Photo Services Department LACMA campus and building slides
Finding aid prepared by Denise Villegas.
Processing and finding aid creation funded by a grant from the Getty Foundation as a part of the initiative Pacific Standard
Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90036
323-857-6118
library@lacma.org
Note
Additional encoding by Jessica Gambling.
Title: Photo Services Department LACMA campus and building slides
Identifier/Call Number: PHO.001.002
Contributing Institution:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.81 Linear feet
, 1 box.
Date (inclusive): 1964-1992
Originally part of the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science, & Art located in Exposition Park, the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art was established as a separate institution in 1961. In 1965, LACMA moved from its Exposition Park location to
the Museum’s current location at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.
The LACMA campus originally began as three buildings designed by architect William Pereira. The original three buildings were
the Ahmanson Building, which housed the Museum’s permanent collection, the Bing Center and Bing Theater where public programs
were held, and the Hammer building dedicated to special exhibitions.
In 1983, LACMA underwent an expansion project to gain more gallery space. In 1986, the LACMA campus grew again with the addition
of the Robert O. Anderson Building, designed by architecture firm Hardy, Holzman, Pfeiffer Associates (later known as Pfeiffer
Partners) to house modern and contemporary art. The Anderson Building was renamed the Art of Americas Building in 2007. The
museum continued to expand, opening the B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden and the Pavilion for Japanese Art, designed by Bruce
Goff, in 1988. The addition of LACMA West came from the purchase of the adjacent May Company Department Store building in
1994. In 2004, LACMA began a three phase Transformation Project for campus growth and unification.
This collection is comprised of 159 35mm color slides depicting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus and buildings.
46 of these slides were taken during the 1990s; the remaining 113 slides were taken during the 1960s.
28 images from this collection feature the Pavilion for Japanese Art. 7 of these images are of the model created before the
construction of the Pavilion. 3 images show the Pavilion while it was under construction. 6 images are of the exterior of
the completed building. 12 images are of the interior of the Pavilion.
9 images from this collection depict an exhibition held at the Museum’s original location in Exposition Park.
20 images feature the Ahmanson Building in the 1960s. This includes 9 images of the exterior, 1 image of the architect’s rendering
of the building, including the Founder’s Wall, 2 images of the atrium, 2 images of a guard opening the Ahmanson Gallery door
to the public waiting outside, 3 images of women with babies in strollers outside of the Ahmanson Building, 2 images of “docent
and children with Stuart Davis, Premiere, and 1 image of two people working in a “preparatory area”.
7 images depict the B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden.
20 images feature the Bing Center. 13 of these images depict Alexander Calder’s “Hello Girls” installed in the reflecting
pool next to the Bing Center, but also show the building’s exterior. 5 of these images were taken inside of the Bing Theater
in 1992, 1 image depicts an architect’s rendering of the exterior of the Bing Theater, and 2 images are of a concert program
held at the Bing Theater in the 1960s, 3 images are of the exterior of the Bing Center in the 1960s.
6 images are of the exterior of the Anderson Building taken during the 1990s.
13 images are of the Times Mirror Central Court taken in the 1990s.
8 images depict the Museum entrance in the 1960s. this includes 2 images of the museum steps, and 6 images of the fountain
with a Norbert Kricke kinetic sculpture.
29 images are of the Museum’s Reflecting Pools and various art installations inside the pools. 26 of these images are of Alexander
Calder’s “Hello Girls”, installed in the reflecting pool beside the Bing Center, 1 image depicts George Rickey’s sculpture
in the reflecting pool in 1964, and 2 images depict the exterior of the museum, including the Reflecting Pool, taken in 1964.
1 image depicts a group of children with a teacher in the La Brea Tar Pit area.
5 images depict a crowd in front of the Current Exhibition Gallery.
4 images depict the entire LACMA campus as seen from a distance . 3 of these images are of the campus as seen from the South-West
in 1964. 1 image is of the Museum taken from the South-East in 1965.
2 images are of the exterior of the Hammer Building labeled as “Special Exhibitions Building”.
4 images are of the Exterior Arcade.
4 images are of different sculptures in the Renaissance Garden.
3 images are of the Sculpture Plaza.
There are also four images with an unknown location. 1 image labeled “Gallery Interior" is of an architect's rendering. 1
image labeled "Children's Workshop" depicts adults working in what appears to be a classroom. 2 images labeled “Museum Junior
Art Workshop” depict children creating mobiles in what appears to be a classroom.
This collection is arranged in numeric order. As a result of this arrangement, slides taken during the 1990s are generally
located at the beginning of the collection, followed by slides from the 1960s. The numeric arrangement does not result in
slides featuring a specific location being grouped together. Due to the proximity of certain locations on the LACMA campus,
some slides depict multiple locations.
Conditions Governing Access note
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment only through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research
Library. Telephone 323-857-6118 or email library@lacma.org.
Contact the Balch Research Library at 323-856-6118 or library@lacma.org for information on publishing or reproducing materials
included in these records. Permission will be 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.
[Description of item], Photo Services Department LACMA campus and building slides, 1964-1992, Los Angeles County Museum of
Art Balch Art Research Library, PHO.001.002
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Art museums--California--Los Angeles
Museum buildings--California--Los Angeles
Color slides
Box 1, Folder 1, Sheet 1-2
Pavilion for Japanese Art circa 1990
Box 1, Folder 1, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1-2, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1-2
Ahmanson Building 1964-1965
Box 1, folder 1 has 1 image of the building, labeled as having been taken, "In the 1960s".
Box 1, folder 3 has one image of the architect's rendering of the building, including the Founders' Wall, 4 images of the
exterior of the Ahmanson Building taken in 1964, 1 image of the atrium taken in 1964, 2 images of the building's exterior
dated 1965, 2 images of the exterior without a date, 2 images of a guard opening the Ahmanson Gallery door to the public waiting
outside, 3 images of women with babies in strollers outside of the Ahmanson Building, 2 images of "Docent and children with
Stuart Davis, Premiere", and 1 image of two people working in a "preparatory area".
Box 1, folder 4 has an image of the atrium.
Box 1, Folder 1, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 1-2, Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1-2, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1
Bing Center 1992
Box 1, folder 2 contains 18 images of the exterior of the Bing Center. 13 of these images primarily focus on Alexander Calder's
"Hello Girls" installed in the reflecting pool adjacent to the Bing Center. 5 of these images were taken inside of the Bing
Theater in 1992.
Box 1, folder 3 contains 1 image of the architect's rendering of the exterior of the Bing Center and 2 images of a concert
program held at the Bing Theater.
Box 1, folder 4 contains 1 image of the exterior of the Bing Center and the Hammer Building labeled "Special Exhibitions Building"
and 2 other images of the exterior of the Bing Center.
Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 2
Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 2, Sheet 1, Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1-2, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1-2
Reflecting Pools undated
Box 1, folder 2 contains 13 images of Alexander Calder's "Hello Girls" installed in the reflecting pool adjacent to the Bing
Center.
Box 1, folder 3 contains 1 image of George Rickey's sculpture in the reflecting pool in 1964 and 2 images of Alexander Calder's
"Hello Girls".
Box 1, folder 4 contains 2 images of the exterior of the museum and the reflecting pool taken in 1964 and 11 images of Alexander
Calder's "Hello Girls".
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 1-2
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 2
Box 1, Folder 3, Sheet 2, Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1-2
Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 1
Box 1, Folder 4, Sheet 2