General Subjects Photography Collection, 1850s-1980s, bulk (Bulk 1870s-1970s)

Summary

Title:

General Subjects photography collection

Dates:

1850s-1980s, bulk (Bulk 1870s-1970s)

Abstract:

Contains photographs and picture postcards depicting scenes of California places, people, activities, and cultural resources, mainly from the 1870s to the 1980s. Each listing represents a file containing from one to more than fifty images. Some files may also include a small number of non-photographic reproductions and illustrations.

Extent:

48 Linear Feet (94 boxes and 12 oversize boxes; approx. 23,150 images)

Language:

English .

Preferred citation:

[identification of item, creator, date] General Subjects Photography collection (PC-GS). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains photographs and picture postcards depicting scenes of California places, people, activities, and cultural resources, mainly from the 1870s to the 1980s. Each listing represents a file containing from one to more than fifty images. Some files may also include a small number of non-photographic reproductions and illustrations.

Includes images depicting California's agricultural economy, industry, and mining operations. Scenes of the California landscape reflect the wide variety of the state's natural features (lakes, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, etc.), and the built environment as evidenced through architecture (commercial, domestic, and public) and transportation (automotive, rail, water, etc.). Also includes images of people engaged in community and cultural activities as members of organizations or participating in recreation and the arts. A large segment of the collection concerns the work of California photographers (predominantly portraits). These have been arranged by the city in which they worked, or where their studio is located.

Acquisition information:

The California Historical Society (CHS) acquired and collected the photographs, postcards, and other visual materials in this collection from various sources over a span of decades.

Transferred to Stanford University Libraries in 2025.

Arrangement:

Divided into three series: I.) California photographs, II.) United States photographs - contains photos that pertain to federal agencies and U.S. military and war history subjects. III.) Oversized photographs. Organized alphabetically by subject within these series.

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

Related resources

Related material:

San Francisco Subjects photograph collection (PC SF), San Francisco Streets Photograph Collection (PC SF Streets) and the California Counties Photograph Collection (PC CO).

Other descriptive data:

An artificial collection comprising visual materials first arranged by librarians and archivists at the California Historical Society in the 1980s, and added to with new acquisitions and found materials over the decades. Provenance and donor information is at times marked on the back of the photograph, but in many cases it is unknown.

This collection, assembled over the years by CHS staff and volunteers, was likely started as a way to manage the large number of donated photographs and other visual materials that had been accumulating since the 1940s. The bulk of the photographs came in as one-off donations or unsolicited donations, while others were purchased by CHS. Legacy archival practice was to separate photos from manuscript collections and as a result many of these ended up being interleaved into the General Subjects Photograph Collection. Some of the folders contain non-original copyprints and illustrations that are related to the subject heading.

Some legacy subject headings in the collection guide have been updated. However, many legacy headings and descriptions of items remain written on the backs of the photographs. Offensive, outdated, stereotyped, and/or harmful language may be encountered in the collection.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Agricultural laborers -- California -- Pictorial works
Grape industry -- California -- Pictorial works
Redwoods--Humboldt County--Photographs
Missions -- California -- Pictorial works
Orchards--California--Pictorial works
Chinese -- California -- Pictorial works
Photographic prints
Landscape photographs
Photographic postcards

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by Trina Lopez, Wendy Welker, Brenda Baldwin, and Mary Morganti.

Date Encoded:

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-29 14:16:14 -0700 .

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item, creator, date] General Subjects Photography collection (PC-GS). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Location of this collection:

Stanford University, California Historical Society Collection at Stanford

Department of Special Collections, Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US

Contact:

(650) 725-1022

chscollection@stanford.edu

Website