Hazard-Dyson Collection, 1855-1962

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Summary

Abstract:
This collection contains an unpublished manuscript, "California's Romantic Ranchos" (ca. 1962) by journalist and editor Verne Dyson (1879-1971), on the history of the privately-owned California rancho lands granted under Spanish and Mexican rule. The manuscript is complemented by 326 photographs, chiefly dating from the 1890s-1900s and acquired by historian and amateur photographer George W. Hazard (1842-1914), that document adobes, early homes and towns, missions and prominent pioneers of California. There is also a 19th century abstract of title, ca. 1855-1878, providing a history of A. W. Timms' land transactions on Rancho Palos Verdes, California, as well as some additional illustrations.
Extent:
2.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes)
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Hazard-Dyson Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains an unpublished typewritten manuscript, ca. 1962, with 326 photographs, entitled "California's Romantic Ranchos: The History, Stories and Legends of the Haciendas, with a Roll of the Rancheros, a Complete List of the Land Grants of California, and Biographies of Famous Personalities – Spanish, Mexican and American," by journalist and editor Verne Dyson (1879-1971). The photographs date from ca. 1868–1922 and include adobes, early homes and towns, missions and prominent pioneers of California. There are also 15 engravings and several printed illustrations and maps removed from other texts, as well as a 19th century abstract of title - a history of A. W. Timms' land transactions on Rancho Palos Verdes, California, ca. 1855-1878.

In addition, Boxes 6 and 7 contain 121 photographs that depict a variety of views of Southern California with the "Hazard-Dyson Collection" stamp. These include photographs presumably by George Hazard, ca. 1890-1914, as well as other late 19th and early 20th century photographs by commercial photographers. In 2016, these photographs were removed from the Huntington Library's Photographic Files (PF) and reunited with the rest of the collection. The photographs retain the "photPF" call number on the back of the image.

Biographical / historical:

Verne Dyson (1879-1971) was born in Calloway County, Missouri, and graduated from Central College, Fayette, Missouri. He started his career in journalism in 1907 as a feature writer at the Kansas City Star, then later the same year moved to Los Angeles to work as a writer and editor at the Los Angeles Times. Dyson became acquainted with historian George W. Hazard, who hired him to edit a work on the history of Los Angeles that Hazard had been working on for many years. Hazard died in 1914 before it was published. Dyson acquired Hazard's vast collection of materials and photographs from his family.

Dyson stayed in Los Angeles until 1920, when he went to Shanghai, China to become dean of Williams College. The following year he became professor of English and Chinese history at the University of the Philippines in Manila. From 1940 - 1961 he served as curator of the Walt Whitman Museum in New York, and founded the Brentwood, New York Bulletin, and the Walt Whitman Quarterly. He retired to California in 1961 and died in 1971.

In the introduction to this manuscript, dated 1962, Dyson writes: "My study of the California ranchos began in 1913 when I bought a large collection of pictures and historical material from George W. Hazard, brother of Henry Hazard, an early mayor of Los Angeles… I sold the larger part of the Hazard collection in New York City fifteen years ago [1947], retaining all of the pictures and historical material dealing with the ranchos. Between the years 1913 and 1920 in Los Angeles, I devoted much of my time to classifying the rancho material and preparing a manuscript… I completed the manuscript recently, having been able to concentrate on it after retiring from active life and coming to San Diego eight months ago." – Verne Dyson, San Diego, May 27, 1962. (See "About this Book," Box 1).

George W. Hazard (1842-1914) was a Los Angeles historian and amateur photographer. Between the 1890s and early 1900s, Hazard traveled throughout Southern California photographing locations of local historical significance.

Acquisition information:

The materials in series I, purchased from Verne Dyson, December 13, 1962.

The provenance of the photographs in series II is unclear. Acquisition records indicate that 170 Hazard-Dyson photographs were purchased from Dawson's Bookshop in December 1965.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in the following order:

  1. Manuscript
  2. Photographs, illustrations, and Rancho Palos Verdes title abstract
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Hazard-Dyson Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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