Photographs of California Mission Restoration by Jasper Schad, 1948-1954

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Summary

Creators:
Schad, Jasper G., 1932-
Abstract:
This is a collection of photographs of 11 California missions and their grounds, taken during a restoration period from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. Notable missions that are depicted include San Fernando Rey de España, San Luis Rey de Francia, Santa Barbara, and Santa Inés. The photographs were taken by Jasper Schad, except for two taken by Brother Barnabas of Mission San Luis Rey.
Extent:
150 photographs in 4 boxes; prints mostly 31 x 25 cm. (12 x 10 in.) and 20 x 25 cm. (8 x 10 in.); 114 negatives 10 x 12 cm. (4 x 5 in.) or smaller, (6 deteriorated).
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains 150 photographs and 114 negatives of the restoration of some California missions and their surrounding lands from the late 1940s to mid-1950s. The photographs were taken by Jasper Schad, except for two taken by Brother Barnabas of Mission San Luis Rey.

The missions that are shown in the photos include San Antonio de Padua, San Buenaventura, San Gabriel Arcángel, San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Santa Barbara, La Purísima Concepción, San Juan Capistrano, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, San Fernando Rey de España, San Luis Rey de Francia, and Santa Inés. Unidentified mission photographs are also included. The photographs show a contemporary Native American village; a cemetery; restoration work in progress; restoration workers; fully restored mission buildings; contemporary building additions to the missions; mission dedication ceremonies; aerial views of the mission grounds; chapel interiors; branding irons; a confessional; a baptism fountain; a water spout; a lavendería; reservoirs; bell towers; furniture; mission ruins; and Goodwin Knight, Robert O. Schad, Joseph Scott, and Father Finbar Kenneally, all of whom appear once in this collection.

Jasper Schad had indicated in an interview that he had taken these photos as an amateur during a trip his parents had taken him on to fuel his interest in history. The collection also holds ten non-mission negatives, all of which depict California locations; Mr. Schad mentioned that his parents had included these negatives in this collection because it was thought the negatives would be of interest to the Huntington. The negatives show Kennedy Gold Mine, Bale Grist Mill, the sitting room of Andres Pico Adobe, and an unidentified Ventura turn-of-the-century house. Some images exist only in negative format.

Biographical / historical:

Jasper G. Schad was born in 1932 in Los Angeles County, California. He served as the dean of libraries at Wichita State University from 1971 until 1998. Schad's father, Robert O. Schad, was the curator of rare books at the Huntington Library from 1926 to 1961.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Jasper Schad in 1954, 1956, and 1961.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged numerically by item number.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Note:

Finding aid last updated on October 14, 2014.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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