Clayton at the 2009 Los Angeles Archives Bazaar
Avery Clayton, founder of the Mayme Clayton Library in Culver City and active member of L.A. as Subject, passed away last week at age 62. The Mayme Clayton Library preserves the tremendous collection of African American historical materials collected by his mother, a former college librarian. One of the highlights is a signed 1773 book by African American poet Phyllis Wheatley. Most recently, Avery Clayton curated an exhibition at the Huntington Library, Central Avenue and Beyond: The Harlem Renaissance in Los Angeles.
Each year, Clayton shared materials from his historical collection with visitors to the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar. He'd been working for the past three years to raise funds and finish construction of the Mayme Clayton Library, so that it could open to the public. You can read more about his life and work in an L.A. Times obituary. His exhibition at the Huntington runs through February 8, 2010.