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A guide to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records, 1963-2014
P14-008 (SAFR 24429)
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Title: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records
Date: 1963-2014
Date (bulk): 1988-2014
Identifier/Call Number: P14-008 (SAFR 24429)
Creator:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.)
Physical Description:
75847 items.
Repository:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department
Building E, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
Abstract: The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records, 1963-2014, bulk 1988-2014, (SAFR 24429, P14-008) are
comprised mainly of photographs documenting San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park daily operations and special events.
The collection has been processed to the File Unit level and is open for use.
Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department
Language(s):
In English.
This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.
Some materials maybe restricted to internal use only for reasons of privacy and in order to protect the Park's resources.
Photographs of sensitive areas, such as collection storage areas, may be restricted. There are no signed release forms for
people who appear in the photographs and video recordings.
Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other
case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.
The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include
the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter
experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide
please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide.
Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.
[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item
Number], P14-008 (SAFR 24429), San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records, San Francisco Maritime
National Historical Park
SAFR-02266
Field collection by San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park staff in June 2014 upon the retirement of Park photographer
Tim Campbell. Steve Danford, former Park photographer, retired in August 2006. All materials were located in the Photo Lab
offices in the East Bleachers at the Maritime Museum Building.
Historical or Biographical Note
Agency History: The San Francisco Maritime Museum, operated by the San Francisco Maritime Association, opened to the public
on May 28, 1951. In 1956, the San Francisco Maritime State Historic Park was established and existed under this name until
1978 when it became the National Maritime Museum, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Maritime Unit became
a separate national park called the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1988.
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records, 1963-2014, bulk 1988-2014, (SAFR 24429, P14-008) are
comprised mainly of photographs documenting San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park daily operations and special events.
The collection has been processed to the File Unit level and is open for use.
Contains physical materials and digital files documenting San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SFMNHP) grounds,
staff activities, visitors, and historic collections, 1963-2014, bulk 1988-2014. The physical materials consist primarily
of black-and-white and color negatives (mostly 35mm); black-and-white and color photographic prints; color slides and transparencies;
videocassettes; and documents. The digital media consist primarily of photograph files (TIFFS and JPEGS) and video files.
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records primarily cover the period beginning when SFMNHP became
a separate entity from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) in 1988. The items in the collection are mostly the
work of the Park's photographers, Tim Campbell and Steve Danford, with contributions from other Park staff. Some material
is from their predecessors, including GGNRA photographer Richard Frear.
The collection documents activities by SFMNHP staff from Facilities & Ships, Interpretation, and Cultural Resources divisions,
as well as by volunteers and Park partners (such as the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, formerly known as
the San Francisco Maritime Museum Association). SFMNHP locations consist of Hyde Street Pier and the Aquatic Park Historic
District, which includes the Maritime Museum Building, Aquatic Park Cove, Municipal Pier, Victorian Park, and bocce ball courts.
Additional sites include the Visitor Center housed in the former Haslett Warehouse building as well as the Park's headquarters
and Maritime Research Center (formerly referred to as the library) located in Building E of the Fort Mason Center.
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Photo Lab records largely consist of photographs of SFMNHP's fleet of
historic vessels which is comprised of ALMA (built 1891; scow schooner), BALCLUTHA (built 1886; ship, 3m), C.A. THAYER (built
1895; schooner, 3m), EPPLETON HALL (built 1914; paddle tugboat), EUREKA (built 1890; paddle ferry), HERCULES (built 1907;
tugboat), and formerly WAPAMA (built 1915; steam schooner), as well as many small craft, including GRACE QUAN (built 2003;
shrimp junk), MERRY BEAR (built 1931; sloop: yacht: Bear Boat class), TELCO (built 1938; tugboat) and NUOVO MONDO (built 1987;
felucca). Staff and volunteers are shown performing preventative maintenance, repairing, and rebuilding the vessels at Hyde
Street Pier, including in the Small Boat Shop. The photographs also show the vessels during drydockings at San Francisco Bay
Area shipyards.
Annual events held at SFMNHP such as the Festival of the Sea, Sea Music Festival, and Fourth of July celebrations are documented
in the collection as well as special events such as exhibit openings, small craft launchings, and the 100th anniversary celebrations
of EUREKA, C.A. THAYER, and ALMA. Visitors are shown interacting with exhibits and ranger-led programs. Rangers and Park partners
also lead the Age of Sail program, formerly known as the Environmental Living Program. In addition, the collection contains
photographs of museum objects as well as library and archive collections.
The paper documents portion of the collection includes the Park photographer's drafts and notes concerning various projects
such as the development of the permanent exhibit in the Visitor Center and time code notes for videos. Video footage includes
the restoration of C.A. THAYER in 2003-2007 and the construction of GRACE QUAN in 2003-2004, as wells as public events and
ranger led programs at the Park.
The collection is arranged into four Series based on groups as they were established by the Park photographers. They primarily
separated materials by format.
- Subseries 1.1. Binders of black-and-white negatives, contact sheets and field notes
- Subseries 1.2. Photographic prints subject files
- Subseries 1.3. Binder of color negatives, contact sheets and field notes
- Subseries 1.4. Binders of color slides and transparencies
- Subseries 1.5. HAER photographs of the C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration
- Subseries 1.6. Loose photographs
- Subsubseries 1.6.1. Al Hyne photographs
- Subsubseries 1.6.2. Haslett Warehouse fire damage
- Subsubseries 1.6.3. Other photographs
- Series 2. Documents
- Series 3. Videocassettes
- Series 4. Digital media
- Subseries 4.1. Hard drives
- Subseries 4.2. Other media
Related photograph and media collections:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park event photographs, 1979-2001, SFMNHP, (SAFR 22236, P09-008). Consists of photographs
and audiovisual materials from annual events and special events held at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Facilities and Ships Division photographs and media, 1986-1991, SFMNHP, (SAFR
22585, P91-071). Consists of photographs and media created by San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park staff during
the course of their work in the Facilities and Ships division.
Related manuscript collections:
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park events records, 1991-2007, SFMNHP, (SAFR 23001, HDC 1631). Compilation of
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park visual communications containing posters, events calendars, brochures, advertisements,
programs, invitations, and tickets.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park records, 1988-[ongoing], SFMNHP, (SAFR 18502, HDC 652). Comprised primarily
of textual records describing functions such as the care and maintenance of historic resources, visitor-related activities,
planning, daily administration, public relations, and historic research. Formats include correspondence, meeting minutes,
publications, surveys, planning documents, and contracts.
- This material is located at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Maritime museums
Museums
Museum exhibits
Historic ships
Small craft
Ships--Preservation
Interpretation of cultural and natural resources
Historic preservation
ma (built 1891; scow schooner)
Balclutha (built 1886; ship, 3m)
C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m)
Eppleton Hall (built 1914; paddle tugboat)
Eureka (built 1890; ferry)
Hercules (built 1907; tugboat)
Lewis Ark (houseboat)
Wapama (built 1915; steam schooner)
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.)
San Francisco Maritime National Park Association
n Francisco (Calif.)
Aquatic Park (San Francisco, Calif.)
Hyde Street Pier
Victorian Park (San Francisco, California)
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Color negatives
Color prints (photographs)
Color slides
Color transparencies
Compact discs
Contact sheets
Digital file formats
Digital prints
Drafts (documents)
DVDs
Floppy disks
Gelatin silver prints
Hard drives
Interpositives
Mini-DV
Notebooks
Photocopies