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Thompson & West Records
mssTW  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Preferred Citation
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Biographical / Historical
  • Scope and Contents
  • Processing Information
  • Arrangement
  • General

  • Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library
    Title: Thompson & West records
    Creator: Thompson & West
    Identifier/Call Number: mssTW
    Physical Description: 5 Linear Feet (2 boxes, 5 volumes, 2 envelopes)
    Date (inclusive): 1828-1891
    Abstract: Papers belonging to the 19th century California publishing company Thompson & West.
    Language of Material: Materials are in English.

    Conditions Governing Access

    Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

    Conditions Governing Use

    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]. Thompson & West records, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Purchased from Dawson's Book Shop, July 1958.

    Biographical / Historical

    Thomas Hinkley Thompson (1841-1915) and Albert Augustus West (1841-1918), both from Illinois, formed a partnership in Oakland, California, in 1875 to publish books patterned after the state and local histories which became popular in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century. These volumes were sold by subscription and were generally accompanied by biographies of the subscribers and prominent citizens.

    Scope and Contents

    The collection consists of materials gathered for the publishing of local histories in California and Nevada from 1875-1890 (most of which relates to Yuba and Sutter counties in California). There is also some material on mining in California and Nevada (especially the Comstock Lode) and the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance. The collection also contains some materials on individuals such as Thomas Berdue, Samuel Brannan, Kit Carson, and William Thorrington. The collection also contains three scrapbooks of press clippings about the histories, 12 original drawings, and two books of engravings.

    Processing Information

    Processed by Huntington Library staff. In 2022, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

    Arrangement

    Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence etc.; 2. Envelopes; 3. Volumes.

    General

    Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssTW 1-151.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Mines and mineral resources -- California
    Mines and mineral resources -- Nevada
    Mines and mineral resources -- Nevada -- Comstock Lode
    Publishers and publishing -- California -- Oakland -- Archives
    Vigilance committees -- California -- San Francisco -- History -- Sources
    California -- Geography
    California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
    Nevada -- Geography
    Nevada -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
    Sutter County (Calif.) -- History -- Sources
    Yuba County (Calif.) -- History -- Sources
    Clippings (information artifacts) -- California
    Clippings (information artifacts) -- Nevada
    Drawings (visual works) -- California
    Drawings (visual works) -- Nevada
    Engravings (prints) -- California
    Engravings (prints) -- Nevada
    Letters (correspondence) -- California
    Letters (correspondence) -- Nevada
    Scrapbooks -- California
    Scrapbooks -- Nevada
    Berdue, Thomas
    Brannan, Sam, 1819-1889
    Carson, Kit, 1809-1868
    Thompson, Thomas Hinckley, 1841-1915
    Thorrington, William B., -1858
    West, Albert Augustus, 1841-1918