Gladys A. papers 7062
Emma Arroyo
USC Libraries Special Collections
2018 August
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Gladys A. papers
creator:
A., Gladys
Identifier/Call Number: 7062
Physical Description:
1.31 Linear Feet
(3 containers)
Date (inclusive): 1944-06-09-1979
Abstract: The Gladys A. papers contain diaries of Gladys A., a young woman who participated in sex work in and around Downtown Los Angeles.
The diaries span from the day she arrived in LA in January of 1949 through 1953, detailing the daily experiences of her first
five years in the city. The collection also includes photographs of Gladys with unidentified individuals, correspondence from
her family in Michigan, memorabilia from her Catholic high school, and other miscellaneous personal items.
Biographical note
Gladys A. came to Los Angeles in 1949 from Saginaw, Michigan with very little money. To support herself she immediately began
engaging in sexual relationships with men she met in exchange for money, meals, gifts, and amusements. Gladys A. also occasionally
worked in diners and bars in and around downtown. She kept a diary of her daily activities detailing her experiences as a
young woman and a sex worker in Los Angeles in the 1950s.
Content Description
The Gladys A. papers consist principally of diaries detailing Gladys's daily activities and life as a prostitute in Los Angeles
from January 1949, when she arrived from Michigan, through April 1952. The collection also contains photographs of Gladys
and others in her life, correspondence, and personal items including high school graduation memorabilia, receipts, and other
notes. These materials trace Gladys' initial experience of moving to and living in Los Angeles as an independent woman in
her early twenties. They reveal characteristics of the day-to-day places, activities, and troubles that she navigated and
detail the numerous personal and intimate relationships Gladys cultivated as a casual sex worker. Her documented life gives
insight into the complex realities of race, gender, and socioeconomic relationships of Los Angeles in the early 1950s.
Arrangement
The Gladys A. papers are organized into three series: 1. Writings, 2. Photographs, and 3. Personal Items.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Gladys A. papers, Collection no. 7062, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern
California
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Puchased from The Bookshop, December 11, 2017.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Prostitution -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Women -- California -- Los Angeles -- History -- Archival resources
Women -- Economic conditions -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Correspondence
Diaries
Ephemera
Photographs
A., Gladys -- Archives
Diaries
1949-01-27-1953-12-14
Scope and Contents
Diaries written by Gladys A. chronicling her experiences, thoughts, and other aspects of her life daily. The first entry is
written on the day she arrives in Los Angeles, presumably from Saginaw, Michigan where she is originally from. The entries
continue daily through 1949 and 1950 with only a couple of months missing. 1951 is almost completely missing. 1952 and 1953
are also only missing a couple of months. Together, these diaries contain detailed information about and an intimate glance
into Glady A's first five years in Los Angeles.
Box 1, Folder 1
1949 January 27 - March 10
Box 1, Folder 5
1949 April 20 - August 29
Box 1, Folder 6
1949 August 30 - October 27
Box 1, Folder 7
1949 October 28 - December 14
Box 1, Folder 8
1949 December 15 - 1950 January 29
Box 1, Folder 9
1950 January 29 - March 21
Box 1, Folder 12
1949 November 8 - 1950 December
Box 1, Folder 13
1950 November 15 - 1951 January 1
Box 1, Folder 14
1951 February 08 - February 19
Box 1, Folder 15
1952 January 22 - March 31
Box 2, Folder 2
1952 August 27 - October 12
Box 2, Folder 3
1952 October 13 - November 30
Box 2, Folder 4
1953 January 22 - April 29
Box 2, Folder 7
1953 July 30 - September 15
Box 2, Folder 8
1953 September 19 - November 15
Box 2, Folder 9
1953 November 16 - December 14
Box 3, Folder 11
Correspondence
1956-1977
Scope and Contents
A few letters sent from and to Gladys from her mother and other family members back home in Saginaw, Michigan and unidentified
individuals from her personal life.
Box 3, Folder 12
"Crazy as a Loon" Poem
1979
Scope and Contents
Poem written by Gladys A. about herself
Box 3, Folder 13
Notes
Undated
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous notes written by Gladys to herself of unidentied subject matter.
Box 3, Folder 1-5
Photographs of Gladys
Scope and Contents
Portraits and and casual photos of Gladys at various ages. Some depict her as a teenager in high school in Saginaw, Michigan
and others are snapshots of her daily experiences in Los Angeles throughout her adult life.
Box 3, Folder 6
Photographs of Glady with Others
Scope and Contents
Casual photgraphs of Gladys with various unidentified members of her personal life as an adult in Los Angeles.
Box 3, Folder 7
Photographs of Others
Scope and Contents
Photographs of various unidentified individuals whom were presumably known to and/or friends of Gladys as an adult in Los
Angeles.
Box 3, Folder 8
Miscellaneous Photographs
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous photographs of landscapes, objects, and explicit content.
Box 3, Folder 9
High School Memorabilia
1944
Scope and Contents
Cards, year books, programs, and photographs commemorating Glady's graduation from St. Andrew's Catholic High School in 1944.
Box 3, Folder 10
Miscellaneous Personal Items
1949-1962
Scope and Contents
Reciepts, identification cards, and order messages.
