Library Project Seeks Photos of L.A. Immigrants

A young William Ramirez, born in Los Angeles, stands beside his Mexican cousin at William’s first Holy Communion.

A Nicaragua-born woman sits beside her ESL instructor at a downtown learning center.

A Los Angeles woman, originally from Ecuador, poses in front of a computer at work at the Los Angeles Repertory Theater.

The photographic images were gathered from families who sifted through shoe boxes or culled personal albums to add to an expanding archival collection of more than 9,000 photographs at the Central Public Library in downtown Los Angeles.

More than 100 treasured snapshots were turned over to the library for duplication on Saturday as part of the “Shades of L.A.” project.

Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library started the program in 1991 as a way for the library to fill gaps in a photo collection that often did not include the city’s minority communities, said project director Carolyn Cozo Cole.

Earlier, the program focused on early 20th century immigrants. The project is now seeking photographs from people who moved to Los Angeles from Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean since 1945. Immigrant Angelenos from those areas can also contribute photos on Feb. 22, March 15 and March 22 at the Central Public Library, 630 W. 5th St. Information: (213) 228-7416.