Robert J. Chattel Broadway Spring Center and Biddy Mason Commemoration collection, 1988-1993

Collection context

Summary

Extent:
1 box
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Description of item], Robert J. Chattel Broadway Spring Center and Biddy Mason Commemoration Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library, CHA.001.001.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of .42 linear feet (1 Hollinger box) and documents the construction and opening of the Broadway Spring Center and the Biddy Mason Memorial Park located in downtown Los Angeles, California. The majority of the content dates to 1988-1989 with one magazine from 1993. The material contains correspondence between Robert Chattel and Donna Graves of The Power of Place, ephemera, architectural model images, and articles that range from 1988 to 1993 related to the Biddy Mason Memorial Park and its opening in 1989. Also included are photographs of the construction of the Broadway Spring Center and detailed images and plans of the relief mural created by Tony Sheets located at the front of the building.

Biographical / historical:

Robert Jay Chattel is an architect based in Los Angeles, California. Chattel has over 40 years of experience in historic preservation and the rehabilitation and expansion of historic buildings. In 1989, Chattel assisted with the completion of a mixed retail and parking structure called The Broadway Spring Center and a new public art project made by the organization, The Power of Place. This center was built at the site of the homestead of Los Angeles pioneer and former slave, Biddy Mason. The Broadway Spring Center includes a large memorial dedicated to Biddy Mason and an opening ceremony was held on November 16, 1989 for both the Broadway Spring Center and the Biddy Mason Memorial Park.

Acquisition information:
Robert Jay Chattel donated the collection in October 2022.
Processing information:

Tyler Haberkorn processed and rehoused the collection under the supervision of Jessica Gambling in October 2023.

Arrangement:

Material is in original order, may have been in a binder before. The contents have been put into folders maintining order and categorized by Tyler Haberkorn.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment only through the Balch Research Library, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Telephone 323-857-6118 or email library@lacma.org, or by using the Make an Appointment Link at https://www.lacma.org/learn/balch-research-library. Some institutional records may be unavailable in order to protect the privacy and safety of museum staff, visitors, and collections, and where prohibited by law.

Terms of access:

Contact the Balch Research Library for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission is granted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Description of item], Robert J. Chattel Broadway Spring Center and Biddy Mason Commemoration Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library, CHA.001.001.

Location of this collection:
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036, US
Contact:
(323) 857-6118