SurveyHiFi
Photos by (top-bottom): Ernie Pena, Joel Quizon, and Joel Quizon.
The Historic Filipinotown Historic and Cultural Resources Survey – also known as SurveyHiFi-- is My HiFi's program to identify significant historic and cultural resources throughout our neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The purpose of SurveyHiFi is:
The purpose of SurveyHiFi is:
- to collect old, historic photographs of people, places, and events;
- to capture the histories of residents, business owners, and community leaders; and
- to compile property-related data for historically and culturally significant places in Historic Filipinotown.
MyPhotos: My HiFi Photo Collection
Historic photographs from personal collections are valuable resources for SurveyHiFi. Members of the community may have historic photographs that could provide valuable information for SurveyLA. The goal of the Photo Collection Days is to collect copies (or scan originals) of historic photographs from personal collections that illustrate buildings and other resources with potential historic significance in the community. We also collect other old written materials, including materials from previous community events, maps, postcards, real estate brochures, and newspaper articles.
How do I collect historic photographs?
Personal collections often contain a wealth of interesting historic photographs. Most personal collections consist of family gatherings and events. For SurveyHiFi, there are certain perferences for the photograph collection:
There are a few ways to collect historic photographs, including:
1. Scanning: The easiest way is make copies of historic photographs is to digitally scan them. The resolution of the scans should be between: 240 dpi jpeg for a 4x6” image (minimum size) and 300 dpi jpeg for a 5x7” image (maximum size). Scan in color (RGB color mode). Save files as jpeg, Medium or High (on a scale of 1-10 choose jpeg 7 or 8).
2. Photographing: Very fragile items and tightly bound volumes can be digitized using a digital camera rather than a scanner.
Where can I submit old photographs?
Submit digital copies (jpg format preferred) with completed SurveyLA Photograph Collection Form, SurveyHiFi Release Forms, and SurveyLA Photo Release Form via email. We also accept CDs of scanned photos with completed SurveyLA Photograph Collection Form, SurveyHiFi Release Forms, and SurveyLA Photo Release Form. Send CDs and completed forms to:
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)
Attention: My HiFi
3200 W. Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026-4522
How do I collect historic photographs?
Personal collections often contain a wealth of interesting historic photographs. Most personal collections consist of family gatherings and events. For SurveyHiFi, there are certain perferences for the photograph collection:
- Photographs should have been taken in Historic Filipinotown, in the City of Los Angeles, or in Los Angeles County. My HiFi prefers historic photographs taken in or near Historic Filipinotown.
- Photographs include physical places that we can identity and document.
- Photographs of historic and/or cultural community events.
There are a few ways to collect historic photographs, including:
1. Scanning: The easiest way is make copies of historic photographs is to digitally scan them. The resolution of the scans should be between: 240 dpi jpeg for a 4x6” image (minimum size) and 300 dpi jpeg for a 5x7” image (maximum size). Scan in color (RGB color mode). Save files as jpeg, Medium or High (on a scale of 1-10 choose jpeg 7 or 8).
2. Photographing: Very fragile items and tightly bound volumes can be digitized using a digital camera rather than a scanner.
Where can I submit old photographs?
Submit digital copies (jpg format preferred) with completed SurveyLA Photograph Collection Form, SurveyHiFi Release Forms, and SurveyLA Photo Release Form via email. We also accept CDs of scanned photos with completed SurveyLA Photograph Collection Form, SurveyHiFi Release Forms, and SurveyLA Photo Release Form. Send CDs and completed forms to:
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)
Attention: My HiFi
3200 W. Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026-4522
MyStory: My HiFi Oral Histories
Oral history interviews are an effective way to gather information to create a richer understanding of the history of the neighborhood. The objective of the interviews is to record information from knowledgeable community members. They will help provide details about important culturally or socially significant buildings and neighborhoods to create a richer understanding of these resources, and identify additional potentially significant properties or historic districts in the neighborhood that require further research.
Participants in this activity include interviewers, interviewees, and a volunteer to complete data entry. Interviewers may include any interested members of
the community. Students may also be trained to conduct interviews with elderly neighbors, family members, or long-time members of the community who have specific information that will help inform SurveyHiFi. Conducting interviews is an excellent opportunity to create partnerships with a local senior center, church group, or other community or social groups. Interviewees will include:
How do I conduct an oral history?
Oral history interviewers and interviewees will be coordinated by My HiFi project coordinators. Equipment (digital voice recorders and/or digital video camcorders) will be provided by My HiFi, unless interviews prefer to use their own equipment. A MyStory packet will also be provided, which includes a SurveyLA Interview Release Form and a MyHiFi Consent Form.
After the interview is completed, the interviews will be transcribed by My HiFi volunteers.
Participants in this activity include interviewers, interviewees, and a volunteer to complete data entry. Interviewers may include any interested members of
the community. Students may also be trained to conduct interviews with elderly neighbors, family members, or long-time members of the community who have specific information that will help inform SurveyHiFi. Conducting interviews is an excellent opportunity to create partnerships with a local senior center, church group, or other community or social groups. Interviewees will include:
- Long-time residents and/or business owners in the community.
- Owners of identified potentially significant properties.
- Leaders and participants in social or cultural events, activities, or organizations who are important to the history of the community.
- Community members who are known to have collected information about individual properties or neighborhood history.
How do I conduct an oral history?
Oral history interviewers and interviewees will be coordinated by My HiFi project coordinators. Equipment (digital voice recorders and/or digital video camcorders) will be provided by My HiFi, unless interviews prefer to use their own equipment. A MyStory packet will also be provided, which includes a SurveyLA Interview Release Form and a MyHiFi Consent Form.
After the interview is completed, the interviews will be transcribed by My HiFi volunteers.
MyPlace: My HiFi Property-specific Research
The purpose of MyPlace is to collect specific information about individual buildings or neighborhoods in an organized way through a variety of research activities. Some of the data needed to complete all of the necessary information for SurveyHiFi will only be found by conducting specific research activities for individual properties. This activity can be done by any interested members of the community, including those with no previous experience researching historic properties. There may be community members with specific expertise or who have previously done research on specific buildings, people, or events in the neighborhood who could contribute this information to SurveyHiFi.
How do I conduct property-specific research?
Examples of the types of sources that can be used for this project include:
PRIMARY SOURCES
Primary sources are those that were either created during the historic time period (examples include newspaper articles, periodicals, real estate advertisements); or were created at a later date by a participant in the time period or event being studied (for example a memoir or oral history).
SECONDARY SOURCES
Secondary sources interpret or analyze a historic event or time period, and are generally at least one step removed from the event. Examples include scholarly books and articles, and reference books.
CITY DIRECTORIES
City directories are among the most important sources of information about urban areas and their inhabitants. They provide personal and professional information about a city’s residents as well as information about its business, civic, social, religious, charitable, and literary institutions.
CITY BUILDING PERMITS
The City of Los Angeles has building permits from 1905 to the present, along with approved building plans for some resources.
ZIMAS
Zimas is the Department of City Planning’s Internet-based Geographic Information System (GIS) and allows users to access property information. You can search for an address, Assessor Parcel Number (APN), legal description, or find a property on the map.
SANBORN MAPS
Sanborn maps were created for fire insurance assessments, and updated annually between 1867 and 1970. They show a building’s footprint, height, use, structural materials, precise geographic location, and street address over time.
GENEALOGY DATABASES
To research the people who owned and lived in a building or neighborhood, as well as the contractor and builder who built it, you can use genealogy websites to supplement the story.
HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
The Los Angeles Public Library has a collection of historic photos, which is searchable through their website. Also consider searching at local branch libraries, historical societies, and house museums for photographs and other historic images.
How do I conduct property-specific research?
Examples of the types of sources that can be used for this project include:
PRIMARY SOURCES
Primary sources are those that were either created during the historic time period (examples include newspaper articles, periodicals, real estate advertisements); or were created at a later date by a participant in the time period or event being studied (for example a memoir or oral history).
SECONDARY SOURCES
Secondary sources interpret or analyze a historic event or time period, and are generally at least one step removed from the event. Examples include scholarly books and articles, and reference books.
CITY DIRECTORIES
City directories are among the most important sources of information about urban areas and their inhabitants. They provide personal and professional information about a city’s residents as well as information about its business, civic, social, religious, charitable, and literary institutions.
CITY BUILDING PERMITS
The City of Los Angeles has building permits from 1905 to the present, along with approved building plans for some resources.
ZIMAS
Zimas is the Department of City Planning’s Internet-based Geographic Information System (GIS) and allows users to access property information. You can search for an address, Assessor Parcel Number (APN), legal description, or find a property on the map.
SANBORN MAPS
Sanborn maps were created for fire insurance assessments, and updated annually between 1867 and 1970. They show a building’s footprint, height, use, structural materials, precise geographic location, and street address over time.
GENEALOGY DATABASES
To research the people who owned and lived in a building or neighborhood, as well as the contractor and builder who built it, you can use genealogy websites to supplement the story.
HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
The Los Angeles Public Library has a collection of historic photos, which is searchable through their website. Also consider searching at local branch libraries, historical societies, and house museums for photographs and other historic images.
Where will the photographs, oral histories, and research go?
My HiFi Digital Archive Project
Data collected from SurveyHiFi will be placed in our digital archives and will be accessible to the general public.
City of Los Angeles SurveyLA Project
My HiFi is Historic Filipinotown's Neighborhood Coordinator/Coordinating Committee for SurveyLA. Results from SurveyHiFi will be submitted to the City of Los Angeles' SurveyLA. SurveyLA – the Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey – is Los Angeles' first-ever comprehensive program to identify significant historic resources throughout our city. The survey marks a coming-of-age for Los Angeles' historic preservation movement, and will serve as a centerpiece for the City’s first truly comprehensive preservation program.
Data collected from SurveyHiFi will be placed in our digital archives and will be accessible to the general public.
City of Los Angeles SurveyLA Project
My HiFi is Historic Filipinotown's Neighborhood Coordinator/Coordinating Committee for SurveyLA. Results from SurveyHiFi will be submitted to the City of Los Angeles' SurveyLA. SurveyLA – the Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey – is Los Angeles' first-ever comprehensive program to identify significant historic resources throughout our city. The survey marks a coming-of-age for Los Angeles' historic preservation movement, and will serve as a centerpiece for the City’s first truly comprehensive preservation program.
What sites will be surveyed? When will photos, oral histories, and property-related data be collected?
Four sites have been selected for SurveyHiFi 2012. These include Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), 1644 Beverly Boulevard (currently Unidad Park), Saint Colomban Catholic Church, and Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA). For each site, two community workshops will be conducted on the following dates*:
* All dates are tentative and subject to change. Check our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates.
- Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA): February 11 and March 3.
- 1644 Beverly Boulevard: April 14 and May 12.
- Saint Colomban Catholic Church: June 2 and July 16.
- Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA): August 11 and August 25.
* All dates are tentative and subject to change. Check our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates.
