California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960

Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

Exterior view of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los Angeles, ca.1887

(USC DC Image)

Exterior view of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los Angeles, ca.1887

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Photograph (streetscape, horizontal photography) of the exterior view of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los Angeles, ca.1887. The building is approximately three-stories tall. It features cornices that wraps around the sides of the building, various sized pediments, embossed texts, decorative sculptures and large entrances. In the rear is a large dome-capped tower with a cross perched on the peak. In front of the building at the peak of the highest pediment is a cross that is perched on a stand. Flanking it on the corner of the building are statues mounted on stands. A man stands near a horse-drawn carriage that is parked on the dirt road in front of the church.; "The Cathedral of St. Vibiana is the seat of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. It has been closed since May 1995 because of damage sustained during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Located at 114 E. 2nd Street, surrounded by abandoned buildings and bordering Skid Row, the rundown and neglected cathedral's future is in doubt. Plans for a cathedral for Los Angeles began as early as 1859. Using land donated to the Church by Amiel Cavalier, architect Ezra Kysor designed the building. The cathedral was dedicated in 1876; four years and $80,000 later St. Vibiana's was completed. Pope Pius IX chose the Cathedral's name, selecting St. Vibiana, a 3rd century martyr whose remains had been buried in the Roman catacombs. Since cathedrals traditionally contain the relics of a saint, the remains of Vibiana are now in a gilt and plate glass sarcophagus located in a niche above the high altar. The interior was remodeled about 1895, using onyx and marble. The exterior facade of the building was changed 1922-24 to give it its present look, said to be based on a Roman design. During the 1940s a school was added, but this was closed during the mid 1960s because the parish could not afford it. The building is now used as a convent by the Disciples of the Divine Master, while the basement is used for Masses." -- unknwon author, ca.1996.

Asset Metadata

Title Exterior view of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los Angeles, ca.1887

Subject Carriage (subject), Churches (lcsh), Horse (subject), Los Angeles -- Architecture -- Churches -- Roman Catholic (file heading), Los Angeles -- Churches -- Roman Catholic (file heading), religious facilities (adlf), St. Vibiana's Cathedral (subject)

Tags OAI-PMH Harvest

Place California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place), Los Angeles (counties), Main Street & Second Street (roadway), Saint Vibiana's Cathedral (manmade features), USA (countries)

Geocoordinate 34.04972,-118.24354 (point), 34.05026,-118.24293 (point), 34.05044,-118.24431 (point), 34.05098,-118.24362 (point)

Temporal Subject 1887

Type images

Format 1 photograph : photonegative, b&w ; 21 x 26 cm. (aacr2), negatives (photographic) (aat), photographs (aat)

Source California Historical Society (contributing entity), California Historical Society Collection, 1860-1960 (collection), Title Insurance and Trust, and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, 1860-1960 (subcollection)

Date Created 1887

Creator C.C. Pierce & Co. (photographer)

Publisher University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Repository Email specol@lib.usc.edu

Repository Name USC Libraries Special Collections

Repository Location Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189

Rights Public Domain. Please credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Copyright Public Domain. Please credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Access Conditions Send requests to address or e-mail given

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/chs-m941

Identifier 6091 (accession number), CHS-6091 (call number), CHS-6091 (filename), isla id: S-4572 (identifying number), chs-m265 (legacy collection record id), chs-c65-8851 (legacy record id), chs-m941 (legacy record id), USC-1-1-1-945 (legacy record id), 1-16-49 (microfiche number), 1-6-135 (microfiche number), USC (project)

IIIF ID [Document.IIIFV3ID]

DM Record ID 8851

Unique identifier UC139090

Legacy Identifier CHS-6091.tiff

Type Image

Internet Media Type image/tiff

Resolution 17.0 in × 13.6 in at 300dpi
43.1 cm × 34.5 cm at 300dpi

Inherited Values

Title Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

Description The nearly 15,000 unique photographs of this collection contain the work of C.C. Pierce which cover the Los Angeles region city, street and architectural views, California Missions, Southwestern Native Americans, and turn-of-century Nevada, Arizona, and California. Pierce, active from 1886 to 1940, was one of the leading photographers of his day and amassed a collection of 15,000 images, including his own and those bought and copied from his contemporaries, George Wharton James and Charles Puck. The James collection contains over 2,000 images of portraits, customs, ceremonies, arts, and games of various groups of Southwestern Native Americans.

Date Created 1860/1960

Linked assets

Title Insurance and Trust and C.C. Pierce Photography Collection 1860-1960

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