Gordon (John C.) Photographic Negatives Collection

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Gordon (John C.) 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

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

Box 2

Box 2: A10.256-A10.450 undated

Box 3

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

Box 4

Box 4: A10.681-a10.940 c. 1928

Box 5

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

Box 6

Box 6: A10.1151-A10.1380 undated

Box 7

Box 7: A10.1381-A10.1585 undated

Box 8

Box 8: A10.1586-A10.1770 undated

box 9

Box 9: A10.1771-A10.1990 undated

Box 10

Box 10: A10.1991-A10.2390 undated

Box 11

Box 11: A10.2391-A10.2670 undated

Box 12

Box 12: A10.2671-A10.2875 undated

Box 13

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

Box 14

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

Box 15

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

Box 16

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

Box 17

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

Box 18

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

Box 19

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

Box 20

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

Box 21

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

Box 22

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

Box 23

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

Box 24

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

Box 25

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

Box 26

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

Box 27

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

Box 28

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

Box 29

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

Box 30

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

Box 31

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

Box 136

Box 136: Original Index to Collection

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.

Box 32

Box 32 undated

Box 33

Box 33 undated

Box 34

Box 34 undated

Box 35

Box 35 undated

Box 36

Box 36 undated

Box 37

Box 37 undated

Box 38

Box 38 undated

Box 39

Box 39 undated

Box 40

Box 40 undated

Box 41

Box 41 undated

Box 42

Box 42 undated

Box 43

Box 43 undated

Box 44

Box 44 undated

Box 45

Box 45 undated

Box 46

Box 46 undated

Box 47

Box 47 undated

Box 48

Box 48 undated

Box 49

Box 49 undated

Box 50

Box 50 undated

Box 51

Box 51 1917, 1920-1921, some undated

Box 52

Box 52 undated

Box 53

Box 53 undated

Box 54

Box 54 undated

Box 55

Box 55 undated

Box 56

Box 56 undated

Box 57

Box 57 undated

Box 58

Box 58 undated

Box 59

Box 59 undated

Box 60

Box 60 undated

Box 61

Box 61 undated

Box 62

Box 62 undated

Box 63

Box 63 undated

Box 64

Box 64 undated

Box 65

Box 65 undated

Box 66

Box 66 undated

Box 67

Box 67 undated

Box 68

Box 68 undated

Box 69

Box 69 undated

Box 70

Box 70 c. 1909-1915

Box 71

Box 71 undated

Box 72

Box 72 undated

Box 73

Box 73 c. 1910-1915

Box 74

Box 74 c. 1914

Box 75

Box 75 undated

Box 76

Box 76 undated

Box 77

Box 77 undated

Box 78

Box 78 undated

Box 79

Box 79 undated

Box 80

Box 80 undated

Box 81

Box 81 undated

Box 82

Box 82 c. 1914-1920

Box 83

Box 83 1905-1916

Box 84

Box 84 undated

Box 85

Box 85 undated

Box 86

Box 86 1915-1919

Box 87

Box 87 undated

Box 88

Box 88 undated

Box 89

Box 89 undated

Box 90

Box 90 undated

Box 91

Box 91 undated

Box 92

Box 92 undated

Box 93

Box 93 undated

Box 94

Box 94 undated

Box 95

Box 95 undated

Box 96

Box 96 undated

Box 97

Box 97 c. 1915-1917

Box 98

Box 98

Box 99

Box 99 undated

Box 100

Box 100 undated (bulk)

Box 101

Box 101 undated (bulk)

Box 102

Box 102 undated (bulk)

Box 103

Box 103 undated (bulk)

Box 104

Box 104 undated (bulk)

Box 105

Box 105 undated (bulk)

Box 106

Box 106 undated (bulk)

Box 107

Box 107 undated (bulk)

Box 108

Box 108 undated (bulk)

Box 109

Box 109 undated (bulk)

Box 110

Box 110 undated (bulk)

Box 111

Box 111 undated (bulk)

Box 112

Box 112 undated (bulk)

Box 113

Box 113 undated (bulk)

Box 114

Box 114 undated (bulk)

Box 115

Box 115 undated (bulk)

Box 116

Box 116 undated (bulk)

Box 117

Box 117 undated (bulk)

Box 118

Box 118 undated (bulk)

Box 119

Box 119 undated (bulk)

Box 120

Box 120 undated (bulk)

Box 121

Box 121 undated (bulk)

Box 122

Box 122 undated (bulk)

Box 123

Box 123 undated (bulk)

Box 124

Box 124 undated (bulk)

Box 125

Box 125 undated (bulk)

Box 126

Box 126 undated (bulk)

Box 127

Box 127 undated (bulk)

Box 128

Box 128 undated (bulk)

Box 129

Box 129 undated (bulk)

Box 130

Box 130 undated (bulk)

Box 131

Box 131 undated (bulk)

Box 132

Box 132 undated (bulk)

Box 133

Box 133 undated (bulk)

Box 134

Box 134 undated (bulk)

Box 135

Box 135 undated (bulk)

Collection Contents

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

Series II. Topical Negatives – Glass, Acetate & Nitrate