Gilbert, Florence, and Leslee See Leong Collection mssLeong
Kelly Kress
The Huntington Library
January 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Gilbert, Florence, and Leslee See Leong collection
Creator:
Leong family
Creator:
See family
Identifier/Call Number: mssLeong
Physical Description:
38.44 Linear Feet
(48 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1870-2019, bulk 1885-1995
Abstract: Documents, correspondence, photographs, clippings, and other materials related to the Leong and See families, prominent members
of the Los Angeles Chinese community and early business owners in Los Angeles Chinatown. Collection includes items related
to individual Leong and See family members, as well as the restaurants and other businesses they operated in Chinatown. There
are also materials related to the history and development of Los Angeles Chinatown and the Chinese community in Los Angeles,
including Chinatown businesses, churches, and schools, and Chinese American artists, particularly Tyrus Wong.
Language of Material: Materials are in English and Chinese.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
Conditions Governing Use
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]. Gilbert, Florence, and Leslee See Leong collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Leslee See Leong, February 2020.
Biographical / Historical
Gilbert Leong (1911-1996) was an architect, artist, and founder of East West Bank; Florence (Sissie) See Leong (1909-1989)
was a prominent Chinatown community leader. Their daughter Leslee Leong (b. 1945) is the current owner of the F. Suie One
Co. antiques store in Pasadena, California, a family business since the 1890s. Florence See's father Fong See arrived in the
United States from China in 1871, and partnered with his wife Letticie (Ticie) Pruett See to open a shop in Los Angeles Chinatown,
which evolved into the F. Suie One Co. The See family also owned and operated the popular Chinatown restaurant Dragon's Den
from 1935 to 1943. Gilbert Leong's parents Leung Jeung and Woo Choi Lan were married in China and later settled in the United
States. Woo Choi Lan taught Chinese classes to children in Los Angeles and was heavily involved in her church community, while
Leung Jeung started a produce business. The Leung family later owned and operated two restaurants: Chinese Garden in Hollywood,
from 1928 to 1933, and Soochow in Chinatown, from 1933 to 1968. Both families initially resided in Chinatown, and later moved
to other areas of Los Angeles while keeping close business ties to Chinatown. Artist Tyrus Wong was close to both families,
attending art school with Gilbert Leong and designing the menus for Dragon's Den.
Scope and Contents
Collection materials span the entire history of the See and Leong families in the United States, from the late 19th to the
early 21st century, including immigration documentation, business records, and family photographs and correspondence. Business
records document the F. Suie One Co. antiques stores, and Dragon's Den, Chinese Garden, and Soochow restaurants. There are
also photographs, clippings, and other materials related to the history and development of Los Angeles Chinatown, including
the demolition of Old Chinatown, and the Chinese community in Los Angeles, including businesses, churches, and schools. The
collection also includes significant original artwork by Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong.
Processing Information
Processed to box level by Kelly Kress in December 2021. Collection arrived with materials in loose leaf binders as well as
loose items. Some binders were disassembled and materials foldered. Printed lists of contents included with some binders were
transferred to the folders. Original binder titles were retained as box and folder titles when possible.
Related Materials
Arrangement
Organized in four series:
- Series 1. Family papers, 1870-2019, bulk 1895-1990
- Series 2. Family businesses, 1895-2001
- Series 3. Tyrus Wong, 1933-2017
- Series 4. Los Angeles Chinatown and Chinese community, 1894-2017
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Calligraphy, Chinese
Chinatown (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Chinese American artists
Chinese Americans -- California -- Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Autochromes (photographs)
Business records
Drawings (visual works)
Menus
Paintings (visual works)
Photographs
Leong family
See family
Wong, Tyrus
Family papers
1870-2019, bulk 1895-1990
Physical Description: 8.51 Linear Feet(12 boxes)
Scope and Contents
Materials related to members of the Leong and See families, including personal documents and photographs. Also includes materials
related to the On Gold Mountain Exhibition, based on Lisa See's book of the same name and chronicling the families' history.
Arrangement
Materials grouped by family member, family, or topic.
Box 1
Gilbert Leong - personal
1911-1996
Scope and Contents
Personal documents, school materials, army service, address books, birthday parties, funeral, and photos. Also materials related
to civic duties in the Chinatown community.
Box 2
Gilbert Leong - art and architecture
1931-2019
Scope and Contents
Items related to Chounard School of Art, exhibitions, photos of sculptures. Early drawings. Items related to Gilbert Leong's
architecture career, covering his time at USC School of Architecture; his work with firms and partnerships, including architect
Paul R. Williams; and private practice. Photos of projects, contemporary information on current real estate prices for his
homes. Publicity for art exhibitions in 1940 and Brushstrokes of Old Chinatown exhibition in 1994.
Box 3
Gilbert Leong - Chinese school
circa 1920s; 1980s
Scope and Contents
Workbooks used by Gilbert Leong for learning and practicing Chinese calligraphy. Also some school portraits of Gilbert from
high school and college, and a few of him as an elderly man.
Box 4
Sissie and Gilbert Leong
1941-1989
Scope and Contents
Items related to Gilbert and Florence's (Sissie) marriage and early married life, subsequent family homes, and Sissie's funeral.
Photographs of Sissie, and vacation photos of Sissie and Gilbert. Leslee Leong's birth and high school graduation. Also holiday
cards received by the Leong family over the years, many containing photos and updates from family friends.
Box 5
Gilbert Leong and family oversize
1930-2000s
Scope and Contents
Several of Gilbert's drawings from art school and architecture school, and clippings from his exhibitions and architecture
career. Awards from the City of Los Angeles and Chinese Historical Society. Also a See family tree and a draft of illustrated
reminiscences from Richard See about growing up in Old Chinatown.
Box 6
Leung Jeung and Woo Choi Lan
1914-1962
Scope and Contents
Personal documents and photographs related to the parents of Gilbert Leong. Includes receipts and business cards for Leung
Jeung's produce business, documentation and photographs of the Chinese school run by Woo Choi Lan, family photos, Leung Jeung's
funeral in 1950, and study materials and workbooks for Woo Choi Lan's US Citizenship application.
Box 7
Leung Jeung family
1880s-1991
Scope and Contents
Items related to members of the Leung Jeung family, including Gilbert Leung's siblings Edward Yin Kwong Leung, Marjorie Leung
Hee, and Elmer E. Leung. Letters, clippings, photos and other items documenting family events. See also Leung family photos
in box 8.
Box 8
Leung family photos
1880s-1940s
Scope and Contents
Two small albums and loose photos of Leung family members. Some photos taken in Canton, now known as Guangzhou, China. Several
photos of Woo Choi Lan's students from the Chinese schools she ran.
Box 9
Fong See and family
1870-2012
Scope and Contents
Documents and photos related to Fong See and his first wife Letticie (Ticie) Pruett and their children. There are many family
photos including one color autochrome image of Fong See in a Chinese robe. There is a color photocopy of a second autochrome
image but the original is not included. Also includes correspondence and documentation of a family trip to China in 1919;
Fong See and Ticie's divorce and the separation of family businesses into F. Suie One Co. and F. See On Co.; and Fong See's
later years, second marriage, and family. A small amount of photos and other material related to Fong See's youngest brother
Fong Yun and his family.
Box 10
See family
1898-1984
Scope and Contents
Items related to Florence (Sissie) See and her brothers Milton, Ray, Bennie, and Eddy. Includes school and military service
documentation, photos, and some correspondence, particularly between Sissie and her mother Ticie.
Box 11
See family generations; the Pruetts
1897-2011
Scope and Contents
Small amount of material related to Florence (Sissie) See's brothers and their families, including Richard See and his daughter
Lisa See. Primarily photographs and clippings, also some birth, death, and wedding announcements. Also photos and correspondence
of Ticie Leong's relatives the Pruett family, including letters to Ticie from her sisters-in-law in Oregon.
Box 12
On Gold Mountain
1995-2001
Scope and Contents
Materials related to author Lisa See's book On Gold Mountain, about the history of the See family in China and Los Angeles,
and the subsequent 2000 exhibition based on the book at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. Includes exhibition
planning documents, photographs, and publicity.
Family businesses
1895-2001
Physical Description: 8.46 Linear Feet(11 boxes)
Scope and Contents
Business documents, publicity, advertising, correspondence, photographs, and other materials related to the Leong and See
family businesses in Los Angeles Chinatown and elsewhere in the city. Includes items related to the See family's F. Suie One
Co. and F. See On import business and antiques stores, and Dragon's Den restaurant, and the restaurants run by the Leong family:
Chinese Garden and Soochow.
Arrangement
Materials grouped by topic.
Box 13
F. Suie One Co.
1895-2001
Scope and Contents
Business documents, photos, publicity, and other items related to the F. Suie One Co., the See family's import and antiques
business. Includes business cards, receipts, tax documents, business licenses, vendor correspondence, and press for the import
business and subsequent store locations in Los Angeles Chinatown and Pasadena. Also includes lists of paper sons working for
the business: Chinese immigrant boys prevented from entering the United States by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, who purchased
fraudulent documentation claiming relationships to Chinese Americans, which enabled them to enter the country. There is also
a small amount of material related to the SeeMar Furniture Manufacturing Company, owned by Ray and Bennie See.
Box 14
See family businesses
1911-1989
Scope and Contents
Photos of F. Suie One store interiors and imported furniture and goods, and several letters from Milton (Ming) See and his
wife Sunny while they were on buying trips to Hong Kong for the store. Also includes a sample of F. See On wrapping paper,
and tax receipts and oil amd gas leases for various properties owned by the See family.
Box 15
See family businesses oversize
approximately 1920s; 1961-2001
Scope and Contents
Oversize mounted photos approximately mid 1960s of F. Suie One Co. goods and interiors, and See family members working. Also
some loose photos of F. Sui One Co. and the Los Angeles Chinatown area, advertising, and a large roll of F. See On wrapping
paper.
Box 16
Soochow
1930s
Scope and Contents
Sample of wallpaper from Soochow restaurant, and design sketches for the restaurant by Dorr Bothwell, Tyrus Wong, and possibly
others. Also a panoramic photograph of a large group seated inside the restaurant.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Soochow wallpaper is extremely fragile and should be handled carefully.
Box 17
Soochow
1930s-1950s
Scope and Contents
Menus, primarily in English with daily specials in Chinese calligraphy. Also ledgers and account books.
Box 18
Soochow and Dragon's Den
1930-1967
Scope and Contents
Business documents, publicity, and promotional items related to Soochow and Dragon's Den restaurants. Includes a hand-drawn
Soochow restaurant map, and material related to a flower exhibition designed by Eddy See.
Box 19
Dragon's Den menus illustrated by Tyrus Wong
1930s-1940s
Scope and Contents
Menus with original artwork by Tyrus Wong. Includes a few complete menus and several original paintings meant to serve as
menu covers. See boxes 24-28 for more Tyrus Wong artwork.
Box 20
Chinese Garden
1914-1932
Scope and Contents
Primarily business correspondence for Chinese Garden restaurant. Also includes a hand drawn map of the dining room and some
bank books.
Box 21
Chinese Garden rubber stamps
circa 1920s-1930s
Scope and Contents
Rubber stamps related to restaurant operations, some in Chinese.
Box 22
Dragon's Den and Chinese Garden ledgers
1919-1931; 1962-1972
Scope and Contents
Ledgers and account books for Chinese Garden (1919 to 1931) and Dragon's Den (1962 to 1972). Also Soochow business cards.
Box 23
Leong family restaurants
1927-1950s
Scope and Contents
Items related to Chinese Garden and Soochow restaurants, including menus, publicity, receipts, licenses, and photographs.
Some materials in Chinese.
Tyrus Wong
1933-2017
Physical Description: 6.5 Linear Feet(5 boxes)
Scope and Contents
Primarily original artwork by Tyrus Wong, who attended art school with Gilbert Leong in the 1930s and remained a close family
friend. Includes items personalized for Gilbert and other Leong family members such as cards, booklets, and posters, as well
as some drawings, paintings, and a kite. For Tyrus Wong's Dragon's Den menus, see Box 19.
Arrangement
Materials grouped by topic.
Box 24
Personal
1934-2017
Scope and Contents
Photographs, exhibition catalogs and publicity, clippings, memorial service programs, and examples of Wong's commercial artwork
including calendars, magazine covers, and a scarf.
Box 25
Original artwork
1930s-2000s
Scope and Contents
Unique items created by Tyrus Wong including a bookplate designed for Florence See, flashcards, a comical book for Gilbert
Leong about his childhood, and cards and letters for members of the Leong and See families featuring original drawings.
Box 26
Original artwork
1930s-1980s
Scope and Contents
Primarily cards featuring original paintings and drawings created for members of the Leong and See families, including some
cardboard dolls. A few pieces appear to be by Ruth Wong.
Box 27
Original artwork - oversize
1933-1990s
Scope and Contents
Paintings and drawings, and several large-scale cards created for Gilbert Leong and other members of the See and Leong families.
Also includes a kite made from a brown paper bag.
Box 28
Original artwork - oversize
approximately 1970s-1980s
Scope and Contents
Pink quilted robe decorated with paint and ornaments, and two large rolled posters featuring poetry, paintings, and drawings.
Chinatown and Chinese community
1894-2017
Physical Description: 14.97 Linear Feet(20 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Scope and Contents
Photographs, clippings, artifacts, and other items related to Los Angeles Chinatown and its history, including the demolition
of Old Chinatown, and the Chinese community in Los Angeles. Some materials related to San Francisco Chinatown, and the larger
Chinese community in the United States.
Arrangement
Materials grouped by topic.
Box 29
Chinatown history
1894-2000s
Scope and Contents
Items related to Los Angeles Chinatown history, particularly the demolition of the Lugo Adobe and other areas of Old Chinatown,
and the dedication of Union Station. Includes clippings, poll tax receipts, business directories and pamphlets, and publicity
about Chinese New Year celebrations from 1960s. Also includes photos of Old Chinatown, including Ferguson Alley.
Box 30
Old Chinatown and Chinese community
1895-1989
Scope and Contents
Photographs and clippings of Old Chinatown, and other items related to the Chinese community, including Madame Chiang Kai-Shek's
visit to Los Angeles in 1943.
Box 31
Chinatown businesses
1900-1926
Scope and Contents
Account books for Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and other Chinatown businesses, entirely in Chinese. All have
been dated and several have been identified as "mysterious company" by the donor.
Box 32
Chinatown businesses
1940s-1990s
Scope and Contents
Guides and directories for Chinatown businesses. Also some photocopies of photographs and clippings, candles and a small china
plate.
Box 33
Chinatown businesses
1929-1985
Scope and Contents
Materials related to Chinatown business and tourism, including maps, telephone directories, business cards, souvenir books,
theatre programs, and dining guides. Some items related to San Francisco Chinatown.
Box 34
Clippings
1927-1995
Scope and Contents
Articles and clippings related to Los Angeles Chinatown, San Francisco Chinatown, and the larger Chinese community in the
United States, some in Chinese.
Box 35
Chinatown community
1950s-2000s
Scope and Contents
Binder of materials related to prominent members and leaders of the Los Angeles Chinese community. Includes clippings, photographs,
obituaries, memorial service programs, and event documentation.
Box 36
Asian American artists
1932-2017
Scope and Contents
Some original artwork, clippings, and exhibition information for several artists, including Hideo Date, Donal Hord, Dorr Bothwell,
Jake Lee, George Chan, Keye Luke, and Dong Kingman. There is also correspondence from Dong Kingman to Gilbert Leong.
Box 37
Chinese American artists and architects
1931-2008
Scope and Contents
General clippings, articles, and exhibition information for Chinese American architects and artists.
Box 38
Asian American artists
1937-1975
Scope and Contents
Oversize clippings related to Asian American artists and architects, and a scrapbook of clippings, catalogs, and other documents
related to the Foundation of Western Art.
Box 39
Unknown people - photographs
1880s-1940s
Scope and Contents
Photographs of primarily unidentified Chinese people in both traditional and western dress. Also some photographs of unidentified
white people. Some photos are inscribed, either in Chinese, English, or both.
Box 40
Unknown people - photographs
1890s-1950s; 1969
Scope and Contents
Photographs of primarily unidentified Chinese people in both traditional and western dress. Also some photographs of unidentified
white people. Some photos are inscribed, either in Chinese, English, or both.
Box 41
Unknown people - oversize photographs
circa 1920s-1940s
Scope and Contents
Oversize photographs of primarily unidentified Chinese people in both traditional and western dress. Also some photographs
of unidentified white people. Some photos are inscribed, either in Chinese, English, or both.
Box 42
Unknown people - group photographs
1920s-1940s
Scope and Contents
Rolled panoramic photos of groups of unidentified people. Some depict military units; others are convention attendees and
church groups.
Box 43
Churches and missions
1908-1980s
Scope and Contents
Church bulletins, reports, and prayer books from several Los Angeles Chinese churches, in Chinese and English, and bilingual
and Chinese bibles and hymn books.
Box 44
Churches and missions
circa 1930s-1980s
Scope and Contents
Primarily photographs and a few letters and documents related to Los Angeles Chinese churches. Divided into two binders: Churches
before 1950 and Churches after 1950.
Box 45
Churches and missions - oversize photographs
1930s-1950s
Scope and Contents
Primarily unidentified group photographs related to Chinese churches.
Box 46
Chinese magazines
1936-1985
Scope and Contents
Issues of Chinese magazines, including Chinatown News, Gum Saan Journal, The Chinese Student, Chinese News, Chinese Digest,
and Chinese Awareness.
Box 47
Books
1911-1970
Scope and Contents
Primarily Chinese cookbooks in English, and a book about the history of Chinese people in the Americas in Chinese.
Box 48
Artifacts
undated
Scope and Contents
Copy of a Thousand Character Classic for teaching Chinese, and sheets of wrapping paper covered in printed Chinese characters.
Folder 1
Posters
circa 1960s
Scope and Contents
Posters advertising Chinese New Year celebrations and theatre productions.
