Julia Morgan, American Architect
Morgan, the first licensed woman architect in California, helped bring parity to the built environment, the community, and the profession.
Gay Panic on Muscle Beach
The skin and strength on display at Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach aggravated American fears of gender transgressions and homosexuality.
The Changing Face of Southern California
An expansive collection of postcards captures the evolving cultural landscape of Southern California—particularly greater Los Angeles—in the twentieth century.
Intentional Unhoused Communities in Berkeley
Intentional communities provide opportunities for unhoused residents, but they also draw institutional criticism.
The Battle over Drag in 1960s San Francisco
The organized struggle for rights has been shaped by debates over the relationship between gender presentation and sexuality.
Boosters Used the Sweet Pea to Define California
In the late 19th century, Californians were eager to part with their reputation for wildness, so they adopted an "English" flower as their symbol.
How the LAPD Guarded California’s Borders in the 1930s
Working well outside their jurisdiction, the officers patrolled their state's borders against white migrants.
Slavery in a Free State: The Case of California
California came into the Union as a free state in 1850, but proslavery politicians held considerable sway there.
The Oneida Community Moves to the OC
The Oneida Community's Christian form of collectivism was transported to California in the 1880s, when the original Oneida Community fell apart.
The Lost Paradise of Los Angeles
Los Angeles's bountiful agricultural land was devoured by runaway suburbanization, a process which began long before the post-war era.