Photograph Album of Chinese Men and Women in Sierra County, 1890-1930

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Summary

Title:
Photograph album of Chinese men and women in Sierra County
Dates:
1890-1930
Abstract:
Album kept by John T. Mason containing identification photographs of Chinese men and women in Sierra County, California, dated between 1890 and 1930, with the bulk of the photographs taken in Downieville by D. D. Beatty in 1894. Most photographs are accompanied by inscriptions indicating the name, occupation, age, place of residence, height, and physical characteristics of the subject. Also includes three pages of notes containing information about summonses, warrants, and arrests in Sierra County in 1890.
Extent:
0.2 Linear Feet (1 photo album;176 photographic prints)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item, date] Photograph album of Chinese men and women in Sierra County (Vault 184). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of a photograph album kept by justice of the peace John T. Mason in Downieville, California. The album contains 176 identification photographs of Chinese men and women in Sierra County, California, dated between 1890 and 1930, with the bulk of the photographs taken in Downieville by D. D. Beatty in 1894. Most photographs are accompanied by inscriptions indicating the name, occupation, age, place of residence, height, and physical characteristics of the subject. Some inscriptions include additional information about deaths, family relationships, and emigration to China, often appended after 1894. The photographs are preceded by a list of Chinese residents in Sierra County, to which they are linked. The album also contains three pages of Mason's notes about summonses, warrants, and arrests in Sierra County in 1890.

Biographical / historical:

John T. Mason was a justice of the peace in Downieville, California.

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Marie Silva
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-16 15:51:07 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Material in the public domain does not have any restrictions on use.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item, date] Photograph album of Chinese men and women in Sierra County (Vault 184). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
chscollection@stanford.edu
Website