William Newton Meeks family photograph collection, approximately 1870s-1890s
Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- A collection of photographs of California pioneer William Newton Meeks, his wife Abigail Livia Martha Davis, their children, and other family members.
- Extent:
- 0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. William Newton Meeks family photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
A collection of 68 photographs, primarily portraits, of William Newton Meeks, his wife, Abigail Livia Martha Davis, their children, and other Meeks and Davis family members, including Abigail's brother, Charles Sylvanus Davis. Also included are photographs of the Meeks' mansion (1890s) in Temescal, a neighborhood of Oakland, California, featuring an attached greenhouse or conservatory. There are also some photographs of engravings of earlier relatives, including Captain John Meeks (b. 1737), James Cooper, Susannah (Cooper) Meeks, Phineas Davis, and Isaac Davis. A group portrait depicts the wedding party of Meeks' daughter Blanche Thayer and John Heath, son of a pioneer California family, in 1889.
- Biographical / historical:
-
William Newton Meeks (1821-1897) was born in New York and travelled to California by ship during the California Gold Rush. He entered the real estate business in San Francisco and married Abigail Livia Martha Davis, a schoolteacher. In 1871, Abigail took their four children (Edward, Constance Adela, William Vincent, and Blanche Thayer) to be educated first in Philadelphia and then in Lausanne, Nice, and finally Paris. After Abigail's death in 1876, William and the children returned to California and settled in Oakland, Alameda County.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Mrs. Constance Pearson, October 29, 1976.
- Custodial history:
-
Transferred from William Newton Meeks papers (mssMK) in 1992.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Suzanne Oatey in August 2020.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
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.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. William Newton Meeks family photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2129