Exhibit in University Archives Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s Death
Dateline Dominguez, August 20, 2010 by Joanie Harmon
The Department of Archives and Special Collections http://archives.csudh.edu/at CaliforniaStateUniversity, Dominguez Hills will present “Jimi Hendrix: I’ll Meet You in the Next World. Don’t Be Late” in the University Library from Aug. 24 to Dec. 17. The exhibit is based on a collection loaned by SouthBay historian James Osborne, a regular donor to the Archives, as well as a number of materials owned by the university. Vintage singles and albums, posters, magazines, newspapers, and other ephemera illustrate Hendrix’s international rise to stardom until his death at age 27 in London on Sept. 18, 1970.
Archives director Greg Williams says that he hopes the exhibit will build a consciousness of what the university’s library and archives have to offer.“Part of the reason for having an exhibit like this is to get the students up to the Archives and Special Collections so that we could give them an explanation of what it is and how they could use them as a source for primary materials,” he says.
Williams says that one of the key points of Osborne’s collection is its depiction of Hendrix in his time as a pop star, not the iconic guitar genius that he is memorialized as today. He also underscores Hendrix’s rise to stardom in England and Europe after initially performing for years and remaining undiscovered in the United States.
“Blues players were popular in England and Europe in some ways before they were popular in the United States,” says Williams. “Hendrix brought that [over], but he also brought this wild, untamed electric guitar... and his genius exploded onto the scene.”
“It’s important that we get the word out that we are the repository for the history of the SouthBay,” says Williams.
The University Archives at CSU Dominguez Hills is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Monday-Friday. Osborne is scheduled to present talks on his collection on Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. and Nov. 17 at 4:30 p.m.
About the CSUDH Archives and Special Collections Department
The Archives and Special Collections Department at CSU Dominguez Hills is the principle repository for rare, special, and digital materials supportive of the University’s research, creative, and service commitments within its mission. Essential collection areas include: Special Collections, Dominguez Hills University Archives, California State University Archives, Rare Book Collections, and the Digital collection. Although it documents many diverse subjects, the department’s primary focus is on collecting, organizing, describing, and making unpublished and published materials relating to local, regional, and state history (with a focus on Los Angeles’ South Bay communities) accessible. The department also serves as the institutional memory of Dominguez Hills University and documents the functions and activities of its community by collecting enduring records. For more information on these specific collections see:
The CSUDH Archives & Special Collections Blog seeks to foster active user participation and engagement on a wide range of issues relating to our archival and special collections. Specifically, the implementation of this blog is envisioned to provide informal access to the special collections, immediate news release, and offer a point of contact where our community can raise questions and engage in vibrant and ongoing conversations on topics relevant to these issues.
We hope to strengthen liaisons and communication concerning CSDHU archival and special materials through immediate dialogue with the CSDHU faculty, its student body, researchers, local community members, anyone interested in the California State University System archives, and archival interns.
About Us
Gregory L. Williams is the Director of the Archives and Special Collections of CSU Dominguez Hills. He has worked in many curatorial and archival positions that include: the San Diego Historical Society, the New Jersey Historical Society, Rutgers University, Colonial Williamsburg, the Oregon State Archives, and the South Carolina Historical Society. Among his works and contributions, he has published over 45 finding aids for the Online Archive of California, the Guide to the Photograph Collections of the San Diego Historical Society, Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, among many other publications and articles. He has also served as photograph editor for Balboa Park: A Millennium History; A History of North County San Diego; and San Diego After 1940 and gave lectures at the Society of American Archivists in 2007. For additional information about Gregory Williams or to find links to his various works and contributions, please direct your browser to CSUDH Campus-wide Directory
Thomas Philois the archivist of the Archives and Special Collections of CSU Dominguez Hills. He has also worked as an archivist for the Getty Research Institute. Thomas participates in a number of committees on campus, including the Friends of the University Library, the Inauguration Steering Committee, the Friends of the Japanese Garden, and the Archives Advisory Committee. He finds that archiving allows him to work in a field directly related to his passion for history, artifacts, and writing. Among his works and contributions, he has published several finding aids for the Online Archive of California such as the Rancho San Pedro Collection and Glenn Anderson Papers. Among his fictional works it is important to mention: Judgment by Fire (Bantam, 1985) and Play of Light (Mercury House, 1989).
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