About Us

The Southland Archive was created to catalog all of the interesting and unique historical bars around Los Angeles.

Jonathan Gillett

Originally hailing from the beachside berg of Encinitas, CA, Jonathan has lived in the city of Los Angeles for the past ten years, spending the last five with his lovely wife Jenny in the north-central neighborhood of Los Feliz.

After first moving to the city to study history at Loyola Marymount University, Jonathan met Mr. Nascenzi at a gathering of like-minded but covert beer enthusiasts (dorm party). After completing his undergraduate degree and working for a stint in museum education, Jonathan pursued his master’s degree at Claremont Graduate University studying history and archival studies. He graduated in 2012 and currently works as an assistant collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

His interests include the role of the Civil War in California, the history and development of the various neighborhoods of Los Angeles and historic drinking and dining. He is allergic to cats but seems to be entertaining to children.

Joe Nascenzi

Joe graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2006 with a BA in marketing and management. After spending a couple years at a small marketing company, Wilson Marketing Group, Joe moved to his current job at Internet Brands Inc where he is currently a Project Manager for the Automotive E-Commerce vertical. He also is the Brew Chief and one of three founding members of Enegren Brewing Company – a Craft Brewery located in Moorpark, CA.

Joe has been an avid amateur follower of the history of Los Angeles for several years now. He his a huge fan of classic bars, architecture and the hidden history LA has to offer.