Guide to the Orange County Aerial Photograph Collection MS.R.087

Finding aid prepared by Carole McEwan and Brandee Idleman.

Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries

The UCI Libraries

P.O. Box 19557

University of California, Irvine

Irvine, California, 92623-9557

949-824-3947

spcoll@uci.edu

Title: Orange County aerial photograph collection

Identifier/Call Number: MS.R.087

Contributing Institution: Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 7.0 linear feet (4 document boxes and 15 oversize folders)

Date (inclusive): 1938-1965

Abstract: This collection consists of approximately 721 black-and-white aerial photographs of Orange County, California produced on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bulk of this collection consists of 9 x 9 inch and 23 x 23 inch photographic prints produced in 1938-1949, and 1965.

Creator: United States. Dept. of Agriculture.

Access

This collection is open for research. Access to the 1965 photographs is limited under the supervision of an Archivist or designated staff due to fragile and adhered photographs in oversize folders 1-2.

Preferred Citation

Orange County aerial photograph collection. MS-R087. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in six series:

Series 1. Aerial photographs, 1938, 2.5 linear feet
Series 2. Aerial photographs, 1942, 1.0 linear foot
Series 3. Aerial photographs, 1947, 0.5 linear foot
Series 4. Aerial photographs, 1949, 0.5 linear foot
Series 5. Aerial photographs, 1952-1953, 1.0 linear foot
Series 6. Aerial photographs, 1965, 1.5 linear feet

Each photograph is stamped with a uniquely identifying number at the top right including a three letter prefix indicating the county.

AXJ = Los Angeles County
AXK = Orange County
AXL = San Bernardino County
AXM = Riverside County

Several photographs have two prefixes indicating the aerial view is of two bordering counties.

Most photographs are organized sequentially by the identifying number scheme within the respective year; however, there are gaps in the numbering sequence. The range of items within each folder is indicated by the folder title that includes the identifying number scheme of the first and last photograph in the folder. Folder titles in document boxes do not include the three letter county prefix.

Scope and Content Summary

This collection consists of approximately 721 black-and-white aerial photographs of Orange County, California produced on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bulk of this collection consists of 9 x 7 inch, 9 x 9 inch and 23 x 23 inch photographic prints produced in 1938-1949, and 1965.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Acquisition Information

Accession 2001.032 was acquired in 1988 from the Apache Corporation (Denver, Colorado) via University of California Santa Cruz. Accession 2012.019 was acquired in 2002 and 2003 from University of California Berkeley’s Geography Department via the Earth Sciences and Map Library.

Historical Background

The photographs were produced for the United States Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the Agriculture Adjustment Administration (1942), Soil Conservation District of California (1952-1953) and the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service (1965) and provide regional historical information regarding land use and development in Orange County, California.

Processing History

Minimally processed by Carole McEwan, 2011. Further processing by Brandee Idleman, 2012.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Aerial photographs -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century

Agriculture -- California -- Orange County.

California -- California Land Conservation Act of 1965.

Land use -- California -- Orange County -- History -- Sources.

Orange County (Calif.) -- Photographs.

Regional planning -- California -- Orange County -- Archives

Folder XOS 15, Box 2, Folder 1-26, Box 1, Folder 1-26, Box 3, Folder 1-21

Aerial photographs, 1938 Series 1.

Physical Description: 2.5 Linear feet

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains approximately 150 9”x 7” aerial photographs produced for the United States Department of Agriculture Western Region Laboratory (Salt Lake City, Utah) in 1938. The series is unique in that it covers all of Orange County including a multipage photograph index map indicating the location of the each photo.

Box 3, Folder 22-30, Box 4, Folder 1-6

Aerial photographs, 1942 Series 2.

Physical Description: 1.0 linear foot

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains 9”x 9” aerial photographs produced for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (Orange, California) by the Aero Service Corporation (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) in 1942.

Box 4, Folder 7-12

Aerial photographs, 1947 Series 3.

Physical Description: 0.25 linear foot

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains 48 9”x 9” aerial photographs produced by Fairchild Aerial Surveys (Los Angeles, California) in 1947.

Folder XOS 15, Box 4, Folder 13-31

Aerial photographs, 1949 Series 4.

Physical Description: 0.25 linear foot

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains 9”x 9” aerial photographs produced for the United States Department of Agriculture Production and Marketing Administration (Orange, CA) by Park Aerial Surveys, Inc (Louisville, Kentucky) in 1949. The photographs are a partial representation of the county. A photograph index map is available indicating the location of each photo.

Folder XOS 8-14, Folder XOS 3-7

Aerial photographs, 1952-1953 Series 5.

Physical Description: 2.0 Linear feet

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains 203 large (majority are 23” x 23”) aerial photographs of northeast Orange County produced for the Soil Conservation Service (Santa Ana, California) and/or the Orange County Resource District (Santa Ana, California) in 1952 and 1953. Some photographs include hand written markings on the front and back.

Folder XOS 1-2

Aerial photographs, 1965 Series 6.

Physical Description: 1.0 linear foot

Scope and Content Summary

This series contains 42 large (majority are 23” x 23”) aerial photographs of Orange County produced for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service by Aerial Surveys (San Antonio, Texas). Photographs are a partial representation of the county. A photograph index map that corresponds to the Orange County photos is available. Some photographs include hand written notes indicating street names. In addition, there are photograph index maps for parts of San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County.