Archives

Classic stories from the Los Angeles Times’ 143-year archive

FAQ

Are the archives free to all?

No. Articles on the website are included in a Los Angeles Times subscription. Viewing the printed pages and clips at newspapers.com requires a fee.

How does newspapers.com work?

Any reader can search newspapers.com by registering. There is a fee for seeing pages and other features. Papers from more than 30 days ago are available, all the way back to 1881.

What if I want to see a recent printed newspaper?

Los Angeles Times subscribers can search the last 30 days of printed editions using the e-newspaper editions. Also, you can buy back issues within the last six months through our Times store.

Do the website and print formats provide the same information?

No. The text of news articles will match in both formats, but other content can be different. For example, the digital website format does not include many print features, including weather pages, sports tables, stock prices and advertising, including paid obituaries.

Articles on the website that were published between 1985 and 2000 often do not include photos, maps or other content that appeared alongside them in print. After 2000, this content began to appear more often in digital versions and increasing numbers of articles, extra photos and other content were published only online.

Also, the Times website does not have rights to certain freelance articles, book excerpts and opinion essays, most of these published during the 1980s and 1990s. These will only be found in the print versions at newspapers.com.

What’s the best way to search?

You may want to try external search engines (include “latimes.com” in your search) as well as the Times site search. Search first by a phrase, keywords, dates, a snippet of text or author. Standard search techniques can help, such as putting an exact phrase in quotes.

If you have the print headline and want to find the article on the website, it’s best to search for a key part of the headline because the headlines may be different.

What if I see more than one headline in a search?

It is normal to see multiple news articles on one subject, since events unfold over time. Also, regional editions of the newspaper sometimes printed different versions of an article. In the early years of the internet it was common to publish an article on the website during the day, then separately publish an updated version the next morning on the website and in print. Searchers online may also find additional coverage in the form of digital photo galleries, blog posts, newsletters and other formats.

Are there other ways to find Los Angeles Times articles and photos?

Yes. Vendors such as Lexis-Nexis and Dow Jones/Factiva license archive content to display in their databases. Syndicated versions of Times articles sometimes appear on other websites.

Where do I get research help? How can I buy an old newspaper, reprint an article or show a Times newspaper in a movie scene?

You can arrange for paid research or request permission to display Times content on our Rights and Permissions page. Also, you can buy back issues within the last six months through our Times store.

Archives

Accessing the Los Angeles Times Archives