The Louis Jacinto Collection contains approximately 3,000 photographic negatives and contact sheets of 35mm film shot by Jacinto in Los Angeles from 1976 to 2008, primarily the Los Angeles punk music scene, LGBTQ+ events ranging from political rallies to pride celebrations, and Los Angeles city events.

Louis Jacinto began photographing in Los Angeles in 1975. His photographs focused on the Los Angeles punk scene of the 1970s, social movements of the gang-involved youth and the gay and lesbian community, the Latino art community (including performance art collective Asco), and the queer community of Echo Park and Silverlake neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Jacinto studied art at Cal State LA in the 1980s. Jacinto has published several books of his photographs including PUNKROCK LOSANGELES, No Paint, GRONKPATSSIPARTY, The Bags, Edge of the World: Self- Portraits 1976 – 2007, Hope Fading, The Beatles in Los Angeles, The Umbrellas Project, Patti Smith ’78, and Angela - a series of photographs taken of Angela Davis in 1978. Jacinto launched onodream Magazine in 2011 and has contributed to punk zine Razorcake. Jacinto’s work continues to be exhibited in museums and galleries, and is represented in the permanent collections of the California African American Museum and the Claremont Museum of Art.

Approximately 3,000 negatives and contact sheets / 2 boxes (1 linear foot)

This collection is stored on-site at the Central Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. It is open for research by appointment only.