Downey Historical Society welcomes back Roger Miller

DOWNEY – The Downey Historical Society will welcome back longtime Downey resident and video historian Roger Miller for a special presentation titled “Roger Miller’s Then & Now!” on Thursday, May 28, at the Barbara J. Riley Community & Senior Center.

The program will begin at 6 p.m. in the Downey Room at the senior center, located at 7810 Quill Drive.

According to the Downey Historical Society newsletter, Miller is “no stranger to the Downey Historical Society” and has previously shared video documentaries and local history presentations with the group.

Miller’s family moved to Downey from Albuquerque in 1956. His mother, Ruth, joined the Downey City Library in 1958 and later managed the library from 1962 to 1984. Miller graduated from Warren High School in 1973 before attending Cerritos College and Cal State Long Beach.

A longtime electronics enthusiast, Miller gained recognition after writing an article about sound systems that led to customers seeking his audio rack designs in stores across Southern California. He later worked at Pace Studio in Downey developing photos for Warren High School yearbooks before launching his own business, Advantage Video, in 1980.

Miller also worked with Panasonic and Federated Group as an in-house video editor and has produced numerous documentary-style presentations focused on local history and nostalgia.

The upcoming presentation will feature “Then & Now” images and stories highlighting Downey’s past, including vintage scenes of grocery stores, businesses and everyday life in earlier decades.

The Downey Historical Society newsletter notes that one featured image shows eggs selling for 19 cents a dozen, potatoes for 25 cents a five-pound bag and ring bologna for 10 cents each.

The Downey Historical Society operates out of the Downey History Center at 12540 Rives Ave.