From bottom left corner: former PT columnist Tom Hennessy, PT Editor Emeritus Richard Archbold, HSLB Co-Presidents Kristi Fischer and Evan Anderson Braude, and HSLB Executive Director Julie Bartolotto unveil the Long Beach Historical Newspaper Collection to dozens in attendance at the Feb. 10 community dedication ceremony at the HSLB.
Stephanie Raygoza
Staff Writer
Long Beach residents and historians now have access to a collection of 1,400 bound volumes chronicling the city’s history as reported through its hometown newspaper, the Press-Telegram (PT), as part of a recent partnership between the PT and the Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB).
The Long Beach Historical Newspaper Collection spans the 1920s through 1989 and may be viewed by appointment only. PT Editor Emeritus Rich Archbold, former columnists, city leaders and advocates joined the HSLB board of directors at the Feb. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony and community dedication, which also functioned as a fundraiser for the preservation of the newly acquired collection.
“This is a perfect match of the history of Long Beach being at the HSLB, and I think it’s added to both that they are now available and accessible to anybody that wants to see them,” said former Mayor Beverly O’Neill. “It’s celebrating the marriage between two very important parts of the city of Long Beach.” 
Some of the events chronicled in the bound volumes include the discovery of oil, the earthquake of 1933, the building of the Long Beach Airport, and the establishment of the Long Beach Day Nursery. Photos documenting the nursery's history were on display in the HSLB gallery.
Several businesses, organizations and restaurants contributed to the silent and live auctions that included gift packages from The Wine Country, the Museum of Latin American Art, Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria, Catalina Express and lunches with Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal or Long Beach 8th District Councilmember Rae Gabelich.
Guest speaker and longtime columnist Tom Hennessy shared some of his experiences during his time with the newspaper. “There are thousands of events recorded in this diary that we call the Press-Telegram and I’m pleased to have played a small part in some of those events,” he said.
Best-selling mystery writer and former PT columnist Jan Burke spoke of the significance newspapers have had on her life and throughout history. “The thing that makes us human, I mean one key thing that make us human beings, has to be that we tell stories,” Burke said. “We communicate through stories. The gift you’re giving here is a gift to generations to come.”
Proceeds raised from the event will go toward purchasing archival boxes, protective shading for windows, a security camera and metal shelving inserts to replace the existing wooden shelving.
A total of 16 mastheads, including those of the Long Beach Sun, PT, Independent and Independent Press-Telegram are on display. Most recently, the volumes were stored at a PT distribution warehouse in Signal Hill.
Co-President Evan Anderson Braude encouraged guests to support the collection and the story that it tells. “Our city has grown from a small seaside town to an international city, and that is chronicled one day at a time in these volumes that we have back here,” he said. “What an incredible journey is contained on these shelves.”
More Information
hslb.org
