Oliver Collection

Finding aid created by Monterey Public Library staff using RecordEXPRESS

Monterey Public Library

625 Pacific Street

Monterey, California 93940

(831) 646-3741

https://monterey.org/library/services/research/history_room/index.php

2023

Descriptive Summary

Title: Oliver Collection

Dates: 1888-1924

Collection Number: PHO 924

Creator/Collector:

Extent: 158 glass plates; prints from 5 x 7 to 8 x 10 in. (13 x 18 to 21 x 26 cm.); 256 film negatives

Repository: Monterey Public Library

Monterey, California 93940

Abstract: Joseph Kurtz Oliver was born on April 26, 1863, in East Salem, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Oberlin College, he studied art at the Chicago Art Institute and in Europe. He taught art in Iowa and Kansas colleges. In 1893 he came west to teach at the College of the Pacific branch in Pacific Grove. In 1896 he moved to Monterey where he established the Mission Art and Curio Store, the Peninsula's first art gallery, located near the Custom House. Oliver, an entrepreneur and avid collector, was known for his wide interests: from conchology to civic affairs and art. His son, Myron Oliver, was also a well-known painter, framer, historic preservationist and photographer.

Language of Material: English

Access

Access by appointment only; contact Local History Librarian or designated staff.

Publication Rights

Reproduction by Local History Librarian or other designated staff; may be restricted due to condition of the materials.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Oliver Collection. Collection Number: PHO 924. Monterey Public Library

Acquisition Information

Gift from Myron A. Oliver in 1958.

Scope and Content of Collection

Collection contains views of Monterey Peninsula and tourist sites from the mid-1890s through 1912 and includes original photographs taken by J. K. Oliver. Views of local fishing, the Hotel del Monte, Seventeen-Mile Drive, historic buildings, the Chinese fishing community, and other subjects comprise this significant collection.

Indexing Terms

Historical Buildings

Fishing

Fishing Villages

Adobe Houses

Chinese

Wharves

Spanish Missions

Joseph Kurtz Oliver

William McKinley

Myron A. Oliver

Oliver

Hotel Del Monte

17-Mile Drive

United States Army

Salinas, California

Pacific Grove, California

Monterey, California

Black-and-White Prints

Film Negatives

Glass Negatives

Digital Images