by Jamie Hellebuyck
Summer 2025 Information Literacy Intern
Hiya! I’m Jamie and I am currently attending UCLA for my Masters in Library and Information Science. I am one of the Information Literacy Interns for Broome Library, and I created a video tutorial on how to search for historical newspapers and use our Newspaper Power Search database from ProQuest. Definitely check out Searching for Historical Newspapers in ProQuest Databases video if you want tips on working with and finding these primary sources. Historical Newspapers provide a fascinating way to learn about history. There are a variety of more factors to consider as you are essentially going back in time. How did people talk then? What terms would have been used at the time? As you take these steps back in time it is important to take these considerations. Once you do, you can access hundreds of articles, advertisements, and front page stories that depict how people viewed history at the time.
While making my video, I utilized historical newspapers to learn about La Fiesta de Los Angeles. This was an event that occurred from 1894 to 1916. It began as a small event founded by businessman, Max Meyberg, as a way to attract potential customers and evolved to a multiday festival that included parades, athletic competitions, a costume ball, and a carnival. In the early years mentions of the Fiesta consisted of small snippets that were part of other stories, advertisements, or updates on current events. However with time La Fiesta de Los Angeles became more prominent in The Los Angeles Times. On August 25, 1897, five years later a story featuring the Queen of the festival made front page news in The Los Angeles Times.
The title is paired with illustrations that depict a lively event with the queen seated in a throne. This half page image includes people dancing, playing instruments, and enjoying festivities. However, this is not the only image in the article.
Later in the article another illustration showcases the costume ball. Everyone is dressed beautifully, including the clown in the left hand corner, as they dance the night away. The image reflects that this event was likely incredibly lively and that the venue was very well decorated.
On the second page are hand drawn portraits of those involved in the event. They include a senator, the president of La Fiesta de Los Angeles, and the secretary of the ball committee. These three images are very prominent and contain incredible detail.
The fact this article is on the front page, multiple pages, and includes a variety of detailed illustrations provides incredible insight into how people viewed this event at the time, and gives us an idea of what this event was like. Even the wording is interesting! That a newspaper written entirely in English would include Spanish phrasing rather than translating it or ignoring it in its entirety indicates that this event was popular, and either financially or publicly well known and supported. It shows how Latin American culture not only existed but thrived not only now but also in 1897.
References
The Coming of the Queen. (1897, April 25) Los Angeles Times.
Hellebuyck, J.. (2025, August 13). Searching Newspaper Databases [Video]. Broome Library. YouTube.