Search

Browse items

–

Current results range from 1855 to 2018

View distribution

Search Constraints

You searched for: Subject Los Angeles (Calif.) ✖Remove constraint Subject: Los Angeles (Calif.) Resource Type still image ✖Remove constraint Resource Type: still image
Start Over

648 Catalog Results

Number of results to display per page
View results as:
List Created with Sketch. List View List Gallery Created with Sketch. Gallery View Gallery

Search Results

Garden party at the Somerville residence for members of the Church of Christian Fellowship, Los Angeles, 1947

Description:
Palmer van Gundy was an active member of the Church of Christian Fellowship, the Executive Director of the local, Los Angeles FEPC (Fair Employment Practice Committee) in 1947, involved in local church music events, and was a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor section of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper from 1967 to 1986.
Date:
July 1947
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
McLain's Photo Service (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Garden party at the Somerville residence for members of the Church of Christian Fellowship, Los Angeles, 1947

Friends of Biddy Mason at the house of Robert Owens, Sr., First and Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, circa 1870

Description:
Biddy Mason was brought to California as a slave in a wagon train. She petitioned for her freedom, and a judge granted it to her and her family in 1856. She and her family lived with Robert Owens, Sr., when she first moved to Los Angeles. Her daughter Ellen married Robert Owen's son Charles.
Date:
[circa 1870]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Friends of Biddy Mason at the house of Robert Owens, Sr., First and Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, circa 1870

Franz Hall II (Psychology Tower) at University of California by Paul R. Williams, Westwood (Los Angeles, Calif.), circa 1967

Description:
Paul Williams was an African American architect who designed almost 2,000 homes in the Los Angeles area. He worked for wealthy celebrity clients, but also designed affordable homes, public housing, and civic, commercial, and institutional buildings. His works exhibit elegant composition and perfect proportion.
Date:
[circa 1967]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Franz Hall II (Psychology Tower) at University of California by Paul R. Williams, Westwood (Los Angeles, Calif.), circa 1967

Frankie Bowdoin (?), Los Angeles, circa 1950

Description:
Lorenzo Bowdoin was a Los Angeles businessman, civic leader, philanthropist and NAACP leader. One of the first three black clerks hired by the Los Angeles Post Office in 1906, he worked there for 38 years and improved hiring and promotion policies for blacks. He was one of the organizers of Angelus Mortuary (1925) and was the treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Haitian Coffee Co. He was active in many civic organizations including the Metropolitan YMCA.
Date:
[circa 1950]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Frankie Bowdoin (?), Los Angeles, circa 1950

Floyd Covington when he was about 17 years old, 1918

Description:
Floyd Covington as a young man, age 17, wearing a suit, a plaid necktie and straw boater, standing on a street in South Central Los Angeles. A billboard advertising the April 29 and 30 showing of the movie "Humdrum Brown" staring Henry B. Walthall, playing at the Rosebud Theatre on 1940 South Central Avenue, is visible on a vacant lot across the street on the right.
Date:
June 16, 1918
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Floyd Covington when he was about 17 years old, 1918

Flier for the Los Angeles County Negro Democratic Club, circa 1937

Description:
Fay Allen was a member of the Los Angeles City Board of Education, an organist, a teacher, a civil rights activist, and political strategist. She was the first African American woman to be elected to the Board of Education, and she founded the Black Musicians’ Union in the early 1900s. She believed in working with diverse communities to foster civic engagement and social uplift.
Date:
[1937]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Flier for the Los Angeles County Negro Democratic Club, circa 1937

First African Methodist Episcopal Church, 8th and Towne Ave., Los Angeles, 1941

Description:
First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, is the oldest church founded by African Americans in the City of Los Angeles, dating to 1872. Biddy Mason established the church to minister to the mind, body, and soul of the community. This church served as the cornerstone of the community for spiritual growth, social uplift, and economic development.
Date:
1941
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
First African Methodist Episcopal Church, 8th and Towne Ave., Los Angeles, 1941

Fifty-sixth Annual session of the California Conference of A.M.E. Church, Los Angeles, 1923

Description:
First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, is the oldest church founded by African Americans in the City of Los Angeles, dating to 1872. Biddy Mason established the church to minister to the mind, body, and soul of the community. This church served as the cornerstone of the community for spiritual growth, social uplift, and economic development.
Date:
1923
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Meyer, E. L.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fifty-sixth Annual session of the California Conference of A.M.E. Church, Los Angeles, 1923

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Family of Ralph Bunche, Los Angeles, 1919

Description:
Ralph Johnson Bunche was an American political scientist, academic, and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Israel. He was the first African American to be so honored in the history of the prize. He was involved in the formation and administration of the United Nations. In 1963, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedy. [Wikipedia]
Date:
July 1919
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Family of Ralph Bunche, Los Angeles, 1919

Episcopal Church of the Advent, interior view, Los Angeles, 1963

Description:
The Episcopal Church of the Advent was founded in 1925. As constituent members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, we are descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church. Lewis P. Bohler was the pastor from 1961 to 1996.
Date:
January 1963
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Adams, Harry H., 1918-1988
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Episcopal Church of the Advent, interior view, Los Angeles, 1963

Emma P. Barrett Boyd with friends at 124 E. 4th St, Los Angeles, circa 1895

Description:
Born Emma Barrett, Emma is listed as a step daughter living at 1244 El Molino in the 1900 census. In the Los Angeles city directories of 1901 and 1903, she is listed as a laundress living at 1242 El Molino in Los Angeles (now 1242 Kenmore Ave.). She married Robert James Boyd, who owned a barber shop in Los Angeles and they had four children: Barrett, Willis, Helen and Edward. Her first child, Barrett, was born in 1904 or 1905. By 1917 the family was living in Riverside, and Emma and Robert were still there in 1947.
Date:
[circa 1895]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Emma P. Barrett Boyd with friends at 124 E. 4th St, Los Angeles, circa 1895

Elmer Bartlett with combined church choirs at the Hollywood Bowl choir contest, Los Angeles, 1926

Description:
Elmer Bartlett was a highly acclaimed choir director and organist. Churches where he worked in include the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He received several awards in the course of his career including first prize for directing the Los Angeles AME's choir at a 1926 choir competition at the Hollywood Bowl. By 1940 he had moved to Elgin Illinois. He continued to direct choirs and play the organ for various A.M.E. churches.
Date:
[July 12, 1926]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Weaver LA
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Elmer Bartlett with combined church choirs at the Hollywood Bowl choir contest, Los Angeles, 1926

Elmer Bartlett receiving a loving cup award from the NAACP at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, 1926

Description:
Elmer Bartlett was a highly acclaimed choir director and organist. Churches where he worked in include the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He received several awards in the course of his career including first prize for directing the Los Angeles AME's choir at a 1926 choir competition at the Hollywood Bowl. By 1940 he had moved to Elgin Illinois. He continued to direct choirs and play the organ for various A.M.E. churches.
Date:
[1926]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Elmer Bartlett receiving a loving cup award from the NAACP at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, 1926

Elmer Bartlett playing the pipe organ at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, 1920s

Description:
Elmer Bartlett was a highly acclaimed choir director and organist. Churches where he worked in include the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. He received several awards in the course of his career including first prize for directing the Los Angeles AME's choir at a 1926 choir competition at the Hollywood Bowl. By 1940 he had moved to Elgin Illinois. He continued to direct choirs and play the organ for various A.M.E. churches.
Date:
[1920s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Elmer Bartlett playing the pipe organ at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, 1920s

Earliest known photograph of the Los Angeles Plaza, circa 1858

Description:
Early photograph of Los Angeles taken from Fort Moore hill and facing southeast towards the Plaza, with vineyards, orchards and fields visible beyond. The Plaza Church (constructed in 1822) is in the lower left corner, a brick reservoir (built in 1858) is in the middle of the Plaza, on the right is the Jose Antonio Carrillo adobe and, behind it, the house of Pio Pico, the last governor of Mexican California (both houses were demolished for the construction of the Pico House hotel).
Date:
[circa 1858]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Earliest known photograph of the Los Angeles Plaza, circa 1858

Dunbar Hotel (formerly Hotel Somerville), Los Angeles, 1930s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1930s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dunbar Hotel (formerly Hotel Somerville), Los Angeles, 1930s

Dr. Wilbur Clarence Gordon and Cynthia Mitchell Gordon on their wedding day with guests at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1944-1945

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1944-1945]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Wilbur Clarence Gordon and Cynthia Mitchell Gordon on their wedding day with guests at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1944-1945

Dr. Wilbur Clarence Gordon and Cynthia Mitchell Gordon on their wedding day at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1944-1945

Description:
Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith was born Cynthiabelle Black in Americus, Georgia. Her father was Alfred Black and her brother was Junior G. Black. She married the dentist, Dr. Isadore C. Mitchell (April 30, 1925). Shortly after, he completed dental school at Howard University and then moved to Los Angeles. In 1934, she moved to Washington, D.C. seeking work, and divorced Mitchell in 1936. In 1937 she was working for the U. S. Public Health Service in Washington, D. C. She married the physician Dr. Wilbur Gordon (possibly in 1942) and was widowed. She married Dr. R. Stillman Smith in 1947.
Date:
[1944-1945]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Wilbur Clarence Gordon and Cynthia Mitchell Gordon on their wedding day at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1944-1945

Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville receives an award from County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, Los Angeles, 1960s

Dr. Vada Somerville, Marian Anderson and Martha Jefferson Louis, Los Angeles, 1940s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1940s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Griffin, Earl, b. 1914 or 15
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, Marian Anderson and Martha Jefferson Louis, Los Angeles, 1940s

Dr. Vada Somerville, Kenneth Hahn, and a naval officer at the Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, Kenneth Hahn, and a naval officer at the Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, 1950s

Dr. Vada Somerville, Kenneth Hahn, a naval officer and another woman at the Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, Kenneth Hahn, a naval officer and another woman at the Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, 1950s

Dr. Vada Somerville, Dr. Harold Kingsley, and Clarence Muse at a dinner event, probably for Pilgrim House, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Sheffield Photo
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, Dr. Harold Kingsley, and Clarence Muse at a dinner event, probably for Pilgrim House, 1950s

Dr. Vada Somerville conferring with Eleanor Roosevelt at a reception in the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1950

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
January 17-18, 1950
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville conferring with Eleanor Roosevelt at a reception in the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1950

Dr. Vada Somerville, circa 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
1943
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Jackson, Vera, 1911-1999
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, circa 1950s

Dr. Vada Somerville, circa 1940s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1940-1950]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Cutler, George M. (George Miles), 1901-1949
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville, circa 1940s

Dr. Vada Somerville and Bill Watkins look at a document, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Smith, Irving C.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville and Bill Watkins look at a document, Los Angeles, 1950s

Dr. Vada Somerville and Bill Watkins look at a document, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Smith, Irving C.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Vada Somerville and Bill Watkins look at a document, Los Angeles, 1950s

Drs. Vada and John Somerville with twenty-six others at an unidentified event, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s-1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Adams, Harry H., 1918-1988
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Drs. Vada and John Somerville with twenty-six others at an unidentified event, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Drs. Vada and John Somerville with others at a club, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s-1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Simpson, T. J.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Drs. Vada and John Somerville with others at a club, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Drs. Vada and John Somerville holding a gathering in their backyard, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s-1960s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Drs. Vada and John Somerville holding a gathering in their backyard, Los Angeles, 1950s-1960s

Drs. Vada and John Somerville and Gilbert Lindsay greet Daisy Lampkin at an airport, Los Angeles, 1954 (?)

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1954 (?)]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Simpson, T. J.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Drs. Vada and John Somerville and Gilbert Lindsay greet Daisy Lampkin at an airport, Los Angeles, 1954 (?)

Drs. John and Vada Somerville celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with Doris Howard, Los Angeles, 1962

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
October 16, 1962
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Drs. John and Vada Somerville celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with Doris Howard, Los Angeles, 1962

Dr. R. Stillman Smith and Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith on their wedding day at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1947

Description:
Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith was born Cynthiabelle Black in Americus, Georgia. Her father was Alfred Black and her brother was Junior G. Black. She married the dentist, Dr. Isadore C. Mitchell (April 30, 1925). Shortly after, he completed dental school at Howard University and then moved to Los Angeles. In 1934, she moved to Washington, D.C. seeking work, and divorced Mitchell in 1936. In 1937 she was working for the U. S. Public Health Service in Washington, D. C. She married the physician Dr. Wilbur Gordon (possibly in 1942) and was widowed. She married Dr. R. Stillman Smith in 1947.
Date:
[1947]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. R. Stillman Smith and Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith on their wedding day at the Somerville home, Los Angeles, 1947

Dr. R. Stillman Smith and Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith on their wedding day at the Somerville home, 1947

Description:
Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith was born Cynthiabelle Black in Americus, Georgia. Her father was Alfred Black and her brother was Junior G. Black. She married the dentist, Dr. Isadore C. Mitchell (April 30, 1925). Shortly after, he completed dental school at Howard University and then moved to Los Angeles. In 1934, she moved to Washington, D.C. seeking work, and divorced Mitchell in 1936. In 1937 she was working for the U. S. Public Health Service in Washington, D. C. She married the physician Dr. Wilbur Gordon (possibly in 1942) and was widowed. She married Dr. R. Stillman Smith in 1947.
Date:
[1947]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. R. Stillman Smith and Cynthiabelle Gordon Smith on their wedding day at the Somerville home, 1947

Dr. John A. Somerville, John Anson Ford, Robert Z. Hardon, Thomas Newton and Wallace Braden, Los Angeles, circa 1948

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
[circa 1948]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Smith, A. Ellis
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. John A. Somerville, John Anson Ford, Robert Z. Hardon, Thomas Newton and Wallace Braden, Los Angeles, circa 1948

Dr. John A. Somerville at the Los Angeles inspection of the Los Angeles-based auxiliary police, Los Angeles, 1954

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914). He served on the Police Commission 1949-1953
Date:
July 1954
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. John A. Somerville at the Los Angeles inspection of the Los Angeles-based auxiliary police, Los Angeles, 1954

Dr. John A. Somerville, and Lester B. Granger, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Photographer:
Smith, Irving C.
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. John A. Somerville, and Lester B. Granger, Los Angeles, 1950s

Dr. Dorothy Height, Dr. Vada Somerville, Juanita Miller, Louise Grooms, Eunice H. Carter, Mamie Davis and others at a gathering, Los Angeles, 1950s

Description:
Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Date:
[1950s]
Resource Type:
still image
Collection:
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Dr. Dorothy Height, Dr. Vada Somerville, Juanita Miller, Louise Grooms, Eunice H. Carter, Mamie Davis and others at a gathering, Los Angeles, 1950s