The History of Brand Library

Leslie Coombs Brand (1859-1925), an early developer of business and banking, became a major figure in the settlement and economic growth of the Glendale area. Brand settled in the area, purchasing land overlooking the City and building a magnificent family residence that became known in the local community as "the Brand Castle." Brand went on to make his fortune in utilities, transportation, and real estate, and his name as a Glendale booster. He installed the area's first airfield on his property and established his own fleet of planes. At the time of his death, Brand was one of Glendale's wealthiest and most influential citizens. Brand partnered with Henry E. Huntington to bring the Pacific Electric Railway, or the "Red Cars," to the area. Leslie C. Brand's final, brilliant legacy to Glendale was the donation of his estate to be converted to a library and park for the use of all Glendale residents. Ghost of Brand

BRIEF HISTORY
The Brand Library is housed in the mansion Brand built in 1904 named El Miradero. A gallery and recital hall was added in 1969. Located in Brand Park, high in the foothills overlooking Glendale and the San Fernando Valley, the Library serves an ever-widening public interested in the arts.

The design of El Miradero is similar to the East Indian Pavilion built for the 1893 Columbian World Exposition held in Chicago and visited by Brand. The architecture is considered Saracenic, with crenellated arches, bulbous domes and minars combining characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles.

Brand died in the house in 1925. He bequeathed El Miradero to the city and Mrs. Brand lived in the house until her death in 1945. The will provided that the property be used exclusively for a public park and library. By 1956 the mansion had been converted into Brand Library. Years later, in response to the need for more arts space, the City Council allocated funds to construct an addition to Brand Library that would include facilities for art exhibitions, lectures and concerts, as well as art and craft studios. The new addition was dedicated in October 1969.

DIGITAL COLLECTION A collection of online photographs that depict Leslie C. Brand and his family while he was still living in El Miradero, images of the rooms within the mansion, and scenic views of the property are available online as part of The Online Archive of California (OAC). The collection includes photographs and documentation related to Mr. and Mrs. Brand's funeral, the Brand family cemetery, the Brand Lodge, Brand's 1921 fly-in party, his airfield and airplanes, his automobiles, and his camp in Mono Lake. The collection also includes photographs of the Brand Library and Park that was created from his home and property deeded to the City of Glendale. Click here to view the collection.

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