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Mill Valley History Photograph Collection
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Title: Mill Valley history photograph collection
Dates: 1880-2006
Bulk Dates: Circa 1890-1930
Collection number: Consult repository
Collector:
Mill Valley Public Library. Lucretia Little History Room
Creator:
Little, Lucretia Hanson, 1908-1977
Collection Size:
Approximately 2,000-3,000 photographs, many with negatives
200 online items
Repository:
Mill Valley Public Library
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Abstract: The Mill Valley Public Library History Room collection contains images of historical interest of Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais,
Muir Woods, and some immediate surrounding areas. There is a sizable collection of photographs and artifacts, such as brochures
and timetables, from the Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad that served Mill Valley
primarily in the early part of the 20th Century. The collection of photos depicts the origins of Mill Valley as a lumber
town centered around the old lumber mill. The images of Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods depict scenes of hiking and the hiking
clubs of the period, the panoramic views and natural beauty of the area, leisure activities, tourism, the taverns, inns, and
trails on the mountain, and the annual Mountain Play. There is also a sizable collection of photographs on the annual Dipsea
Race and some of the fires and floods that periodically ravished the town and countryside. There is also a sizable collection
of photographs of notable people and families, including conservationist John Muir and Congressman William Kent. Many photos
also depict commerce and town life in the early part of the 20th Century.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research during History Room open hours; please consult repository for more information.
Property rights reside with the Mill Valley Public Library. The creators of the records and their heirs generally retain
literary rights. For permission to publish or reproduce please contact the History Room Librarian.
Mill Valley history photograph collection. Mill Valley Public Library, Mill Valley, California.
The original core collection was a gift from Lucretia Hanson Little. The library has maintained and grown the collection
through the present time.
The 200 photos for inclusion in the California Digital Library are intended to give a representation of life on the mountain
in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. They also portray significant people, places, and events in Mill Valley history.
Project activities included culling photos from the subject files and performing additional research, as necessary to fill
in additional information. The photos were scanned by Northern Micrographics and the records were entered and cataloged by
the History Room staff.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Mill Valley Public Library History Room collection contains images of historical interest of Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais,
Muir Woods, and some immediate surrounding areas. There is a sizable collection of photographs and artifacts, such as brochures
and timetables, from the Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad that served Mill Valley
primarily in the early part of the 20th Century. The collection of photos depicts the origins of Mill Valley as a lumber
town centered around the old lumber mill. The images of Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods depict scenes of hiking and the hiking
clubs of the period, the panoramic views and natural beauty of the area, leisure activities, tourism, the taverns, inns, and
trails on the mountain, and the annual Mountain Play. There is also a sizable collection of photographs on the annual Dipsea
Race and some of the fires and floods that periodically ravished the town and countryside. There is also a sizable collection
of photographs of notable people and families, including conservationist John Muir and Congressman William Kent. Many photos
also depict commerce and town life in the early part of the 20th Century.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.
John Muir
William Kent
Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
Mill Valley
Mount Tamalpais
Muir Woods
Dipsea Race
Mountain Play
Fires
Floods
Hiking
Tourism
Inns
Taverns
Clubs
Trails
Panoramic Views
Photographic prints
Brochures