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INVENTORY OF THE ALFRED AND BERICE LIGON AQUARIAN COLLECTION, LATE 1800s-2014
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Title: Alfred and Bernice Ligon Aquarian Collection
Dates: Late 1800s - 2014
Dates: Bulk 1941-1996
Collection Number: Consult repository.
Creator:
Alfred Ligon 1906-2002 and Bernice Ligon 1912-2000.
Extent:
53 boxes
[30 linear ft]
Repository: California State University, Dominguez Hills
Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collection
University Library, Room 5039
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, California 90747
Phone: (310) 243-3895
URL: http://www4.csudh.edu/libarchives/index
Abstract:
This collection contains archival materials and rare books related to Alfred and Bernice Ligon as the proprietors and founders
of The Aquarian
Bookshop and Aquarian Spiritual Center in Los Angeles, CA; their interests in African American history and culture; and
studies and teaching
of metaphysics, occultism and black gnostic studies. The archival collection concentrates on the operations and events of
the Book Shop,
curriculum of the Spiritual Center, and African American culture. The rare book collection focuses on African American history
and culture;
literature and poetry by black authors; Africa and pan-Africanism; and metaphysics, the occult, spirituality, and gnostic
studies. Included in
the collection are published books and periodicals, small press poetry books and chapbooks, manuscripts, pamphlets, ephemera,
newspaper clippings,
administrative papers, photographs, film negatives, cassette tapes, film and audio reels, VHS tapes, and digital media.
Language: Collection material is in English
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and
Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials
and not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
[Title of item], Alfred and Bernice Ligon Aquarian Collection, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections.
University Library. California State University, Dominguez Hills
Collection donated to CSUDH Archives by Members of the Aquarian Spiritual Center and Aquarian Gospel Temple/ Alfred and Bernice
Ligon Aquarian Collection.
This collection was processed by Kendall Hinesley in 2015.
Alfred and Bernice Ligon were the founders of the Aquarian Spiritual Center, metaphysical studies scholars and teachers, owners
of the longest
running black owned book store in the country at the time of its closing, and community leaders. Alfred was born on April
5th 1906 in Atlanta,
Georgia, and moved to Chicago at the age of ten. There he worked as a printer, performed as a clown, and managed a Theater
and school. Alfred’s
interest in the metaphysical began in the 1920s listening to Evangeline Adams' radio show on astrology, and he later founded
the Society of the
Circle of Nine focusing on divine science and philosophy. In 1936 he moved to Los Angeles to study with The Brotherhood
of Light and Esoteric
Studies, and Marc Edmond Jones’ Sabean Assembly. In Los Angeles he worked as a railroad porter and managed a dancing school
with his sister
Jeni Le Gon. Around this time he read a version of the bible called
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ, which became the foundation for his
philosophy and the inspiration for the name of the book store. In 1941 he opened the Aquarian Book Store and Library on
East Jefferson Ave in
Los Angeles with $100 he saved working as a railroad porter.
Bernice Ligon was born on October 6th 1912 in Riverside, California. She developed an interest in metaphysics as a teen and
is quoted as
saying “metaphysics, to me means mind above matter.” When she moved to Los Angeles in 1942 and met Alfred, their mutual interest
in the esoteric
brought them together and she began working at the book store. They married in 1948.
The Aquarian Book Store stocked books on the occult, metaphysics, and black history and culture that could be purchased or
borrowed for a few
cents a day. Though he continued to work for the railroad alongside the book store (putting in 30 years before he retired),
Alfred continued to
develop his passion for metaphysics. He started giving lectures and astrology classes in 1943, became a Doctor of Metaphysics
in 1950, and started
The Aquarian Spiritual Center in 1952. Though the financial viability of The Aquarian waxed and waned over the years, and
was never the couple’s
main source of income, they saw the book store and center as way to enrich the community and felt obligated to be there
for those in search of
knowledge.
In 1957 the Ligon’s moved the Book Shop and Spiritual Center to 1302 West Santa Barbara Ave (now Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.)
and the Civil
Rights Movement and Black Consciousness Movement emerged as focal point for the store’s inventory and outreach. With this,
the shop came to
prominence within the black community as it sought knowledge of itself. They hosted the first black history classes offered
in Los Angeles (led
by the Afro-American Study Association), the founding of the US organization, Community Theater, occult philosophy lectures,
and black authors’
autograph parties. Through the book store, the Ligon’s provided books by and about African Americans and Africans which were
not available
elsewhere in Los Angeles at the time.
From the 1960s to the 1990s the shop and center continued to hold many classes, events, and conferences. In 1969 Alfred and
others from the Spiritual
Center began to develop and study what became Black Gnostic Studies. They concentrated on the connections between metaphysical
thought and
Ancient African cultures including Egypt and Ethiopia. From these studies came the concept of Blacks as “Seed People” (the
source of life and
culture). In addition to flyers and pamphlets about metaphysics and Gnosticism, the Aquarian Spiritual Center circulated
a newsletter, and from
1977-1983, a journal called URAEUS.
In 1991 the store celebrated its 50th anniversary. Unfortunately, a year later riots erupted in Los Angeles after white police
officers were
found not guilty in the beating of a black man, Rodney King. The book store was caught in the struggle and was burned to
the ground with over
7,000 books inside. A group of independent book store owners organized donations and a benefit featuring Maya Angelou and
Alice Walker to raise
more than $70,000.00 to reopen the store. The rebuilt store was short lived however, and closed again in 1994 when Bernice
was diagnosed
with liver cancer.
Throughout her life Bernice was also active in the community outside of the Book Shop, including as the President of the District
Council of the PTA in the
early 1950s. Her contributions to the community were honored in several ways including as the subject of a documentary film
in 1992 by Erma
Elzy-Jones called Continually Turning the Pages: The Life of Bernice Ligon. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate of
Humanities from the
Inner Circle University of Los Angles and received an award from the City for “raising the consciousness through literature.”
Both Alfred and Bernice had children from previous marriages. Bernice’s daughter Zandra passed before her, and Bernice passed
in 2000 of
liver cancer at the age of 88. Alfred had a son Alfred Lloyd Ligon, a daughter Jeni Terrell, six grandchildren, and seven
great-grandchildren
at the time of his death in 2002 at the age of 96.
The Alfred and Bernice Ligon Collection consists of published books (including small press and self-published works) , published
serials,
manuscripts, pamphlets, posters, broadsides, paper ephemera, correspondence, book reviews, newspaper clippings, newsletters,
administrative
documents, publisher sell sheets and order forms, photographs, film negatives, cassette tapes, audio and film reels, VHS
tapes, and digital
materials (compact disk and thumb drive). The collection is split between archival materials described to the folder level,
and published
materials catalogued individually and searchable through the California State University Dominguez Hills Library catalog.
Published materials
focus on African American history and culture, literature by and about African Americans and Africans, and metaphysics.
The archival collection focuses on The Aquarian Book Shop and Aquarian Spiritual Center, its administrative functions, programs,
events, classes,
community involvement, and Alfred and Bernice Ligon as proprietors thereof. The bulk of the material focuses on the store
and spiritual center rather
than on the Ligon’s personal lives. Biographical materials on the Ligon’s include obituaries and eulogies, correspondence,
and scrap books. There is
also a file containing photocopies of biographical material on Alfred’s sister Jeni Le Gon.
Administrative files for the store and spiritual center relate to the business operations of the store including permits,
dealings with publishers,
order forms, correspondence, and the rebuilding of the store after the 1992 fire. Administrative files for the spiritual center
include bylaws,
Board of Directors rosters, and correspondence with members. Press coverage of the store is primarily from the early 1980’s.
Ephemera from events held by the store and spiritual center show the range of events from book and author related events like
book signings,
book fairs, book release parties, poetry readings, to those at the spiritual center like lectures on various topics including
Black Gnostic Studies,
“Founders Day” gatherings, worship sessions, multi-media presentations, discussions, and others. In addition to flyers and
invitations for lessons
and lectures, the collection includes handouts on various topics, lesson workbooks, poster charts of metaphysical studies,
and the journal that the
center produced; URAEUS: Journal of Unconscious Life. The Journal billed itself as the “New Age Black Journal.” It covered
topics like history,
holistic health, astrology, new-age parenting, the arts, sciences, culture, and education all with a view toward esoteric
teachings.
The collection also shows the Ligon’s interest in African American history and culture with items that may have been sold
in the store like
greeting cards and post cards, ephemera from local cultural events, and publications by and about African Americans. The photographs
in the
collection are primarily from events put on by the book store and the spiritual center, and slides probably used by Dr. Ligon
in teaching, but
include some early photos of the Ligons and their families.
In addition to paper and photographic materials, the collection includes a large number of audio/visual materials. Hundreds
of audio reels and
cassette tapes record lectures and teachings of Dr. Ligon and his contemporaries on the Aquarian Gospel, esoteric astrology,
Kabballah, occult
philosophy, psychosynthesis, cosmic psychology, tarot, esoteric masonry, and Black Gnostic Studies.
Arrangement
Arranged in six series:
- Series I: Personal/Biographical, circa 1936- 2002; boxes 1-2
- Series II: Aquarian Book Store and Spiritual Center, 1950-1994; boxes 3-6
- Subseries a: Administrative
- Subseries b: Press
- Subseries c: Events
- Subseries d: Classes and Lessons
- Subseries e: Newsletters and Journals
- Subseries f: Library Inventories
- Subseries g: Items Removed from Books
- Series III: African American History and Cultural Materials, 1960s-1990s; boxes 7-8
- Series IV: Images, early 1900s-1990s; boxes 9-11.
- Series V: Audio/Visual Materials, 1950s-1990s; boxes 12-50
- Subseries a: Personal
- Subseries b: Stolen Legacy
- Subseries c: Aquarian Gospel
- Subseries d: Esoteric Astrology
- Subseries e: Coming Aquarian Age and Occult History
- Subseries f: Kaballah
- Subseries g: Occult Philosophy
- Subseries h: Psychosynthesis
- Subseries i: Cosmic Psychology
- Subseries j: Tarot
- Subseries k: Esoteric Masonry
- Subseries j: Aquarian Spiritual Center Conferences
- Subseries l: Black Gnostic Studies Related
- Subseries m: Series of tapes numbered 1-95
- Subseries n: Tapes of Dr. Ligon form the 1990s
- Subseries o: Other Tapes
- Subseries p: Other Reels
- Subseries q: Mass Market Records
- Subseries r: Motion Picture
- Series VI: Oversize Materials, circa 1941-1996; Boxes 51-53, and map drawer (consult repository number).
Indexing Terms for published materials
Subjects and Indexing Terms
| Subjects | Personal Names |
|---|---|
| African American authors. | Angelou, Maya. |
| African Americans--Fiction. | Bailey, Alice, 1880-1949 |
| African American women poets | Baldwin, James, 1924-1987 |
| African Americans -- Poetry. | Baraka, Amiri, ǂd 1934-2014 |
| African Americans -- Civil rights | Ben-Jochannan, Yosef. |
| African Americans -- History | Boggs, James. |
| African Americans-- Intellectual life | Brooks, Gwendolyn, ǂd 1917-2000 |
| African Americans -- Politics and government. | Cooper, J. California. |
| African Americans -- Social conditions | Du Bois, W. E. B. ǂq (William Edward Burghardt), ǂd 1868-1963 |
| African Americans--Juvenile fiction | Dunbar, Paul Laurence, ǂd 1872-1906 |
| African Americans--Study and teaching. | Gayle, Addison, ǂc Jr., ǂd 1932-1991 |
| American drama--African American authors. | Giovanni, Nikki |
| Antislavery movements | Greenfield, Eloise. |
| Black Muslims. | Gregory, Dick |
| Black Nationalism. | Guy, Rosa |
| Black theology. | Haley, Alex |
| Blacks --Egypt | Hall, Manly P. ǂq (Manly Palmer), ǂd 1901-1990 |
| Chapbooks | Herskovits, Melville J. ǂq (Melville Jean), ǂd 1895-1963 |
| Civil Rights Movement | Himes, Chester B., ǂd 1909-1984 |
| Drama--Black authors | Hughes, Langston, ǂd 1902-1967 |
| Egypt -- Civilization | Hurston, Zora Neale. |
| Harlem Renaissance | Jackson, John G. |
| Interracial marriage. | Jordan, June, ǂd 1936-2002 |
| Nation of Islam (Chicago, Ill.) | Kgositsile, Keorapetse. |
| Poetry-- Black authors. | Killens, John Oliver, ǂd 1916-1987 |
| Race | King, Martin Luther, ǂc Jr., ǂd 1929-1968 |
| Race Discrimination | Lester, Julius. |
| Race relations. | Lorde, Audre. |
| Racially mixed people. | Marshall, Paule, ǂd 1929- |
| Racism | Rogers, J. A. ǂq (Joel Augustus), ǂd 1880-1966 |
| Pan-Africanism. | Soyinka, Wole. |
| Astrology. | Thurman, Howard, ǂd 1900-1981 |
| Blacks -- Religion. | Walker, Alice, ǂd 1944- |
| Existentialism. | Walker, Margaret, ǂd 1915-1998 |
| Gnosticism. | Winston, Henry, ǂd 1911-1986 |
| Jesus Christ – Words -- Extra-canonical parallels. | Wright, Richard, ǂd 1908-1960 |
| Jesus Christ--New Age movement interpretations. | X, Malcolm, ǂd 1925-1965 |
| Magic | |
| Metaphysics | |
| New Age movement | |
| Occultism | |
| Spiritualism | |
| Spirituality |
Indexing Terms for archival materials
African American book collectors
Booksellers and bookselling.
African American authors.
African Americans -- History
African Americans-- Intellectual life
African Americans--Study and teaching.
Black theology.
Pan-Africanism.
Astrology.
Blacks -- Religion.
Existentialism.
Gnosticism.
Metaphysics.
New Age movement
Occultism
Ligon, Alfred 1906-2002
Ligon, Bernice 1912-2000
Weatherwax, John M. (John Martin), 1900-1984
Ben-Jochannan, Yosef.NAME
King, Richard D.
Sanyika, Dadisi
Armour, Alaine
Acquah, Joseph
Perry, Armagene Hasani
Shields, Raymond
Meeds, Virgil A.
Aquarian Spiritual Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Aquarian Book Store (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
The collection includes over three thousand published books and serials individually cataloged and searchable through the
University
Library catalog (www4.csudh.edu/library/), or WorldCat (www.worldcat.org). All items are labeled as Ligon/Aquarian Collection.