New book highlights unique, unexpected museums of greater LA

Angel City Press’s new publication “Also on View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” celebrates LA’s most fascinating and underappreciated collections, from the deeply culturally significant—such as the Garifuna Museum—to the highly specific and unusual, like the City of Los Angeles’s Streetlight Museum. There are more than 750 museums in the greater Los Angeles area, many of which may not be familiar to even the most seasoned explorers.

“After spending the better part of a decade seeking out hundreds of local museums large and small, I am grateful for this opportunity to turn a private obsession into a public celebration of these incredible institutions,” says author Todd Lerew. “It has been an honor to work with the stewards and caretakers of the 64 featured museums to share stories of the collections and communities that they are dedicated to helping preserve.”

The text explores the worlds of fascination and enchantment that lie just beyond one’s doorstep. Readers will learn about Nan Songer, the “spider lady” of Yucaipa, a World War II-era pioneer known for harvesting black widow spider silk to support the American war effort. They will read about the Los Angeles Poverty Department (“the other LAPD”), the first performance group in the country composed primarily of homeless artists and activists, which has created the Skid Row History Museum and Archive downtown. And they will get an introduction to Albert “The Chicken Man” Okura, the late founder of the unofficial and unauthorized First Original McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino, who believed it was his destiny to sell more chicken than anyone in the world.

With photographs by Ryan Schude and a range of critical, curious, and incredible histories, “Also On View” presents an unparalleled survey of all the diversity and wonder that Los Angeles has to offer.

Lerew is director of special projects for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, curating eclectic exhibitions and programs in support of the Los Angeles Public Library. He holds a BFA from Hampshire College and an MFA from CalArts, and collects library cards, pictorial maps, and all-black postcards that claim to depict a certain location at night.

Schude is an editorial, advertising, and fine art photographer. Often employing a staged narrative approach akin to theatrical tableaux, environmental portraiture remains integral to his work, connecting him with artists, educational institutions, and just about any character willing to engage in the process. Schude teaches photography and media arts at the Ojai Valley School.