Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce Collection

The Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce Collection (1888-2004; undated) contains 13 boxes and 4.5 linear feet of material that documents the evolution of the business community in Gardena. It consists of scrapbooks, minutes, official records, publications, photographs, and awards documenting the organization’s history and activities. Chronological scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia. Publications in the collection include commemorative newspapers, a local business directory, and editions of the chamber’s official publication, "Gardena Valley Business Life". Documents include board minutes, organizational charts, annual reports, correspondence, and economic and demographic profiles of the City of Gardena. An extensive collection of photographs documents Chamber of Commerce officers and members, including official photographs of the organization’s presidents and board members. Also documented are organizational activities, local business openings, and local and area sites. Local, state, and national dignitaries pictured in the collection include Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, Los Angeles County supervisor Kenneth Hahn, California Governor Pete Wilson, United States Attorney General Edwin Meese, United States Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, and President George H. W. Bush. Individual albums include images of the 1971 Gardena Expo, the Gold Cup motorcycle races held at local race promoter J. C. Agajanian’s Ascot Park race track, and the construction of the Hustler Casino. A small collection of VHS videocassettes containing episodes of a Chamber of Commerce television show and other locally broadcast events is also included.