Inventory of the Sri Ratnam Swami Aerial Photography Collection SPC.2018.039
California State University Dominguez Hills Archives and Special Collections
2018-10-15
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, CA 90747
archives@csudh.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills Archives and Special Collections
Title: Sri Ratnam Swami Aerial Photography Collection
creator:
Fairchild Aerial Surveys, inc.
creator:
Pacific Air Industries, Long Beach, Calif.
creator:
Swami, Sri Ratnam
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2018.039
Physical Description:
9 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1934-1973; undated
Language of Material: Collection material is in English.
Abstract: This collection contains over 500 black-and-white aerial photographs of images taken mostly of the Southwestern United States;
as well as color slides, negatives, and clippings belonging to Sri Ratnam Swami, a former employee of Fairchild Aerial Survey
and Aero Service Corporation; and former lecturer at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Preferred Citation
[title of item] Sri Ratnam Swami Aerial Photography Collection, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections.
University Library. California State University, Dominguez Hills
Scope and Contents
The Sri Ratnam Swami Aerial Photography Collection contains over 500 black-and-white photographs of mostly aerial shots taken
in California, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States. Most of the aerial photographs are stamped with Fairchild Aerial
Survey, Pacific Air Industries, and Geotronics logos on the verso. This collection also contains color slides mostly from
the audio visual departments of University of California Santa Barbara and California State Colleges Los Angeles (California
State University, Los Angeles). Featured images include: landscapes, people, architecture, buildings, and famous landmarks
taken in Japan, China, South America, Europe, and other locations. Also included in this collection are clippings and magazine
articles featuring aerial photography as well as a few negatives of aerial photographs.
Biographical / Historical
Sri Ratnam Swami worked with the Fairchild Aerial Survey from 1960-1963; was the chief map editor for the Aero Service Corporation
from 1964-1967; and was also a lecturer in the geography department at University of California, Santa Barbara from 1967-1968.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aerial photography
mapmaking (process)
geography
box 1
Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc.- aerial photographs
March 15, 1950-April 7, 1964; undated
Scope and Contents
black-and-white aerial photographs of California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, and other locations.
Folder 1: Aerial photographs of Shiprock Arizona;Stauffer Chemical Company plant; R.F.C. Midland; Rubber Company; downtown
Los Angeles; and others. Numbers: 11419-13785 (approximate); and 22736-T3
March 15, 1950-January 30, 1957
Folder 2: Aerial photographs of Fairchild offices; Los Angeles; farmland; and others. Numbers: 13819-13839
May 16, 1957-August 8, 1957
Folder 3: Aerial photographs of Riverside Cement Company; Great Western Malting Company; and others. Numbers: 14056-14195
(approximate)
May 5, 1959-March 29, 1960
Folder 4: Aerial photographs of Garden City Kansas; Colorado: La Junta, Pueblo, Durango,
Farmington; Arizona: Glen Canyon Dam,Colorado River, Grand Canyon, and Flagstaff; Farmington, New Mexico; Jacob Hamblin Area.
Numbers: 14428-144258
1963
Folder 5: Aerial photographs of mostly rural land. Unknown location. Number: 14589
undated
box 2
Aerial photographs- Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc.; and others
February 25, 1934-September 14, 1958; undated
Scope and Contents
This box contains black-and-white aerial photographs of farmland, factories, mountains, and other locations. Some, but not
all of the photographs are stamped with the "Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc." logo.
Folder 1: Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc: Meteor Crater
Arizona (0-3977 and 0-3979 (A); Hopi Reservation,
Arizona (0-4050 and 0-4055); Winslow Arizona
(0-4171); Grand Canyon (0-5310); Meteor Crater
(0-5834); Burning Tree Lower Colorado River (0-8280-
A); Niagra Falls (0-56-3542); photographs of a city
(55-4613)
Folder 2: Aerial photographs of mountain range. Unknown location. Number: 24660.
December 12, 1964
Folder 3: Aerial photographs of farmland, mountains, and
factories. Unknown location.
undated
Folder 4: Aerial photographs of suburban areas. Unknown location. Number:
C-13330
December 20, 1948
Folder 5: Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc.-photo index map of Upper Missouri Basin Survey for Bureau of Reclamation
undated
Unfoldered: Aerial photographs of mountains, farmland, and
riverbeds. Numbers: 22915-11A; 22915-11B; 22915-12C;
22915-13A; 23130-78E
September 14, 1958
box 3
Aerial photographs- Geotronics, Pacific Air Industries, and others
February 2, 1956-January 20, 1973; undated
Scope and Contents
This box contains black-and-white aerial photographs from Geotronics, Pacific Air Industries, and other unknown companies.
Images depict streets, buildings, and shorelines.
Folder 1:Geotronics, 22407
February 6, 1956
Folder 2: Geotronics, 22555
August 14, 1956-August 23, 1956
Folder 3: Geotronics: VII-LA-4; VII-LA-7; Pacific Air
Industries: 23870
January 15, 1958-May 12, 1960
Folder 4: California Aero Topo Inc.
January 20, 1973
Folder 5: Company unknown, Numbers: GS-VQT; SFV; AXJ-3k; 10890; 23305;
23130-75; 6-5-73 (no identifiers); 1-71 (no identifiers)
May 22, 1949-June 5, 1973; undated
Folder 6: black-and-white photographs, location unknown.
undated
box 4
Aerial photographs- Geotronics, Pacific Air Industries, and others
September 23, 1958-November 28, 1965; undated
Scope and Contents
This box contains black-and-white aerial photographs from Geotronics, Pacific Air Industries, and others. Images depict streets,
buildings, shorelines,and mountains.
Folder 1: Geotronics 205V and 24577
April 3, 1963-June 28, 1963
Folder 2: Geotronics 1533-13; Pacific Air Industries
24801
June 29, 1964-November 28, 1965
Folder 3: Geotronics C300 J236-J87 (approximate
numbers)
undated
Unfoldered: "Apr. Run 7" 542-612 (approximate
numbers). No company or location listed
September 23, 1956
box 5
Aerial photographs- Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A.; and others
January 17, 1952-January 11, 1963; undated
Scope and Contents
This box contains black-and-white aerial photographs of buildings; a sports stadium; farm land; mountains; Ceyala and Motzorongo,
Mexico; and other locations. Some photographs are stamped with the "Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A." logo.
Folder 1: Compania Mexicana Aerofoto S.A. 8508; 13980; 6072
January 17, 1952; February 4, 1958; undated
Folder 2: Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A. "Celaya". 1627-2-4
December 18, 1961
Folder 3: Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A.- "Motzorongo Ver", "Vuelo Bajo" #1681; 1637
January 31, 1962-January 11, 1963
Folder 4: Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A.- (2) 1; (22) 3; (23) 3; (35), 4; (36), 4; (3)1; (54)5; (53) 5
undated
Folder 5: Compania Mexicana Aerofoto, S.A.- unknown locations
undated
Unfoldered: aerial photographs of shorelines, buildings, suburban areas, and other locations. Some images stamped with: 11023
undated
box 6-8
Color slides
undated
Physical Description: 3 boxes
Scope and Contents
Three boxes of color slides containing images of geographic locations in Argentina, Southeast Asia, Egypt, Afganistan, Bolivia,
Brazil, Europe, Japan, Vietnam, the Mediterranean, and others. Images depict landscapes, famous landmarks, architecture, maps,
and citizens. Also included are aerial shots taken from space. Many of the slides indicate that they were part of the audio
visual departments at University of California Santa Barbara; and California State College Los Angeles.
box 9, folder 1
Color slides containing images of geographic locations from around the world. Images depict landscapes, famous landmarks,
architecture, maps, and citizens.
undated
box 9, folder 2
Aerials of Colby, Kansas, Indonesia, and #502-194 (unknown location); and group photographs taken in a work area.
Summer 1950, January 22, 1961, June 1972, undated
box 9, folder 3
Aerial photographs with markings on trace paper. Numbers Zk-5B 6, 13, 14, 43, 44, 47, 49, 51.
September 23, 1941
box 9, folder 4
Partial and cut aerial photographs
undated
box 9, folder 5
Ceylon Survey Department aerials. Some images are of Weligama Bay
undated
box 9, folder 6
Proyecto De Aerofotogrametri de la O.E.A.- aerials numbered 65 8907; 65 8908
November 11, 1961
box 9, folder 7
Negatives of aerial photographs. Numbered 0-13722A, 0-13723-13727
August 16, 1956
box 9, folder 8
Negatives of aerial photographs. Numbered 0-13728-13733
August 16, 1956
box 9, folder 9
Negatives of aerial photographs. Numbered F-C-17
undated
box 9, folder 10
City of Santa Monica Department of Engineering- map
June 26, 1968
box 9, folder 11
Photogrammetric measurment of bulls (24677)- photographs and documents
December 1963
box 9, folder 12
Clippings and magazine articles featuring aerial photographs
1965-1968; undated
