Dates:

1939 to 1981

Extent:

321 boxes

Scope and content:

The Society and Special Features series is comprised of negatives and color transparencies from 1939 to 1981. These are chiefly images related to fashion, food, homes, gardens, art, society, social events, charity functions and people and locations featured in special interest stories, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. The code range 80000-80692 includes locations throughout California and the western United States. Some images are for the Sunday special section. Images tend to be posed compositions of people, objects or of scenery.

The arts include the symphony, ballet and opera and the opening night parties, preview parties for museum exhibitions, as well as professional and amateur theatrical rehearsals.

Home features include house and garden tours, furnishings, food and cooking.

Social events include engagements, weddings, balls, women's clubs, charity functions, luncheons, balls such as 49ers Ball, Bachelor and Spinsters Balls and cotillions, debutants, teas, luncheons, dinners, parties, receptions and college functions.

Subjects depicted from 1939 through the early 1960s tend to be of social organizations and their members, teas, luncheons, dinners, parties and receptions; balls such as 49ers Ball, Bachelor and Spinsters Balls, cotillions and debutants; weddings, mostly with bride and father, the newly married couple and group portraits; fashions, fashion shows and society women modeling fashions; charity events, Community Chest drives, milk bank, baked goods fundraiser, rummage sales and bazaars; animal related events, dog shows, equestrian events and seeing-eye dog training and promotion; Junior League activities; Girl Scouts and college functions, fraternities, sororities, reunions and parties. Images of organizations and charities are mainly of the members rather than the activities, and are mostly of women.

Around the early 1960s, the images moved from being related to society, women's club activities, charity organizations and college functions to images of cultural events such as art opening parties, benefits, food and interior decorating. People captured are more notable figures such as celebrities, artists, authors, political figures and chefs.

Arrangement:

This series is further divided into three code ranges. When the series code numbers 38000-42990 ran out (December 1973, box 2920), Examiner staff added an "A" to the beginning of the code to restart the numbering A38000-A38814. The code range 80000-80692 that follows is a mixture of color transparencies and black and white negatives from 1958 to 1972.

Contents

Access and use