Guide to the Federico and Bertha Claveria Collection CEMA 130
Callie Bowdish, Clarence Chan, Danely Segoviano
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara 93106-9010
Business Number: Phone: (805) 893-3062
Fax Number: Fax: (805) 893-5749
special@library.ucsb.edu
Title: Federico and Bertha Claveria collection
Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 130
Identifier/Call Number: 136
Language of Material:
English
.
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Physical Description:
4 Linear Feet
8 boxes
Date (inclusive): circa 1940 - 2005
Abstract: The Federico and Bertha Claveria Collection is made up of administrative records, subject files, correspondence, clippings,
photographs and negatives, ephemera and other miscellaneous memorabilia documenting activities of the life of Federico Claveria,
his family, and La Tolteca Tortilla Factory and restaurant. It Includes photographs taken by Claveria himself during his time
as a Marine photographer.
Physical Location: Boxes 1-2, 7-8: Stacks 1, Aisle 38 / Column 1.
Boxes 4, 6: Stacks 1, Aisle 68 / Column 6.
Boxes 3, 5: Stacks 1, Aisle 74 / Column 2.
Biographical / Historical
Federico Antonio Maldonado Claveria was born on June 13, 1908 in Mexico City to Santurino Claveria and Maria Maldonado Claveria.
His father emigrated to Mexico from the Basque Country, his mother was a native to Mexico City; the two had a total of three
sons. The Claverias moved to San Antonio, Texas from Mexico City in 1912, during the Mexican Revolution. A little thereafter,
the family moved to Los Angeles, where they would eventually become American citizens. At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack
on December 7, 1941, Federico Claveria was 33 years of age and strongly desired to join the war effort of the U.S. Marines.
Unfortunately, the status of his citizenship delayed his enlistment. Upon obtaining American citizenship, Claveria again met
another speed bump when he failed his military physical due to his color blindness. The zealous Claveria did not take no for
an answer. With his past experience in the Hollywood film industry as a commercial artist for RKO and Warner Bros. Studios,
Federico Claveria became Private Federico "Freddie" Claveria, photographer and filmer of the U.S. Marines. He was placed in
the Fifth Amphibious Corps, under Major General Holland M. Smith, who led them in the invasions of Saipan and Tinnian on the
Pacific front of WWII. On July 16, 1946 Claveria was discharged as Technical Sergeant Claveria of the Marine Corps, returning
home to his long-time girlfriend, Bertha Ciriza.
After their marriage, Federico and Bertha Claveria moved to Santa Barbara, CA and started their own tortilla factory on December
18, 1946 naming it, La Tolteca, after the Aztec word "metropolis." This would be the third of a total of seven tortilla factory/restaurants
under the same name. The other six locations were owned by Claveria's uncles and a friend, spanning from Southern California
to Phoenix, Arizona. Working hard 12-hour shifts, Freddie and Bertha were eventually able to open up a restaurant location
under the same name in Santa Barbara. By the 80s La Tolteca had become a prominent business in the Santa Barbara County, raking
in 1 million dollars in annual sales and supplying over 40 other restaurants in Santa Barbara and neighboring counties. At
this time, the company employed about 40 full-time employees producing about 720,000 tortillas weekly; this feat gained them
the Certificate of Achievement by the Valley Grain Products, Inc in 1986. Two years later the Claverias were again honored
when the family business received the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Recognition Award. Federico Claveria died on Sunday,
June 5, 1993 at the St. Francis Medical Center. The restaurant remained in the Claveria family until its closing in 2006,
60 years after its opening. The current owner of the building has placed a commemorative plaque at the site, commemorating
La Tolteca's six decades of serving the Santa Barbara community. La Tolteca's iconic Model T Ford "Pie Wagon" was sold for
13,000 dollars in an auction to a local firm, Goodman Reed Motorcars, LLC who have added it to their perminant collection
on Santa Barbara history. Claveria received a military ceremony and is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Claveria was
survived by his wife Bertha, and their two sons Federico Santurino and Carlos.
Federico Claveria lived a full life and left a lasting mark on those lives that he touched. He was quoted saying that one
of his proudest moments was meeting President Ronald Reagan during a press luncheon. The president expressed a liking to Claveria's
hat, which was decorated with military pins and regalia. Claveria has been credited with developing the first significant
automated tortilla making process. Aside from his culinary and photographic expertise, Claveria was a coin collector, being
a part of the Assay Coin Collection since 1975, and a marksman, being a part of the Santa Barbara Pistol Club. His other affiliations
are the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge, the American Legion, and the Masonic Lodge. Finally, the United States Marine Corps Combat
Correspondents Association awarded the annual Donald L. Dickson Memorial Award to Claveria in 1985.
Conditions Governing Access
none
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright belongs to UC Regents.
Scope Note
The Federico and Bertha Claveria Collection, CEMA 130, contains biographical material highlighting the life of Federico Claveria
with an emphasis on his military career and his family-owned tortilla factory, La Tolteca, located in Santa Barbara, CA. The
collection includes administrative documents, advertising materials, photographs, slides, negatives, and an extensive biographical
section that includes articles about La Tolteca, Claveria's time as a Marine, and a scrapbook put together by the Claveria
family. The administrative documents span anywhere from the restaurant menus, record keeping, to legal documents. Within the
advertising materials there are materials used to prepare the advertisements, and some of the finalized advertisements in
the form of signs and ads that appeared in magazines or newspapers. The photographs include those taken by Claveria as a Marine
photographer during WWII, in the Saipan and Tinnian invasions. Other photos are those taken for business use of the company,
of employees, and inside the tortilla factory. Important to note within the photographs and articles series is La Tolteca's
Iconic Model T Ford. Materials from this collection span from the 1940s – 1990s.
Series Descriptions
Series I Personal and Biographical Information 1946 - 1993
This section consists of articles and photos that give insight on the personal life of Federico Claveria, which is mostly
independent of his business activity in La Tolteca tortilla factory. There is special attention given to his life as a Marine
Corps photographer, a scrapbook put together by the family, and also a family video titled, "Dukie's 6th Birthday".
Series II Business Related Material 1946 - ca.2010
The business materials consist largely of La Tolteca's legal documents, sales contracts, wholesale price lists, and formal
correspondence records from other business and government departments. Records of the Model T purchase can be found in the
sales contracts. The records include the Certificate of Achievement Award that La Tolteca received from the Valley Grains
Products, Inc. in 1986. Other notable materials are some of the menus and other memorabilia saved by the Claverias.
Series III Business Articles 1946 - ca.2005
The majority of the articles found in this section pertain to La Tolteca, and vary from reviews to publicity. This section
gives an in-depth look at the lifetime of the factory from when it started until the selling of the company in 1993. Also
included are two "Fiesta" editions of the Santa Barbara News Press from July 31, 1983.
Series IV Advertising Materials ca.1950 - ca. 1990
Advertising materials include the templates and sample ads prepared for use with the printing press or for visualization.
There also includes many ads that were found in newspapers and magazines, and this part may overlap with some of the documents
found in Series 3, Articles. Apart from the advertisements, also included are signs for La Tolteca.
Series V Photographs, Slides, and Negatives ca.1940 - ca.1995
Pictures depict factory and restaurant processes, family portraits, gatherings and parties, and of Claveria during his time
in the war. Also included are photographs and negatives snapped by Federico Claveria himself during the Saipan and Tinnian
invasions of WWII.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donation by Carlos Claveria (son).
Preferred Citation
Federico and Bertha Claveria Collection, CEMA 130, Department of Special Collections, University Library, University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Tortillas
Santa Barbara County (Calif.) -- History, Local
Series 1 Personal and Biographical Information 132514
1946 - 1993
box 1, folder 3
Basque Cultural Events 143345
circa 1985
Descriptions
Newspaper articles
film V4642/F1
"Dukie's 6th Birthday" 143351
undated
box 3, folder 5
Family Scrapbook 143347
undated
box 1, folder 4
Hobbies 143346
undated
Descriptions
Article on Claveria as a coin collector
box 1, folder 1
Leatherneck Magazine of the Marines
143343
1986 January
box 1, folder 2
Leatherneck Magazine of the Marines
143344
1955 September
box 4, folder 6
Marine Articles 143348
undated
Series 2 Business Related Materials 132516
circa 1946 - 2005
box 1, folder 6
Business Checks and Invoices 143352
undated
box 1, folder 8
Certificate of Achievement 143354
1986
Descriptions
Original recieved from the Valley Grains Product, Inc
box 1, folder 7
Correspondence 143353
circa 1940 - 1990
box 1, folder 12
Ephemera 143358
undated
Descriptions
Stickers, bumper stickers, and little fliers
box 3, folder 2, box 10
La Tolteca Blueprints 143361
undated
Scope and Contents
Additional Blueprints in 2013 Supplement Accession.
box 1, folder 9
La Tolteca Memos 143355
undated
box 1, folder 5, box 9
La Tolteca Menus 143350
undated
Scope and Contents
Additional menus in 2013 Supplement accession.
box 7, 8, box 9
Memorabilia 143359
undated
Descriptions
Contains hats, mugs, and chip bag clippers
Scope and Contents
Additional memorabilia including restaurant signs, templates for the logo, and CDs in 2013 supplement accession.
box 4, folder 12
"No Checks" Policy Board 143364
undated
box 1, folder 10
Packing and Wholesale Lists 143356
undated
box 4, folder 4
Product Wrappers 143363
undated
box 1, folder 11
Receipts, Shipping Records, and Sales Records 143357
undated
box 1
Record Keeping Journals 143349
undated
box 3, folder 1
Santa Barbara News-Press "Fiesta" Edition
143365
1983 July 31
box 3, folder 4
Watercolor Painting of La Tolteca 143362
undated
Series 3 Business Articles 132517
circa 1946 - 2005
box 1, folder 13 - 16
Magazine and Newspaper Publicity Articles 143370
circa 1958 - 1990
box 4, folder 5
Magazine and Newspaper Publicity Articles 143368
circa 1984 - 1985
box 5, folder 4
Magazine and Newspaper Publicity Articles 143369
1986
box 1, folder 17
Selling of La Tolteca 143366
1993
Descriptions
Newspaper article
Series 4 Advertising Materials 132519
circa 1950 - 1995
box 1, folder 20 - 23
Ad Templates 143373
undated
box 4, folder 2, 3
Ad Templates 143374
undated
box 5, folder 1
Ad Templates 143375
undated
Series 5 Photographs, Slides, and Negatives 132518
circa 1940 - 1995
box 6
Christmas Party, Other Events, and Promotions 143394
undated
Descriptions
Includes some negatives
box 1, folder 25, 26
Factory and Restaurant Work 143378
undated
box 2, folder 3 - 5
Factory and Restaurant Work 143379
undated
box 3, folder 3
Factory and Restaurant Work 143380
undated
box 4, folder 10, 11
Factory and Restaurant Work 143381
undated
box 5, folder 3
Factory and Restaurant Work 143382
undated
box 6
Factory and Restaurant Work 143383
undated
box 2, folder 1
Family Photos 143384
undated
box 4, folder 7, 9
Family Photos 143385
undated
box 6
Family Photos 143386
undated
box 6
KEYT News Report of La Tolteca and Filming Process 143392
box 2, folder 2
La Tolteca Car Accident 143387
Description
Photos from when a car spun out of control and into La Tolteca Restaurant
box 6
La Tolteca Food 143393
undated
Descriptions
Includes photos of the cooking process
box 6
La Tolteca Product in Stores 143391
undated
box 4, folder 8
La Tolteca's 36th Anniversary 143390
Descriptions
Photo of Bertha and Freddie about to cut the cake
box 24
Marine Years 143377
undated
Descriptions
Photos and negatives taken of Claveria, and others by Claveria during WWII
box 2, folder 6
Picture with President Reagan 143388
undated
box 4, folder 7
Picture with President Reagan 143389
undated
