Finding aid to the Judith Sandoval Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection
1996-2004
SFP 94
Finding aid prepared by Christina Moretta
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
03/22/2016
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Title: Judith Sandoval Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection
Date (bulk): 1995-2009
Identifier/Call Number: SFP 94
Creator:
Sandoval, Judith
Physical Description:
1 carton, 3 pamphlet boxes and 1 flat box
(3.5 Linear Feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: The Judith Sandoval Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection consists of over 4,000 black and white photographs of varying
sizes, contact sheets, negatives and images on CDs of the Visitacion Valley community between 1998 and 2005.
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English with some materials bilingual in Chinese and English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center's Photo Desk hours.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish of photographs must be submitted in writing to the Photo Curator. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Judith Sandoval Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection (SFP 94), San Francisco History Center,
San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
Gift.
Conservation note
During processing, the entire collection was re-foldered and re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes.
Biographical / Historical
Judith Sandoval is a local community activist with over fifty years of community organizing experience and photographer. Sandoval
has a BA and JD and came into photography later in life at the age of 63 when she began working with the Visitacion Valley
community in San Francisco. Sandoval was born in 1937 in San Francisco, raised in a multi-ethnic country town of 600, but
returned to San Francisco for last 60 years. In Visitacion Valley, she was Program Director of Camp Fire Boys and Girls City
Kids, Executive Director of Geneva Valley Development Corporation and Program Coordinator of The Village. Sandoval dedicates
this Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection to the Geneva Towers' Families and four strong Valley Leaders, whose lives
were intimately connected with the Valley: Brenda Lopez, Lela Jones, Evelyn Hill, and Missy Raglin.
Scope and Contents
The Judith Sandoval Visitacion Valley Gift of Stories Collection consists of over 4,000 black and white photographs of varying
sizes, contact sheets, negatives and images on CDs of the Visitacion Valley community between 1998 and 2005. This Collection
represents the work of local Visitacion Valley community activist and photographer Judith Sandoval, who, through her photography,
documented the social, political and cultural events in the Valley during that time.
In the 1800's, Visitation Valley was known as the Valley of the Windmills. In 1964, Geneva Towers, two twenty-story towers,
was built for 400 families. By 1991, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) foreclosed on the private owners
of Geneva Towers. The Towers had declined into an unhealthy and dangerous place, a place the San Francisco Chronicle called
the "High-rise from Hell." By 1995, the Geneva Valley Residents Council, Geneva Valley Development Corporation (GVDC), Visitation
Valley Task Force, HUD and City and County of San Francisco entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to revitalize the Valley
by destroying the Towers public housing, but guaranteeing original Towers' families the right of first refusal. The residents
had to agree to destroy their home, but had the choice of how to destroy it. Because of lead and asbestos in the Towers, they
were not imploded until 1998. It only took 10 seconds to destroy the home of 400 Towers' families. GVDC assisted with the
construction of the new housing and a multi-service community center called The Village. GVDC’s achievements included its
role in the replacement of Geneva Towers with affordable, family housing in partnership with Mercy Housing California that
includes Heritage Homes (of which GVDC is co-owner), Britton Courts and John King Senior Community. The photographs document
the community events while representing the significant needs of the community which are economic opportunity and development
and education. The residents created the Visitacion Valley Jobs, Education and Training Project (VVJET). Additionally, the
local council formed a partnership with San Francisco State University Urban Institute which helped link to a variety of institutions.
This facilitated more programs for the community including Village Dancers. The Village Dancers was a partnership program
with San Francisco State University's School of Music and Dance and offered free dance classes taught by Dr. Albirda Rose
and SFSU students. The Village Dancers had a yearly concert at SFSU campus. The history of the community was also documented
through a California Council for the Humanities grant project, Stories of Valley: Circle of Elders. GVDC became Visitacion
Valley Community Development Corporation maintaining as a non-profit organization focusing on strengthening the social, physical,
educational and economic well-being of the Visiatacion Valley neighborhood. This Collection tells the stories, both creative
and painful, of the journey of Heritage Homes families, from 1998 to 2005.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series: Series 1. Photographs; Series 2. Correspondence, clippings and ephemera and
Series 3. Audiovisual.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Visitacion Valley (San Francisco, Calif.)
Photographic prints--1990-2000.
Photographic prints--2000-2010.
Visitacion Valley (San Francisco, Calif.)--Buildings, structures, etc.
Sandoval , Judith
Series 1.
Photographs
1996 - 2004
Photographs: 2004-20010
Scope and Contents
Includes photographs, contact sheets, negatives and digital files.
Arrangement
Follows initial arrangement created by photographer Judith Sandoval. Within that arrangement, it is loosely chronological.
box 1, folder 1
Geneva Towers before implosion
1996
box 1, folder 2
Geneva Towers, Candlelight Ceremony
1998
box 1, folder 3
Geneva Towers, pre-implosion ceremony
1998
box 1, folder 4
Geneva Towers, implosion
1998
box 1, folder 5
Geneva Towers, after implosion
1998
box 1, folder 6
Construction of Heritage Homes and Britton Courts
1999 - 2000
box 1, folder 7
Opening of Heritage Homes and Britton Courts
2000
box 1, folder 8
Wells Fargo gift to the Village
August 18, 2001
box 1, folder 9
Stories of the Valley: Circle of Elders grant project
2003 - 2004
box 1, folder 10-15
Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Day
1999 - 2003
box 1, folder 16-38
Neighborhood events
2000 - 2005
Scope and Contents
Neigborhood events include Unity Walk, Hawn party (Samoan), greenway planting, Visitacion Valley Carnival and Wellness Fair,
Sophie Maxwell Town Hall meeting, Sunnydale "Stop the Violence," Asian Pacific American Community Center, John King Senior
Community Center opening, El Dorado Elementary School community peace walk Sunnydale through Sunnydale Housing Project, Asian
Perinatal Advocates holiday party, community mural paint-in, Sunnydale vigils (one for Darnell Norman),
box 1, folder 39-42
Visitacion Valley Jobs, Education and Training Program (VVJET) graduations
2000 - 2003
Scope and Contents
Includes graduations from carpenter's apprenticeship, construction apprenticeship, and health tech programs.
box 1, folder 43-45
Village Dancers, concerts and performances
2005-2006
box 1, folder 46-49
Renee Strong, Recreation and Park Director of Hertz Playground
2004-2005
Scope and Contents
Photographs of Renee Strong at work teaching dance lessons to community children and at home with her daughter. The photographs
were displayed at Joe Leland Coffee Bar as a tribute to Ms. Strong for her dedication to the Visitacion Valley community.
box 2, folder 1-2
Community wedding
June 29, 2002
Scope and Contents
Wedding celebration of Cliff and Julissa at St. Paul's Catholic Church. Festivities include Aztec dancers.
box 2, folder 4-10
District 10
2001
Scope and Contents
Includes Potrero Hill Projects, Islais Creek, Dogpatch, Potero Hill, Tunnel Road, Vistaction Valley, Little Hollywood, Hunters
Point Shipyards and San Francisco Dump (Transfer Station).
box 4
Digital copies
2014
Scope and Contents
34 CDs with jpegs and TIFFs of digitized photographs by Sandoval.
Series 2.
Correspondence and ephemera
1995 - 2009
box 3, folder 1-10
The Village / Visitacion Valley Community Development Corporation / Geneva Valley Development Corporation
1995 -2007
Scope and Contents
Includes reports, newsletters, newspaper clippings, correspondence, flyers and pamphlets documenting events in the Visitacion
Valley community.
box 3, folder 11-13
Stories of Valley: Circle of Elders
2003 - 2004
Scope and Contents
Stories of Valley: Circle of Elders was a California Council for the Humanties grant project. The files contain original grant
application and supportive materials, promotional materials for the event and event surveys.
box 3, folder 14
Through Our Eyes by The Village Kids publication
1996
Scope and Contents
Publication of the Visitacion Valley Community Center's after school Village Words Projects in partnership with San Francisco
State University's Department of English undergraduate and graduate students.
box 3, folder 15
The Village Dancers program with San Francisco State University
2000 - 2009
Scope and Contents
Includes pamphlets, concert programs and newspaper articles about The Village Dancers.
box 3, folder 16
Photography shows
2003 - 2006
box 3, folder 17
Requiem for Geneva Towers
2005
box 3, folder 18
San Francisco Urban Institute, San Francisco State University
2002 - 2005
box 3, folder 19
Chinese for Affirmative Action, reports and newsletters
2001 - 2003
box 4
Series 3.
Audiovisual
2000 - 2009
Separated Materials
25 DVDs of Village Dancers' concerts; Requiem for Geneva Towers; and Circle of Elders: Stories of Visitacion Valley. 3 VHS
of Circle of Elders: Stories of Visitacion Valley.
