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Mills College Historical Photographs
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Title: Mills College historical photographs
Dates: 1865-1922
Collection number: Consult library
Collector:
F.W. Olin Library, Mills College
Collection Size:
200 items
200 online items
Repository:
F.W. Olin Library, Mills College
Special Collections and Archive
Oakland, CA 94613
Abstract: This digital collection consists of items selected from the F.W. Olin Library's photograph collection that depict Mills College's
early history. The photographs were selected from the three categories that are represented in the collection: buildings,
portraits, and campus life. The F.W. Olin Library's photograph collection is a part of the Mills College Archive and includes
images of historical and current interest to the College. The collection dates from the 1860s to the present with the bulk
of the photos taken at the College's current site in Oakland where the College moved from Benicia, California in 1870.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection open for research.
Mills College historical photographs. Mills College, F.W. Olin Library, Special Collections and Archive, Oakland, CA 94613.
Collected by the F.W. Olin Library and others.
These 200 photographs were assembled from the photograph collection of approximately 12,000 in the Mills College Archive,
which is housed in the Heller Rare Book Room, F.W. Olin Library, Mills College. They were digitized in order to provide broader
access to the cultural and social history of Mills College for general audiences. The focus was on images that chronicle the
first few decades of the College at its Oakland, California location. The digitization will continue in-house both on an on-demand
basis and as small subcollections.
The project was part of the California Local History Digital Resources Program (LHDRP), a multi-year program supported by
the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered
in California by the State Librarian. Leveraging the infrastructure of the CDL in partnership with Califa and Infopeople,
the LHDRP explores a model to aggregate, preserve, and provide permanent public access to local history materials maintained
by California cultural heritage institutions via a single statewide online access point.
Project activities took place from July 2008 through June 2009. Activities included selection, rehousing, digitization, and
the production of metadata for 200 images. Digital objects were created and cataloged using CONTENTdm, a digital asset management
tool shared by LHDRP participants. The cataloging conforms to the CDL's Guidelines for Digital Objects specifications for
descriptive and copyright metadata.
Digitization was performed by Northern Micrographics using flatbed scanners. For each physical item, three digital image files
were created: a TIFF master, a JPEG access image, and GIF thumbnail image. Digital image files conform to the CDL's Guidelines
for Digital Images.
Founded in 1852 as the Young Ladies' Seminary in Benicia, California, Mills College has a rich history as a leader in women's
education. The College moved to its present site in Oakland in 1870 where the original building, Mills Hall, still stands.
Scope and Content of Collection
The F.W. Olin Library's photograph collection is a part of the Mills College Archive and includes images of historical and
current interest to the College. The collection dates from the 1860s to the present with the bulk of the photos taken at the
College's current site in Oakland where the College moved from Benicia, California in 1870. The images are organized into
three general categories: buildings, portraits, and campus life. They provide important documentation particularly for buildings
that have been demolished, landscape features that have been altered, campus traditions that are no longer practiced, and
campus culture that has evolved and changed over the course of over 150 years. The collection mostly consists of prints but
also includes postcards, stereocards, slides, and proofsheets.The F.W. Olin Library's photograph collection is a part of the
Mills College Archive and includes images of historical and current interest to the College. The collection dates from the
1860s to the present with the bulk of the photos taken at the College's current site in Oakland where the College moved from
Benicia, California in 1870. The images are organized into three general categories: buildings, portraits, and campus life.
They provide important documentation particularly for buildings that have been demolished, landscape features that have been
altered, campus traditions that are no longer practiced, and campus culture that has evolved and changed over the course of
over 150 years. The collection mostly consists of prints but also includes postcards, stereocards, slides, and proofsheets.
Most of these photographs were taken by commercial photographers hired by the College, College staff and students.
A finding aid is available for the photograph collection. Consult the library for more information.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Mills College
Mills Seminary
Oakland (Calif.)
Benicia (Calif.)
Women college students
College campuses
College buildings
Photographic prints
Photographic postcards
Postcards
Stereographs