The collection consists of examples of commercial projects as well as some original artwork by Herbert L. Minshall.

Herbert L. Minshall was born on August 23, 1912, in Marietta, Ohio, and came to San Diego with his family two years later in 1914. Herbert grew up with a love of the natural world and developed an early interest in art and archaeology. After high school, he spent a few years working as a commercial artist, but then attended the California Maritime Academy, graduating as a third mate in the Merchant Marines. Minshall resumed his art career in the late 1930s and married Henrietta Rau in 1938. A few years later, he joined the U.S. Navy Reserves as a naval officer and served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. After his service, Minshall attended San Diego State University and the University of Southern California, earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in fine art, respectively. For more than 20 years, he taught art history, drawing, and painting at local San Diego colleges. Minshall retired in 1969 and spent the following decades pursuing his personal interests in human prehistory and painting. He considered himself a nonprofessional archaeologist and wrote many papers and books on the subject. Minshall’s books include Glimpse of the Sea (1970), Yonder and the Sea (1973), The Broken Stone (1976), Window on the Sea (1980), and Buchanan Canyon: Ancient Human Presence in the Americas (1989). He was also civically engaged, being a member of San Diego Art Guild, Audubon Society, and Ducks Unlimited, as well as a supporter of the San Diego Zoo. In 1982, Herbert’s wife Henrietta passed away, and in 1983, he married Mary Ladd Saul. Herbert L. Minshall passed away on September 23, 1991, at age 79.

0.25 Linear feet (1 box)

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

This collection is open for research.