The collection includes books for children, teens, and adults and covers history, culture, cooking, religion, fiction by American and Cambodian authors, memoirs, and other topics. The Library also offers an extensive English language collection of all things Cambodian.
បណ្ណាល័យសាធារណៈរបស់ទីក្រុងឡុងប៊ិចយើង មានឯកសារ និងសម្ភារៈជាភាសាខ្មែរចំនួនជាង ៥,០០០ ក្បាល ដែលនេះជាសមូហកម្មខ្មែរដ៏ធំជាងគេ ក្នុង បណ្ណាល័យសាធារណៈនៅទូទាំងសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិច។ ឯកសារទាំងនេះ សុទ្ធតែត្រូវបានរៀបចំជាកាតាឡុកពេញលេញ និងអាចស្វែងរកឃើញដោយវាយជាអក្សរខ្មែរ និងអង់គ្លេស។ នេះក៏ដោយសារតែបានមូលនិធិជំនួយពីបណ្ណាល័យរដ្ឋកាលីហ្វ័រញ៉ា ពីចន្លោះឆ្នាំ ២០១៨ និង ២០២២។ ការប្រមូលផ្តុំនៃឯកសារទាំងនេះ រួមមានសៀវភៅសម្រាប់កុមារ ក្មេងជំទង់ និងមនុស្សពេញវ័យ និងមានច្រើនផ្នែក ដូចជាប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្ត វប្បធម៌ ការចម្អិនអាហារ សាសនា រឿងព្រេង និពន្ធដោយអ្នកនិពន្ធអាមេរិក និងខ្មែរ កំណត់ហេតុ និងប្រធានបទផ្សេងៗទៀត។ បណ្ណាល័យ ក៏មានផ្តល់ជូននូវសមូហកម្មភាសាអង់គ្លេស ដែលសរសេរអំពីខ្មែរគ្រប់ទិដ្ឋភាពផងដែរ។
Available for browsing and checkout at the Mark Twain Neighborhood Library.
ឯកសារទាំងនេះមានសម្រាប់ស្វែងរក និងខ្ចីយកទៅអាន នៅបណ្ណាល័យ Mark Twain។
Made up of hundreds of eclectic titles on DVD and Blu-Ray, the Ed Mascarenas Movie Collection was donated in memory of beloved LBPL Library Clerk, Ed Mascerenas. Ed's family now shares his passion for interesting movies with all LBPL cardholders. View all titles in the collection in our Encore Catalog.
Available for browsing and checkout at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library.
The Rancho Library features some 3,000 volumes on the history of California and the Southwest, focusing on Long Beach and Southern California in particular. It is located at the Rancho Los Cerritos ranch house, a California Historical Landmark, located at 4600 Virginia Rd, Long Beach, CA 90807.
In-library use only at Rancho Library. Please make an appointment to view materials by contacting Rancho@RanchoLosCerritos.org.
Digital Archives
