William Henry Burnham Family Photographs of Catalina Island and Other Locations: Finding Aid photCL 650
Suzanne Oatey
The Huntington Library
March 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library Photo Archives
Title: William Henry Burnham family photographs of Catalina Island and other
locations
Creator:
Burnham, William Henry, 1851-1934
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 650
Physical Description:
1.8 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1898-1905
Abstract: Photographs documenting the social
activities and travel of California financier William Henry Burnham and family,
approximately 1898 to 1905.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. William Henry Burnham family photographs of Catalina Island and
other locations, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Johnson Rare Books & Archives, April 2021.
William Henry Burnham (1851-1934) was born in Connecticut and came to California in 1893.
He and his wife, Katharine French Burnham (1855-1937) settled in Orange, where William
Burnham worked in finance and became president of the Bank of Orange around 1898. The couple
had three children: Ralph F., William H. Jr., and Mary. Mary attended Marlborough School in
Los Angeles. Katharine Burnham was active in social organizations and an avid collector of
bookplates. She is listed as a member of the women's Ebell Society of Santa Ana Valley in
the early 1900s. Her collection of bookplates was donated to the Huntington Library by her
children in 1939.
This collection of 210 photographs and negatives documents the home life, social
activities, and travel of William Henry Burnham and family, approximately 1898 to 1905,
primarily in Southern California, with some visits to other states. The Burnham family lived
in Orange, California and there are several images of family, dogs, and children in the lush
gardens of their large house "Sucasa." Many images depict Catalina Island: hills and
scenery, a house in Avalon captioned the "Chalet," as well as a tent house and a hut at
"Eagles' Nest"; men on a Catalina Yacht Club boat outing; family riding in a horse-drawn
coach to the summit; picnics; and swimming at Avalon. A man is seen on a horse holding a
rifle, with a caption reading "Goat hunt. Catalina Island." A few other photographs show men
duck hunting, quail hunting, and at the "Club House at Allen Ranch" (location unclear).
Other subjects include: a San Pedro beach with hundreds of abalone being dried in the sun on
racks on the beach; Marlborough School, Los Angeles; the Squirrel Inn and cabins at Lake
Arrowhead; an agricultural area with a Native American family standing under a shelter; a
visit to the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition of 1898, held in Omaha,
Nebraska; and ruins of California missions. Several images depict a group of women at
Mission San Juan Capistrano, which captions identify as the Ebell Society of Santa Ana
Valley, a women's activity and philanthropy organization to which Katharine Burnham
belonged.
Processed by Suzanne Oatey in March 2022.
The original arrangement of the collection has been retained.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Boxes 2-4: Photographic negatives housed in cold storage; extended retrieval and delivery
time required.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architecture, Domestic -- California -- Photographs
Hunting and fishing clubs -- California
Hunting
Recreation -- California -- Photographs
Women -- Societies and clubs -- California
Orange (Calif.)--Photographs
Santa Catalina Island (Calif.) -- Photographs
Ebell Society of the Santa Ana Valley
Mission San Juan Capistrano -- Photographs