Paul A. Palmer and Agnes Blomquist Collection, 1928-1976

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Summary

Creators:
Palmer (Paul A.) Blomquist (Agnes) Newport Balboa Saving and Loan Association P. A. Palmer Real Estate
Abstract:
In 1935, Palmer was hired as the general sales agent for Griffith Company, which owned much of Lido Isle. Palmer and his associates eventually founded Newport Balboa Savings & Loan Association in 1936 as a means of helping home buyers to obtain financing. This collection includes maps, advertisements, official documents, and photographic prints and negatives. The subject of materials include real estate and banking in the city of Newport Beach, California and specifically in Lido Isle. The collection includes maps and advertisements promoting the affordability and luxury of the Lido Isle subdivision. A majority of the advertisements include the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association, a company which specialized in financing homes on Lido Isle. The photographs in this collection feature images of real estate in Southern California and many images of the construction of Newport Balboa Saving and Loan’s headquarters, employees and company events.
Extent:
9 archives boxes; 4 linear feet
Language:
Preferred citation:

Paul A. Palmer and Agnes Blomquist Collection. Sherman Library and Gardens

Background

Scope and content:

This collection includes maps, advertisements, official documents, and photographic prints and negatives. The subject of materials include real estate and banking in the city of Newport Beach, California and specifically in Lido Isle. The collection includes maps and advertisements promoting the affordability and luxury of the Lido Isle subdivision. A majority of the advertisements include the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association, a company which specialized in financing homes on Lido Isle. The photographs in this collection feature images of real estate in Southern California and many images of the construction of Newport Balboa Saving and Loan’s headquarters, employees and company events.

Biographical / historical:

Paul Arthur Palmer was born on June 26, 1893 in San Francisco, CA. He began a career in real estate in 1920. He worked in the firm responsible for developing Belmont Shores in Long Beach, and later became the sales manager of the Long Beach office. After the real estate in Long Beach was completely sold, Paul Palmer established his own real estate offices in Pasadena, Hollywood, Glendale, and downtown Los Angeles. In 1935, Palmer obtained the exclusive sales contract from the Griffith Company for Lido Isle, a neighborhood in Newport Beach, California. Because of the lack of local financial institutions willing to extend mortgages, Palmer and five other businessmen founded Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association. Palmer served as manager, president, and then chairman of the board for the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association which grew to serve the greater Orange Coast area. Palmer died April 17, 1979. Agnes Bloomquist was most notable for her accomplishments as a realtor and later president of the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association in Newport Beach, California. From the mid-1930s Blomquist worked alongside Paul A. Palmer, the first president of the Newport Balboa Savings and Loan Association. Bloomquist eventually was named president of the Association. She was also the president of Lido Insurance Agency, the president of Lido Isle Properties, and the president of the Newport Beach United Fund. In 1963, the Los Angeles Times, named Agnes Blomquist Woman of the Year.

Acquisition information:
This collection was a gift of the estate of Agnes Blomquist.
Arrangement:

These papers are arranged into the following series:

  1. Newport Beach Files, 1936-1965 (Box 1)
  2. General Real Estate Files, 1932-1950 (Box 1)
  3. Lid Isle
    1. Files, 1928-1963 (Box 2)
    2. Billboard Replicas, ca. 1940 (Box 8
  4. Newport Balboa Savings & Loan
    1. Subject Files, 1949-1969 (Box 3)
    2. Dividend Newsletter, 1954-1959 (Box 3)
    3. Personal Interest Stories, 1952-1954 (Box 4)
  6. Photographs
    1. Prints, 1928-1969 (Box 5 )
    2. Negatives, 1941-1972 (Boxes 6-8)
  7. Oversize

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the Sherman Library. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The Sherman Library do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

Paul A. Palmer and Agnes Blomquist Collection. Sherman Library and Gardens

Location of this collection:
614 Dahlia Ave.
Corona del Mar, CA 92625, US
Contact:
(949) 673-1880
library@slgardens.org
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