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Historical Society of Southern California Collection of Lantern Slides
photCL 400 volume 27  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Overview of the Collection
  • Biographical Note
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms
  • Restrictions on Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Processing Information
  • Physical Characteristics or Technical Requirements

  • Overview of the Collection

    Repository: The Huntington Library
    1151 Oxford Road
    San Marino, CA
    91108
    Phone: 626-405-2180
    Email: jwatts@huntington.org
    Title: Historical Society of Southern California Collection of Lantern Slides
    Dates: 1870s-1932
    Quantity: 3.75 linear ft., 9 boxes
    Abstract: This collection of lantern slides comprises one portion of the Historical Society of Southern California (HSSC) Collection, which was donated to the Huntington Library in 1992. The HSSC Collection as a whole contains approximately 15,000 photographs and negatives covering the period circa 1870 to circa 1980, and almost exclusively depicts Southern California. As such, it is an important visual record of the growth and history of the region.
    Identification: photCL 400 volume 27
    Language of Material: English

    Biographical Note

    This collection of lantern slides comprises one portion of the Historical Society of Southern California (HSSC) Collection, which was donated to the Huntington Library in 1992. The HSSC Collection as a whole contains approximately 15,000 photographs and negatives covering the period circa 1870 to circa 1980, and almost exclusively depicts Southern California. As such, it is an important visual record of the growth and history of the region.

    Scope and Contents

    Volume 27 consists of 278 (3 x 4 inch) lantern slides, comprising a variety of different images of Southern California and its residents.
    The first section consists of images of central Los Angeles, primarily street scenes, including a number of images of La Fiesta de Los Angeles celebrations and World War I-era parades. Other landscapes and cityscapes in the collection include views of Hollywood and Santa Monica; locations in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, with an emphasis on Monrovia; communities in Orange, San Bernardino and Kern Counties; scenes in Yosemite and other central California locations; and Tijuana. Also included are a number of images of Santa Barbara in the late nineteenth century.
    The collection is notable for a number of images of Los Angeles area high schools and universities. It is especially rich in images of Los Angeles High School students from the early years of the twentieth century.
    Photographs by members of, and about, the Los Angeles Camera Club are included in the collection. These include photographs by C.C. Pierce, W.M. Frisbee, F.H. Maude, C.C. Valentine, and O. Granicher. Also included is a photograph of the Camera Club building in downtown Los Angeles and images of its logo.
    Studio portraits and group photographs can be found in the collection, the majority of which are unidentified. Among the identifiable images are an 1888 photograph of the Los Angeles City Council; Mrs. O.W. Childs, wife of the early Los Angeles pioneer; Isidore Dockweiler, an influential Southern California Democrat; Max Meyberg, organizer of the first La Fiesta de Los Angeles celebration in 1894; and Caroline Severance, founder of the Friday Morning Club. The collection also contains images of Native Americans, and Chinese in Chinatown.
    In addition to the Los Angeles Camera Club photographers, the collection contains images created by Penney and Bennett, James B. Blanchard, and Carleton Watkins.

    Arrangement

    The slides are arranged generally by subject: geographic locations, schools and universities, the Los Angeles Camera Club, images of people, and miscellaneous images.

    Indexing Terms

    Personal Names

    Childs, O.W. Mrs., d. 1935
    Dockweiler, Isidore B. (Isidore Bernard), 1867-1947.
    Meyberg, Max, 1850-1934.
    Severance, Caroline M. Seymour (Caroline Maria Seymour), 1820-1914.

    Corporate Names

    Los Angeles (Calif.). City Council—Photographs.
    Friday Morning Club (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.
    Los Angeles Camera Club—Photographs.
    Los Angeles High School—Photographs.
    La Fiesta de Los Angeles—Photographs.

    Subjects

    Cityscapes—California—Los Angeles—Photographs.
    Parades—California—Los Angeles—Photographs.
    Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)—Photographs.
    Kern County (Calif.)—Photographs.
    Orange County (Calif.)—Photographs.
    San Bernardino County (Calif.)—Photographs.
    Santa Monica (Calif.)—Photographs.
    Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico)—Photographs.
    Yosemite National Park (Calif.)—Photographs.

    Genres and Forms of Material

    Lantern slides.

    Contributors

    Blanchard, James B.
    Frisbie, William M.
    Granicher, O.
    Maude, F. H. (Frederic Hamer).
    Pierce, C. C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946.
    Valentine, C. C.
    Watkins, Carleton E., 1829-1916. .
    Penney and Bennett.

    Restrictions on Access

    Access is granted to qualified researchers and by appointment.

    Publication Rights

    All requests for permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Photographs. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Huntington as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

    Preferred Citation

    Preferred citation: photCL 400 volume 27, Historical Society of Southern California Collection of Lantern Slides, 1870s-1932.

    Acquisition Information

    Donated to the Huntington Library by the Historical Society of Southern California, 1992.

    Processing Information

    The collection was rehoused by volunteers prior to 2006. In March 2006, Sue Luftschein organized the slides, assigned numbers, and created this finding aid.

    Physical Characteristics or Technical Requirements

    The lantern slides are extremely fragile; arrangements for viewing must be made with the Curator of Photographs.