Bersano Studio Negatives
Finding aid created by History San Jose Research Library staff using RecordEXPRESS
History San Jose Research Library
2023
1661 Senter Road
San Jose, California 95112
(408) 287-2290
research@historysanjose.org
http://www.historysanjose.org/
Title: Bersano Studio Negatives
Dates: 1926-1947
Collection Number: 2018-24
Creator/Collector:
Bersano, Angelo C.
Bersano Studio
Extent: 571 negatives
Online items available
Repository:
History San Jose Research Library
San Jose, California 95112
Abstract: Collection of 571 black & white 5x7" photographic negatives produced by Bersano Studio of Santa Clara, located at 787 Franklin
Street, and operated by Angelo C. Bersano. Many images depict the Italian and Portuguese communities, and include portraits,
Holy Communion remembrances, schools, local businesses, dairy farms, butane gas installations, and threshing operations.
Language of Material: English
The negatives are not open to the public; all have been scanned and can be viewed through History San Jose's online catalog.
Please contact the Curator of Library & Archives for questions regarding reproduction and publication.
[Identification of item]. Bersano Studio Negatives. Collection Number: 2018-24. History San Jose Research Library
Donated to the museum in 2018. The donor acquired the complete set from a local photography studio.
Biography/Administrative History
According to City Directories, Angelo C. Bersano is listed as the proprietor of the studio from 1926-1947, after which the
business appears to have been taken over by a different operator. The 1947 directory advertises the studio as operated by
Clifford E. Donahue, "Oldest Studio in Santa Clara County, Opposite Santa Clara University, Wedding, Children's and Glamour
Photography Our Specialty". The business is not listed in 1949-50 directory. Eleanor Bersano is also listed as a photo finisher,
and Florence Bersano as a clerk.
Scope and Content of Collection
Collection of 5x7 photographic negatives produced by Bersano Studio of Santa Clara, located at 787 Franklin Street, and operated
by Angelo C. Bersano between 1926-1947. Individually cataloged. Titles are taken from original, handwritten labels on negatives.
While the majority of the images appear to date from 1940-1941, a smaller series of portrait photographs likely date to circa
1928.
Bersano's subjects include portrait photography, dairy farms, threshing operations, local businesses, school portraits, Holy
Communion, weddings, festival queens, and a local U.S. Army installation. His customers appear to have generally come from
the Italian and Portuguese communities.
Box 1 contains negatives. Box 2 contains the original film boxes. While some of the boxes are labeled in pencil, the negatives
themselves were not in order in the boxes and the subject matter described by the box label does not match the negatives inside.
Commercial photography
Nineteen forties
Dairy farms--California
Portrait photography
Communion
Schools
Weddings
Butane industry
Dried fruit industry
Farm life
Portuguese Americans
Italian Americans
Salt industry and trade
Soldiers
Santa Clara County (Calif.)
black-and-white negatives