Guide to the John C. Gordon Photographic Negatives Collection

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Guide to the John C. Gordon Photographic Negatives Collection

MSS.2011.05.01

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Table of contents

Series I: Indexed Negatives – Acetate & Nitrate, c. 1926-1945

Scope and Content

This series consists of approximately 5,580 envelopes of acetate and nitrate negatives that provide a rich visual representation of everyday life in San José and Santa Clara County, California. The range of subjects covered illustrate change over time in a variety of industries, with a particular emphasis on agriculture and manufacturing industries, as well as small and medium local businesses such as Hart’s Department Store and the Hippodrome Theater. Other images include the Winchester Mystery House, the Lick Observatory, the San José Light Tower, San José State University, parks and parades, funerals, weddings, and mixed groups and local organizations. While the bulk of the collection documents industry, there are some fine representations of landscapes and historic sites including churches and missions, museums, and views of the Monterey Bay, the town of New Almaden, and Yosemite National Park. In addition, Gordon was very active in the Grange as well as the Knights of the Round Table Youth, and a small portion of the collection is devoted to the Grange movement in California.

While all of the photographic negatives have a specific historical value, the negatives documenting agriculture and the canneries provide the foundation for understanding the changes in the San José and Santa Clara County region’s transformation from the “Valley of Hearts Delight” to that of the Silicon Valley. Fruit production brought prosperity and opportunity to the county, which brought diverse ethnic groups to the area. This same prosperity and immigration to the region would be replicated with the formation of high-tech industries in the 1960s forward. Researchers interested in tracing the diversity of life in this region will thus find examples of urban life, education, politics, religion, ethnicity and race, transportation, industry, art, and culture.

Arrangement

This series is arranged by index number.

Box 1: A10.001-A10.255, c. 1926

Physical Description: 218 envelopes

Box 2: A10.256-A10.450, undated

Physical Description: 180 envelopes

Box 3: A10.452-A10.680, c. 1927

Physical Description: 197 envelopes

Box 4: A10.681-A10.940, c. 1928

Physical Description: 197 envelopes

Box 5: A10.941-A10.1150, c. 1928

Physical Description: 182 envelopes

Box 6: A10.1151-A10.1380, undated

Physical Description: 216 envelopes

Box 7: A10.1381-A10.1585, undated

Physical Description: 190 envelopes

Box 8: A10.1586-A10.1770, undated

Physical Description: 166 envelopes

Box 9: A10.1771-A10.1990, undated

Physical Description: 194 envelopes

Box 10: A10.1991-A10.2390, undated

Physical Description: 196 envelopes

Box 11: A10.2391-A10.2670, undated

Physical Description: 181 envelopes

Box 12: A10.2671-A10.2875, undated

Physical Description: 170 envelopes

Box 13: A10.2876-A10.3060, c. 1931

Physical Description: 173 envelopes

Box 14: A10.3061-A10.3230, c. 1931

Physical Description: 172 envelopes

Box 15: A10.3231-A10.3410, c. 1932

Physical Description: 161 envelopes

Box 16: A10.3411-A10.3610, c. 1932-1933

Physical Description: 192 envelopes

Box 17: A10.3611-A10.3785, c. 1932-1933

Physical Description: 172 envelopes

Box 18: A10.3786-A10.3960, c. 1933-1934

Physical Description: 149 envelopes

Box 19: A10.3961-A10.4535, c. 1934

Physical Description: 168 envelopes

Box 20: A10.4536-A10.4725, c. 1934-1935

Physical Description: 182 envelopes

Box 21: A10.4726-A10.4940, c. 1935-1937

Physical Description: 205 envelopes

Box 22: A10.4941-A10.5140, c. 1936-1937

Physical Description: 187 envelopes

Box 23: A10.5141-A10.5325, c. 1936-1937

Physical Description: 177 envelopes

Box 24: A10.5326-A10.5505 c. 1937-1938

Physical Description: 172 envelopes

Box 25: A10.5506-A10.5685, c. 1938-1939

Physical Description: 170 envelopes

Box 26: A10.5686-A10.5880, c. 1939-1940

Physical Description: 182 envelopes

Box 27: A10.5881-A10.6060, c. 1941-1942

Physical Description: 169 envelopes

Box 28: A10.6061-A10.6200, c. 1942-1943

Physical Description: 145 envelopes

Box 29: A10.6201-A10.6370, c. 1943-1944

Physical Description: 176 envelopes

Box 30: A10.6371-A10.6520, c. 1944-1945

Physical Description: 158 envelopes

Box 31: A10.6521-A10.6715, c. 1945

Physical Description: 180 envelopes

Total number of envelopes: 5,577

Series II. Topical Negatives – Glass, Acetate & Nitrate, undated (bulk)

Scope and Content

This series consists of approximately 3,400 glass plate negatives, and 6,300 envelopes of acetate and nitrate negatives, which document the history of Santa Clara County 1905 through 1925. The negatives include views of local industries such as canneries and fruit drying yards, events, holidays and celebrations, religious and fraternal organizations, storefronts, agricultural scenes, educational institutions, and downtown San José. Local businesses include the Bisceglia Brothers Canning Company, Normandin Auto Dealership, the Bean Spray Pump Co., the Leonard Coates Nursery, the California Packing Corporation, Knapp Plow Works, the Hotel Vendome, and the Sainte Claire Club. Also featured are images of the Scottish Rite Temple, the Young Women’s Christian Association, the New Almaden mines, Alum Rock Park and St. James Park, Santa Clara County Hospital, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Arrangement

This series is arranged by topic and format.

Topical Negatives – Glass

Box 32: undated

Physical Description: 39 negatives

Topics:

• Golf Links Country Club

• Pratt Low Cannery

Box 33: undated

Physical Description: 39 negatives

Topics:

• Beach scene

• Cacti plants

• Clayton Real Estate

• San José Normal School – play training

Box 34: undated

Physical Description: 43 negatives

Topics:

• Historic Tower Building

• San José Water Co.

• Spanish War-dressed troops marching in San José

Box 35: undated

Physical Description: 40 negatives

Topics:

• Heavy machine lathe and its accessories

• Low crops in the fields and scenes of drying tray process

• Young soldiers at attention in front of Scottish Rite Temple

Box 36: undated

Physical Description: 49 negatives

Topics:

• (3) glass negatives of Warm Springs class photos

• 1916 Barnes circus animals

• 1920 Maxwell Auto

• Countryside scenes

• Cows

• Knapp Plow and Yuba Tractor demonstration – Cupertino

• Portraits of Mrs. C. Russell and Amelia Rose

• Various women posing and portraits

Box 37: undated

Physical Description: 37 negatives

Topics:

• Agricultural trees

• Close-ups of fruit and flower blossoms

• Highway – 14 miles south of San José showing potholes

• Women in class – Normal School – Various women and girls taken Feb. 15th, 1918

Box 38: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Cultural people, store windows, Red Cross display

• J.K. Armsby Co. dried fruit plant

• Montgomery Hotel

Box 39: undated

Physical Description: 65 negatives

Topics:

• Amelia Rose Johnson

• Bean Spray Co. – deep well pumps

• Bean spray pumps

• Borcher Bros. - vices

• Furniture drawings

• Large animal skeletons from L.A. museum

• Orchestra concert

• Pieces of wood

• Photographed documents

• Santa Clara church

• Santa Clara College building and St. Joseph’s Church

• Storefronts – displays and interiors

• The Bland turkeys

• Telephone poles

• Toyon Farm – Los Altos

• Unidentified farm negative

• Various – Mechanical equipment, buildings and homes, people

• Various New Almaden negatives

• Wedding photos

Box 40: undated

Physical Description: 46 negatives

Topics:

• Kimbelins Sand Farm – onions and lettuce

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 41: undated

Physical Description: 42 negatives

Topics:

• Chamber of Commerce

• Grain loaded horse drawn wagons – cases of Sunsweet prunes being loaded into railroad car

• Nice orchard and harvest field scenes

• Nice orchard scenes and a few farm yard scenes on tractor

• Santa Clara County (points of interest)

Box 42: undated

Physical Description: 37 negatives

Topics:

• Banks

• Bean Spray Co.

Box 43: undated

Physical Description: 49 negatives

Topics:

• Automobile, ca. 1920

• Bean Spray Co. (continued)

• Beautiful women – dresses at LA 1906 office scene

• Bus, airplane pictures

• Normandin – camper co.

• Patterson-Williams Mfg. Co. – swing cart, see-saw, revolving teeter

• St. James Hotel

Box 44: undated

Physical Description: 40 negatives

Topics:

• Bangs residence and views of a creek landslide

• House front with architectural detail and flowering bushes

• Military formations band

• Mr. Kellogg’s log tree house on wheels

• Red Cross ladies (Tucker photos)

• Various labeled negatives

Box 45: undated

Physical Description: 36 negatives

Topics:

• Architectural

• Industrial canneries, etc.

Box 46: undated

Physical Description: 36 negatives

Topics:

• Industrial canneries, etc. (continued)

• Santa Clara and other different places

• School groups

Box 47: undated

Physical Description: 36 negatives

Topics:

• Bean Spray pumps

• Los Gatos bean fields

• Odd relics at Santa Clara University

• Saratoga

Box 48: undated

Physical Description: 35 negatives

Topics:

• San José and Santa Clara High School buildings

• Tractor scenes in field

• Wedding photographs

• Young Women's Christian Association

Box 49: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Industrial business

Box 50: undated

Physical Description: 39 negatives

Topics:

• Bean Spray Co. equipment

• San José street illuminations

Box 51: 1917, 1920-1921, some undated

Physical Description: 45 negatives

Topics:

• Axerill Machine Co. – April 20th, 1917

• Elmer Bros. old nursery

• Packers and canners equip. (Bennit Co.)

• Portraits - Mrs. Smoot; July 3rd, 1921

• San José State University buildings

• Sperry Flour Co.

Box 52: undated

Physical Description: 43 negatives

Topics:

• Alum Rock Park (Tucker photos)

• Bean Spray pumps

• Industrial business

• Mack trucks

Box 53: undated

Physical Description: 39 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous photos

Box 54: undated

Physical Description: 46 negatives

Topics:

• Early Gilroy

• Hotel Vendrome and grounds outside – Plunge Dining Room, grill, parlors, grounds, etc.

• Lumber-drying facility

• Odd Fellows home

• Reamn Co. House Theatre

• Rosenberg Dried Fruit Co. building

• Various group photos

Box 55: undated

Physical Description: 42 negatives

Topics:

• Herold's Shoe Store

• Identified miscellaneous negatives

Box 56: undated

Physical Description: 42 negatives

Topics:

• Churches

• Churches and interiors

• Identified miscellaneous negatives (continued)

Box 57: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Cal Packers Corp.

• Leonard Coates Nursery

• Portraits

• Santa Clara County Hospital, buildings, etc.

Box 58: undated

Physical Description: 34 negatives

Topics:

• Bean Spray Equipment

• Pacific Manufacturing Co.

• Santa Clara caskets

Box 59: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Elmer Bros. Nursery

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 60: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Fire damage in factory

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

• Nice Santa Clara Valley agricultural landscapes

Box 61: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Agricultural machinery builders

• Britton Machine Works – auto cylinder regrinding machinery

• Saint James Hotel

• Whemer building

Box 62: undated

Physical Description: 35 negatives

Topics:

• Agricultural machinery builders (continued)

• University of Santa Clara athletes

Box 63: undated

Physical Description: 37 negatives

Topics:

• Bean spray equipment in use

• Costumed children celebrating 4th of July with Liberty Bell mock-up

• Knapp Plow Works – farm machinery

• Machine harvesting

Box 64: undated

Physical Description: 43 negatives

Topics:

• California Packing Corp.

• California Prune and Agricultural building

• Del Monte – different plant machinery

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 65: undated

Physical Description: 36 negatives

Topics:

• Funeral – graves

• Garden City Sanitarium

• Photos of paintings

• Various labeled prints

Box 66: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Close-ups of various fruits and vegetables

• Farmland and agricultural photos

Box 67: undated

Physical Description: 35 negatives

Topics:

• Close-ups of fruits and vegetables

• Various portraits

Box 68: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Agricultural

• Houses

• Soldiers dressed as the Spanish-American War – marching; soldiers firing a field piece

Box 69: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Campo Comfy Camp

• People – groups

• Whittman - San Marin

• Wrecked car

Box 70: c. 1909-1915

Physical Description: 35 negatives

Topics:

• Berz Park Packing Industry - San José

• Claflin House – 4/19/09

• County scenes – man on horse

• Mountain scenery, c. 1910 – Redwood trees

• National Ice Cream Co., c. 1911

• Providence Hospital Chapel – Christ, Jesus statue

• Prune processing, c. 1915

• Security Savings Bank, San José, c. 1915

Box 71: undated

Physical Description: 43 negatives

Topics:

• Copeland residence

• Prime identifiable negatives

Box 72: undated

Physical Description: 37 negatives

Topics:

• National Axil portraits

• San José State - celebration/ceremony

Box 73: c. 1910-1915

Physical Description: 34 negatives

Topics:

• Clubs, San José

• Eagles Hall

• Fraternal organization - San José

• Groups, c. 1910

• Packing plant, c. 1915

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

• Sainte Claire Club, c. 1915

• Scottish Rite Temple, c. 1915

• St. James Street/Park

Box 74: c. 1914

Physical Description: 107 negatives

Topics:

• Campbell, 1914

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

• San José Normal School

Box 75: undated

Physical Description: 40 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 76: undated

Physical Description: 50 negatives

Topics:

• Bisceglia Brothers

• Foothills and Alum Rock (Tucker photos)

• Red Cross

Box 77: undated

Physical Description: 42 negatives

Topics:

• ADM Cooper paintings

• Fruit industry

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

• Moon Tractor Co.

Box 78: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 79: undated

Physical Description: 41 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 80: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 81: undated

Physical Description: 38 negatives

Topics:

• Campbell, 1914

• Centella Church

• Hart's Store

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 82: c. 1914-1920

Physical Description: 110 negatives

Topics:

• Campbell ,1914

• Centella Church

• Houses

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

• Miscellaneous negatives identified by photographer

• Santa Rosa Grange

Box 83: c. 1905-1916

Physical Description: 93 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous negatives identified by photographer

Box 84: undated

Physical Description: 100 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous negatives identified by photographer

Box 85: undated

Physical Description: 99 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 86: c. 1915-1919

Physical Description: 105 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 87: undated

Physical Description: 24 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 88: undated

Physical Description: 98 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 89: undated

Physical Description: 72 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 90: undated

Physical Description: 72 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 91: undated

Physical Description: 48 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 92: undated

Physical Description: 44 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 93: undated

Physical Description: 44 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 94: undated

Physical Description: 34 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 95: undated

Physical Description: 29 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 96: undated

Physical Description: 34 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 97: undated

Physical Description: 80 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 98: c. 1915-1917

Physical Description: 46 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 99: undated

Physical Description: 74 negatives

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Total number of negatives: 3,384

Topical Negatives - Acetate & Nitrate

Box 100: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 101: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 102: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 103: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 104: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 105: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 106: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 107: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 108: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 109: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 110: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 111: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 112: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 113: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 114: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 115: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 116: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 117: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 118: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 119: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 120: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 121: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 122: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 123: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 124: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 125: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 126: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 127: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 128: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 129: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 130: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 131: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 132: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 133: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 134: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Box 135: undated (bulk)

Physical Description: 175* envelopes

Topics:

• Miscellaneous labeled negatives

Total number of envelopes: 6,300

*Note: This number is an approximation.

Collection Contents

Series I: Indexed Negatives – Acetate & Nitrate, c.

Box 2: A10.256-A10.450,

Box 3: A10.452-A10.680,

Box 4: A10.681-A10.940,

Box 5: A10.941-A10.1150,

Box 6: A10.1151-A10.1380,

Box 7: A10.1381-A10.1585,

Box 8: A10.1586-A10.1770,

Box 9: A10.1771-A10.1990,

Box 10: A10.1991-A10.2390,

Box 11: A10.2391-A10.2670,

Box 12: A10.2671-A10.2875,

Box 13: A10.2876-A10.3060,

Box 14: A10.3061-A10.3230,

Box 15: A10.3231-A10.3410,

Box 16: A10.3411-A10.3610,

Box 17: A10.3611-A10.3785,

Box 18: A10.3786-A10.3960,

Box 19: A10.3961-A10.4535,

Box 20: A10.4536-A10.4725,

Box 21: A10.4726-A10.4940,

Box 22: A10.4941-A10.5140,

Box 23: A10.5141-A10.5325,

Box 24: A10.5326-A10.5505

Box 25: A10.5506-A10.5685,

Box 26: A10.5686-A10.5880,

Box 27: A10.5881-A10.6060,

Box 28: A10.6061-A10.6200,

Box 29: A10.6201-A10.6370,

Box 30: A10.6371-A10.6520,

Box 31: A10.6521-A10.6715,

Total number of envelopes: 5,577

Series II. Topical Negatives – Glass, Acetate & Nitrate,

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