Description
This collection contains historical
photographs of San Bernardino, CA and the Inland Empire region of Southern California taken
and collected by notable local photographer, Walter Henry Clarence Steele.
Background
Walter Henry Clarence Steele was born in Berlin, North Dakota in 1897. His initial interest
in photography was sparked by his father and he later received formal training as a
photographer from the Eastman and Ansco companies, two of the major camera manufacturers of
that era. Steele came to San Bernardino, California in 1920, after serving in the United
States military, and began working in his father's photo studio located in Urbita Springs
Park (an area in San Bernardino). While there he met his future wife Beatrice Preston and
the couple was married in 1923. Together they had two daughters, Eloise Coats and Evelyn
Cranston. The couple operated Steele's Photo Service in San Bernardino for decades, and
Walter became known as the unofficial "official photographer" of San Bernardino. He was the
first official photographer of the National Orange Show, serving in that capacity for 30
years, and was also the only photographer for the San Bernardino County Sun newspaper in its
early years. Walter documented the growth of San Bernardino through his photography,
capturing the city as it changed and evolved over the years. Walter Steele passed away on
February 5, 1985 at the age of 87. Five years later in 1992, the family closed down Steele's
Photo Service. A few years after the business was closed Beatrice Steele passed away at the
age of 97 on December 19, 1996.
Extent
3.0 Linear Feet
(6 document boxes)
Restrictions
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S.
Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of
some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy
and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or
reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply,
permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also
required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with
the user.
Availability
This collection is open for research.