SOLD OUT - Los Angeles City Historical Society Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony

The Los Angeles City Historical Society will host its 2020 annual awards banquet at the Dunbar Hotel on Sunday, March 8, 2020, with the social hour starting at 12 pm, followed by brunch and the program. The cost to attend is $55. Valet Parking available.

We are honored to have an exciting speaker, Alison Rose Jefferson, M.H.C., Ph.D., historian and heritage conservation consultant. Dr. Jefferson’s research interests explore the intersection of American history and the African American experience in Southern California. Her new book is titled Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era.

In addition, each year at the gala, the Society recognizes a set of exceptional individuals and organizations who have contributed to the greater understanding and awareness of Los Angeles history. This year, the LACHS is presenting three awards to the following for their noteworthy efforts:  

David G. Cameron Preservation Award – Susan Orlean for The Library Book, her history of the restoration of Los Angeles Public Library after the 1986 fire.

J. Thomas Owen History Award – Los Angeles Police Museum for the Los Angeles Police Department 150th Anniversary book.

Miriam Matthews Ethnic History Award – Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson for her book Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era.

Please RSVP by February 26, 2020. Seating is limited. SOLD OUT

The Dunbar Hotel in 1928 Photo: Security Pacific National Bank Collection /
Los Angeles Public Library

For more than 20 years, the Dunbar Hotel served as the heart of the African American community of Los Angeles and the Central Avenue jazz scene.  During its heyday in the 1930s and 1940s, the Dunbar hosted such music legends as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Lena Horne.  After suffering several decades of neglect, the Dunbar was renovated in the 2010s and has seen a rebirth as a cultural and musical landmark. It is now part of a larger residential community named Dunbar Village.

The Dunbar Hotel. Photo: Thomas Safran & Associates