Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island Collection
- Dates:
- 1899-1950
- Creators:
- McAllister, H. E., Dudley, M. E., Geiger, Maynard, Hardacre, Emma Chamberlain, Tenney, W. A., Bennett, William C., Mathis, S. J., Shippey, Lee, and Hudson, Travis
- Abstract:
- This is a collection of two booklets and many newspaper clippings from 1899-1981 regarding the "Lone Woman" of San Nicholas Island, who was supposedly abandoned and lived alone on a tiny island off the Southern California coast between 1836 and 1853.
- Extent:
- 0.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island Collection, 1899-1950, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.661; [folder number] [folder title][date].
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This is a collection of two booklets and many newspaper clippings from 1899-1981 regarding the "Lone Woman" of San Nicholas Island, who was supposedly abandoned and lived alone on a tiny island off the Southern California coast between 1836 and 1853. One of the booklets is a reprint of an article written by Elizabeth Mason, which originally ran in Scribner's in 1880. Other materials include photocopies of articles, and a reprinted photograph.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Juana Maria (died 1853 October 18), better known to history as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island (her birth name is unknown), was a Native American woman who was the last surviving member of her tribe, the Nicoleño. She lived alone on San Nicolas Island from 1835 until her discovery in 1853. Scott O'Dell's award-winning children's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960) was inspired by her story.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Library staff after 1981. Finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Processing Archivist, 2012 October 30, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC).
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-09-25 19:22:49 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
In accordance with the Autry's institution wide Management of Native Collections policy, access to this collection may be restricted due to culturally sensitive content. Requests for researcher access to materials identified as culturally sensitive may require letters of support from the affiliated Native nations and Indigenous communities.
Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives and fill out the Researcher Application Form.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
- Preferred citation:
-
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island Collection, 1899-1950, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.661; [folder number] [folder title][date].
- Location of this collection:
-
4700 Western Heritage WayLos Angeles, CA 90027, US
- Contact:
- (747) 201-8448