Shirley Smith stands with her mother, Betty Alice Phillips, and father, Melvin David Smith, outside of the courtroom while Superior Judge Fred Miller decides on a home for her after her divorced parents declare they do not want custody, Los Angeles, 1947

Item Overview

Title

Shirley Smith stands with her mother, Betty Alice Phillips, and father, Melvin David Smith, outside of the courtroom while Superior Judge Fred Miller decides on a home for her after her divorced parents declare they do not want custody, Los Angeles, 1947

Date Created

April 23, 1947

Date

1947-04-23

Publisher

Los Angeles Daily News

Language

No linguistic content

Collection

Los Angeles Daily News Negatives

Notes

Description

Shirley Smith, 14, and her brother Donald Smith, 11, were "abandoned" after their mother, Betty Alice Phillips, and father, Melvin D. Smith, both declared that they were unable to care for the children. The father, Mr. Smith, stated that he was re-married and had three children from his second wife. He asked to be relieved of custody because the two sets of children did not get along. Mrs. Phillips asked to be relieved of custody because she was in the process of divorcing her second husband and did not have a home to provide the children. Ultimately, Mrs. Phillips secured a home from her estranged husband and agreed to keep custody of the children. Superior Judge Fred Miller awarded custody to Mrs. Phillips.

Caption

Handwritten annotation from nitrate negative: Betty Alice Phillips, Shirley Smith, Melvin David Smith.

Physical Description

Extent

1 photograph

Medium

b&w nitrate negative

Keywords

Genre

news photographs
cellulose nitrate film

Names

Smith, Melvin David
Phillips, Betty Alice
Smith, Shirley

Location

Los Angeles (Calif.)

Resource type

still image

Subjects

Judicial proceedings--California--Los Angeles
People
Abandoned children--California--Los Angeles
Legal