Finding Aid to the J. Porter Shaw Photograph And Postcard Collection, circa 1880-1939
This description was produced by the Historic Documents Department of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Historic Documents Department
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
National Park Service
2007
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
National Park Service
Third Floor, Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: 415-561-7030
Fax: 415-556-3540
Contact Information at:
www.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/researchcontact.htm
All written inquiries should include your name, mailing address, and telephone numbers.
Finding Aid to the J. Porter Shaw photograph and postcard collection, circa 1880-1939
Collection Number: P05-001
San Francisco Maritime National Historical ParkHistoric Documents Department
San Francisco, California
- San Francisco Maritime
- National Historical Park
- Third Floor, Building E, Fort Mason
- San Francisco, CA 94123
- Phone: 415-561-7030
- Fax: 415-556-3540
- All written inquiries should include your name, mailing address, and telephone numbers.
- Processed by:
- Charles Miller
- Date Completed:
- 1/24/2005
- Encoded by:
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park,
Historic Documents Department
Title: J. Porter Shaw photograph and postcard collection,
Date: circa 1880-1939
Collection No: P05-001
Creator:
Shaw, J. Porter
Extent:
1760 items.
Repository:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Calif.)
Historic Documents Department
Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, California 94123
Abstract: This collection primarily depicts various maritime scenes and vessels. While 90% of the postcards have a maritime theme,
only about half of these relate to the Pacific Coast. The postcards and photographic prints were collected by J. Porter Shaw
as part of his interest in maritime history.
Physical Location: Historic Documents Department
Language:
In English.
The following are indexing terms related to the description of this collection.
Photography of ships
Harbors--United States
Postcards
Access Information
Access
This collection is open for research.
Access Information
Condition Restrictions
There are no restrictions based on the condition of this material. However, you should be aware that access to collection material is always at the discretion of NPS curatorial staff if the condition warrants restricting the access and handling of the collection items at any time.
There are no restrictions based on the condition of this material. However, you should be aware that access to collection material is always at the discretion of NPS curatorial staff if the condition warrants restricting the access and handling of the collection items at any time.
Conditions of Use
Use
The San Francisco Maritime NHP possesses physical property rights through ownership of the materials. However, copyright may
reside with the individual or corporate body responsible for the creation of the materials, or with their heirs. It is the
user's responsibility to respect the provisions of the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code).
Permission to reproduce or publish from this collection must be secured by the user from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
[Item title or description including date]. J. Porter Shaw photograph and postcard collection, P05-001. [Location within collection
organization identified by container number, series number, file unit number, or item number]. Historic Documents Department,
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Processing/Project Information
Processing and Cataloging
Processed by Charles Miller and completed 1/24/2005.
ANCS+ Catalog No. SAFR 20641.
The collection is cataloged in the National Park Service (NPS) Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+). A portion of the ANCS+ catalog record can be viewed on the NPS Museum Collections on the Web Catalog by searching on the catalog number 20641 at http://www.museum.nps.gov/safr/page.htm. Do not include the acronym "SAFR" in the search.
The collection is cataloged in the National Park Service (NPS) Automated National Catalog System (ANCS+). A portion of the ANCS+ catalog record can be viewed on the NPS Museum Collections on the Web Catalog by searching on the catalog number 20641 at http://www.museum.nps.gov/safr/page.htm. Do not include the acronym "SAFR" in the search.
Administrative Information
Biography
James Porter Shaw was born in Oroville, CA, on May 8, 1884. He was an attorney and sportsman who lived in Oakland from the time he was one year old. Graduating from the University of California in 1908, he was admitted to the bar in 1914, enlisted in the military in 1917, and served as a first lieutenant at Camp Lewis, WA, until 1919. A specialist in street law, Shaw also collected books, documents, photographs, vessel plans, models, paintings, and memorabilia, all concerning Pacific Coast maritime history. He died on February 5, 1959, in Oakland, CA.
James Porter Shaw was born in Oroville, CA, on May 8, 1884. He was an attorney and sportsman who lived in Oakland from the time he was one year old. Graduating from the University of California in 1908, he was admitted to the bar in 1914, enlisted in the military in 1917, and served as a first lieutenant at Camp Lewis, WA, until 1919. A specialist in street law, Shaw also collected books, documents, photographs, vessel plans, models, paintings, and memorabilia, all concerning Pacific Coast maritime history. He died on February 5, 1959, in Oakland, CA.
The acquisition of Shaw's collections shortly after his death constituted the formal funding of the research library at the
San Francisco Maritime Museum, now part of the San Francisco Maritime National Park, the institution was named the J. Porter
Shaw Library.
Accession No. SAFR-1 was transferred to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park from Golden Gate National Recreation
Area which acquired the collection (Accession No. GOGA-735) from the San Francisco Maritime Museum when it became a unit
of the National Park Service. The collection was donated to the San Francisco Maritime Museum by the J. Porter Shaw Estate,
on June 11, 1959.
Accession number SAFR-00001.
Administrative Information
This collection primarily depicts various maritime scenes and vessels. While 90% of the postcards have a maritime theme,
only about half of these relate to the Pacific Coast. The postcards and photographic prints were collected by J. Porter Shaw
as part of his interest in maritime history.
Roughly half (802 of 1,611) of the postcards are sorted alphabetically by vessel name. The vessel name was noted on the back,
and these postcards tend to be unused ones. Broken down by size, the number of photographs are: 27 large photos (up to 11"
x 15"), 56 medium-sized photos (up to 8" x 11"), 66 smaller photos (up to 5" x 7").
The collection is arranged in 2 series and subseries as follows:
Series 1. Postcards.
Subseries 1.1, Vessels arranged alphabetically by vessel name; Subseries 1.2, United States port cities arranged alphabetically by state and city name; Subseries 1.3, Foreign port cities arranged alphabetically by continent, country, and city name; Subseries 1.4, Five incomplete sets of postcards issued together with a common theme.
Subseries 1.1, Vessels arranged alphabetically by vessel name; Subseries 1.2, United States port cities arranged alphabetically by state and city name; Subseries 1.3, Foreign port cities arranged alphabetically by continent, country, and city name; Subseries 1.4, Five incomplete sets of postcards issued together with a common theme.
Series 2. Photographic prints.
Subseries 2.1, Vessels arranged alphabetically by vessel name; Subseries 2.2, Port cities arranged alphabetically by city name; Subseries 2.3, Clippings cut from magazines and journals; Subseries 2.4, Stereoptical and photographic cards; Subseries 2.5, Photographic prints; Subseries 2.6, Miscellaneous.
Subseries 2.1, Vessels arranged alphabetically by vessel name; Subseries 2.2, Port cities arranged alphabetically by city name; Subseries 2.3, Clippings cut from magazines and journals; Subseries 2.4, Stereoptical and photographic cards; Subseries 2.5, Photographic prints; Subseries 2.6, Miscellaneous.