Custado Family Collection, 1914-1983

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Summary

Title:
Custado Family Collection
Dates:
1914-1983
Creators:
Custado family
Abstract:
The collection contains materials related to the Custado, Kistner and Redondo families, including their involvement in tennis and architecture.
Extent:
0.5 Linear feet (1 box)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Custado Family Collection, MS 169, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains materials regarding the Custado, Kistner and Redondo families, as well as their active involvement in tennis and architecture. Personal family documents cover the Custados, Kistners and Redondos, including family biographies, Sixto Custado’s naval records, publications and a book on Ted and Rita Custado Kistner's travels, as well as Ted’s local civic involvement. The collection includes materials related to the tennis activities of the Custado and Redondo families including articles, correspondence, and photographs of their involvement and success in local and professional tennis from the 1960s to the 1980s. Professional portfolios of architect T.C. Kistner’s projects are in the collection, including his work with the architectural firms Kistner, Curtis & Wright, and Kistner, Wright & Wright. There are also copies of photographs and illustrations of school architecture and other buildings designed by T.C. Kistner in the collection, as well as a 1914 booklet entitled “School Architecture in California.”

Biographical / historical:

Sixto Custado was born in the Philippines in 1895. He joined the Navy in 1916 and served in both World Wars. Sophia Tejedor was born in Manila in 1908. Sophia married Sixto Custado in 1926 and together they moved to the United States to San Pedro, California. They had two daughters, Teodosia Rita, known as Rita, and Martha Isidra. In 1939 the family moved to San Diego, California. After the war they ran a Filipino restaurant called the Bataan Café on Island Street from about 1946 to 1954. Sophia, also known as “Mamita,” was well known in San Diego as an advocate for tennis. She died of a heart attack while watching her grandchildren play tennis at Morley Field in August 1973. In 1981 the Linda Vista Recreation Council dedicated their new addition to the Linda Vista Recreation Center and Tennis Courts in memory of Sophia Custado.

Rita Custado married Ted C. Kistner, son of noted San Diego architect Theodore C. Kistner, in 1955. They had no children. Ted Kistner was a local realtor, broker, and president of the Ocean Beach Town Council from 1973-1974. Together, Ted and Rita completed a two-year sailing voyage with 16 other people on a schooner called the Dwyn Wen. In 1960 Rita published a book about their voyage titled, “South Sea Adventure Cruise.” Rita was a teacher at Twentynine Palms School and was also known in the arts and crafts community for her creative stitchery. She died in June 1984.

T.C. Kistner, Ted C. Kistner’s father, was the official architect for the San Diego School Board and designed two Carnegie libraries, one in Chula Vista and one in East San Diego. In 1911, T.C. Kistner headed the architecture firm Kistner & Co. specializing in school architecture. In 1933, T.C. Kistner partnered with R.R. Curtis to form the firm Kistner & Curtis. In 1941 Henry L. Wright became a partner of the firm and it became known as Kistner Curtis & Wright. In 1952, William L. Wright became a partner and Kistner, Curtis & Wright dissolved to form Kistner, Wright & Wright. T.C. Kistner married Alice Hatton in 1916 and had 4 children: Fredericka Louise, Theodore Charles, Constance Agnes and Katherine Jean.

Martha, the youngest Custado daughter, married Taquio Redondo in 1948. They had nine children. Sophia Custado had a passion for tennis and all of her grandchildren were given lessons. Sixto Redondo, known as Skip, became a tennis coach. Marita Redondo was a well-known professional tennis player. Walter and Tamara, known as Tammy, also excelled in the sport.

Acquisition information:
Accession numbers 830415A, 830513A, and 831004A.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Alison Hennessey on December 19, 2011.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into three series:

Series I: Family Papers

Series II: Tennis

Series III: Architecture

Items within each series are arranged by subject.

Physical / technical requirements:

There are very few original documents in this collection. Newspaper clippings have been copied and originals discarded. Front cover detached from binding of “School Architecture in California” booklet. (December 15, 2011)

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Alison Hennessey
Sponsor:
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Date Prepared:
December 19, 2011
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012-03-22T16:06-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. There are very few original documents in this collection.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Custado Family Collection, MS 169, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website