Fritz Burns Papers, CSLA-4, Series Descriptions

THE THOMAS AND DOROTHY LEAVEY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LOS ANGELES RESEARCH COLLECTION

FRITZ BURNS PAPERS (CSLA-4) :
Series Descriptions

The size of the collection is approximately 13.25 linear feet. CSLA-4 is divided into the five series described below. To consult the folder-level box and folder lists for the collection, select the following series: Series 1 through Series 2 | Series 3, Subseries A | Series 3, Subseries B through Series 5.

Series One: Chronological Files , 1918-1980
(3 boxes)
Arranged chronologically

Series Two: Legal and Financial Records, 1927-1936
(1 box)
Arranged chronologically
The bulk of this series pertains to business dealings at the Playa del Rey Townsite. There are business records for the Del Rey Swim Club and leases for houses in the townsite.

Series Three: Photographs
(3 boxes and 5 oversize boxes)
Arranged into 3 subseries:

Subseries A: Prints
Subseries B: Negatives
Subseries C: Albums

This series is strong in photographs showing Palisades del Rey (most date from the 1920s). For Palisades del Rey, there are views that show the lay of the land, homes, Dickinson & Gillespie offices and billboards, and the sales teams on auction days.

There are also a large number of portraits of Burns and his associates. There are aerial views of many areas in Los Angeles County, including the San Fernando Valley. Several photographs, some panoramas, show coastal oil fields.

Subseries 3 contains a photo album dating from 1899-ca. 1928. This album has photographs of Burns as a baby, a boy, and in his military uniform (1918).

Series Four: Newspaper Clippings,
1 oversize box
Arranged chronologically
Many of the clippings have information about Burns' development projects (e.g. Boulevard Manor, Glendale Manor, Toluca Wood, Westchester, Panorama City). There is also information on Public Housing and the Federal Housing Authority. One file contains biographical articles about Fritz Burns and articles from the time of his death.

Series Five: Scrapbooks
2 scrapbooks in 1 oversize box
Arranged chronologically
One scrapbook contains printed pictures and some other information about Palisades del Rey. The other scrapbook contains clippings about the debate over public housing.