John Nichols of Santa Paula, California is a local historian, photographer, and writer. Much of his work has focused on the St. Francis Dam disaster and his research on the 1928 dam break led to the 2002 work for Arcadia Publishing titled The St. Francis Dam Disaster. Nichols is also a gallery owner and dealer in vintage photographs. He and his wife own the John Nichols Gallery in Santa Paula. The 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster remains the second-greatest loss of life in California, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Built in 1924-1926, the concrete gravity dam collapsed shortly before midnight on March 12, 1928, releasing a wave of water that killed at least 431 people and devastated farms in the Santa Clara River Valley. The disaster changed how civil engineering projects are regulated and is deeply intertwined with water history in California. This collection contains materials compiled by John Nichols during his work and research related to the St. Francis Dam disaster. Materials include photographs, notes, newspaper clippings, articles, correspondence, ephemera and memorabilia, subject files, posters, and exhibit materials.

John Nichols of Santa Paula, California is a local historian, photographer, and writer. Nichols began writing for local newspapers in 1990 and has written articles for several publications since. He has also been involved in organizing and curating exhibits for several Ventura County museums, as well as organizing events for the annual Ghostwalk in Santa Paula. Much of his work focused on the St. Francis Dam disaster for the California Oil Museum. His research on the 1928 dam break led to the 2002 work for Arcadia publishing titled The St. Francis Dam Disaster.

6.87 Cubic Feet (6 boxes)

Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, have not been determined. Contact the Research Library for further information: library@venturamuseum.org.

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: Open for research. All requests to access materials must be made in advance by contacting the Research Library staff via email: library@venturamuseum.org.