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La Valencia Hotel
RG005.09  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The La Valencia Hotel Collection is made up of photographs and archival material collected by the La Jolla Historical Society since the 1930s to use for historical research and reference. The Collection contains material dedicated to the history of the Hotel (and apartments). The La Valencia Hotel, completed in 1926, was built by Roy B. Wiltsie and MacArthur Gorton. The original architect was Reginald Johnson, with an addition two years later by Herbert Mann. In 1956, the hotel incorporated the Cabrillo Hotel (1909) next door which became La Valencia West. The Hotel has been famous for its nickname, “The Pink Lady of La Jolla,” its vast ocean views and its Hollywood visitors who have used it historically as a hideout from hectic pressures. This material pertains to the history and heritage of La Jolla, California; its people, places and events. A container list is included on the PDF and HTML versions.
Background
The La Jolla Historical Society inspires and empowers the community to make La Jolla’s diverse past a relevant part of contemporary life. The La Jolla Historical Society’s Collections encompass over 80 years of actively collecting archival material, books, maps, scrapbooks, ephemera, fine art, newspapers, street and land use files, business and personal documents and historic and archaeological artifacts. The Society boasts over 20,000 photographs, over 1000 postcards, 400-plus architectural drawings and approximately 200 oral history recordings. Collecting was initiated by Howard Randolph and volunteers on the historical committee of the Library Association of La Jolla. The Collection began by gathering photographs and documentation in the late 1930s, which later became the nucleus of the La Jolla Historical Society’s Collections. The Society was created in 1963. Through many moves in location the Society continued collecting and expanding. Accumulated Collections took on its current construct in 2010 after the renovation of the La Jolla Historical Society’s campus of structures in central La Jolla, which consists of the 1904 Wisteria Cottage and 1940s Balmer Annex used for exhibits and programming, and a 1909 cottage used for business and research offices. The late Ellen Browning Scripps’ 1916 automobile garage was also renovated and now houses the Collection in a modern collections storage facility. Materials are housed in archival boxes, sleeves, envelopes and other archival-safe materials and are cared for according to standards and best practices of the museum profession. In 2016, the Society initiated new PastPerfect Museum Software to manage and catalog its Collections and in 2018 started using the Online Archive of California to upload searchable information from its Collections to enable improved public access. The Society will continue these processes and look forward to utilizing new opportunities to collect, preserve and share the history of La Jolla.
Extent
.5 linear feet
Restrictions
The La Jolla Historical Society holds the copyright to any unpublished materials
Availability
The Collection is open for research