Helter Skelter in the Summer of 1969
1969 was a tumultuous year. The US Apollo 11 mission brought men to the moon, and the Beatles gave their final live performance. Richard Nixon was sworn in as President, the war raged on in Vietnam (along with huge protests), and the draft was reinstated. The Stonewall Riots took place in New York and violence in Northern Ireland escalated to a fever pitch. In California, a massive oil spill devastated the coast spilling over 3 million gallons, and on August 8, Charles Manson and his followers would carry out some of the bloodiest and most violent crimes to date.
50 years later, the obsession with the Manson Family and their horrific crimes continues. The Quentin Tarantino movie, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, brings a renewed curiosity to the younger generation, and sheds light on a time in Los Angeles when the peace and love era came to an abrupt end.
The library's vast Photo Collection preserves images of not only the best the city had to offer, but also its darker more sinster elements. Here is a selection of photos from the Mansion murders and subsequent trial.
