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Collection Guide

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Guide to the California Border Region Digitization Project

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Table of contents

Series Descriptions

Agriculture

Physical Description: 153 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Photographs document farms and ranches, farm life, and agricultural laborers primarily in San Diego County. This series shows the variety of produce cultivated in the region's orchards and fields including citrus fruits, olives, flowers, avocados, cotton, beans, and celery. Farms represented in these photographs include the Little Landers Colony, Prentice Ranch, La Vida Ranch and others.

Aviation

Physical Description: 121 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Photographs document the early aviation industry in San Diego. Prominent aviators represented include Glenn Curtiss, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Charles A. Lindbergh, Lincoln Beachy, Amelia Earhart, Farnum Fish, Frank M. Hawks, John J. Montgomery, and Ruth Alexander. The development of the aircraft industry in San Diego is documented through images of the facilities of airplane manufacturers Consolidated, Solar, and Ryan. Aircraft represented include monoplanes, biplanes, balloons, blimps, dirigibles, and the Navy dirigibles USS Macon and USS Shenandoah. Airlines featured include Maddux Air Lines, United Airline, and Western Air Express. The airfields and airports Rockwell Field, Lindbergh Field, and Dutch Flats are illustrated through aerial photographs as well.

Balboa Park

Physical Description: 282 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

The Panama-California Exposition of 1915-1916 and California-Pacific International Exposition of 1935-1936 are heavily represented by this series. Exposition attractions and displays include the Indian Village, Midget Village, Nudist Colony, San Diego Zoo, and Midway. Exterior views of buildings created for the expositions are pictured as well exposition-related special events. Prominent visitors to the expositions include Albert Einstein, President William Howard Taft, Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt and others.

Buildings

Physical Description: 1,051 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

The history of the residential and commercial development of San Diego is documented through images of businesses, homes, hospitals, hotels, organizational facilities, religious facilities, schools, universities and theaters. Types of businesses represented range from small "mom and pop" shops to small and larger factories. Schools and universities represented include Mason Street School, San Diego Normal School, San Diego State Teachers College, San Diego State College, Pink School, Florence School, and others.

Government

Physical Description: 179 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Photographs depict a broad array of activities related to the functions, services, and facilities of foreign, national, and local governments. Types of facilities represented in this series include fire houses, libraries, courthouses, city halls, post offices and customs buildings. Employees are pictured formally in groups and at work. Foreign relations are depicted by visiting Japanese, Czechoslovakian, and Mexican dignitaries and soldiers.

Industry

Physical Description: 254 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

The roles and development of energy, labor, lumber, manufacturing, mining, and shipping in the California border region are portrayed. Included are power plants and oil wells in Tijuana, National City, and Point Loma; workers in a variety of fields including construction, the food industry, and the aviation industry; mining in Julian, Descanso, and the Cuyamaca Mountains; and labor disputes, and riots involving the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

Military

Physical Description: 213 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

The United States military is depicted in images of bases, hospitals, ships, and activities. Military faculties include the Naval Training Center, Naval Hospital in Balboa Park, Camp Kearny, United State Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Fort Rosecrans, Rockwell Field, Naval Air Station - North Island, and Camp Derby in Balboa Park. The military's significant role in aviation history is illustrated by views of Navy blimps and observation balloons, Fokker C2-A airplane, and the U.S.S. Shenandoah and U.S.S. Macon airships at Rockwell Field. Many Navy battleships, cruisers, and aircraft carriers including the U.S.S. San Diego are also pictured.

People

Physical Description: 1,523 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Photographs document the varied activities of residents and visitors to the California border region from 1850 to 1940. Images of ethnic and indigenous residents include African Americans, American Indians, Chinese, Italians, Japanese, Mexicans, and Portuguese. Included here are also images of children engaged in such activities as school work, YMCA camp, swimming, and family activities. Special events that drew crowds include a reception for Charles Lindbergh reception at Balboa Stadium, the Cuyamaca ship launching, and President Franklin Roosevelt's visit to San Diego during the 1935 Exposition.

Places/Locations

Physical Description: 1,232 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Highlighted by this series are the numerous cities and communities of San Diego County and the Mexican border. Aerial and other views portray the coastal communities of La Jolla, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and Coronado. Representing the desert regions are images of Carrizo Gorge and the Imperial County locations of Calexico and the Mountain Springs Grade. Mexican cities of Tijuana, Tecate, Mexicali, Ensenada, as well as the Coronado Islands are represented by numerous images of landscapes, buildings, events and activities. Border crossings, tourism, the 1911 Tijuana Insurrection and a variety of other images featuring Mexico are included. Additional photographs show historically designated or well known sites such as Old Town, the Presidio, Marston House, Villa Montezuma, Serra Museum, and Mission San Diego de Alcala.

Transportation

Physical Description: 740 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

Images including horse drawn wagons, automobiles, boats, ships, streetcars, and trains illustrate the development of wide ranging transportation systems. Images of major transportation hubs such as Santa Fe Depot as well as the significant roads and highways connecting communities are well documented. Numerous images of unpaved, rural roads are included. The majority of transportation related images depict recognizable buildings, businesses and people in the foreground or background. Tourism, family outings, and community events such as parade of automobiles in Tijuana or an annual Escondido Grape Day Parade are also well documented by this series.

Water

Physical Description: 146 images.

Series Scope and Content Summary

The establishment of an adequate water supply system for the San Diego County region is documented through images of dams, lakes and reservoirs including: San Vincente Dam, Sweetwater Dam and reservoir, Old Mission Dam, El Capitan Dam, Barrett Dam, Lower Otay Dam, Morena Dam and Lake Hodges, Lake Murray Dam and reservoir, and a variety of flumes. The laying of water pipes to bring drinking water directly into homes is documented. The 1916 flood and resulting damage are shown in images of downtown San Diego, Old Town, Otay Mesa, and Tijuana.

Series Descriptions

Agriculture

Aviation

Balboa Park

Buildings

Government

Industry

Military

People

Places/Locations

Transportation

Water