The Special Collections Room at Central Library | Los Angeles Public Library
Source: https://www.lapl.org/branches/central-library/departments/special-collections/rare-books
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:36
The Special Collections Room at Central Library | Los Angeles Public Library
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Central Library
Birth of the Special Collections (formerly Rare Books) Room at Central Library
The first Rare Books room opened on October 3, 1993, when Central Library reopened after the two devastating fires of 1986. After the fires, the entire book collection at Central was handled several times for various types of processing. The number of books in the Rare Books collection grew tremendously and were all processed for the 1993 re-opening of Central Library.
Major subject areas in Rare Books include the history of California, the history of Mexico, the art and history of the book, natural history (particularly ornithology), architecture, costume and dress and voyages and travels. A collection of ornithology books was purchased with Save the Books money that was raised after the fires.
Special collections include Cookbooks and Ephemera (including the Paul Fritzche Collection of Culinary Literature), the Restaurant Menu collection, the Casey Fashion Plates, the Lummis Autograph Collection, Travel Posters, Japanese prints, California prints, the Gladys English Collection of American Children’s Books, the Behymer Opera Collection, the Tom Owen Collection of Bookplate Art, the George B. Smith Biblioteca Taurina (collection of materials on bullfighting), and LAPL archives.
The Culinary collection is considered to be one of the largest in the United States, and the collection of 1,700 books on bullfighting is believed to be the largest in the U.S. In early 19th century Los Angeles there were bullfights, and by 1849 there was a permanent structure for bullfighting in the Chinatown area.
The number of books housed in Special Collections now totals over 22,000. Many of the items that make up the additional ‘special collections’ can be located via the Visual Collections link or under LAPL Indexes found in the Library Resources tab on our website. These include: the Autograph Collection index, the Casey Fashion Plate Collection Index, the Menu Collection, and much more.
Why do items come to be housed in the Special Collections Room? Some items are transferred because they fit the following criteria: they have become rare over time (pre-1850 items), new gifts that fit in a special collection, something that has become very valuable over time possibly because of world events, the poor condition of a high demand item that has loose parts or is in need of preservation, and books that librarians in subject departments have determined are unique and/or in need a higher level of preservation.
The manner in which the Rare Books Department was formed is revealed in the foreword of the book
L.A.Pub.Library Since 1872: a Bicentennial Exhibition Honoring John D. Bruckman, 1928-1979
by previous Collection Manager Romaine Ahlstrohm:
Since its founding in 1872, the Los Angeles Public Library’s collections have been built by many dedicated librarians whose names are now forgotten. But two names are remembered, with
respect and gratitude, for their vision in acquiring and maintaining the rare and special materials. The first is that of Charles Fletcher Lummis, the flamboyant author and enthusiast of the Indian and Spanish Southwest, who was City Librarian from 1905-1910. The most extensive special collection, Californiana, Mexican, and Pacific Voyages, was built by him when the books were still rather readily available at a fraction of their present cost. Even before Lummis became City Librarian, while he was the editor of Land of Sunshine (later Out West), the librarians asked his advice before purchasing Venegas’ Noticia de la California (1757) and Costanso’s Diario Historico (1770), to name only two titles to be found on a list of “important books accessioned” in 1903.
Over the years, the library has received many valuable gifts from generous donors. Among them are the Shakespeare Fourth Folio, The Dove’s Bible, Joyce’s Ulysses, and the limited edition of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health. Other books, like Sander’s Reichenbachia and Sharpe’s Paradiseidae, were bought for the reference collections. The other name to be remembered is that of John D. Bruckman, Collection Development Manager from 1968 until his death in 1979. He created the Rare Book Vault to bring together the most important rarities: he added books from the stacks which had become rare years after their original purchase; he rebound or otherwise restored the most deteriorated and deserving items, and he bought important books to fill the gaps in the California collection. As a result of his efforts, the library now holds nearly all titles listed in the important California bibliography The Zamorano Eighty, and many titles in Cowan’s indispensable Bibliography of the History of California. Bruckman did not live to see one of his dreams realized: a Rare Book Room, with adjacent stacks, and proper climate controls, where these treasures could be safely stored, exhibited, and used by the people of Los Angeles to whom they ultimately belong.
Beyond the Special Collections Room
Special collections are not limited to the Special Collections room and are found throughout Central Library in various subject departments. Two of the largest special collections are our
Photo Collection
and our
Map Collection
, both of which are housed in the History Department of Central Library. In addition, there are special holdings in our branches system-wide, most notably the Hollywood Poster Collection at the Goldwyn Branch.
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New York Times Digital
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ALOUD
Children Chatting
Poet Laureate
Zines
Read Freely
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California Index
Government Documents
High School Diploma
LAPL Indexes
Behymer Collection Index
Bookplate Collection
Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
California Fiction Index
California Index
California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
Japanese Prints Index
Library Images Index
Lummis Autograph Collection Index
Menu Collection
Native American Index
Orchestration Catalog
Play File Index
Public Art Index
Series and Sequels
Short Story File Index
Song Index
Theater Program Collection
Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
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Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
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Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
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Jump to Navigation
Jump to Content
Central Library
Birth of the Special Collections (formerly Rare Books) Room at Central Library
The first Rare Books room opened on October 3, 1993, when Central Library reopened after the two devastating fires of 1986. After the fires, the entire book collection at Central was handled several times for various types of processing. The number of books in the Rare Books collection grew tremendously and were all processed for the 1993 re-opening of Central Library.
Major subject areas in Rare Books include the history of California, the history of Mexico, the art and history of the book, natural history (particularly ornithology), architecture, costume and dress and voyages and travels. A collection of ornithology books was purchased with Save the Books money that was raised after the fires.
Special collections include Cookbooks and Ephemera (including the Paul Fritzche Collection of Culinary Literature), the Restaurant Menu collection, the Casey Fashion Plates, the Lummis Autograph Collection, Travel Posters, Japanese prints, California prints, the Gladys English Collection of American Children’s Books, the Behymer Opera Collection, the Tom Owen Collection of Bookplate Art, the George B. Smith Biblioteca Taurina (collection of materials on bullfighting), and LAPL archives.
The Culinary collection is considered to be one of the largest in the United States, and the collection of 1,700 books on bullfighting is believed to be the largest in the U.S. In early 19th century Los Angeles there were bullfights, and by 1849 there was a permanent structure for bullfighting in the Chinatown area.
The number of books housed in Special Collections now totals over 22,000. Many of the items that make up the additional ‘special collections’ can be located via the Visual Collections link or under LAPL Indexes found in the Library Resources tab on our website. These include: the Autograph Collection index, the Casey Fashion Plate Collection Index, the Menu Collection, and much more.
Why do items come to be housed in the Special Collections Room? Some items are transferred because they fit the following criteria: they have become rare over time (pre-1850 items), new gifts that fit in a special collection, something that has become very valuable over time possibly because of world events, the poor condition of a high demand item that has loose parts or is in need of preservation, and books that librarians in subject departments have determined are unique and/or in need a higher level of preservation.
The manner in which the Rare Books Department was formed is revealed in the foreword of the book
L.A.Pub.Library Since 1872: a Bicentennial Exhibition Honoring John D. Bruckman, 1928-1979
by previous Collection Manager Romaine Ahlstrohm:
Since its founding in 1872, the Los Angeles Public Library’s collections have been built by many dedicated librarians whose names are now forgotten. But two names are remembered, with
respect and gratitude, for their vision in acquiring and maintaining the rare and special materials. The first is that of Charles Fletcher Lummis, the flamboyant author and enthusiast of the Indian and Spanish Southwest, who was City Librarian from 1905-1910. The most extensive special collection, Californiana, Mexican, and Pacific Voyages, was built by him when the books were still rather readily available at a fraction of their present cost. Even before Lummis became City Librarian, while he was the editor of Land of Sunshine (later Out West), the librarians asked his advice before purchasing Venegas’ Noticia de la California (1757) and Costanso’s Diario Historico (1770), to name only two titles to be found on a list of “important books accessioned” in 1903.
Over the years, the library has received many valuable gifts from generous donors. Among them are the Shakespeare Fourth Folio, The Dove’s Bible, Joyce’s Ulysses, and the limited edition of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health. Other books, like Sander’s Reichenbachia and Sharpe’s Paradiseidae, were bought for the reference collections. The other name to be remembered is that of John D. Bruckman, Collection Development Manager from 1968 until his death in 1979. He created the Rare Book Vault to bring together the most important rarities: he added books from the stacks which had become rare years after their original purchase; he rebound or otherwise restored the most deteriorated and deserving items, and he bought important books to fill the gaps in the California collection. As a result of his efforts, the library now holds nearly all titles listed in the important California bibliography The Zamorano Eighty, and many titles in Cowan’s indispensable Bibliography of the History of California. Bruckman did not live to see one of his dreams realized: a Rare Book Room, with adjacent stacks, and proper climate controls, where these treasures could be safely stored, exhibited, and used by the people of Los Angeles to whom they ultimately belong.
Beyond the Special Collections Room
Special collections are not limited to the Special Collections room and are found throughout Central Library in various subject departments. Two of the largest special collections are our
Photo Collection
and our
Map Collection
, both of which are housed in the History Department of Central Library. In addition, there are special holdings in our branches system-wide, most notably the Hollywood Poster Collection at the Goldwyn Branch.
Español
Kids & Parents
Teens
How Do I?
How do I get a library card?
How do I get a Student Success Card?
How do I print from my laptop? (wireless printing)
How do I reserve a computer?
How do I renew my books?
How do I update my address/phone/e-mail online?
SEE MORE FAQs >>>
My Library Account
Enhanced Catalog Account
Get a Library Card
Reserve a Computer
Ask a Librarian
Book a Librarian
Find A Library
Connect with LAPL
YouTube
Newsletter
Top
LAPL Home
My Account
Books & E-Media
Blog
Book Bundles To Go
Catalog
Branch Periodical Subscription List
E-Media
Freegal Music
Kanopy
L.A. in Focus Videos
New York Times Digital
Freegal Music
hoopla
Kanopy
LAPL Reads
Book Lists
New Books by Genre
Staff Reviews
RSS Feeds
Resources for Readers
LAPL Writes
Book Lists
Online Resources
Indie Author Project
Submission Policy
Events
Language Collections
Libby (Overdrive)
New York Times Digital
Podcasts
ALOUD
Children Chatting
Poet Laureate
Zines
Read Freely
Education & Research
Databases - Research & Homework
California Index
Government Documents
High School Diploma
LAPL Indexes
Behymer Collection Index
Bookplate Collection
Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
California Fiction Index
California Index
California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
Japanese Prints Index
Library Images Index
Lummis Autograph Collection Index
Menu Collection
Native American Index
Orchestration Catalog
Play File Index
Public Art Index
Series and Sequels
Short Story File Index
Song Index
Theater Program Collection
Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
Services & Programs
Adult Literacy
Ask a Librarian
Be a Successful Street Vendor
Overview & Permits
Cell-Ed Pathways
Resources & Links
Small Business Help
Book a Librarian
Community Outreach
Cybernauts
Explore L.A.
Homeless Resources
Jobs, Money & Small Business
Memory Lab
New Americans
Octavia Lab & Koreatown Media Lab
Reentry Resources
Reserve a Computer
Seniors
State Park Pass
STEAM
Tech2go
Veterans Resources
Voter Information
Wireless Printing
Neighborhood Science
Events
Adults
Babies & Toddlers
Bilingual Events
Calendar
Celebrations
Central 100 Celebration
Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
Teens
Locations & Hours
All Branches
Central Library
Departments and Services
Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
Get Involved
Become a Friend of the Library
Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles
Make a Donation
Shop The Library Store
Volunteer
About LAPL
Accessibility & ADA Services
Angel City Press
App
Blog
Board of Library Commissioners
Agendas and Minutes
Agendas & Minutes Archive
Board Members
Borrower Services
City Librarian
Connect With Us
Contact Us
eCard Registration
infoNow (Ask A Librarian)
Change of Address
Suggest a Purchase
Library Card Pre-Registration
Solicitud de tarjeta electrónica
Pregúntale a un bibliotecario
Formulario de cambio de dirección
Sugerir una Compra
Solicitud de tarjeta
Jobs & Business Opportunities
Perform at LAPL
Press Room
Press Release Archive
Press Images - Branch Libraries
Press Images - Central Library
Rules of Conduct
Staff Directory
Volunteer Opportunities
Español
¿Qué hay de nuevo?
Títulos recomendados
Ciudadanía
Kids & Parents
Teens
ADA
App
Blog
Connect With Us
Contact Us
FAQs
Online Privacy Policy
Site Map