The Los Angeles Business Journal Photograph Collection consists of photography documenting a wide variety of subjects centered on businesses and their activities, businesspersons, and topics of regional interest within or near Los Angeles County created for use in publications or for internal reference for the Los Angeles Business Journal, a weekly newspaper. Bulk dates span the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Photographic materials include negatives, contact sheets, prints, transparencies, and slides. Negatives are predominantly 35mm. Assignment notes and ephemera are also present. Photographers credited include Todd Frankel (TF), who created the majority of the photography, and a few other photographers identified by only their initials. The collection is arranged into three series: Negatives, Transparencies, and Contact Sheets (1987-2001), Prints (1928-2003), and Slides (1989-1995).

Series I, Negatives, Transparencies, and Contact Sheets, contains negatives (most 35mm), transparencies, and contact sheets. Some slides, prints, and notes are also present. Folder titles are predominantly based on the containers the materials were originally found in. Titles may also focus on specific newspaper sections or features, such as Profile, Editorial, BLT, Enterprise, Special Section, Real Estate Quarterly, Lists, Cover, RoP, and Who’s Who, as well as major stories. The acronyms BLT and RoP were previously used internally at the journal and their meaning remain unknown after research and consultation with current journal staff. More detailed information about the images, such as business names, events, individuals, places, and specific dates of creation, can be found for most rolls within folders. Indexes containing detailed information for specific rolls are also present at the front of the folders for rolls dated from late 1994 to 1996. Folders are arranged in chronological order.

Series II, Prints, is the largest series. Subseries A, Categories (1928-2003), contains prints sorted into categories by subject. Categories include the following: Advertising, Aerospace, Agriculture, Airports, Animals, Apparel, Art, Automotive, Banks, Business Closures, Business Services, Cities, Civil Service, Communities, Construction, Countries, Cover Stories, Disaster, Education, Energy Systems, Entertainment, Environment, Financial, Government, Health Care, High Tech, Hospitality, Insurance, Jewelry, LABJ (Los Angeles Business Journal), Labor, Law, Law Enforcement, Manufacturing, Media, Military, Oil, People, Personal Services, Ports, Real Estate, Recreation, Retail, Riots, Small Business, Sports, Telecommunications, Tourism, Transportation, Travel, Utilities, Warehousing, and Water. These categories were created by the journal for filing purposes. Subseries B, Individuals (1963-2002), contains prints sorted by the first initials of individuals’ last names. The individuals documented are typically business owners, CEOs, or significant persons within their respective industries. Most prints in this series were created by the journal’s photographers. Promotional content created by other businesses is present. Some negatives, slides, notes, and ephemera are also present in the series. Folders are arranged in alphabetical order.

Series III, Slides, is the smallest series and contains slides. Most of the slides are largely grouped according to newspaper sections or features, such as Profile, Editorial, BLT, Enterprise, Special Section, Real Estate Quarterly, Lists, Cover, RoP, and Who’s Who. The acronyms BLT and RoP were previously used internally at the journal and their meaning remain unknown after research and consultation with current journal staff. Some prints, negatives, and notes are also present. Folders are arranged in alphabetical order.